St Lawrence School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. The executive headteacher is determined, reflective and highly ambitious for pupils to make the best progress they can. She is well supported by a very enthusiastic team of governors, senior and middle leaders in this drive for excellence.

New systems for checking on teaching have quickly raised the quality of teaching in the school and are accelerating pupils' achievement in English and mathematics. Progress is now good in these subjects. Changes in the ways in which reading is taught are paying off.

Pupils throughout the school use their knowledge of letters and sounds (phonics) increasingly well to work out new words and take pride in... doing so. Governors hold the school to account very effectively. They have worked well with leaders across the federation to share skills and expertise to help this school to improve rapidly.

Teachers have high expectations for their pupils. Everyone works well together to ensure pupils have the particular equipment and support that each pupil needs to enable them to learn well. The school sets challenging targets and checks pupils' work and progress very carefully.

As a result work is generally well matched to their needs. This all contributes to their good progress and improving attainment. There is a calm and purposeful working atmosphere in this school.

Pupils behave well around the school and in lessons. The school works effectively to ensure pupils' safety. It is not yet an outstanding school because : Some initiatives to improve the quality of teaching to outstanding have yet to impact fully.

Occasionally staff are too quick to offer help so pupils do not try to work things out for themselves. Pupils lose interest when the learning is too hard or too easy at times. The school has a very thorough system for checking pupils' understanding but they do not always know what they need to do to improve their learning in lessons or with their reading.

Pupils' awareness of wider issues of modern Britain and other cultures is not as strong as other aspects of their personal development.

Information about this school

The school is part of the Lincolnshire Wolds Federation, formed in 2012, with its partner school St Bernard's at Louth. There is one governing body and an executive headteacher leading both schools.

The leadership team across the two schools has been restructured and new teachers appointed. There is a head of school on each site. In March 2013 the residential provision at this school was closed.

The school currently has no children within the Early Years Foundation. There is a rural activities area located on this site. There are small animals, pets, horses and farm animals.

Pupils from both schools in the federation use this facility. An above-average number of pupils are eligible for extra support for learning funded by the pupil premium. This is an additional fund for pupils who receive free school meals and those in local authority care.

Although this school was originally designated for pupils with moderate learning difficulties, the school now caters for more complex needs. For example, about half of the pupils have autistic spectrum disorders and a quarter have speech, language and communications needs. Pupils in Year 11 attend a range of vocational provision or work experience placements, including courses at Boston College and alternative provision at Build a Future on one day of each week.