St Lawrence Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is a small school where adults know every pupil well. Staff are patient, caring and reassuring. They give pupils the support they need, both for their learning and their well-being.

As one parent described the school: 'This is a little school with a huge heart'.

Pupils love coming to school. They rise to the challenges of the school's rich and interesting curriculum.

Pupils relish learning, showing high levels of motivation and curiosity. They achieve well. When pupils leave, they are ready for the challenges of secondary school.

Pupils particularly enjoy playing and learning in the school's extensive grou...nds. Carefully planned activities and resources enable pupils to safely explore their surroundings, whatever the weather. Pupils are encouraged and supported to take risks safely.

They build their confidence and resilience as they do so.

The relationships between pupils of all ages are positive. Pupils are kind and polite.

They get along well and rarely fall out. Bullying is exceptionally rare. Pupils know who to talk to if they do ever have any worries.

They are confident that staff will be there to support them if they need help. This helps them to feel safe.

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

Leaders have established a team of skilled, knowledgeable staff.

Together they are committed to delivering a high-quality curriculum for all children and pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). All staff share the same high expectations of all pupils.

Leaders plan a wide variety of experiences that promote pupils' personal development well.

Every pupil performs in a concert and a play. They read aloud in church and take part in a range of sporting events. This helps pupils to build their confidence and prepares them well for the future.

Clubs, such as mountain biking and bellringing, also contribute to pupils' broader development.

In most subjects, leaders have clearly identified the crucial knowledge that pupils will learn. They have carefully thought about the order in which content will be learnt in the mixed year group classes, starting in the early years.

In a small number of subjects, however, this information is not quite as precise. This is because, in these subjects, leaders do not have a clear oversight of the full curriculum. Consequently, when pupils start a new topic in these subjects, it is not always clear that pupils have the prior knowledge they need.

Leaders are passionate about reading. They foster a love of reading in all pupils. Teachers select books that will capture pupils' interest and open their minds to the lives of people from a wide diversity of backgrounds.

Staff teach phonics well.Children in the early years get off to a good start learning the basics of reading. As pupils move into Year 1, their phonics knowledge continues to develop well.

Pupils are confident to apply their phonics knowledge when reading unknown words. Those who struggle to read are given the support they need to catch up quickly, including those with SEND. Older pupils tackle increasingly challenging texts.

They talk about the books they have read with understanding and confidence.

Teachers are knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They explain new concepts clearly and accurately, using appropriate technical vocabulary.

Teachers plan opportunities for pupils to regularly revisit and practise their learning. Consequently, pupils remember lots of the important knowledge they have learned over time. Teachers adapt the curriculum well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

They provide additional resources and arrange extra help for these pupils. This enables pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Incidents of poor behaviour are rare.

Pupils respond quickly and positively to any gentle reminders that are needed to correct their behaviour. When staff do need to respond to any poor behaviour, they manage this well. Staff do not always record their response to, and the outcome of, such incidents in enough detail.

This means that, when leaders monitor the effectiveness of behaviour management across the school, they are not as thorough as they could be.

Children in the early years benefit from a vibrant, well-equipped setting. They learn and play happily with their peers.

Children enjoy engaging activities that support their learning well, both inside and outdoors. They are also very well supported by their Year 6 buddies when they start school. Children quickly learn the rules and routines of the school and settle in well.

Older pupils also benefit from taking on this extra role of responsibility.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have established policies and procedures to keep pupils safe.

Governors monitor this important aspect of the school's work.

Leaders have trained staff so that they have a good understanding of different safeguarding issues. Staff know what to do if they have a concern about a child.

Leaders take all concerns seriously. They make sure that pupils and their families get the help and support they need.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when online.

They are confident about what to do if they are ever worried or feel unsafe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few aspects of their work, leaders do not have enough clear, strategic oversight, and at times the records they keep are not detailed enough. This means that occasionally leaders' monitoring and evaluation are not as effective as they could be.

Leaders need to establish clear oversight of all aspects of their work and to strengthen their record-keeping so that they are clearer about the strengths and any relative weaknesses in the school. ? In a small number of foundation subjects, leaders have not identified the crucial knowledge that pupils will learn, and the order in which they will learn it. Leaders need to review the subject content in these subjects, taking into account the mixed year group classes, so that pupils' learning builds effectively on their prior knowledge.