Lime Walk Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Increase the quality and consistency of teaching further and thereby continue to raise outcomes for pupils, by:
  • making sure that pupils’ progress is assessed accurately in all subjects so that work is closely matched to pupils’ needs across the curriculum
  • developing a consistent approach to the teaching of spelling across the school
  • setting high expectations for the quality of pupils’ presentation of their work in all classes and all subjects
  • ensuring that no learning time is wasted and that transitions between and during lessons are prompt.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher and leaders at all levels have a high level of commitment to improving outcomes for pupils. They are ambitious and have made many changes to drive improvement. Leaders and governors have instilled a culture of high expectations among teachers and pupils, based on clear, well-understood core values which are embedded in all that happens in the school. The staff responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire show that the vast majority of staff are very supportive of the leadership team.
• Middle leaders are well supported by the senior leaders, so that they have a clear sense of direction, understand their roles and perform their duties well. This is having a positive impact on teaching and pupils’ learning. Subject leaders are keen to develop their subject areas to further improve the quality of teaching across the school.
• Leaders, including governors, have an accurate understanding of how well the school is doing and what needs to be done next. They have provided staff with clear direction through comprehensive, sharp and regularly evaluated improvement plans.
• There are comprehensive and rigorous systems in place to check the quality of teachers’ practice. Where teachers can improve, they have high-quality development coaching and they undertake relevant training. Teachers speak highly of the support they receive. Any underperformance has been tackled promptly and decisively. Hard decisions have been taken when necessary to ensure that the quality of teaching over time is at least good.
• The school’s topic-based curriculum offers pupils interesting learning opportunities while developing their subject-based knowledge and skills. Educational trips linked to topics enhance pupils’ learning. For example, pupils enjoyed a trip to a farm when studying, ‘Farm to Fork’, looking at the production journey different foods make.
• The school enhances the curriculum with a wide range of clubs such as sugarcraft, film, choir, drama and a range of sports. The school also offers excellent opportunities for outdoor learning.
• The pupil premium funding is spent appropriately and is used effectively to reduce clearly identified barriers to learning for eligible pupils, including children in the early years. For example, the funding is used to provide a well-attended breakfast club, additional teaching, play therapy and one-to-one support in lessons. The school employs a family support worker who provides support to families of pupils with social and emotional needs and when there are concerns over attendance. The pupil premium funding is also used to enhance children’s experiences by enabling them to participate in extra-curricular activities, such as a trip to Kew Gardens. In order to raise aspirations, pupils benefit from activities such as a trip to ‘Kidzania’, where pupils experience taking part in aspects of the adult world of work in a range of careers. The school has also been proactive in securing additional subsidies for musical instrument tuition. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make at least good progress.
• The experienced special educational needs coordinator ensures that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are quickly identified, well supported and make good progress. Funding for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is well deployed to offer additional support which is having a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes.
• The physical education and sport premium funding is spent effectively. It is used to provide for a specialist sports higher level teaching assistant who trains staff to increase expertise within the school, while also expanding the range of sports on offer to pupils, such as tennis, multi-skills, hockey and gymnastics. There is a very varied range of sport and physical activity on offer through popular clubs. Pupils have the opportunity to take part in regular sporting competitions.
• Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and British values are taught well, through assemblies, themes and a strongly embedded vision and values system. The school has a values focus each month; for example, at the time of the inspection, pupils were reflecting on the value of ‘cooperation’. Assemblies are based around the current value. Pupils are able to make reference to the taught values as part of their daily lives in school and in their learning.
• Pupils talk knowledgeably about British institutions. For example, during the general election, pupils made their own speeches and older children researched the manifestos of the different political parties. Pupils have opportunities to exercise democratic choice through elections for posts of responsibility such as the active school council, and the roles of head and deputy head boy and girl. Pupils also have the opportunity to take on additional roles such as those of sports leaders and library monitors. The school teaches about other beliefs well through the religious education curriculum and topics and therefore pupils can talk knowledgeably about the religious ideas, cultures and the views of others. The school has an ethos of tolerance, care and understanding. Pupils support others by being mentors in Year 6 and playground buddies for younger pupils. Consequently, the school helps pupils to successfully develop into well-rounded citizens of the future.
• Leaders have made good use of the support provided by the local authority, for example, through training and guidance for middle leaders to develop the quality of teaching and learning in their subject areas.
• Leaders have established detailed assessment systems in reading, writing and mathematics which are well understood by teachers across the school. Teachers and leaders use these regularly to check on pupils’ progress and scrutinise pupils’ work. This ensures that pupils falling behind are rapidly supported through bespoke and effective additional teaching. Teachers work with the local authority and other schools to ensure that their assessments are accurate.
• Assessment in other subjects is not as well embedded as in reading, writing and mathematics because teachers have only recently started recording pupils’ achievement across the curriculum. As this approach is not yet fully established, leaders do not have an accurate insight into pupils’ achievement throughout all subjects.

Governance of the school

• The governing body is skilled, committed and experienced. Governors meet their statutory obligations well. Governors have assessed their own skills and development needs, attended a range of training and have clear plans for their future development.
• The governing body works well with the leadership team to monitor the school’s performance. Governors have a good understanding of the school assessment information and have made use of nationally available materials to challenge leaders and set robust targets for pupils currently in the school. Governors have committed significant efforts and resources to improving teaching facilities in the school.
• Governors support the headteacher to ensure that the performance of teachers is checked, and this results in improved teaching. Headteacher’s reports and regular, well-planned visits linked to their areas of responsibility enable governors to follow the progress of groups of pupils, to check that teaching continues to improve and that staffing provides value for money.
• Governors are aware that disadvantaged pupils in the school have not always achieved as well as other pupils nationally. A nominated governor scrutinises spending of the pupil premium funding and has worked with the deputy headteacher to ensure that monitoring and evaluation of the school’s strategy are rigorous. As a result, the outcomes for disadvantaged pupils are improving.
• Governors have a presence at all public school events and are working to further develop their links with businesses and the community.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school maintains a safe environment. The school site is secure, all aspects of health and safety meet requirements and risk assessments are in place for all school trips.
• Safeguarding procedures and employment checks on staff meet all statutory requirements. The headteacher and a number of governors are trained in safer recruitment. All members of staff and governors have been trained and receive regular updates in relation to the latest government requirements for safeguarding and ‘Prevent’ duty training. There are well-established processes in place for the induction of staff. Visitors to the school are given a clear information on arrival that explains the school systems to be followed in the event of a potential safeguarding incident.
• Child protection procedures are compliant and robust. Leaders are tenacious in the way they support and monitor pupils who are deemed to be at risk of harm. Leaders act swiftly to provide support for such pupils, bringing in outside agencies when needed. Decisions about when to refer pupils to the local authority for further support reflect a detailed understanding of local child protection arrangements and the levels of risk pupils may face.
• A nominated governor makes regular checks to ensure that the school’s safeguarding procedures are robust.
• Pupils say that they feel safe and are taught how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations, including when using the internet. Pupils spoke confidently to inspectors about the potential dangers of social media. Parents say that they are confident that their children are safe at Lime Walk Primary School.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers and teaching assistants forge positive relationships with pupils and plan and teach engaging lessons that support good progress. Pupils remark on how helpful teachers are and how they enjoy learning because the topics they study are interesting.
• Teachers and teaching assistants know their pupils well. This enables them to plan lessons that are generally matched to pupils’ needs. Staff make sure that pupils with lower starting points get the support needed to understand their tasks and that the most able are suitably stretched.
• Pupils learn to reflect on their work and identify where they need to improve. In most cases, pupils use feedback well to improve their work. Pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves and the vast majority of pupils choose tasks which stretch them. Teachers’ effective guidance together with pupils’ own assessments enable good progress in most lessons.
• There has been a sustained focus on improving pupils’ reading over the last year. ‘Book Dipping’, when the whole school reads together, is a popular feature of school life. Governors have invested in a new library area which is attractive and inviting, with its improved variety of books. Teachers have also improved the way they guide pupils’ reading in small groups. Pupils are encouraged to read through a popular awards system. Teachers and teaching assistants monitor pupils’ progress closely and pupils who are falling behind have additional teaching. High-quality class texts have been linked to topics. These endeavours have rapidly accelerated the progress made in reading across the school.
• Phonics is taught well and supports pupils to become successful readers. Pupils are equipped with strategies for tackling unfamiliar words and most read daily at home as well as in school.
• In mathematics, pupils benefit from regular opportunities to tackle open-ended tasks which prompt them to think and apply their mathematical knowledge, thereby deepening their understanding. The school has focused on developing problem-solving skills and data handling in particular. Pupils are frequently encouraged to apply their mathematical skills in other subjects and apply these to real-life situations. For example, pupils in Year 6 analysed products in design and technology and looked at calculating fixed and variable costs of production. Later, having designed their own products, they presented financial information in a chart form as part of a ‘sales pitch’. Mathematics lessons are very well resourced, with support materials and work well matched to pupils’ different needs. The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, undertake suitably challenging work. 
• The school follows a values-based curriculum in all subjects which enables teachers to plan teaching based on the needs and interests of pupils in their own classes. This supports good progress. In science, pupils are taught scientific methods and undertake practical tasks. Through this, pupils are developing sound knowledge and skills in science. For example, in Year 5, pupils learn about the phases of the moon, the orbits of planets and how light and darkness occur. Pupils are taught subject-specific skills well, across a range of subjects, and applying the correct subject vocabulary. For example, in art, Year 4 pupils talked about Pop Art and the popular culture of the time. They studied the life and work of Andy Warhol, and experimented with his techniques, before creating their own pieces in his style and reflecting current modern culture. They evaluated their own choices and techniques.
• Homework is set regularly and is appropriate, so that it supports or reinforces pupils’ learning well.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and pupils who speak English as an additional language are well supported in class by skillful teaching assistants. They are taught through a variety of additional teaching programmes, such as one-to-one reading, and as a result they make rapid progress.
• Writing is generally taught well. Across the school, pupils write at length and often. Teachers enable pupils to tackle a suitable range of writing styles and for a variety of real purposes in English lessons and in other subjects through their topics. Pupils are able to select from a range of helpful resources such as menus of different grammatical devices to support their planning. Teaching encourages pupils to review and edit their own writing and they become increasingly confident in this as they get older. However, some weaknesses in spelling are not addressed because teachers do not have an agreed approach to teaching spelling and how pupils should apply spelling skills in their learning.
• Teachers have recently begun to assess pupils’ attainment in all subjects in addition to reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers use this system to monitor pupils’ performance. However, this is not yet analysed on a wider basis by subject leaders in order to highlight any areas of weakness in the quality of teaching or to identify pupils who may not be achieving as well as they could. Leaders have identified that this systematic approach needs to be further embedded in order that the school’s assessment information about the progress pupils make is equally robust in all subjects.
• There remains some inconsistency in expectations of pupils’ handwriting, number formation and the presentation of their work and therefore some pupils do not take enough care over, or pride in their work.
• Transitions between lessons or between whole-class and small-group teaching are sometimes not as smooth as they should be. This is because on occasions, the pace of learning slows or teachers’ instructions are less clear and as a result some pupils become restless and lose concentration with their learning. 

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils say that they feel happy in school and almost all parents agreed.
• The school offers a range of support from outside agencies, such as counselling and access to mental health professionals as necessary to ensure that vulnerable pupils are well supported and barriers to their learning are quickly removed.
• Records of incidents show that bullying is rare. Pupils talk positively about the work the school does to prevent bullying, for example through assemblies. Pupils say that they feel confident to report incidents to staff and that if anything happens, it is dealt with quickly. A system of ‘worry boxes’ enables pupils to report any concerns.
• Pupils learn to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, for example regarding fire prevention, safety on roads and online safety. During the inspection, pupils benefited from an assembly led by an expert in online safety.
• Pupils talk knowledgeably about food choices and nutrition. Pupils know the benefits of physical activity and participate in a wide variety of sports and clubs in addition to their physical education lessons.
• A well-attended breakfast club offers an opportunity for pupils to socialise with friends and has a positive impact on the pupils’ attendance and punctuality. Two lunchtime clubs offer additional support to vulnerable pupils.
• Older pupils are positive about being prepared for moving to secondary school. They like visiting their future schools and enjoy meeting future teachers as this helps them feel more confident. Vulnerable pupils have additional support at this time to ensure that they are equally positive about the next stage of their education.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are confident and want to do well. They are proud of their achievements and are motivated by the school values and recognitions such as achievement assemblies and house points, trophies and ‘star pupil’ awards, which recognise good achievements in behaviour and work. ‘Happy box’ awards specifically celebrate pupils who have demonstrated the school’s values. The school keeps detailed records of any less than acceptable behaviour and there are clearly defined sanctions that can be applied if necessary. The behaviour system is well understood by pupils and displayed in every classroom. Pupils talked to inspectors about wanting to ‘get to gold’.
• Pupils are polite and well mannered and take responsibility for managing their own behaviour. They conduct themselves well around the school and play together amicably in the playgrounds. In lessons, pupils generally focus well on their work and listen respectfully to teachers and to each other. Pupils say that behaviour in their school is good and believe that behaviour has improved considerably over time. Parents and teachers agreed that pupils behave well.
• Pupils who have challenging behaviour are supported through individual improvement plans which enable them to address the causes of their behaviour. This is having a positive impact in most cases.
• Attendance has improved due to rigorous systems which are always followed through, as well as community engagement to raise awareness of the importance of good attendance. Pupils are reluctant to miss school as they enjoy their learning and being at school. As a result, attendance is now in line with national averages, and although still lower for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities than for others, this is improving and there are specific challenging reasons for almost all of the pupils who attend less well. Their families are given as much support as possible. Pupils who have significantly improved their attendance can become ‘attendance ambassadors’ and support other pupils to do similarly.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The large majority of children start in the early years with skills below those typical for their age. The proportion of children, including disadvantaged children, who reach the level of development that is typical for their age by the end of the early years is now broadly in line with the national average and has increased substantially this year.
• In 2016, the proportion of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, who met the standard in the Year 1 phonics check was in line with the national average, from starting points at the end of early years that were below the national average. The school’s current assessment information demonstrates that pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, are making better progress in developing and using their understanding of phonics throughout the school.
