Long Lawford Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils attend school happily. Many pupils join the school at different times throughout the year. All are welcomed and greeted warmly.

This helps them settle quickly. Staff are caring and try to put the needs of pupils first. They model the school's values of 'love, learn, persevere and succeed' well.

The school is ambitious that all pupils are successful. However, not all pupils achieve as well as they should in all subject areas. This is because the school has only recently introduced, or made changes to, the curriculum.

It affects how well some subjects are taught and hinders how well pupils learn.

The majority of pupils follow and understand the ...school's simple rules of 'ready, respectful, responsible'. Many show good attitudes to learning and try hard in lessons.

Some pupils find this more challenging. When this happens, they receive effective and individual support and care.

Pupils are enthused by the wide variety of opportunities available to them beyond the classroom.

They particularly enjoy performing in a professional theatre and taking up a wide range of leadership responsibilities. There are well-planned trips and visits that help bring the curriculum to life. They also enjoy taking part in two residential trips during their time at Long Lawford.

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

The school has many members of staff with relatively new responsibilities. They are hardworking and dedicated, but the impact of their work is yet to have the results they are aiming for. In some subjects, the curriculum does not clearly set out precisely what pupils should learn.

Plans do not identify small steps in learning to enable pupils to build their knowledge over time and make links across topics. This means pupils do not learn as well as they should.

The phonics programme is also new.

Staff prioritise reading and deliver the programme effectively to help as many pupils as possible to read confidently. Most pupils practise reading with E-books that are matched closely to the sounds that they have learned. However, there are still pupils who are not engaging with these books.

When this happens, the books they read at home are not as well matched to their precise stage of learning. Some pupils need extra support to help them keep up with their peers. This is put in place without delay.

Pupils enjoy listening to stories read to them by staff in school. They are exposed to a wide range of different authors and can talk enthusiastically about their favourites. Children in Reception are able to vote for the story they would like to hear at the end of the day.

Teachers check pupils' learning in reading and mathematics effectively. However, in other subjects, assessment systems are not yet leading to staff being able to identify gaps in knowledge. This affects how well pupils learn.

Misconceptions in pupils' books are not always identified or addressed.

The school has clear processes in place to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Progress towards carefully agreed targets is closely monitored and additional support is provided, if needed, from external professionals.

Pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school and achieve well because of this.

Children get off to a good start in the pre-school. Adults interact with children in a positive way to deepen understanding and extend learning.

Children make good use of the well-planned and well-resourced outside area and spend parts of their day playing alongside their friends in Reception. However, in Reception, children spend too much time unsupported by adults. This means they do not receive high-quality interactions regularly enough to deepen learning.

Opportunities to promote children's communication and language skills are, therefore, limited. Not all children demonstrate sustained concentration at activities and learning time is lost.

Pupils are taught how to keep safe online and in the local community.

The school places a high priority on promoting and supporting positive mental health. Voting for pupil leadership positions provides pupils with an understanding of democracy. They feel proud when they are chosen by their peers to be house captains, head boy, head girl and well-being champions.

They benefit from a range of visitors to the school. Pupils in year 6 particularly enjoy the work to become 'police cadets'. They have an understanding that it is important to be respectful, not just in school but in their everyday lives too.

Leaders recognise that there is still work to do to ensure curriculum plans in all subjects, and the implementation of these plans, are delivered consistently across the school. They are determined to continue on a journey of improvement so all pupils receive the education they deserve and that the school aspires for.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's curriculum is not planned or implemented consistently enough from the early years to Year 6. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school needs to ensure curriculum planning in all subjects clearly maps out the key knowledge pupils will learn in a coherent way, and that it is delivered consistently well, to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as they should and are ready for the next stage of their learning.

In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment effectively to assess pupils' learning. This means that gaps in learning are not always identified and addressed swiftly. Leaders should ensure that there are consistent and appropriate assessment procedures in place to check the key knowledge and skills that pupils remember.

• Children in the early years spend too much time unsupported by adults. This means the activities they take part in lack focus and opportunities to develop communication and language are limited. The school should ensure all activities have a sharp focus on what children should achieve with increased, high-quality interactions with adults.

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