Lynton Church of England Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Leaders should further improve teaching by:
  • developing writing skills in the early years to support children in all areas of learning and help them to be better prepared for Year 1
  • overcoming any legacy of weak teaching in mathematics so that pupils develop a depth and breadth to their understanding
  • developing assessment and feedback that helps pupils know how well they are progressing.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Since the last inspection, leadership has improved. Teaching has been strengthened and outcomes have got better. Leaders work successfully as a team, challenging each other. They accurately know the strengths of the school, which they celebrate, and weaknesses, which they work to improve.
• The executive headteacher has established a strong caring and developmental culture among all who work and learn at Lynton Primary School. For example, improvements in feedback to pupils encourage them to think more deeply about their learning. They also provide suggestions on how to test their knowledge by doing harder tasks. Both staff and pupils are comfortable in taking risks to accelerate progress.
• Middle leaders have a strong drive to do even better for pupils. They share best practice across the federation and with other schools. As a consequence, since the last inspection, the teaching of literacy and the quality of teaching in the early years have rapidly improved. Although such gains have not been matched in mathematics, there are more recent signs of improvement.
• Leaders have supported teachers to develop their ability to provide feedback to pupils which enables them to know how successful they have been in their learning and what to work on next. Most-able pupils accurately justify their answers by providing an in-depth explanation of their knowledge. Leaders know that there is still more to do for best practice to be embedded in all teaching.
• Better-quality training and a coaching programme have helped staff to gain more confidence in trying out new aspects of teaching in order to improve pupils’ learning further. As a consequence, teaching has improved literacy outcomes. Key stage 2 pupils are confident to reorder complex sentences and, in doing so, consider how the meaning alters.
• The curriculum is carefully planned for mixed-age classes using termly themes. Over the year, there is a breadth of study and a balance between different subjects. Topics are done in blocks to allow for greater depth of learning. For example, the topic ‘walking with dinosaurs’ has enabled pupils to study rock formations, understand how scientific words are formed and learn about the world’s weather. Teaching across a wide variety of other subjects is beginning to improve learning. In studying history, pupils use ‘big questions’ when looking at pictures to learn about what was happening in that historical period and, therefore, the value of using source material.
• Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively and these pupils make good progress. Funding for sports premium has been used effectively across the federation to improve the equipment for sports and for transport to enrich the learning experience of those from the village. This includes learning to swim, do gymnastics and dance.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social understanding is developed well in assemblies and within the curriculum. Pupils have the opportunity to develop a good understanding of other cultures by meeting others who may have different backgrounds from themselves.