• In 2016, at the end of key stage 1, the proportion of pupils in the school who met the expected standard overall in reading was below the national average. However, all groups of pupils achieved at least in line with national averages from their various starting points. In mathematics and writing, the proportion of pupils in the school who met the expected standard overall was in line with others nationally. The school’s assessment information shows that this is currently the case for mathematics and writing, and achievement in reading has improved.
• The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 has improved over the last three years. In 2016, the proportion of pupils meeting expected and higher standards in reading was well below the national average, broadly in line in for mathematics and well above in writing. The school’s current assessment information shows a substantial improvement in pupils’ attainment in reading, such that the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading as well as writing and mathematics is on track to be at least in line with previous national figures.
• In 2016, the results of the key stage 2 grammar, spelling and punctuation test showed that a lower proportion of pupils met the expected standard than was the case nationally. The school’s current assessment information demonstrates that this is improving. However, weaknesses in the application of spelling skills could be seen in the work of some current pupils.
• The progress made by pupils between key stages 1 and 2 in 2016 was broadly in line with that made by all pupils nationally in reading and mathematics and well above in writing for both disadvantaged pupils and others. The school’s current assessment information demonstrates that progress in reading and mathematics has improved on 2016 outcomes.
• Across the school, disadvantaged pupils are now making rapid progress. The school’s current assessment information shows an improvement in the proportions of disadvantaged pupils meeting expected standards for their age in all year groups. The school’s current assessment information also shows that disadvantaged pupils attain as well as other pupils nationally.
• A well-planned programme of extra support ensures that pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting points and at a rate that is broadly in line with that of other pupils nationally. Pupils who speak English as an additional language make rapid progress from their starting points.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, make good progress because they are provided with activities that challenge them well in a range of subjects.
• Pupils enjoy reading. They read widely and often and read at a standard applicable to their age. They make good use of what they are taught in their phonics lessons to read more difficult words.
• Pupils are gaining a deeper understanding of solving problems in mathematics, applying their knowledge well and showing that they can devise appropriate strategies and explain them.
• Science assessments in 2016 were below the national average. Work in books shows that current pupils are developing a good understanding of scientific methods, skills and knowledge. The school’s current assessment information shows improved outcomes for pupils.
• Pupils are well equipped with the necessary academic and personal skills to be fully ready for the next stage of their education. Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is well led and managed. Children are well prepared for moving on to Year 1.
• The large majority of children enter the early years with skills and knowledge well below those typical for their age. Children achieve broadly in line with children nationally by the end of the early years. Therefore, progress in the early years is good. Children’s work indicates that good progress is made by all groups and this is particularly the case for disadvantaged children.
• The classroom and outdoor environment are well thought out and offer a range of interesting activities around engaging themes. During the inspection, children were very focused on re-creating dinosaur scenes. The theme of ‘minibeasts’ clearly interested the children too.
• Staff develop children’s learning well through good questioning and prompting, for example through asking children why they had chosen specific shapes in the construction area and exploring words for the different textures of materials.
• Assessment is regular, and clearly planned activities provide opportunities to assess children’s progress. Assessments are used well to plan effective support and to extend children’s learning. Children have comprehensive ‘learning journeys’ which show a good range of work across the curriculum and strong progress in early writing and mathematics.
• Children are taught to make healthy choices and enjoy their fruit snacks.
• Children are kept safe. The school meets required staffing ratios. Children say that they feel safe and have a good understanding of what it means to be kind to others. Children play well together, cooperate well and are polite and well behaved. Outdoor areas are safe and secure.
• The early years staff work closely with parents, who engage in assessing their children’s progress by discussing what children have done both in school and at home. Parents who spoke to inspectors are extremely positive about the experiences of their children in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 117333 Hertfordshire 10031355 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 209 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Rosalind Jacklin Rob Hutchings 01442 262341 www.limewalk.herts.sch.uk head@limewalk.herts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 June 2015

Information about this school

• Lime Walk Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, those who are supported by the pupil premium funding, is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in Year 6.
• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited 28 lessons across all classes, sometimes with the school’s leaders.
• Inspectors looked at pupils’ work across all subjects.
• Inspectors held discussions with staff, governors and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked with two groups about their enjoyment of school, their progress and their opinions about behaviour, welfare and safety. Additionally, inspectors talked with pupils while visiting classrooms and during breaktimes and lunchtime.
• Inspectors looked at a wide range of school documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plans, safeguarding documents, school policies, behaviour and attendance records, employment checks, school assessment information and governing body documents.
• Inspectors considered the views of 28 parents who completed the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, including nine free-text comments, as well as discussions held with parents. The 39 responses to the staff questionnaire were also considered. No pupils responded to the pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Susan Sutton, lead inspector Paul Hughes

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector