Long Lawford Primary School

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 22–23 May 2012 Inspection number 381091 Long Lawford Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 125570 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 381091 Inspection dates 22–23 May 2012 Lead inspector Michael Bartleman

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Lisa Haggan Headteacher Robert Morrissey Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2009 School address Holbrook Road Rugby CV23 9AL Telephone number 01788 543332 Fax number 01788 550366 Email address admin2405@we-learn.com 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

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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 telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspectors observed teaching and learning in 17 lessons for a total of nine hours, observing 12 different teachers and visiting specialists. The inspectors held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection, observed the school’s work, and looked at a wide range of documentation, including school data on pupils’ attainment and progress, procedures for keeping pupils safe and the school’s own evaluation. They analysed questionnaires from 75 parents and carers, as well as those completed by a sample of staff and pupils.

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Information about the school

This is an average-sized primary school. Most of the pupils are of White British heritage although there are increasing proportions of pupils from East European heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is also below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of educational needs is below average. An increasing number of pupils join or leave the school part way through their primary education. The Early Years Foundation Stage consists of one Reception class and a part time Nursery class. The school met the government’s floor standards in 2011 which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress. 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

 Long Lawford is an outstanding school that provides its pupils with a creative, stimulating and imaginative curriculum. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school because they are so motivated by the wide range of interesting activities on offer.

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Key findings

 Achievement is outstanding. Children enter school with skills that are below those expected for their age. All pupils including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making rapid and sustained progress from their starting points. The school has moved progress in Years 1 and 2 from good to outstanding, to match that in Years 3 to 6. By the end of Year 6 pupils are reaching above average levels in English and mathematics with an increasing proportion attaining the higher Levels 5 and 6.

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Key findings

 Teaching is outstanding. Every aspect of the school is focused on moving the pupils’ learning forward. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, imaginative teaching methods and high expectations that are clearly communicated to pupils. The use of assessment to support learning is particularly effective. Teachers know the pupils extremely well and plan work that is well matched to their needs.

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Key findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. Their highly positive attitudes to learning make a significant contribution to their rapid progress in lessons. Around the school, pupils are consistently polite and considerate towards each other. They say they enjoy school and feel very safe. The school promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well.

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Key findings

 The headteacher provides inspirational leadership. Supported by a very effective deputy headteacher and an exceptionally knowledgeable governing body, he and the staff have the highest ambitions for the school and its pupils. Leadership is not complacent, systems for rigorous evaluation and analysis are embedded and the school is forward-looking with a clear focus on continuous 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

improvement. This has resulted in raised attainment over a sustained period of time. Parents and carers are highly positive about how the school cares for and supports their children’s learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Build on the rapidly rising rates of progress at Key Stage 1.

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Achievement of pupils

When they start school, children’s skills and understanding are below the levels expected for their age. They make good and increasingly outstanding progress in the Reception and Nursery classes and are at expected levels by the time they enter Year 1. Children’s behaviour is excellent. They show positive attitudes and respond extremely well to adult guidance and to the exciting learning opportunities available. Adults are skilled in interacting with young children, guiding their play and modelling language well.

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Achievement of pupils

Phonics (the links between letters and the sounds they make) is systematically taught in the Early Years Foundation Stage and in Years 1 and 2. Pupils learn a range of strategies that help them to read with confidence and to reach above average standards by Year 2 and Year 6. They enjoy reading a wide variety of books. Until recently progress has been slower across Key Stage 1. However with an increase in outstanding teaching and effective marking pupils are making more rapid progress, which is endorsed by the school’s data and work seen in books. Pupils in Key Stage 2 make rapid and sustained progress so that by the end of Year 6 attainment is consistently above average in English and mathematics. Consequently, they are extremely well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Achievement of pupils

Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, those with English as an additional language and those who transfer into the school at times other than at the start of the Nursery class, achieve well. They make at least good and often outstanding progress because their needs are identified quickly and accurately and work is matched extremely well to their learning needs. They make a full and active contribution in lessons because they are supported effectively by well-trained staff who pose pertinent questions which challenge and extend their thinking.

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Achievement of pupils

An overwhelming majority of parents and carers are rightly pleased with the progress their children make. Many comment on the exciting and interesting activities that engage the children in learning. As one parent put it, ‘Teaching and learning are delivered creatively and add to the children’s enjoyment’.

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Quality of teaching

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

Teaching is of outstanding quality over time for all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, because it leads to highly positive outcomes and produces high levels of enthusiasm for learning. Staff enthuse and motivate learners. The use of open-ended questions challenges pupils to explain their reasoning and ideas. For example, in a Year 5 science lesson, pupils used ‘displaced’, ‘volume’ and ‘saturated’ accurately to describe their observations. Younger pupils built dragon dens as part of their China week. This provoked interest about what dragons looked like and prompted much writing. Curiosity was further developed when an egg was found in the nest which promoted much lively discussions.

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Quality of teaching

Assessment is used exceptionally well to identify all pupils’ next steps in learning and to plan the curriculum. Well-understood systems for sharing targets and regular reminders during lessons ensure that pupils maintain a very sharp focus on what they need to do to improve. The careful marking of work by staff ensures that misconceptions are identified precisely and addressed swiftly.

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Quality of teaching

Reading is taught well, and teachers have a good understanding of the teaching of phonics. This effective practice is reflected in pupils’ enthusiasm for reading, the well managed guided reading sessions and the standards they reach. Teachers use texts to very good effect to challenge pupils’ understanding of language and to stimulate their writing. This begins well in the Early Years Foundation Stage where imaginative activities provide meaningful opportunities for reading and writing, for example, when signing in to work or making signs on ‘the building site’.

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Quality of teaching

Imaginative teaching strategies and visiting experts are used to very good effect, bringing learning alive for pupils. The Ghurkhas visited to explain their survival skills during a Year 6 topic and an artist made engines with the pupils during a Victorian topic day. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development was promoted extremely well in this lesson as they were introduced to thought-provoking issues around life in Victorian time. Every opportunity is taken to reinforce learning including interactive displays in corridors which encourage response and reflection. Home learning journals develop the use of basic skills, research and partnership with parents and carers extremely effectively. In the questionnaire, almost all the parents and carers felt that their children are well taught at the school. All pupils confirmed that they feel they are well taught and that they learn a lot in lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils thrive in an environment where every child is known, cared for and valued. Pupils’ behaviour in school is excellent. They are typically polite, friendly and courteous. The school is a harmonious community where pupils make an outstanding contribution through the school council, acting as playground leaders or taking on responsibilities. Pupils say that bullying of any kind is rare but would be dealt with effectively by staff if it did arise. They feel extremely safe at school. They are aware that bullying can exist in a variety of forms, including cyber-bullying and prejudice- based bullying related to sex, gender, race and disability. Through a well-planned 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

curriculum, pupils are helped to develop a range of strategies to manage everyday risks for themselves, for example, in road safety and first-aid.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

The vast majority of parents and carers believe that behaviour is good and that their children are kept safe. Inspectors found that the behaviour of most pupils is outstanding. School records support this view and there are effective systems to help the very small number of pupils who find it difficult to behave extremely well. Pupils’ attendance is above average which reflects their enjoyment of learning and their eagerness to do well. They take pleasure in working together in lessons, showing good levels of cooperation and a willingness to listen to each other’s views and ideas.

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Leadership and management

Leadership is highly effective. Staff share the headteacher’s vision for the school and work collectively to promote a relentless drive towards excellence. Monitoring is rigorous. Pupils’ progress is tracked carefully and swift action is taken to address any variations in performance. Every aspect of the school’s work is subject to regular and detailed scrutiny, ensuring that school self-evaluation is accurate and that well- planned action leads to swift and sustained improvement. This is evidenced by the above average standards, maintained and rising, higher standards of teaching in Years 1 and 2 and the improvements since the previous inspection. The governing body is supportive, knows the school well and is able to challenge leaders effectively. For these reasons, the school has excellent capacity to sustain improvement.

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Leadership and management

Well-planned professional development and opportunities for staff to learn from one another promote enthusiastic and imaginative teaching. Meticulous monitoring of pupils’ work by leaders and their direct observation of lessons ensure that the most effective approaches are securely embedded and that staff receive precise guidance to help them to improve their practice continually.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum is outstanding. It is rich and varied, which inspires a love of learning which one Year 5 pupil described as ‘thrilling’. Subjects are brought together in topics and themes that are interesting, relevant and engaging for pupils. The curriculum is exceptionally well enriched by opportunities for pupils to develop skills in sports and the arts and by partnerships with local schools to extend learning for gifted and talented pupils. A range of visitors and visits, including residential trips and specialist teaching in French, science, cooking and physical education, contributes very effectively to promoting pupils' academic and personal development.

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Leadership and management

Partnerships with schools in contrasting settings, for example, in China, Poland and England give pupils an awareness and understanding of what life is like for children whose backgrounds are different from their own, while links with local businesses, including Year 6 pupils running their own shop, give them an insight into the world of work. A wide range of very popular extra-curricular clubs promote pupils’ cultural and sporting interests well. Regular charity fundraising and opportunities for older pupils to act as buddies to younger children successfully cultivate pupils’ caring attitudes and social skills 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 school complies very well with statutory requirements for safeguarding through well managed, robust procedures which are monitored effectively. Its highly inclusive ethos supports excellent promotion of equal opportunities and access to educational entitlement; discrimination of any kind is not tolerated. Strong links with external agencies help to ensure that pupils whose circumstances make them potentially vulnerable receive the support they need. Transition arrangements for pupils leaving and joining the school are well developed. The increasing number of pupils who join the school at times other than the start of term or the Nursery class are quickly assessed, supported and integrated into the life of the school. Partnerships with parents and carers and the wider community are outstanding.

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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.

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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.

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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 Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

Thank you for your friendly welcome and for helping the inspectors when we visited your school recently. We enjoyed talking to you all and listening to what you had to say about your school. This letter tells you about the judgements that we reached during our visit.

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Inspection of Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

Long Lawford Primary is an outstanding school. You told us that you really like coming to school and your parents and carers told us they like the school very much too. You attend school very regularly – well done! You make outstanding progress through the school and reach higher standards compared to other pupils nationally by the end of Year 6. Those of you who need additional help are very well supported so that you make outstanding progress too. You all behave exceedingly well and are very keen to learn. We were particularly impressed with your home learning books and how much effort you put in to produce topics of such high standards. You enjoy all the interesting activities and projects that the teachers plan for you. You have an extremely good knowledge of how to keep yourselves safe from harm. All of you who completed the survey told us that you feel very safe in school.

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Inspection of Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

Your school is always looking for ways to make its work even better. We have asked your teachers to make sure that pupils in Years 1 and 2 continue to make progress as quickly as do the older pupils.

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Inspection of Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

All of you can help by continuing to work hard in lessons and by attending school every day.

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Inspection of Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

Finally, I would like to thank you again and wish you well in the future.

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Inspection of Long Lawford Primary School, Rugby, CV23 9AL

Michael Bartleman Lead inspector 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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