Lyneham Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' learning. Pupils take pride in their work.

They love reading the books carefully chosen by their teachers. Many pupils join the school during the academic year. Pupils complete 'all about me' books to help staff get to know them.

They settle quickly. Parents and carers and pupils say that they feel as if they belong. When pupils leave school due to their family's military deployment or at the end of Year 6, they are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

Pupils are polite and well behaved. They follow the school's values. Pupils treat each other and adults with respect.

They celebrate differenc...e. Pupils say that it is good to be unique. Staff ensure that pupils know the difference between bullying and falling out.

Pupils say that if a pupil was to be unkind, staff would help them sort it out. Pupils feel safe in school.

Pupils talk positively about the range of extra-curricular opportunities available to them.

For example, some pupils train as sports leaders. They support other pupils to play games safely and fairly during breaktimes. Pupils are taught how to be physically and mentally healthy.

They become responsible, respectful and active citizens.

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

Leaders and staff have crafted a clearly sequenced and coherent curriculum. They have thought carefully about the needs of their school community.

They have identified the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember from early years to Year 6. Leaders have broken down this essential knowledge into small, manageable chunks. Staff support pupils skilfully to practise and remember prior knowledge, skills and vocabulary.

This helps pupils to build secure knowledge over time. For example, in art and design, pupils can recall with ease the artists they have studied using the correct vocabulary. They know how their art skills have improved over time, such as their use of colour.

This is evident in their artwork.

Nevertheless, there are a few subject curriculums that are not as well developed. Teacher subject knowledge is not as secure in these subjects.

This makes it difficult for teachers to plan and check precisely what pupils must know and remember. Leaders have plans to rectify this.

Leaders have rightly made learning to read a priority.

The youngest pupils read books that match the phonics they learn. Teachers and teaching assistants give pupils who need extra help support to practise their phonics and reading. The new phonics programme is supporting staff to deliver phonics consistently.

Each year, pupils explore six different books. These are selected to ensure that pupils study a range of authors and texts. This begins in the Reception Year.

Pupils recognise how reading a range of books helps them to improve their writing, including their spelling.

Staff work closely with external agencies and leaders of special educational needs and/or disabilities to accurately identify pupils' additional learning needs. Leaders check that appropriate support is in place.

Staff adapt resources effectively. This enables pupils to work towards their individual 'academic aspiration' target. Where these targets are broken down into small steps, pupils secure the knowledge swiftly.

However, some teaching is not based on accurate use of assessment to plan the next steps in pupils' learning.

Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly way. Children in Reception are shown how to get along with others.

For example, staff show children how to listen to each other and respond appropriately during 'snack and chat'. Children quickly gain the skills needed to make friends and work together successfully.

The well-being of pupils, parents and staff has a high profile at the school.

Staff appreciate leaders' consideration and support to help manage their workload. In recent years, leaders' work with families has successfully improved pupils' attendance. Pupils attend school regularly.

The governing body has robust systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of leaders' actions. Governors have a thorough knowledge of the school's strengths and areas for development. They welcome advice and actively seek out good practice to continually support and challenge leaders effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Governors regularly check that leaders and staff follow the agreed safeguarding procedures. The appropriate checks are carried out before staff and volunteers begin working at the school.

Staff, governors and volunteers receive appropriate safeguarding training and updates. This helps them to understand their safeguarding roles and responsibilities well.

Leaders are tenacious in their pursuit of support for the school's most vulnerable pupils.

They are not afraid to escalate concerns should they be unhappy with the response from an external service.

Pupils say that they feel safe. They are taught how to keep themselves safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum is not as well developed in a minority of subjects. Pupils' knowledge is not as strong in these subjects. Leaders need to support subject leaders to replicate the good practice seen in many subject curriculums across all subject areas.

• Teachers' use of assessment information varies between year groups. Therefore, some pupils' misconceptions are not identified accurately and rectified swiftly. Leaders need to support teachers to ensure that their expectations for the use of assessment information are applied consistently across the school.

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