The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 24–25 April 2012 Inspection number 380051 The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 120528 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 380051 Inspection dates 24–25 April 2012 Lead inspector Ann Ashdown

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 172 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Keith Phillips Headteacher David Hodgson Date of previous school inspection 08 May 2008 School address Lincoln Road Leasingham Sleaford NG34 8JS Telephone number 01529 302388 Fax number 01529 304260 Email address head@st-andrews.lincs.sch.uk Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 2 of 11

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achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 3 of 11

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed seven teachers teaching 17 lessons. In addition, they visited specialist sessions teaching the links between letters and sounds (phonics) and listened to pupils read. Meetings and discussions were held with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, parents, carers and school staff. Inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at pupils’ books, progress data, safeguarding information, and other documentation. They analysed 89 questionnaires from parents and carers and also those from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This is a below average-sized primary school. A below average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average and a similar proportion speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of disabled pupils and those supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well-below average. The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which sets out the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. There is a much larger proportion of boys, particularly in Years 5 and 6 than is usually found. The proportion of pupils who join and leave the school other than at the usual time is well-above average. The school has gained Healthy School status and holds an International School award.

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Information about the school

The privately-run provision for childcare, ‘Andrew’s Angels’ shares the school’s site. It is subject to a separate inspection and will receive its own inspection report which will be published on the Ofsted website. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 4 of 11

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Information about the school

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a good school. Pupils are keen to come to Leasingham Primary because they feel very safe and well cared for and enjoy learning. It is not yet outstanding because pupils’ progress in mathematics is slower than that in English and teaching is good rather than outstanding.

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Key findings

 Children get a good start to their education and settle quickly into school routines in the Reception class. They make good progress as they move through Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 so their attainment is above average at the end of Year 6. Pupils make the best progress in English. Mathematics remains an area for improvement because pupils are not always fully challenged in lessons and do not always have sufficient opportunities to practise their mathematical skills across all curriculum areas.

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Key findings

 Pupils respond well to the good teaching they receive. In the best lessons the pace of work is brisk and pupils enjoy a good balance of teacher-led and independent activities. In some lessons the pace of learning slows when introductions are too long and pupils have fewer opportunities to get on with the challenging, problem-solving activities that really make them think hard.

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Key findings

 Pupils typically behave well. They show kindness and consideration to each other, staff and visitors. Parents and carers agree with their children’s views that school is a safe place to be and comment warmly on the happy, family atmosphere which prevails. Attendance is above average.

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Key findings

 Governors, leaders and managers monitor the work of the school closely and self-evaluation is accurate. Previous weaknesses in boys’ attainment in writing have been quickly and successfully addressed. Good leadership of teaching and effective performance management have brought about improvements in teaching although good practice in teaching mathematics has not been fully shared. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 5 of 11

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Key findings

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise attainment and accelerate progress in mathematics by;  sharing best practice in teaching mathematics more widely across the school  extending opportunities for pupils to use their mathematical skills across all areas of the curriculum.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching so that all lessons are good and more are outstanding by;  ensuring the pace of lessons is consistently challenging  giving pupils a good balance of teacher-led activities and those which allow them to work independently, solve challenging problems and think for themselves.

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Achievement of pupils

In lessons pupils work hard, concentrate on the task in hand and answer questions readily. Most parents and carers are pleased with the progress their children are making and feel that the school develops children’s reading and writing skills well. Pupils’ good progress in reading was confirmed when inspectors looked at reading records and listened to pupils in Year 6 and in Year 2 read. Attainment in reading is typically above average at the end of Key Stage 1 and by the time pupils leave school. In an English lesson pupils made particularly good progress and enjoyed learning as they confidently skimmed texts to find ideas for creating their own mythical creatures, monsters and heroes. Reception children developed both literacy and numeracy skills well as they worked in groups using a variety of materials to create characters and scenes from the story of ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. Pupils who join the school other than at the usual time and pupils with disabilities

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Achievement of pupils

and those who have special educational needs make the same good progress as their peers because they receive very constructive, sharply focused and timely individual help from teachers and teaching assistants.

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Achievement of pupils

Children enter the Reception class with skills which are broadly in line with those expected for their age. They quickly become confident learners and make good progress in the stimulating indoor and outdoor learning areas that the school provides. Pupils’ good progress continues as they move through different year groups. In 2011 pupils’ attainment in tests at the end of Year 2 and 6 was above average but higher in English than mathematics. Current school data indicate that the gap between attainment in English and mathematics is now narrowing and older pupils, both boys and the smaller number of girls in Years 5 and 6, are on track to attain above average standards when they leave the school. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 6 of 11

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Achievement of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Quality of teaching

Most parents and carers feel that their children are taught well. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and in some lessons elements of outstanding teaching were seen. Teachers know their pupils well. Teachers implement their planned curriculum well and successfully use this to promote pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural development. Pupils are given good opportunities to explore other cultures and religions. For example, at the end of a very interesting lesson about Sikhism pupils were able to recount many new facts and ideas they had enjoyed learning.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers plan lessons carefully to build on what pupils already know and ensure work is carefully matched to the needs of each pupil. In the best lessons activities are challenging and pupils are given good opportunities to find out things for themselves, solve problems and work in groups and teams. In an English lesson pupils developed their skills well as they confidently used adjectives, adverbs and powerful verbs to add expression and interest to their writing. Teachers use a range of interesting resources and make good use of technology to engage the interest of their pupils.

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Quality of teaching

In many classes teaching assistants work very efficiently with teachers to ensure pupils of different abilities, including , disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, receive extra help which accelerates their progress when this is needed. In some lessons pupils make slower progress because activities are not as briskly paced and they are expected to listen for too long. In these lessons a few pupils lose concentration because they are anxious to get on with independent work which they enjoy and find challenging.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils behave well. A very few parents and carers had some concerns about pupils’ behaviour in lessons but inspectors followed up these concerns and found from observation and the scrutiny of records that behaviour over time is typically good. Most pupils have mature attitudes to learning and are keen to succeed. Pupils are very knowledgeable about how to keep themselves safe and have a sensible attitude to taking risks. Parents and carers also agree that their children are safe in school. Pupils clearly understand that there are different types of bullying, including cyber- bullying, but are very confident that if any bullying occurs in school this will be quickly sorted out.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils express their views confidently and are fulsome in their praise of the school. They enjoy learning and attendance is consistently above average. Pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable and those who join the school mid-way through their education receive very good support to enable them to make the most of what school has to offer. Several parents and carers commented at length on the sensitive and constructive support that the school provides for their children who have particular disabilities and/or special educational needs. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 7 of 11

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

The headteacher and members of the governing body have a very clear view of what the school does well and what needs to be improved. They have identified that mathematics remains an area for improvement. However, although good practice has not yet been fully shared, high quality professional development and good leadership of this subject area are already bringing about improvements in teaching. The school has been very successful in raising attainment in writing, particularly for the large proportion of boys in Years 5 and 6. Members of the governing body share the headteacher’s very clear view for improvement and provide support and challenge in equal measure. Leaders and managers at all levels have a firm and successful focus on improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. The views of all individuals are valued and all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed. Any gaps between the attainment of different groups of pupils are narrowing. Safeguarding

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Leadership and management

procedures fully meet requirements and well trained staff are highly aware of child protection and risk assessment requirements.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is broad, balanced and promotes pupils spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. It has recently been reviewed and subjects are more closely linked together. The study of interesting topics has further engaged the interest of boys and given all pupils good opportunities to practise their literacy skills across subject areas. This good practice is now being developed to allow pupils equally good opportunities to practise their mathematical skills across the curriculum. A wide range of trips, visits and visitors to the school enrich the curriculum. Pupils speak enthusiastically about activities as varied as a visit from the Cranwell Military Band to their own visit to the Southwell workhouse as part of their study of the Victorians. They are proud of their sporting successes, their outdoor adventures on a residential course and the high quality work seen in their ‘personal profiles’.

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Leadership and management

On the basis of recent improvements made, accurate self-evaluation, a stable staff and consistently good teaching Leasingham Primary has strong capacity to improve further. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 8 of 11

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 9 of 11

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance: the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour: how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety: how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning. Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 10 of 11

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

Thank you for the warm welcome you gave the inspection team when we inspected your school this week. A particular thank you to those of you who read aloud to us and shared your views with us by filling in the questionnaires and telling us so much about your school. Please thank your parents and carers who also filled in the questionnaires.

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

These are some of the strengths of your school.

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

 Yours is a good school.  Your behaviour is good and we agree with your view that you are kept safe in school.  Your achievement is good because you make good progress and attain above average standards.  We agree with your view that the teaching you receive is good  The way your school is led and managed and the curriculum you follow are good.

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

For your school to become even better we have asked your teachers to:

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

 help you make faster progress in mathematics by:  sharing their best ideas for teaching mathematics with one another  giving you more opportunities to use your mathematical skills in all subjects  make your lessons even better by ensuring they are all fast paced, full of challenging activities and give you opportunities to learn by both listening to your teacher and working on your own.  All of you can help your school do this by working with your teachers to achieve the very best you can.

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

Ann Ashdown Lead inspector Inspection report: The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, 24–25 April 2012 11 of 11

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Inspection of The Leasingham St Andrew's Church of England Primary

procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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