Governance of the school

• Governance has further strengthened since the last inspection. Governors know the school accurately and have developed their skills in order to have an independent view of the quality of provision at Lynton Primary School. They use their knowledge effectively to challenge and hold leaders to account and improve pupils’ outcomes.
• There is an ambition for learning at the school to continue to improve; governors know that there is more to do to further improve teaching and pupils’ progress.
• The governing body has worked hard and recruited people who have an appropriate range of skills and local knowledge in order to be effective.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders work successfully with other agencies to protect children. They are tenacious in their follow-up to secure the best outcomes for each child.
• Pupils feel safe in the school and are taught about a range of potential risks, for example when using social media. Older pupils are well aware of how to safely use online social networks.
• The record-keeping to keep pupils safe meets the statutory requirements, is up to date and is thoroughly administered. School leaders comply with the requirements of safer recruitment. Governors carefully monitor the school’s safeguarding practice.
• The staff are trained thoroughly to recognise and prevent pupils from being radicalised or susceptible to extremism, and are regularly updated on safeguarding. Teachers know the level of vigilance required and what responsibilities they have when protecting pupils from risk of harm.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers skilfully plan for effective pupils’ learning, typically for different ability pupils in the same class. For example, in mathematics, all successfully completed a task about place value. Some pupils accurately used whole numbers to solve place-value problems. However, the most able were more challenged by using decimals. Careful assessment of pupils’ learning enables progressively more demanding work to be given so that they progress well.
• Pupils read well and are effectively encouraged to read more widely. Most-able pupils read with conviction and often use appropriate dramatic voices. They are able to discuss the passage being read and relate it to their experience. Parents are successfully encouraged to engage with pupils’ reading through the use of the reading log. Literacy teaching is a strength of the school.
• Teachers and pupils work together really well. Teachers know when to challenge pupils to deepen their learning and extend their thinking. Pupils are encouraged to justify their answers to demonstrate the depth of their understanding. For instance, when teaching phonics in Year 2, the teacher deliberately said the wrong number of sounds in a long word and the pupils corrected the teacher and explained why.
• Teaching ensures that learning is varied, engaging and increasingly more demanding. Additional adults are used well, often to work with particular groups, such as to teach phonics by year groups. This ensures that what individual pupils need to learn is effectively achieved and they learn well.
• The most able pupils are challenged to think more deeply. They apply new knowledge or skills to unfamiliar situations to deepen their understanding. However, a legacy of weak teaching has resulted in some pupils’ underachievement in mathematics. This means that some previous learning has to be recapped. Pupils persevere with work when they find it hard.
• The themes used each term in school are also used for home learning. A recent increase in pupils doing home tasks, often with enthusiasm, has resulted in this learning further extending pupils’ thinking.
• Assessment of pupils’ work is accurate and increasingly thorough. Teachers are able to judge the expected standards that pupils are working at or above, including through confirming these with teachers from other schools. However, pupils are unsure of how well they are doing and what standards they are heading for.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school community cares for everyone. New pupils to the school quickly settle as older pupils make sure that they are included when playing together. Pupils work well together on tables or in pairs, even if it is with children of different ages. There is a strong sense of belonging to a close, supportive community. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other and to visitors.
• Pupils are carefully looked after. Teachers routinely notice changes in pupils’ behaviour and are alert to when pupils need extra support. Teachers and school leaders are strong advocates for the pupils. They take swift action to follow up concerns in school, with parents and with external agencies where appropriate.
• Pupils are willing to get involved in learning and extra-curricular activities. They accept that they need to work hard in their learning so that they gain a deeper understanding. The links across the federation mean that older pupils experience working with peers from the other schools regularly. This supports them well as they prepare to move on to secondary education.
• Spiritual development is a high priority in the school. Pupils study Christianity and develop an understanding of other communities’ beliefs. They have the opportunity to work with outside speakers from other backgrounds and with children from other schools.
• The school’s values of curiosity, achievement, respect, inspiration and support are actively promoted in the school and form the foundations of understanding British values. Pupils have frequent opportunities to develop deep respect for each other and for those from different cultures. The school’s caring community models effectively how to support each other.
• Pupils feel safe in the school and they know who they can talk to if they need to. No instances of bullying have been recorded since the last inspection and pupils are sure that bullying does not happen in the school.
• Pupils are taught well to stay safe when using social networking sites. Older pupils have a better understanding of the potential dangers of mobile technology and the internet than those who are younger.
• Pupils are confident to be challenged and willing to contribute. When asked to volunteer to sight-read in assemblies, they do so without hesitation and present with enthusiasm. They are keen to learn and often persevere with problems they are set routinely in lessons.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• From the outset, pupils develop an attitude which means that they are extremely keen to learn and willing to try harder tasks. They show very impressive resilience when doing demanding work. There are no instances of low-level disruption reported by pupils or parents.
• Attendance has improved and pupils’ persistent absence has been very successfully eliminated. It is carefully monitored by school leaders who inform parents if a pupil is absent too frequently. They also take the trouble to thank parents when a pupil’s attendance has improved. No child is disadvantaged by periods of illness or other absence.
• Pupils play happily as a community in the playground and know to look out for each other, especially younger pupils. They are polite and respond quickly to instructions.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• From different starting points, pupils progress well. By the end of key stage 2, progress is good, especially in reading and writing. In classes that cater for different year groups, pupils are working at appropriate levels for their age.
• In early years, children make good progress so that they are well prepared for Year 1. The transition is supported by the joint key stage 1 and Reception teaching in this part of the school. Those children that do not reach the expected standard have good support to catch up, and pupils reach good standards in phonics screening checks.
• By the end of key stage 1, pupils’ progress is good in all areas, although progress in mathematics is not as strong as in reading and writing.
• By the end of key stage 2, attainment is above national averages. Progress between key stages 1 and 2 is good, especially in reading and writing. Recent changes in teaching in all key stages have resulted in mathematics beginning to overcome a legacy of some weak teaching, and pupils’ progress is improving.
• There are no pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, the pupils who may need further support are making good progress. The small number of pupils who are disadvantaged also make good progress.
• The most able pupils, including the most able disadvantaged pupils, learn successfully in the school. Teaching and the curriculum are well matched to challenge and deepen the most able pupils’ understanding. Pupils are expected to extend their knowledge through grappling with challenging tasks. Key stage 2 pupils were able to make their writing more lively by rearranging sentences, using a wide variety of different connecting words.
• Pupils make good progress across the curriculum. In humanities, pupils are able to appreciate what makes useful source material and how to use it to understand a period in history. Music is strong in the school and a large proportion of pupils sing enthusiastically in the school choir.
• Pupils thrive in the school as they move up through the mixed-aged classes. Pupils typically make expected progress or better for their age. Year 6 pupils are well prepared for the transition to secondary education. They usually know someone and are ready for a good start when they get to the next school. This is because leaders make sure that pupils have made good progress and have formed friendship groups, often among pupils from other schools in the federation.

