Lyndon Green Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending this nurturing and inclusive school. Kindness and respect for others are evident in all aspects of school life. Courtesy and good manners are commonplace.

Pupils benefit from strong relationships with staff in school. They know staff will always help them with any worries or concerns they might have. The atmosphere is calm and happy.

The school wants all pupils to do well. For most pupils this ambition is realised. However, some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not challenged enough, and the expectations of what they can achieve are too low.

Pupils behave well at all points of the day. They embody the ...simple rules of, 'respect yourself, respect others, respect your school'. There are a variety of activities that pupils can enjoy during playtimes.

Some pupils prefer a quieter playtime. These pupils can access the outdoor library, called 'oasis', to sit quietly and read their favourite books.

Pupils learn to be good citizens of the future.

Exciting responsibilities, such as being junior police community support officers, eco-reps, rights reps, librarians and school councillors, support them to understand the difference they can make to the world. Pupils accept and respect differences, saying, 'We don't treat anybody differently here.'

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

The new phonics programme is having the desired impact to improve pupils' reading.

The school ensures that pupils at the early stage of reading quickly gain the knowledge they need to catch up with their peers. Phonics sessions are taught well, and teachers have a very clear understanding of any gaps in knowledge that pupils may have. Teachers address these swiftly.

Books are perfectly matched to the pupils' phonics knowledge. This enables pupils to improve how fluently they read. The reading curriculum is well considered, effective and supports pupils to be ready for the next stage of their education.

There are many opportunities to develop pupils' love of reading. Carefully chosen texts and a well-stocked library, which pupils use regularly, all support this. 'Everybody reading in class' sessions allow pupils to immerse themselves in their favourite book every day.

Some other areas of the curriculum are also taught well. This is particularly true of mathematics. Pupils revisit prior learning regularly to help them remember important facts and calculations.

However, not all subjects allow pupils to learn as well as they might. In these subjects, the school has not identified the key knowledge that pupils should know and remember. Careful consideration has not been given to what pupils should learn and when.

As a result, pupils cannot always deepen their learning based on what they have learned before.

On occasion, the school's expectations of what some pupils with SEND can achieve are too low. Pupils are not given enough opportunity to develop independence and there is too much repetition of tasks they can already do.

The precise learning needs of some pupils are not assessed regularly enough. This slows down their learning and they do not get enough opportunities to demonstrate what they can do.

The vast majority of pupils engage very well with lessons.

The school has robust systems in place to support pupils who find it more difficult to consistently behave well. Pupils' behaviour is managed with kindness, compassion and consistency. Staff model the behaviour they expect from pupils very well.

Most pupils rise to these expectations.

Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe. This includes online.

They take an active role in trying to improve their local community. Examples of this include discussing the traffic issues outside school and litter picking to keep their immediate area clean. Pupils' deep understanding of different faiths, cultures, races and families is preparing them well for life in modern Britain.

They know that it is never acceptable to treat people differently because of certain characteristics.

The school is held in extremely high regard by parents and pupils. Parents appreciate the kindness shown to pupils, and the high-quality education, care and nurture that pupils receive.

Parents typically say, 'Our children feel like treasured members of the school.' They feel that nothing is too much trouble for staff members if issues arise. Staff are very proud members of the Lyndon Green family.

All work well together in the best interests of the pupils.

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 does not set out the precise content that pupils are expected to know and remember.

This means that teachers are unable to check if pupils have retained the most important knowledge for future learning well enough. The school should ensure that the curriculum sets out precisely what pupils should know, and when, in all subjects and ensure assessments reflect this. ? The precise gaps in the knowledge of some pupils with SEND have not been identified carefully enough.

Pupils are sometimes given work that is too easy or too repetitive. This means some pupils with SEND do not have the opportunity to learn as well as they might. The school should ensure that pupils with SEND have their learning needs identified precisely and that their targets are individualised to allow them to make the progress they are capable of.

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