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Larkhill School is a friendly and inclusive place to learn. Pupils are proud of their school.
They benefit from regular opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. Leaders make sure there is something for everyone, whether this is performing at Stonehenge or tending to the school garden.
Leaders have raised expectations of pupils' learning.
Despite many staffing changes, they have remained focused on securing improvements to the quality of education. Pupils experience a broad and well-planned curriculum that excites and interests them.
Pupils behave well in lessons and at other times during the school day.
They follow the school's 'be ready..., respectful and safe' rules. Staff provide effective support to deal with any pupils who present challenging behaviour. Bullying is infrequent.
Pupils feel safe in school because they know that if a problem occurs, staff put a stop to it quickly.
This school is proud of its nearby military links. Pupils enjoy attending 'bluey club' where they can write letters to family members when they are deployed away from home.
They also value time in forest school, where they learn to apply the school's values of resilience and cooperation.
What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?
Leaders, staff and governors recognise the positive changes since joining the multi-academy trust. Staff are proud to work at the school.
They know that leaders prioritise their workload and well-being. Staff, including those new to their role, speak highly of the training they receive to develop their expertise. They share the ambitions of leaders in wanting the best for every pupil.
Leaders' work to strengthen the curriculum is progressing well. In many subjects, leaders have identified the small steps of knowledge needed for pupils to succeed. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).
In mathematics, lessons build on what pupils already know and can do. Teachers expect pupils to explain their thinking in full sentences, including in Reception class. Pupils have frequent opportunities to secure their learning through the 'do it, secure it and deepen it' approach.
They say this helps build their confidence when learning new concepts.
Similarly, in history, leaders have mapped out the important knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn and in what order. They use the rich local history to bring the subject to life.
For example, pupils in Year 2 know the significance of the Amesbury Archer. Older pupils are beginning to make connections across different historical periods studied. They can compare the reasons why the Anglo-Saxons and Vikings invaded Britain.
Teachers use quizzes and assessments to check what pupils have remembered. This is beginning to help knowledge stick in pupils' memory.Leaders are not complacent.
They know that some subjects need further development. Where this is the case, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and revisit over time. In these subjects, pupils do not gain the same depth of knowledge as they do in others.
Leaders give reading a high profile. Teachers are skilled at showing pupils how to read with expression. As pupils move through the school, they read with increasing fluency.
Staff are quick to identify and support anyone who needs extra help. They make sure that pupils read books that match the sounds they are learning. Staff receive regular coaching from the phonics leader to develop their practice.
However, a few staff lack the expertise to teach phonics effectively. As a result, some pupils at the early stage of reading do not make the progress that they should.
Leaders expect pupils with SEND to learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.
Staff know pupils and their individual needs well. They successfully adapt the curriculum and give them the right support to succeed, including in the early years. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points.
Lessons flow smoothly because pupils know what staff expect of them. Specialist staff provide effective pastoral support for those with complex needs. Over time, this helps pupils to regulate their emotions.
Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. They provide opportunities for pupils to hold roles of responsibility, such as attendance ambassadors and parliament leaders. Pupils carry out these duties with pride and maturity.
They also enthuse about how the variety of clubs, visits and trips enrich the curriculum further. Cultural diversity is celebrated throughout the school. Pupils learn the importance of treating everyone the same, regardless of difference.
They are developing into kind and caring citizens.
Safeguarding
The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
Leaders, including governors and trustees, have clear systems in place to ensure that pupils are safe.
All staff, including governors, receive regular training to keep their knowledge up to date. Consequently, they know how to notice and report any safeguarding concerns. Leaders work well with different agencies to support the most vulnerable pupils and families.
Recruitment checks to ensure that adults are suitable to work in school are thorough.
Pupils have a good awareness of keeping safe, including online safety. They know the importance of reporting any concerns to adults.
What does the school need to do to improve?
(Information for the school and appropriate authority)
• Some staff lack the expertise to teach phonics effectively. This results in some pupils at the early stage of reading not keeping up as well as they should. Leaders need to continue with their plans to train and support all staff in the teaching of phonics to help the weakest readers catch up quickly.
• In a few of the wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not identified the precise knowledge pupils need to know and build over time. This means that pupils do not gain the depth of knowledge they should across all subjects. Leaders need to make sure that curriculum thinking for all subjects sets out what pupils need to learn and remember from Reception through to Year 6.