Early years provision Good

• Typically, children start Reception at or slightly below the ability level that is typical of them at this age. Most children speak clearly and confidently. They listen carefully to instructions and play alongside each other. All children, including those who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, make good progress during their Reception Year and are well prepared for Year 1.
• Children are keen to learn, because they are clear about the strong routines and standards of behaviour which are expected of them. Good relationships result in children enjoying talking about what they are doing and showing their understanding. Children learn happily in small groups where they show high levels of cooperation when they work together.
• Children are provided with exciting learning opportunities that are carefully planned and provide rich learning experiences. Opportunities to use seasonal activities are used well to encourage the children to deepen their knowledge of the world around them. Resources are usefully shared across the federation to make the most of children’s experience. This includes using an area at another school for the children’s forest-school learning.
• Teaching is effective and practice continues to develop. Whole-school themes are translated into the curriculum for early years. Early phonics is taught well and this enables children to have a strong start to literacy skills. Books and words are effectively displayed to engage children in reading activities. This strong focus on the enjoyment of reading enables them to make good progress.
• Children progress well in the development of their mathematical skills because teachers use interesting resources to support the development of early addition and subtraction skills.
• The early years is led effectively and leaders carefully analyse assessment information to check how children are progressing. The leader has rightly identified that more development of writing is needed and has adjusted the learning environment to promote this, for example by giving all children their own writing book.
• The safety of children is strong. Staff are vigilant and know how to report any concerns. This ensures the risk to children’s safety is not compromised.

School details

Unique reference number 113451 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10017404 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary school School category Maintained Age range of pupils 5 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 48 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jan Stokes Executive headteacher Jayne Peacock Telephone number 01598 753309 Website www.westexmoorfederation.org.uk Email address admin@westexmoorfederation.org.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 September 2014

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• Lynton Primary School is much smaller than the average-sized primary school and it serves the communities of Lynton and Lynmouth.
• The school is part of the West Exmoor Federation which consists of three village schools. These are governed by a single governing body and led by an executive headteacher.
• There are more girls than boys in the school and the proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium grant is broadly in line with that nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational need and/or disabilities is much lower than the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector examined the previous inspection report, past and present pupils’ performance data, school leaders’ self-evaluation and the school’s improvement plans.
• The inspector had discussions with groups of pupils, governors, middle leaders and teachers.
• A range of documentation was examined by the inspector, concerning safeguarding and the recording of incidents.
• Visits to lessons to observe teaching and learning were done jointly with the executive headteacher.
• Pupils were listened to reading and the inspector scrutinised a variety of pupils’ work, from the current and previous year, with senior leaders.
• The inspector took into account the views of nine parents who responded to Parent View and six written comments. He considered responses to the pupil and staff questionnaires.

Inspection team

Mark Jenner, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector