The New Leake Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by:
  • ensuring that teachers provide all pupils with appropriate challenge
  • ensuring that teachers have high expectations of pupils’ presentation, particularly in mathematics.
• Improve leadership and management by ensuring development plans are closely aligned to the school’s areas for development and can be used effectively by governors to provide appropriate challenge.
• Continue to develop pupils’ personal development, behaviour and well-being by providing pupils with more opportunities to become independent self-assured learners.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders have a secure understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. The school has small and fluctuating pupil numbers. Leaders have managed the high mobility and additional needs of pupils who join the school mid-year well.
• From year-to-year, due to small pupil numbers, leaders make appropriate changes to the class structure so that it best suits pupils at the school. Leaders respond well to the changing dynamics at the school.
• The school works closely with Stickney Church of England Primary School, the local authority and local teaching schools. Through these collaborations, leaders have ensured that teachers have opportunities to develop and share practice. Teachers participate in high-quality research-based school development strategies which are helping to drive up standards.
• Training has enabled teachers and teaching assistants to reflect on their own practice and to consider how they can adapt and develop their approach to teaching. Staff feel empowered to try new things and to make changes to help pupils make strong progress.
• The school’s assessment system is thorough. Leaders regularly monitor the progress that pupils make. Through regular discussion with teachers, leaders ensure that there are high expectations of pupils’ progress and attainment. Leaders hold teachers to account for the progress that pupils make.
• Leaders carefully monitor the progress of the small number of pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. The school’s assessment systems allow staff to carefully identify gaps in learning and put support in place. Leaders regularly monitor the impact of support on the progress that pupils make. Leaders are tenacious in working with families and outside agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive the support they need, including access to appropriate funding.
• Leaders have ensured the broad and well-balanced curriculum is designed to enhance pupils’ understanding of the world. Each term pupils learn about a different country and explore its history, geography, art and traditions. During the inspection, pupils in all year groups were learning about China. Pupils from Nursery to Year 6 were learning about the Chinese New Year through tasks and challenges appropriate for the age.
• The development of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is at the heart of all that the school does. Teachers are keen to extend pupils’ learning beyond the classroom. For example, pupils are exposed to the work of different artists, both historic and living. Pupils learned about the work of the artist Andy Gellenberg. They contacted the artist and shared examples of their artwork inspired by him.
• Pupils have a good understanding of British values, exemplified by a recent project about democracy in the United Kingdom. This included a visit to the Houses of Parliament. The project has resulted in the school being nominated for a Parliamentary Education Award.
• The school sport premium is used to provide specialist sports coaching and guidance for teachers to develop their skills. Levels of pupil participation in physical education have been raised. The school has participated in and won several activities outside of school, such as goal ball, boccia and netball. The participation with boccia and goal ball included pupils with SEND, which provided those pupils who would not usually get involved with sports with an opportunity to excel.
• The school’s plan for development is for both schools in the federation. The priorities for improvement are sometimes not sharp enough to fully explain how they will benefit pupils at New Leake Primary School. Monitoring and evaluation of actions is not always clear, with no measurable outcome identified.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly supportive of the school. They are aware of the federation’s priorities and are keen to ensure that pupils achieve the best possible experiences. They have a secure understanding of their statutory duties relating to safeguarding and are determined to ensure they are well aware of the dangers that children may face, including from extremism and county lines.
• Governors receive regular updates about the progress and attainment of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Due to the small number of pupils at the school, governors are aware of the challenges that the school faces from high mobility and the additional needs of pupils.
• As the school’s plan for improvement is not specific about the actions for New Leake Primary school, governors are over reliant on, and accepting of, what they are told by leaders. They do not regularly challenge leaders about the impact of school improvement actions.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders have ensured that all staff receive regular safeguarding training. Staff have a secure understanding of how to pass on concerns about pupils. They know that there is an expectation for all staff to raise concerns with leaders. Staff are not complacent and are vigilant in the effort to keep pupils safe.
• While the school has very few safeguarding cases, due to close links with the partner school, leaders have experience of how to pass on concerns to the local authority or seek out additional support for pupils if required.
• The school’s records and systems for safeguarding are robust and fit for purpose. Staff who manage safer recruitment procedures ensure that all checks are made prior to staff commencing employment at the school. Checks go above and beyond the minimum.
• The school’s systems for ensuring pupils are safe while on school visits are effective. The school’s risk assessments are comprehensive. Leaders ensure that staff understand their responsibilities when taking pupils out of school and have read and understand the protocols for keeping pupils safe on school visits.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Typically, teachers use their knowledge of what pupils can do well to set tasks appropriate to their needs. Teachers plan skilfully for the challenges of mixed age and mixed key stage classes. The structure of lessons ensures that pupils are taught at the right level for them to achieve.
• Teachers know pupils well. They mostly use their knowledge of what pupils know to prompt and question pupils to develop and deepen understanding. Teachers effectively share pupils’ ideas to help them to understand misconceptions or to develop understanding further. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to develop their skills further.
