Luckwell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Luckwell Primary School are enthusiastic, curious learners who achieve well.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils enjoy school and thrive in its small, welcoming community. Parents value the care and support that their children receive.

Pupils feel happy and safe. They trust the adults in school to help them resolve any worries.

The school has high aspirations for pupils.

Pupils are eager to learn and strive to do their best. They value opportunities to explore new ideas and deepen their understanding. Pupils' positive attitudes to learning help them persevere when their work is challenging....

The school environment is calm and purposeful. From Reception, children demonstrate a strong understanding of routines and quickly settle into school life. Pupils conduct themselves well in lessons and around the school.

Respect for others is at the heart of the school's ethos. Pupils value the opinions, cultures and beliefs of others.

The school promotes a strong sense of responsibility.

Older pupils run clubs for their peers. They created the 'YANA' (You Are Not Alone) club to share positive mental health strategies with other pupils. Activities like participating in community projects and raising money for charity teach pupils to be active citizens.

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has had a sharp focus on ensuring all pupils learn to read. This begins from the moment they join the school in Reception. Staff deliver the phonics scheme with skill and precision.

Pupils read often from books well matched to the sounds they are learning. Pupils at risk of falling behind in phonics or reading receive appropriate support to catch up. There is a buzz about reading throughout the school.

Pupils are eager to read books by a range of authors. Pupils have many opportunities to apply their reading knowledge and skills across the curriculum. This helps them to become fluent, enthusiastic readers.

The school, with support from the trust, has redeveloped its curriculum. The changes have been swift and comprehensive. There is an ambitious curriculum in place which sets out the knowledge pupils need to learn.

Pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics, but historic knowledge gaps remain in some other subjects. For example, older pupils understand the key aspects of invasion during World War II and in Roman and Anglo-Saxon times. However, they cannot place the periods of history they have studied in chronological order.

The trust ensures that staff are well trained. Staff model new learning using clear and precise explanations. They use questions expertly to check pupils' knowledge of reading and mathematics.

Approaches to checking pupils' learning in a few subjects are less well developed. This means that staff do not use information well enough to adjust lessons or address gaps in pupils' knowledge in these subjects.The school places high priority on developing pupils' vocabulary and communication skills.

As a result, pupils speak about their learning with confidence and maturity. For instance, pupils have the language required to explain their mathematical thinking. This starts in Reception, where children can share how they know which number matches a cluster of objects.

In key stage 2, pupils use the correct mathematical vocabulary to explain their problem-solving strategies. They love to explore new ideas and relish a challenge.

The school accurately identifies and addresses the needs of pupils with SEND.

Staff provide expert support and well-chosen resources. Regular reviews and adjustments ensure that pupils with SEND achieve well. Such adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum ensure that these pupils can learn alongside their peers.

The school's approach to tackling absence is effective. There is an emphasis on regular attendance and punctuality, which is carefully monitored. The school and individual families work together where pupils' attendance is a concern.

This is bringing about improvements, and most pupils attend school regularly.

At Luckwell, there is a belief that every pupil should have a voice and the confidence to use it. Pupils engage in debate with care and consideration.

They understand what discrimination is and will not tolerate it. Pupils take a keen interest in different religions and communities. This helps them prepare for life in modern Britain.

Residential trips and theatre visits spark curiosity and broaden pupils' experiences.

Trust and school leaders have an accurate view of the school's strengths and areas for development. They recognise there is further work to do to strengthen the teaching of the curriculum in some subjects.

Staff appreciate the support they have received to manage the many recent changes. They are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Historic weaknesses in the school's curriculum mean that, in some foundation subjects, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Consequently, pupils struggle to recall and build on their previous learning in these subjects. The trust should ensure that recent improvements to the curriculum are embedded and that their effectiveness on pupils' learning is kept under review.

• The school is in the early stages of implementing assessment procedures in some foundation subjects. This means that assessment information is not being used effectively enough to strengthen the curriculum and address gaps in pupils' knowledge. The trust should ensure that assessment systems in these remaining subjects support teachers to check how well pupils have learned the knowledge in the curriculum.

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