Lambs Lane Primary School

Lambs Lane Primary School Back Lane, Spencer's Wood, Reading, Berkshire, RG7 1JB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Teaching requires improvement – the work that teachers plan does not sufficiently challenge all pupils. Teachers’ comments in books do not always help pupils know what they need to do next to improve their work.  Pupils’ achievement requires improvement because progress in different year groups and classes is too variable. Progress is slower in English and mathematics than expected, which leaves too much ground to be made up in Years 5 and 6.  Leadership and management require improvement – leaders do not use information about pupils’ progress carefully enough to check that pupils make sufficient progress.  The governing body relies too heavily on the headteacher for information about the quality of teaching.  The quality of presentation and handwriting in pupils’ work is not good enough.

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The school has the following strengths

 School leaders have started to take clear action to bring about improvements in pupils’ achievements. As a result, pupils’ attainment at the end of each year group is rising.  Good teaching in the Reception classes helps children get off to a good start at school. Sessions are planned well and help children to learn and develop successfully.  The friendly pupils enjoy showing visitors around. They behave well and are keen to learn. They feel safe and are well cared for.  Pupils who have statements of special educational needs and receive specialist help and those in the resource base make good progress. This is because teaching assistants provide sensitive and effective support, which enables them to be fully included in school life.  Staff work well as a team. They are keen to improve their own practice and learn from each other.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons, of which five were observed jointly with the headteacher. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour on the playground, around the school and at lunchtimes.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, subject leaders, staff, governors, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors heard some pupils read from Years 2 and 6 and meetings were held with two groups of pupils.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day.  Inspectors took account of the responses of 45 parents and carers to the online questionnaire (Parent View) as well as the school’s most recent survey of parents and carers and the results of 16 staff questionnaires.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including the school’s plan for improvement, assessment and monitoring information, information on individual pupils’ progress, records on

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Information about this inspection

behaviour and safety, teachers’ plans, pupils’ books and the minutes of meetings of the governing body.

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Inspection team

Catherine Leahy, Lead inspector Seconded Inspector Fran Ashworth Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This primary school is of an average size, where the majority of pupils are White British.  The school has a resource base, which provides places for up to 10 pupils with physical disabilities. Currently, four pupils access this provision.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for pupils in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children of service families, is below average.  The proportion of pupils who receive extra help with their learning from within the school (school action) is below average, while the number who need a greater level of support from the school (school action plus) is higher than average.  The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs and who receive specialist help from outside agencies is above average.  The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club, both of which are managed by the

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Information about this school

school.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The deputy headteacher is on secondment to a local school for this academic year. The inclusion manager is on maternity leave.  The school currently has two Reception classes and two Year 2 classes so as to accommodate new pupils coming to live in the borough.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning in Years 1 to 6 so that all pupils make good or better progress in English and mathematics by: – using assessment information to plan lessons, which match the pupils’ needs and abilities more precisely – ensuring that teachers check pupils’ understanding and progress during lessons and make adjustments if the rate of learning slows – making sure that teachers’ written marking always explains what pupils have done well and what they must do next to improve their work – making sure that teachers use a wide range of approaches when asking questions and by giving pupils sufficient time to work independently and extend their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leaders’ roles, including members of the governing body, in checking the school’s performance so that they make a greater difference to improving pupils’ achievement and progress by: – ensuring that the governing body has a better understanding of how well pupils are getting on and how good teaching is, so that it can ask challenging questions and is more effective in helping the school to improve – making sure that improvement plans have clear targets with precise ways of checking progress so that leaders can effectively assess how well initiatives are working – developing the skills of leaders who are in charge of their subjects so that they can regularly check teaching and learning to identify what needs to improve – making sure leaders judge the quality of pupils’ learning to determine the quality of teaching.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because, in some classes, pupils do not make good progress. More-able pupils and those who need extra support do not always make enough progress because the work planned is not challenging enough.  Children start the school with skills and knowledge typically expected for their age. They get off to a good start and enjoy the well-planned activities in the vibrant, well-resourced Reception classrooms. By the time they move to Year 1, children are above the levels expected for this age.  By the end of Year 2, most pupils attain higher than average standards in reading, writing and mathematics.  For the past two years, standards at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics have been below the national average and pupils’ progress was inadequate. The school has taken action and urgently rectified this and, consequently, current standards have improved considerably and are now above the national average. Those pupils who are capable of working

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

at a higher level are also achieving much better.  The school has implemented a structured approach to teaching the sounds letters make (often known as phonics) and, as a result, pupils in Key Stage 1 are confident in reading unfamiliar words. They enjoy reading daily and choosing books from the library. However, older pupils do not always use a range of strategies to find out what unfamiliar words mean.  Pupils who receive extra help with their learning from within the school (school action and school action plus) make inconsistent progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because their rate of learning is not monitored carefully enough and, as a result, the support they receive is not always appropriate.  Pupils with complex specific needs, including those supported by the specialist resource provision, make good progress. This is because they benefit from high quality support that

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

targets their specific needs well. This progress compares favourably with other pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs in the school, when their significant needs are taken into account.  The school has used its additional pupil premium funding well to enable those pupils known to be eligible to make good progress and attain well in English and mathematics.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because it is not consistently good in some Key Stages 1 and 2 classes. Despite observing some outstanding teaching, the lack of consistency across these key stages means that pupils do not make as much progress as they could.  There are some examples of strong teaching in each key stage and in those classes pupils make good progress. This is particularly true, for example, where pupils are taught well about the sounds letters make. As a result, they read confidently and are not afraid to tackle unknown words.  Good practice was observed in the Reception classes, where children were enthralled to receive a letter from Mr Frog, asking them to explore and choose materials to build him a house, which would float and not sink. The children worked together well, experimenting with a range of materials before completing the task successfully.  When planning lessons, some teachers do not take enough account of what the pupils already

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

know and what they need to learn next. Assessment information is not always used carefully enough to plan work which precisely meets the needs of all pupils.  Work is not always pitched at the right level for the pupils’ abilities. In one mathematics lesson where the pupils were learning to interpret graphs, the more-able pupils found the work too easy. In a literacy lesson, pupils were slow to get going with their story writing because they were allowed to spend too long in the lesson drawing rather than extending their learning through independent work.  In the best lessons, teachers use an interesting range of approaches to question pupils about their learning. However, not all teachers challenge pupils to think deeply or give them enough chance to explore and extend their thoughts and ideas.  Teachers regularly mark pupils’ work, but it is less effective when the pupils are not told clearly

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

what they need to do to improve.  The school has rightly identified the need to improve pupils’ presentation of work and quality of handwriting. Although new guidelines for teachers are now in place, it is not yet making a difference in enabling pupils to present their work to the best effect.  Teachers display good classroom and pupil management skills. They have developed very good relationships with pupils, which supports positive learning in all classes.  Small-group teaching for pupils who find learning more difficult (school action and school action plus) requires improvement because these pupils are not receiving sufficiently targeted support. This is because actions put in place to speed pupils’ progress are not being checked often enough to see if they are making a difference to pupils’ learning. In contrast, those pupils with complex needs and those receiving support to manage their behaviour are taught well and make

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

good progress.  Teaching assistants give very good support to those pupils who have statements of special educational needs. They are sensitive to their specific needs and encourage the pupils to work with their class when it is appropriate to do so.  Homework is used effectively to support pupils’ learning. However, a few parents and carers are concerned that their child is not receiving appropriate homework.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour in and around school is good. This is also true in the breakfast and after-school club. They are extremely polite to visitors and say everyone is kind to each other.  Pupils respect the school’s behaviour policy, ‘Good to be Green’, and are clear about what happens if behaviour standards fall. The headteacher tracks any problems, which enables the school to spot patterns of unacceptable behaviour and make the changes needed. The school’s behaviour records show a declining number of incidents.  The few pupils with behavioural needs are very well supported and included throughout the school. The school places a strong emphasis on the well-being of all pupils. There have been no exclusions during the last 15 months.  Bullying of all kinds, including cyber bullying or racially motivated bullying, is rare. Pupils say any bullying would, ‘definitely be sorted out’. The school promotes safe internet use. Regular

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

assemblies on the subject of anti-bullying raise pupils’ awareness of strategies to use if they feel unsafe.  Pupils enjoy a wide range of playground activities at lunchtimes. They are well supervised and pupils with statements of special educational needs join in enthusiastically and are well supported by their friends.  The overwhelming majority of parents and carers who responded to the on-line Parent View survey feel their child is safe and happy at school. Parents and carers who spoke to inspectors during the inspection agreed with this view.  Attendance has improved and is now broadly average. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to take part in the wide range of clubs provided for them.  Pupils in Year 3 and Year 6 benefit from residential visits to promote independence and team- building. These visits also prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding because in lessons that require improvement, pupils are not

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

always engaged in learning and do not make the progress they are capable of.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders know what needs to be improved. They have responded to their new roles with enthusiasm. Improved systems to monitor pupils’ progress were introduced in September 2012. As a result, pupils’ achievement and progress have improved because the school is holding regular pupil progress meetings, which are beginning to support staff in knowing how well pupils in their class are doing.  Plans for improvement are in place, although subject leaders are not always clear who will monitor the impact of actions taken.  The headteacher regularly checks on the quality of teaching. Areas for improvement are identified and guidance given to teachers. This is increasing the proportion of more effective teaching and other leaders have started to receive training to enable them to give accurate and robust feedback to staff to further improve teaching and learning.  Equality of opportunity has a high priority and any discrimination is not tolerated. Specialist

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The leadership and management requires improvement

services are regularly used successfully, when pupils need help.  Leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Parents and carers spoke glowingly about their children’s progress since starting school. The headteacher is also providing good leadership for pupils accessing support from the specialist provision resource during the inclusion leader’s absence.  Appropriate systems are in place for staff performance management. Salary levels and promotion are linked to improving teaching and pupils’ progress.  The curriculum is broad, balanced and relevant to pupils’ needs. Pupils particularly enjoyed researching their Victorian topic in Year 5 and 6 and carrying out experiments for the topic on plants in Years 3 and 4. The school has identified where improvements need to be made to ensure the curriculum is well taught in all classes.  The school provides good opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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The leadership and management requires improvement

development. For example, in an excellent assembly, pupils were challenged to think deeply about the importance of being courageous and overcoming fear. A recent whole-school topic on India encouraged pupils to be tolerant and understanding of other people’s beliefs and values.  The local authority has recently monitored and reviewed the quality of teaching and learning, which has had some success in improving the consistency and quality of teaching.  The school ensures that all pupils are safe. Records are robust and monitored regularly by the governor responsible. Systems to keep pupils safe meet statutory requirements.  The governance of the school:  The headteacher ensures that members of the governing body are well informed about pupils’ progress. This enables them to ask challenging questions and probe the school about the achievements of different groups of pupils. However, they are less sure where teaching is

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The leadership and management requires improvement

strongest and where it requires improvement.  The governing body fulfil its statutory duties in relation to safeguarding and manages the school’s finances effectively. The governing body is knowledgeable about the additional government funding, which comes to the school through the pupil premium, and they monitor the difference it is making to pupils’ achievements. Members of the governing body attend regular training sessions to keep up to date with all aspects of their work.  The governing body has been fully involved in strengthening the leadership team during the absence of the deputy headteacher and inclusion manager. However, they have yet to monitor the link between how well staff perform and the salaries they receive.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 109830 Local authority Wokingham Inspection number 405255

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Angela Hyde Headteacher Sharon Finn Date of previous school inspection 12–13 July 2011 Telephone number 0118 9883820 Fax number 0118 9887448 Email address head@lambslane.wokingham.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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