West Lynn Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at West Lynn Primary School.

They told us that they would recommend their school to other children. Teachers and pupils get on well. We saw lots of adults and pupils smiling.

We also saw good-humoured and respectful conversations between pupils and staff. These positive relationships help to create the school's calm and purposeful environment.

Pupils are almost always attentive in classrooms and concentrate because they want to learn.

On occasion, pupils lose focus if the work they are doing is too hard or too easy.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities that they have for learning beyond lessons. They spoke enthusiastically ab...out school trips.

They particularly enjoyed their visit to Cadbury World as part of their learning about the Mayan culture. Older pupils are looking forward to the residential trip. They described how it would help them become 'more independent' before going to high school.

Pupils feel safe in school. They know who to turn to if they have concerns. They are confident that staff would support and help them resolve any concerns.

Pupils told us they do not worry about being bullied. They said that bullying can happen, but staff always sort it out.

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

Pupils have positive attitudes.

They learn well across subjects. This is because leaders have planned an ambitious curriculum that makes it clear exactly what to teach pupils and in what order. This means that pupils learn what they need before they tackle more challenging work.

For example, we saw pupils in a key stage 1 science lesson using their knowledge of parts of the human body learned during Reception. This helped them to understand why the pupil of the eye gets bigger and smaller.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Inspectors saw many examples where teachers changed the content of lessons to make sure that pupils could learn well. Teachers do this without lowering expectations for anyone, but this is not consistently done well throughout the school.

Leaders have made the teaching of reading an important priority.

From their first day, children in the Reception class begin learning letters and sounds. Teachers know when pupils need extra help to keep up, and they provide it quickly. Leaders have invested considerable resources in developing pupils' reading.

A new scheme to improve the teaching of phonics is now in place. Catch-up programmes are available for older pupils. However, not all staff have been trained to use the new resources.

The early years environment is attractive and well resourced. Children have very positive attitudes to learning. They understand the school's clear routines and they are using the different areas of learning well.

For example, during activities with a mathematics focus inspectors saw children working together to measure each other and taking turns to find numbers in the sand. Leaders have planned the early years curriculum so that pupils enter Year 1 with the skills and knowledge that they need.

Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of enriching opportunities.

Pupils go on trips such as a visit to the O2 Arena to take part in a concert and also on a trip to a West End show. Pupils also compete in many sporting events. These activities are carefully planned to link to the curriculum.

This means that pupils can make connections between these activities and aspects of their learning.

Pupils understand justice. They explained why they consider the school's behaviour system to be fair.

They were also united in their view that it is okay for people to believe different things. Pupils know about democracy and explained how they use it to choose their school councillors.

Governors and trustees are well trained.

They understand what they are responsible for and carry out their duties effectively. They know the school well and have clear systems in place for sharing information. The school benefits from the wide range of skills and specialisms available across the academy trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff are well trained to know how to keep pupils safe. Adults know what to do if they are concerned about a pupil's well-being.

Pupils trust staff and are comfortable to raise concerns with them. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, including when using the internet.

Leaders carry out the necessary checks on employees and volunteers who come into school to be sure that they are suitable to work with pupils.

Leaders are persistent when following up actions with other organisations such as social services.

Governors check regularly that school safeguarding procedures are being applied robustly.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Not all staff are adapting the new curriculum in foundation subjects, such as history, effectively enough to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

Leaders should ensure that the needs of these pupils are being addressed consistently well across the school in all subjects. . This academic year the school has adopted a new phonics scheme of work.

All teachers in early years and key stage 1 have received appropriate training and the teaching of phonics is effective. However, not all support staff or teachers in other year groups have been trained. Leaders need to ensure that all staff, particularly those working with younger pupils and those in lower key stage 2, are confident at using the new scheme to ensure that phonics is taught consistently well.