Laurance Haines School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The leadership and management of the school are outstanding. The headteacher is an excellent leader with a very clear vision and a determination to succeed. The school is improving rapidly as a result of outstanding leadership.

Governors are experienced and knowledgeable. They are committed to the school's development and hold the leadership to account very well. The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.

Pupils display excellent attitudes to school and a clear love of learning. Pupils behave very well, both in lessons and around the school. They show good manners and are polite and welcoming.

The safety of pupils is outst...anding. Pupils are taught explicitly ways to keep themselves safe in a range of settings. They understand different types of bullying and feel confident in the ability of staff to deal with situations that arise.

Teaching is good throughout the school and some is outstanding. Teaching assistants are used effectively to help pupils to achieve well. Skilled questioning and good-quality marking is used well.

Pupils achieve well and make good progress. Children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and abilities well below those typical of their age. Provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage is effective and children make good progress.

By the time pupils leave Year 6, standards overall are above the national average. The school prepares pupils very well for life in modern British society. They are taught to be tolerant and accepting, to value people's differences and to celebrate diversity.

Pupils understand democracy and the importance of following rules. Parents are very happy with the school. They appreciate its inclusive and welcoming climate and say that the school is 'like a family'.

The school's curriculum is broad and balanced. Social, moral, spiritual and cultural development is threaded through everything that the school does and is a particular strength. Relationships between pupils and staff are excellent.

Pupils know that their teachers want them to succeed and they try very hard as a result. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 remain below average overall. Attainment in writing in Key Stage 1 and at the start the start of Key Stage 2 has not risen as quickly as other subjects.

As yet, the school's new curriculum lacks the richness and variety to promote exceptional achievement, and does not provide sufficient opportunity to consolidate and develop pupils' skills in writing.

Information about this school

This primary school is much larger than average. There are two classes in most year groups from Nursery to Year 6, with three classes in both Year 3 and Year 4.

Provision for nursery-aged children is part-time. The school has close links with the local children's centre and the headteacher is Chair of the Advisory Board of the children's centre. A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection, and there have been a number of other staffing changes.

The school hosts specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs. The specific learning difficulties base is managed by the headteacher on behalf of the local authority. The base provides an outreach service to 54 local schools, under the day-to-day direction of the base leader.

A very large majority of pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A quarter of the pupils on roll are of Pakistani origin. White British, Black African and other white pupils are the largest other ethnic groups.

The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is well above the national average and 48 different languages are spoken by pupils attending the school. Many pupils are at a very early stage of learning to speak English when they join the school. The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is average.

The number of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is average. The pupil premium provides additional government funding for those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and other groups. The school meets current floor standards; these are the minimum expectations, set by the government, for pupils' attainment and progress.