Lawns Park Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Lawns Park Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this vibrant school.

They are proud of their school. It is at the heart of the local community. Parents and carers are supportive and engage positively with leaders and staff.

The school has high expectations for all its pupils. Published outcomes reflect these high expectations. Pupils' attainment in subjects such as phonics and key stage 2 mathematics are above national averages.

Pupils display a passion for learning and enthusiastically engage in their lessons. They embody the school val...ues of perseverance, positivity, patience and politeness. Teachers recognise when pupils display these values.

Pupils appreciate this recognition.

Pupils feel safe at the school. They know they have trusted staff to report any concerns to.

Pupils know that the adults in school care and will follow up on these concerns.

Pupils attend a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. These include boxing, cooking, board games and performing arts.

These help pupils to develop their talents and interests. All pupils have the chance to play a musical instrument in a band. This helps pupils to develop a love of music.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Over the past year, the school has reviewed each aspect of its curriculum carefully. The school has identified the key knowledge for pupils to learn. This knowledge is thought through in a logical order.

Mostly, teachers check pupils' understanding effectively to address any gaps in their knowledge. In a few subjects, the way in which teachers check pupils' understanding is less successful. Strong subject knowledge helps teachers choose effective activities to deliver the curriculum.

As a result, many pupils can recall current and past learning with confidence.

Reading sits at the heart of the school. Regular visits from authors and illustrators inspire pupils.

Artwork fills the library walls, and pupils choose new books eagerly each week. Pupils love reading and listening to staff read well-chosen stories to them. From Nursery, children engage in pre-phonics activities, and in Reception, they start phonics right away.

Their reading books match their phonics knowledge closely. Teachers quickly spot pupils struggling with reading and provide targeted support to help them to catch up.

The school quickly identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and provides strong support.

Adaptations such as visual timetables, communication aids and one-on-one support help pupils with SEND to access the full curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

In early years, children are eager to learn.

A well-planned learning environment encourages children to develop their learning. Adults point out key vocabulary and connect activities to past lessons. This helps children build strong foundational knowledge in subjects such as art.

Children interact positively with each other and the adults around them. Children are well prepared for continuing their learning of the curriculum in Year 1.

Pupils behave well across the school.

They show politeness and respect towards peers and adults. Pupils clearly understand the school's approach to behaviour, and staff apply this consistently across the school.

To improve attendance, leaders have applied a clear strategy.

They identify pupils with low attendance and offer support and challenge to families when needed. While overall attendance has improved, disadvantaged pupils' attendance is too low. As a result, these pupils miss important learning.

The school provides well for pupils' wider development. They learn about fundamental British values, understand their importance and connect them to daily life. Pupils learn about discrimination and the importance of respecting differences between people.

This reinforces the school's inclusive culture. Pupils know how to stay safe online. The school council plays an active role across the school.

They take pride in improving the school environment by raising money for improvements to the outside area, such as the 'trim trail'.

The school collaborates closely with the local authority to support its development. Governors provide strong support and challenge leaders when needed.

School leaders are mindful of staff workload. Staff feel valued, supported and proud to work here.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few foundation subjects, the school does not make sure that teachers assess pupils' understanding effectively. As a result, teachers do not identify and resolve some misconceptions and gaps in pupils' knowledge. The school should revise its approach to assessing pupils' understanding so teachers can deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding.

• The school's work to improve attendance has not helped some disadvantaged pupils to attend regularly enough. These pupils miss important learning. The school should continue to strengthen and develop its attendance processes to improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.