Lubbins Park Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school work hard and enjoy their learning. They happily attend school, knowing that they are safe and well cared for. They particularly enjoy their well-structured lunchtimes where they can take part in sports, use the trim trail, run around the 'Lubbins Lap' and play with friends.

Children are warmly welcomed into Nursery and Reception, where they quickly learn the new routines. They enjoy playing in the role-play areas, using the construction equipment, riding their bikes and exploring with sand and water. They are well supported by skilled adults who sensitively nurture their development.

Teachers understand pupils' strengths and needs really well, a...nd they make sure that the work they set is at the right level for each individual. Pupils enjoy the topics they study, and they love it when their teachers read to them.

Pupils behave well, in class and around the school.

They usually concentrate hard and listen carefully to adults and to each other. They know what to do if they are worried about anything. Bullying happens rarely and is swiftly dealt with if it does occur.

Pupils like the clubs, trips and other opportunities that the school provides to enrich their life at school. Residential visits for pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 and visits to places of interest help make learning fun. Pupils learn about democracy and British values.

They can choose to stand for the school council or apply to be a prefect.

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

The school provides a good quality of education. Since it opened as an academy in October 2016, the school has improved substantially.

Governors, with the support of the multi-academy trust (MAT), have recruited lots of new teachers and invested wisely in support and training. As a result, the quality of teaching in the school has improved enormously.

The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is well organised.

Teachers are clear about what they want pupils to learn. Pupils respond well to these expectations. Pupils feel appropriately challenged because the work is well matched to their individual needs.

Leaders are continuing to work hard to improve the wider curriculum. Leaders place a strong emphasis on introducing pupils to key vocabulary used in the different subjects. These new words are reinforced through the texts and stories teachers use in lessons.

Curriculum leaders have introduced improvements in the way they plan pupils' learning in subjects such as history and science. These include more practical work and ensuring that skills are taught in more depth. Nevertheless, more work needs to be done in subjects such as design technology and geography.

Disadvantaged pupils receive additional support to help them make as much progress as their peers. If pupils are at risk of falling behind, they are given the help they need to catch up. This help has been particularly successful in mathematics.

Phonics lessons are usually taught well in key stage 1. Some teaching assistants would benefit from more training to help make the most of the sessions they deliver. Teachers provide opportunities for pupils to improve their reading comprehension skills, and to read at length with good concentration.

This work needs to be refined, so that more pupils achieve the expected standard in reading before they leave the school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive excellent support. Staff are well trained in meeting pupils' needs and, as a result, pupils with SEND make good progress in their learning and personal development.

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They respect each other's views and listen carefully to adults. They cooperate well in lessons, and they socialise happily in the dining hall and outside.

The good range of clubs, trips, residential visits and responsibilities helps build character.

Staff are well supported by senior leaders, who take an interest in their professional development and their welfare. Leaders enable teachers to work collaboratively with colleagues in the MAT to continue improving the education of pupils.

Trustees and governors provide good levels of challenge and support to leaders. They undertake their strategic responsibilities diligently, and they are not afraid to ask tough questions.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained and leaders keep adults up to date with any new procedures. All adults understand their roles and responsibilities for keeping everyone safe. Leaders remain vigilant, and, as a result, the culture of safeguarding is strong.

Governors monitor leaders' actions to be certain that the correct checks are made on everyone who works in the school. Leaders seek the advice of external agencies whenever the need arises.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In some subjects, learning is not sufficiently well planned and structured.

Leaders have made improvements to make the curriculum more ambitious. Teachers make good use of these plans in subjects such as writing and mathematics. They often use these approaches successfully in history and science.

However, teachers do not apply these planning sequences well enough in all subjects, for example in design and technology, and geography.Teaching assistants have received training in phonics. However, the sessions they deliver, while being a valuable part of the programme of early reading, are not always structured well enough.

. Pupils enjoy reading and teachers promote it well. However, teachers do not give pupils enough opportunities to read with sustained concentration or to practise applying skills such as deduction, interpretation and inference to their reading.