Ludlow Infant Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management by ensuring that:
  • curriculum leaders monitor teaching and learning successfully across all subjects.
• Improve teaching and learning by ensuring that:
  • lessons and activities are sufficiently challenging, particularly for the most able, including those most-able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds
  • in the early years, adult interactions and the questions they ask are sharply focused to develop children’s emerging skills and knowledge
  • the whole-school rate of attendance rises, and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities miss less time at school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher, supported ably by a new head of school and a talented assistant headteacher, leads Ludlow Infant Academy well. Together, they have accurately evaluated the standards of education, and work diligently with all staff to improve pupils’ outcomes throughout the school. Strong leadership and firm commitment from all staff ensure that Ludlow Infant Academy is a good school.
• Leaders have ensured that clear values shine through at the heart of the school. The school’s ethos, that staff and pupils ‘learn and care together’ and ‘respect and value each other’, emanates throughout the school and is embodied in pupils’ good behaviour and the staff’s nurturing attitudes. Ludlow Infant Academy provides a positive environment within which pupils are confident and enjoy learning.
• Staff are supported well to strengthen and develop their teaching skills. Leaders provide a range of different strategies, including effective appraisal and performance management, to improve teaching standards further. Staff are appreciative of these opportunities and demonstrate a strong commitment to honing and refining their teaching skills.
• The school curriculum is broad and balanced. Leaders have ensured that pupils’ knowledge and skills are built progressively throughout the school. Additionally, educational trips and visits enrich learning and help engage pupils in their learning.
• Leaders provide good support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. The assistant headteacher, in her additional role as special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), evaluates carefully the individual needs of this group of pupils. Her close working with teachers to plan effective support in class ensures that this group of pupils achieves well from their different starting points.
• Leaders ensure that pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strong. For example, participation in events such as Armed Forces Day and local armistice services help pupils discover facts about the sacrifices made by others for the good of all. Other opportunities for pupils to reflect upon what makes people unique and special, including their cultural and religious beliefs, ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.
• The pupil premium grant is put to good use. Leaders are fully aware of the different needs of disadvantaged pupils and provide a rich variety of extra lessons and support to help them make rapid progress. As a result, the rate of attendance of disadvantaged pupils is particularly high, and most achieve well throughout the school.
• The sports premium provides additional opportunities for pupils to be fit and active. For example, the school has recruited a sports coach, who leads a range of exciting and well-attended activities during break and lunchtimes. These contribute positively to pupils’ physical well-being and promote effectively the importance of behaving appropriately and playing cooperatively.
• Teaching and learning across a few subjects within the wider curriculum are not monitored sufficiently by leaders. This is because roles and responsibilities for managing these subjects are not yet clearly defined. Leaders know that this important work is a priority for the school.

Governance of the school

• Trustees monitor achievement and standards rigorously and provide strong support for school leaders in driving school improvement. Trustees know the school very well. They have a clear understanding of what is working and what could be even better. They scrutinise leaders’ actions effectively, using school information and national assessment data to hold leaders to account appropriately. Their hard work contributes to the good standards of education at the school.
• The trust provides strong financial accountability. For example, trustees monitor the effectiveness of additional funding, including the pupil premium grant and sports premium, and check that this money is used productively to have a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. The trust’s scrutiny ensures that leaders are held to account appropriately for the money they spend.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders ensure that there is an ethos of vigilance at Ludlow Infant Academy. For example, when recruiting new staff, all appropriate background checks are made and recorded accurately on the school’s single central register. This record is managed to a high standard by the school business manager. Leaders, including trustees, are careful to monitor the single central register frequently to ensure that it is always accurate and up to date.
• Leaders work successfully with other external child protection officers. For example, they maintain effective relationships with the local authority and social workers. When appropriate, school leaders are not afraid to challenge others if they feel that the quality of service being provided is not good enough. Leaders are tenacious in securing a high level of care for any vulnerable pupils at Ludlow Infant Academy.
• A range of opportunities provides pupils with the skills and knowledge to help keep themselves safe. For example, a national children’s charity visited the school recently to teach pupils in an age-appropriate manner how to protect themselves from potential sexual abuse. Leaders’ work to safeguard children and ensure that pupils have the skills to protect themselves is effective.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching is good at Ludlow Infant Academy. Typically, teachers have good subject knowledge which they use to plan learning that captures pupils’ interest and keeps them focused on the task at hand. Learning is usually rapid because teachers manage time in lessons skilfully.
• Pupils make good use of teachers’ feedback. In the best examples, pupils respond to this guidance to edit and improve their work. For example, in one Year 2 class, a pupil commented positively on the teacher’s feedback, saying: ‘I know I now need to include more adjectives in my writing.’
• Teachers ensure that learning is planned appropriately for lower-ability pupils. For example, in Year 2 mathematics this group of pupils was grappling effectively with problems that required them to think hard. Good-quality support from the class teacher ensured that the pupils could explain their thinking, work independently, and solve accurately the number problems they had been given.
• The support from teaching assistants is usually good. When most effective, this support helps pupils strengthen and consolidate their learning. For instance, in one English lesson the teaching assistant successfully enhanced pupils’ language development, helping pupils enrich their descriptive writing about a dog, using adjectives, verbs and exciting word choices.
• Phonics is taught well. Throughout the school, learning is planned systematically to ensure that pupils learn their letters and sounds progressively. Importantly, pupils’ reading books are, for the most part, accurately linked to their individual levels of ability. This ensures that pupils swiftly learn to read at Ludlow Infant Academy.
• In some lessons, teaching does not challenge sufficiently the most able pupils, including those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds. Where this is the case, learning is too easy and does not require this group of pupils to think deeply or hard enough. As a result, too few of these pupils are achieving at the highest standards, particularly in mathematics and English.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils demonstrate highly positive attitudes. They are caring and nurturing of each other, and work hard to make Ludlow Infant Academy a very friendly place in which to learn.
• Leaders arrange excellent support for vulnerable pupils. Pupils’ social and emotional needs are supported meticulously with a range of extra lessons and nurture groups that boosts their confidence and self-esteem. This enhanced support ensures that vulnerable pupils receive the care they need to become successful learners.
• Pupils say that bullying is not a problem at Ludlow Infant Academy. They say that they feel safe at school and know who to turn to if they have a worry or concern.
• The sports coach leads wonderful lunchtime activities, and consistently models exemplary attitudes that develop pupils’ ability to play together cooperatively. Leaders’ firm focus to ensure that playtimes are purposeful and productive contributes very positively to pupils’ impeccable attitudes.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. This is because leaders have developed and embedded successfully a new policy for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond well to this and do their best to rise to the high expectations set by staff.
• In lessons, pupils’ behaviour is typically productive and enthusiastic. Pupils engage wholeheartedly in learning and usually listen well and work hard. Pupils’ good conduct contributes effectively to the good progress they make.
• Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance is very good. Strong support from the school’s ‘pupil engagement officer’ supports disadvantaged pupils to miss less school. As a result, their rates of attendance are better than either their non-disadvantaged peers, or the rates seen nationally.
• Whole-school rates of attendance are rising but remain stubbornly just below national levels. The attendance of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is particularly low. Leaders are aware that more needs to be achieved to ensure that the attendance of this group of pupils improves.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• In 2017, there was a broad decline in pupils’ achievements in a range of national assessments. This coincided with turbulence in the leadership and management of the school. Current leaders were quick to tackle this and improve outcomes for pupils.
• In 2018, most pupils achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening test. This is because phonics is taught well throughout the school.
• In 2018, provisional outcomes indicate that most pupils achieved age-related expectations in national assessments in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Work in pupils’ exercise books shows that current pupils, including those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds and those who have SEN and/or disabilities, are achieving well in a range of subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics.
• Pupils’ artistic ability is a strength of the school. Work in their art books shows that they can produce high-quality art in a range of styles and using different media. Inspectors were particularly impressed with the three-dimensional flower arrangement that pupils in the art club had produced for the school reception desk.
• Currently, most-able pupils, including those who are from disadvantaged backgrounds, are not achieving as highly in English and mathematics as they could. This is because sometimes teaching is not sufficiently challenging for their higher levels of understanding.

