Lightwater Village School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

School is a happy place for pupils.

They are known, nurtured and cared for. Relationships across the school are warm. Kindness is valued and evident throughout.

Right from the start in early years, expectations are high. Children settle in quickly and get on with the important business of playing and learning. These high expectations continue throughout the school and pupils rise to them.

Pupils appreciate their teachers and value their learning. They like how lessons are clearly explained and additional support is provided if it is needed.

Pupils are getting to grips with the new behaviour policy.

They are beginning to use the associated la...nguage to explain their feelings and actions. The school is an orderly environment and pupils generally behave well. Pupils feel safe at school.

They do not worry about bullying because any hint of a problem is quickly resolved.

Pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. Roles such as those as play leaders, buddies, librarians and house captains are popular.

These allow pupils to demonstrate the school's values of positivity, perseverance and pride. They enjoy opportunities to vote for their preferences, such as a favourite story or the name of the school bear.

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

A period of leadership and curriculum change has been navigated carefully and successfully by the trust and school leaders.

This has provided continuity and stability throughout for staff and pupils. Leaders at all levels demonstrate ambition for the school and its pupils. Staff have a high degree of confidence in the leadership of the school.

They are positive about the developments in the curriculum. They have had the training and support they need to implement changes fully and successfully. Their workload has been considered well.

An air of positivity abounds.

Leaders have made clear decisions about what pupils should learn and in what order, across the whole curriculum. In some subjects, recent changes have been made to the way in which pupils learn new information.

Teachers check carefully that pupils have not missed any of the building blocks they need before teaching new knowledge.

Pupils achieve well in English and mathematics. There are some positive signs that the school's new approach to teaching the rest of the curriculum is helping pupils to know more and remember more.

However, this is not yet consistent across all subjects. Subject leaders know that they will not be able to assess the effectiveness of sequences completely until these have been fully delivered.

Teaching pupils to read is prioritised.

Phonics is taught systematically and consistently right from the start of early years. Children learn to read quickly and well. Support for pupils who need additional help is well targeted and swiftly provided.

This helps pupils to catch up and gain confidence. The library is undergoing an exciting development phase. Leaders are carefully considering book choices to support learning across the curriculum and to help enhance pupils' understanding of the wider world.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive at this inclusive school. They have their needs quickly and fully assessed. Pupils are given the support they need to access the curriculum and to be fully involved in all aspects of school life.

Pupils behave well in lessons. They listen to their teachers and follow instructions. Occasionally, some pupils lose concentration, but they are quickly brought back on track by staff.

There is no disruption to learning. Right from the start in Reception, children experience lots of opportunities for talk and language development. This helps them take part in discussions and explain their thinking as they move through the school.

Pupils are taught about themselves and others. They have opportunities to learn about what is going on in the world. Pupils knew, for instance, that the prime minister has recently changed, that there is a new king and that there will soon be a coronation.

The school strategy board (SSB), which provides governance for the school, discharges its responsibilities in keeping a watchful eye on the English and mathematics curriculum, SEND provision and safeguarding well. However, its work to evaluate the effectiveness of the other subjects is not well established.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that everyone has the training they need to identify safeguarding concerns. There are regular updates and quizzes for staff to refresh their knowledge so that keeping children safe is always a top priority. Help for pupils, when it is needed, is bespoke and well considered.

Leaders have made sure that the curriculum helps pupils to learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Leaders make sure that pupils know they should tell an adult if they have any worries or concerns. Pupils were unanimous in explaining this, and confident that the adults would help keep them safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not checked how well pupils are learning in some subjects where the content has recently been reorganised. They have not fully evaluated its impact in helping pupils to know more and remember more over time. Senior leaders should ensure that subject leaders continue to get the support they need to evaluate and refine the curriculum as it is embedded across the school.

• There is no systematic approach to ensuring that the SSB has sufficient strategic oversight of the quality of subjects other than English and mathematics. This means that the SSB does not know enough about the impact those aspects are having on the quality of education for pupils. The trust should provide support for the SSB to enable it to assure itself that the quality of the curriculum is strong.

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