Lovelace Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school.

They have kind friends to play with. Staff take the time to check how pupils are feeling. Pupils are confident that if they have a worry, they can speak to an adult who will help them.

This helps pupils feel happy and valued.There are a range of opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. For example, sports leaders set up play equipment so that younger pupils keep active during playtimes.

Pupils have opportunities to celebrate faiths and cultures that may be different from their own. They learn the importance of treating everyone equally.In the early years, children behave extremely well.

Staff hav...e high expectations of these children, which they rise to. In the main, pupils across the school conduct themselves well, although a small number struggle to concentrate as well as they should during learning time.The school aims for pupils to achieve highly across a range of subjects.

However, provisional outcomes in 2024 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were below national averages. Therefore, some pupils were not prepared as well as they could be for the next stage of their education. The newly established leadership team has taken effective action to ensure that pupils benefit from a high-quality education.

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

Reading is given priority. Staff teach children in the Nursery Year to recognise sounds in the environment. This helps prepare children for phonics learning in Reception.

Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. This is because the school aims for pupils to read fluently as soon as possible. Staff receive effective training in early reading.

Therefore, there is a consistently effective approach to the teaching of reading. Pupils practise reading books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them to read with confidence and enthusiasm.

Staff check the sounds that pupils know regularly. Pupils, including some with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who may find reading difficult quickly receive the help they need.

Vocabulary development is a focus.

From the early years, the school teaches pupils to use ambitious vocabulary and communicate well. For example, in the Nursery, adults model words such as 'delicious', 'peel' and 'segment'. Pupils in Year 6 learn words such as 'flinch', 'bellowed' and 'baloney'.

Teachers clearly explain the meaning of these words so that pupils use them in their writing, which they do.

The school has strengthened the curriculum. They have carefully identified what needs to be taught and when.

Pupils learn the curriculum in a logical order and build on their previous learning. For instance, in physical education (PE), pupils in Year 3 learn to control a ball successfully with their feet. For example, they know to use small taps when dribbling.

Children in the Reception Year have been taught what each number represents. This helps them to confidently count sets of objects. In some subjects, the curriculum is new and not securely embedded.

As a result, there are inconsistencies in its delivery. In addition, on a few occasions, the checking of what some pupils know and remember is not timely enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning.

The school identifies pupils with SEND swiftly. Leaders have taken effective action to ensure that teachers adapt their teaching approaches so that these pupils learn alongside their classmates and achieve well.

Most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning.

However, some pupils are not as motivated to learn as they could be. This is because, sometimes, expectations for pupils' behaviour are not high enough.The school's provision for personal development is well considered.

The school aims for pupils to be responsible, resilient citizens. It provides opportunities for pupils to show these qualities. For example, pupils are proud to have recently sung at an event in the local community.

They explain that, though they forgot a few words, they kept going. This is because they learn the importance of not giving up.Pupils are taught that families can look different.

Pupils respectfully explain that the most important part of being in a family is that you are loved. Pupils learn about consent in an age-appropriate manner. Pupils are taught how to manage their feelings, which starts from the early years.

This helps to ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern society.Governors have an accurate understanding of the school. They have effective processes in place to check that the school is taking appropriate actions to raise standards.

Staff are typically proud to work at the school. Staff, including those at the start of their teaching careers, value the adaptation to the marking policy, which has impacted positively on their workload. Staff are positive about the guidance and training they receive to develop their practice.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the curriculum is new and not securely embedded. Sometimes, there are inconsistencies in its implementation.

In addition, the checking of what pupils know and remember is occasionally not timely enough. As a result of these inconsistencies, some pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that the new curriculum is taught as intended and that pupils' learning is checked swiftly, enabling any gaps in knowledge to be addressed.

• At times, some pupils do not show positive attitudes to their learning. This means that they do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that expectations for pupils' behaviour are high across the school and that the behaviour policy is implemented consistently.