• In reading, teachers are developing an approach to ensure that pupils understand the different skills they need when reading texts. Staff encourage pupils to think about the author’s intent when writing and how this impacts on their understanding of the story. For example, during a reading session, the teaching assistant encouraged pupils to ask questions about the text. One pupil considered how a character’s actions might have been different had a specific event not taken place.
• Teachers develop pupils’ writing style and content through the use of examples that can then be adapted and developed in their own writing. Teachers try to make writing relevant and exciting. For example, pupils wrote persuasive arguments following their work on parliament. During the inspection, pupils in Years 2 and 3 were encouraged to think about the properties of different materials and how these could be used to write similes about the characteristics of different animals.
• In mathematics, teachers plan carefully to ensure they meet the needs of pupils. Teachers provide challenge opportunities for pupils to develop and deepen their understanding of mathematical concepts and apply these to problem-solving and reasoning activities.
• Teachers meet regularly with leaders to discuss the progress of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Teachers adapt their planning to meet the needs of pupils within their class. Skilled teaching assistants are used well to provide specific support for pupils when needed. This includes support for pupils with speech and language difficulties as well as those who are supported through an education healthcare plan.
• Teaching assistants are often used as teaching partners. They effectively develop the skills of pupils and help reduce gaps in learning. Training provided for teaching assistants has ensured that they are well skilled and know when to intervene and when to let pupils try things out for themselves.
• Teachers utilise technology to provide pupils with additional learning experiences. As well as providing pupils with the chance to incorporate technology into their learning, teachers use webchats and email to enhance pupils’ learning. For example, following a visit to the University of Lincoln to learn about bacteria, pupils took part in a webchat to see how bacteria from their hands had grown over time.
• Very occasionally, some pupils do not receive enough challenge to move them on with their learning. A very small number of pupils are not achieving as well as they could.
• Sometimes, teachers’ expectations of pupils’ presentation are not high enough. This is particularly prevalent in pupils’ mathematics books where teachers’ expectations are lower than in English and topic books.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Staff know pupils well. During the inspection, every member of staff I spoke with held the best interests for the pupils at their heart. Parents comment on the family atmosphere at the school with the development of pupils’ well-being at the heart.
• Pupils understand healthy lifestyles. They know what food they should eat to keep healthy and the importance of regular exercise. Older pupils understand how breathing techniques can help them when they need to calm themselves or are feeling overwhelmed. Pupils have a strong understanding of their rights, particularly in relation to the United Nations rights of the child.
• Pupils have a good understanding of different cultures and religions. Through the school’s curriculum, pupils learn about different countries and cultures. They know that we are all the same but there are different beliefs. Older pupils have an understanding that people make different lifestyle choices. Teachers help them to understand these choices through stories shared in assemblies.
• Bullying is rare. Parents and pupils say that any incidents are dealt with swiftly and effectively by school leaders. Pupils understand the different types of bullying, including cyberbullying.
• Pupils have knowledge, appropriate to their age, of how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Older pupils talk about how they should check with their parents to give consent when using online games and social media.
• During lessons, pupils are keen to work together. They assign tasks to each other and work collaboratively to get tasks done. They are unafraid to share their misconceptions with the whole class and understand that these may help other pupils if they don’t understand. For example, pupils in Years 4, 5 and 6 openly shared their methods for working through mathematics calculations and were open to the hints and suggestions from other pupils if they made mistakes.
• The school’s new approach to teaching reading skills is helping to develop pupils as self-assured learners. However, this strategy has not yet been shared across the school and all subjects.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are polite and caring. There is an understanding that pupils will help each other, with older pupils supporting younger pupils. At breaktime, while there are opportunities for pupils to play with their peers, older pupils act as play leaders or ‘mini police’ to support other pupils.
• There are very few incidents of poor behaviour. When they do occur, they are recorded and monitored carefully by the school’s leaders. Pupils know that there will be consequences if they behave badly. The reward system is effective in ensuring that pupils behave well. They are keen to earn points which lead to rewards.
• Attendance has improved significantly. Due to small numbers of pupils, the persistent absence of a small number last year impacted on the school’s overall attendance percentage. Persistent absence has dropped considerably this year. Leaders have ensured that once attendance falls below the school’s identified figure, staff discuss the importance of regular attendance with parents. Pupils celebrate good attendance in school through class and whole-school challenges.
• Pupils do not always show pride in their work. This is most prevalent in mathematics, where work is not as well presented as in other workbooks.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Due to small cohort sizes, it is unreliable to make comparisons between the school’s data and the national average. In 2018, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. However, closer examination of results shows that the very low progress scores of some pupils new to the school impacted heavily on the school’s overall progress measure.
• The school’s own assessment information shows that in almost all year groups, pupils are making at least the progress the school expects of them, and most pupils are working at the school’s age-related expectations.
• In 2018, in key stage 1, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading and writing was below the national average. However, as each pupil equated to 11%, it is difficult to draw comparisons with the national average.
• Pupils’ workbooks show that teachers have high expectations. The tasks they set are on the whole appropriate to the age and stage that pupils are working at, and most pupils are making strong progress.
• The school assessment information shows that most pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils are making strong progress from their individual starting points. Targeted support is effective in helping these pupils to learn.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check has consistently been above the national average. The teaching of phonics is consistent. Staff demonstrate new sounds clearly and encourage pupils to use these in their writing.

Early years provision Good

• The early years leaders are passionate about children’s early education. They have established an early years which encourages children to be individuals and celebrates their differences.
• Adults have high expectations of children. They use their knowledge of what children can do well to ensure that children’s next steps in learning are well planned for. The teacher makes links across different areas of learning, for example pupils used their knowledge of the Chinese New Year to write about dragons.
• Adults encourage children to participate with different activities to ensure that they receive a good grounding in all aspects of the early years curriculum. For example, despite poor weather conditions, children in Nursery went outside on a ‘sound hunt’. As the wind was howling, the teaching assistant asked the children to think about the sound the wind was making and whether they could recreate the sounds they heard.
• Children are well cared for in the early years. Children’s additional needs are well catered for and adaptations are planned when necessary. Staff have developed good links between the school and home. This includes the recent introduction of the early years social media platform, which includes sharing videos of bedtime stories told by staff, friends of the school and parents.
• Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Children in Nursery and Reception understand the routines and behaviour expectations. They demonstrate independence. For example, Nursery children were seen peeling their fruit and putting peelings in the bin independently.
• Although it is difficult to make comparisons with the national average due to small pupil numbers, most pupils leave the early years well prepared for Year 1. Where children do not achieve a good level of development, adults have ensured that they are well supported as they move into key stage 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 120466 Lincolnshire 10086732 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 57 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Leigh Arnold Executive Headteacher Rowena Thompson Telephone number 01205 270 285 Website Email address www.new-leake.lincs.sch.uk enquiries@new-leake.lincs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 1 July 2015

Information about this school

• The school is part of The Stickney & New Leake Primary Schools Federation.
• This is a much smaller than average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is above the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in a number of lessons, some accompanied by the executive headteacher. The inspector observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils read. The inspector also talked with pupils about their school and looked at examples of their work in a wide range of subjects to gain a view of the impact of teaching over time.
• Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, assistant headteacher, class teachers and the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with other staff during the inspection. The inspector considered the 10 responses to the staff survey. The inspector spoke with the local authority locality lead.
• The inspector spoke with parents informally and considered the 27 responses to the online parent questionnaire, Parent View.
• The inspector looked at a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement, the most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils, information relating to the safeguarding of pupils, and the most recent data relating to the attendance of pupils.
• The inspector considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

Inspection team

Helen Williams, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector