Lealholm Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.

The headteacher and governors communicate high expectations for the achievement and well-being of all pupils. The headteacher ensures that teaching is consistently good so that pupils make at least good progress across all year groups. Pupils achieve average and, for some, above average levels of attainment in both English and mathematics by age 11.

Pupils' reading skills and enjoyment of books are particularly strong. All teachers know pupils well and are skilled at planning activities to meet individual needs. Pupils' work is very carefully marked and teachers give very precise suggestions for improvement.

Pupils' behaviour, a...ttitudes to learning, manners and courtesy are exemplary. They feel safe in school and are confident all adults will care for them. Governors have a good understanding of how well pupils are making progress and are well equipped to challenge and support the headteacher and her team.

The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well through the curriculum, as well as through their active involvement in the local community. The rich curriculum takes full advantage of the local area. It allows pupils to make strong links between literacy and numeracy in other subjects.

They apply their skills with great accuracy and confidence. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Teaching is not yet outstanding because : teachers do not always check that pupils' learning is on track over the course of a lesson. While the marking of work is thorough, pupils do not always respond to their teachers' comments.

The skills of middle leaders in conducting and recording their checks on teaching and pupils' progress are not yet fully developed.

Information about this school

Lealholm is a very small rural primary school with an average of five pupils in each year group, although this varies from year to year. There are two and a half full-time equivalent teachers in the school, including the teaching role of the headteacher.

The school is organised into two classes, one for Reception age children and Key Stage 1 pupils with a second class for the whole of Key Stage 2 pupils. Almost all pupils are of White British heritage and none are at the early stages of learning English. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (in the case of Lealholm this is money provided by the government for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below the national average.

The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs. Only two pupils took the end of Key Stage 2 national tests last year so it is not possible to comment on current floor standards, which are the minimum standards for pupils' attainment and progress expected by the government. The school works in close collaboration with a number of schools in the Esk Valley Alliance.