Early years provision Good

• The early years provision is led well. The lead teacher has strong subject knowledge and an accurate understanding of the setting’s effectiveness. Her improvement plans are robust and linked precisely to making sure that children’s early development improves further. Strong leadership ensures that children make good progress from their starting points and that they are well placed to begin learning in Year 1.
• Teaching is typically good in the early years. Leaders ensure that an accurate initial assessment of children’s abilities informs teaching and learning inside and outside the classroom. Importantly, staff consider parents’ views when evaluating children’s early development.
• Leaders place a high priority on ensuring that children learn their letters and sounds swiftly. Phonics is taught systematically throughout the setting and staff have good subject knowledge. Additional opportunities to strengthen children’s development in this area are planned across the setting. Consequently, children’s first steps in learning to read are successful in the early years.
• The recently developed outside area is lively and engaging. Children revel in the broad range of activities that are planned for them, enjoying, for example, playing at construction with bricks and mud. The early years curriculum is covered extensively outside the classroom environment.
• All statutory requirements for safeguarding and health and safety are met. The setting is very secure, and staff are mindful of their responsibility to keep children safe. For example, they ensure that children learn quickly and appropriately to follow instructions and routines. Children’s behaviour is good, and they listen to and respect the adults who look after them.
• Occasionally, children are not supported effectively to develop their emerging skills and knowledge. For instance, some adult interactions, and the questions they ask children, are not sharply focused to deepen learning. When this occurs, children do not make strong progress.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138625 Southampton 10046566 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Infant School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 7 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 269 Appropriate authority HAMWIC Education Trust Chair Mr Nigel Ash Executive Headteacher Mrs Beverly Corbin Telephone number 02380 433 422 Website Email address www.ludlowlive.net info@ludlowlive.net Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements for specified information an academy must publish on its website.
• The school joined the HAMWIC Education Trust in July 2017.
• The school is run by an executive headteacher who is supported by a recently appointed head of school.
• The school’s governing body stepped down in September 2017 and governance is now managed by the trust.
• Ludlow Infant Academy is an average-sized primary school.
• Most pupils are White British. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is similar to the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN support is below average. The proportion who have an education, health and care plan is similar to the national average.

Information about this inspection

• In September 2012 the school converted to become an academy. Because its predecessor school was judged to be outstanding, the new school continued to be exempt from routine inspection. Consequently, this is the school’s first inspection since becoming an academy.
• Inspectors observed learning throughout the school, spoke to pupils and looked at work in their books. Observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• Meetings were held with senior leaders, middle leaders, groups of pupils and representatives from the trust.
• A small sample of parents’ views was gathered at the start of the inspection.
• A range of documents was reviewed, including: the school’s development plan and self-evaluation document; the school’s single central record of employment checks on staff; information about pupils’ achievement, attendance, behaviour and safety; information about the school’s performance management of staff; and trust reports.

Inspection team

Dom Cook, lead inspector Rachel Goplen Simon Francis

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector