The Meadows Primary School

The Meadows Primary School Calder Road, Brant Road, Lincoln, LN5 9BB

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils’ achievement has improved considerably since the previous inspection because teaching is now good in all key stages, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage. As a result, most pupils make good progress and by Year 6 attainment is above average, including in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school works hard to help every pupil to do their best whatever their circumstances. Many parents appreciate the welcoming environment staff have created and the excellent way their children are cared for and supported. Consequently, all different groups of pupils achieve well, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  Pupils enjoy learning and work well together. They like to share their ideas and they support each other well. Pupils feel safe in school and they behave well in most lessons. Their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

behaviour when moving around the school is often exemplary. Pupils are polite and considerate.  The headteacher, leaders and governors, have been relentless in the pursuit of improvement. They are ambitious for the school and the pupils. They have gained the confidence of the community and most parents. They ensure that all staff are gaining the skills they need to bring about improvement. They have tackled the areas identified for improvement at the time of the previous inspection successfully. Teaching and pupils’ achievement have improved a great deal.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding and teaching is not yet consistently good enough to ensure outstanding progress. A very small minority of lessons require improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 20 part-lessons, three of which were carried out jointly with senior leaders.  Inspectors met with staff, pupils, governors and a representative of the local authority.  Documents looked at included the school’s summary self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, information on pupils’ progress and attainment, policies and records relating to behaviour and safety.  The views of parents were taken into account through the 26 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and the school’s recent survey of over 175 parents. In addition, a small number of letters were received from parents and an inspector talked to parents as they brought their children to school. The views of staff were taken into account through the 37 questionnaires completed.

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Inspection team

Gill Salter-Smith, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Paul Heery Additional Inspector Kathleen Yates Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  An average proportion of pupils are eligible for pupil premium funding. This is government funding provided to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by adults other than their own parents and children from service families.  The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. Of those from other minority ethnic backgrounds, a few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  A pre-school for children up to the age of four, called Little Learners, shares the school site and is managed by the governing body. This has been subject to a recent inspection.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These set the minimum standards expected for pupils’ academic progress and attainment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding. Ensure that all teaching is at least good and that the few inconsistencies that currently exist are eliminated by:  making sure that in every lesson more-able pupils are fully stretched and all pupils have the support they need  getting pupils active and busy quickly in every lesson so that they do not sit for too long listening to the teacher  finding ways to make tasks in mathematics even more interesting and relevant to pupils  encouraging pupils to make improvements to their work in response to the guidance teachers give them when they mark their work  finding ways for pupils to review their own and each other’s work more often  planning outdoor learning more precisely in the Reception classes so it reflects and builds on the well-planned indoor learning, particularly for literacy and numeracy  making even more use of the expertise in the school to be sure that all staff are confident in

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

knowing what outstanding teaching, learning and progress entail.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement has improved a great deal since the previous inspection because teaching is much stronger in all key stages.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2012, results in national tests in English and mathematics for Year 6 pupils were above average and all groups of pupils made good progress from their starting points, reflecting the school’s strong commitment to equality of opportunity. Results at the end of Key Stage 1 were broadly average. The school recognised that progress needed to be faster in Key Stage 1 and took swift action to strengthen teaching in this key stage. Currently, progress in Key Stage 1 is at least good and pupils are on track to achieve well.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Reception classes enjoy school a great deal and make good progress in their early reading, writing and numeracy. They grow in confidence and develop good personal and social skills.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and the very small number of looked after children achieve well. The gaps between these pupils and others in the school are closing quickly. In 2012, the attainment of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals was better than other pupils in the school in English and almost as good as in mathematics. In both subjects their attainment and progress was better than overall national averages. These pupils have benefited from additional adult support for their academic learning and their attendance, provided through well-targeted use of pupil premium funding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Pupils from minority ethnic groups and those who speak English as an additional language make at least good progress. Staff are fully aware of the needs of these pupils and ensure they get the support they need.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in reading is strong. An above average proportion of Year 1 pupils passed the early reading skills test in 2012 and the school has made sure that any pupil who did not has had extra help to catch up. Early reading and spelling skills are well taught across the school and a love of reading is encouraged. Pupils enjoy the well structured lessons where they read together and analyse the books and text. Books that capture pupils’ imaginations are often the stimulus for much of the learning planned across the curriculum.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in writing is good and previous differences between girls and boys are disappearing as the school successfully finds ways to help boys enjoy and improve their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in mathematics is good. Pupils enjoy lessons which often include practical activities. They are encouraged to explain their thinking in mathematics and use the correct language. Occasionally, there are missed opportunities to make problem solving activities more realistic and relevant to pupils’ lives.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved a great deal since the previous inspection. Over time, it results in pupils’ making good progress. It is mostly good and some is outstanding. In a very small minority of lessons teaching requires improvement.  Teachers create warm and welcoming classrooms where pupils feel secure and eager to learn. They encourage pupils’ good personal development.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the Reception classes, staff plan a good range of activities that are well focused on improving pupils’ language development and their emerging skills in reading, writing and numeracy. These are better planned for indoor activities than for outdoors. However, children enjoy many stimulating activities in their play and exploration both indoors and outdoors. For example, the outdoor grounds were used well for imaginative activity such as hunting for monsters.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Across the school, teachers plan lessons carefully and usually include tasks that get the best out of pupils whatever their abilities. Most lessons include a good variety of tasks that interest pupils. Teachers use themes or exciting books that really interest and excite pupils to underpin learning. Occasionally, tasks are not well-suited to individual pupils so that more-able pupils are not fully stretched or tasks are too difficult.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers give plenty of chances for pupils to discuss their work sensibly with others, make decisions about what they will do next or find things out for themselves. In an outstanding literacy lesson, pupils developed a very secure understanding of how to create tension in their writing. They reviewed film clips and photographs and discussed how they would be successful setting themselves ambitious targets.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons, teachers constantly check learning and adjust activities accordingly. Their questions encourage pupils to give full explanations and to think more deeply.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils benefit from having clear individual targets to guide their work in English and mathematics. Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and give useful guidance on what to do to improve. However, pupils do not always get the chance to use this advice to improve the work they have completed. Pupils are not asked to review their own or each other’s work very often.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In a few lessons, pupils sit and listen to the teacher for too long so the pace of learning slows. Opportunities are missed to make problem solving in mathematics more relevant to pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Disabled pupils and pupils who have special educational needs are well supported. Staff know their needs well and extra support enables them to grow in confidence and independence.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are keen to learn and they enjoy lessons. They support each other well when they work together in class and discuss their work maturely. Behaviour is often exemplary in lessons. Just occasionally it slips when pupils start to lose interest in tasks that are not interesting enough or meeting their needs sufficiently. In most lessons teachers manage pupils’ behaviour effectively, giving well-deserved praise and rewards.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils enjoy school. They behave sensibly in corridors and at break-times. They feel safe in school and know how to stay safe in many different circumstances. Older pupils take their responsibilities as play leaders and school council members seriously.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils know about different types of bullying. They say that bullying is very rare and that it is sorted out quickly with the help they get from adults.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is improving and is broadly average. Exclusions have reduced significantly.  The school works hard to give every pupil a good chance to do well. There are a number of case studies where pupils with behavioural difficulties have benefited a great deal from the way the school has supported them and included them. The opportunities provided in the school’s nurture room help some pupils to learn to better manage their own behaviour.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, leaders and governors are determined and successful in their pursuit of school improvement. Expectations of staff and pupils are high and staff morale is good. Self-evaluation is accurate and based on close checks on pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The performance of staff is managed well. Good performance is rewarded appropriately. Rigorous checks on teaching and their effect on pupils’ progress help to identify where training or support are needed. Consequently, whole school training and individual staff training is well targeted ensuring that staff develop the skills they need to ensure pupils’ good and improving progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Much staff training is led from within the school with good leadership from subject leaders, as well as senior leaders. The school is now poised to make even more use of the expertise among staff to ensure that all staff are confident in knowing what outstanding teaching, learning and progress entail.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders hold staff closely to account for pupils’ progress and set ambitious targets. They analyse every pupil’s progress closely so that those at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and helped to catch up. They keep a close eye on the school’s performance in relation to national figures but their analysis does not always give a full picture of how far away the school is from reaching outstanding progress and achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum ensures that literacy and numeracy skills are well taught through exciting topics that capture pupils’ imaginations, including the boys. Pupils’ good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well supported through the well-planned curriculum. Pupils enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has been especially successful in involving many parents in supporting their children’s learning and good attendance. Regular events and workshops designed to help parents to better support their children’s learning are increasingly well attended.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority supports the school well. Since the previous inspection the amount of direct support has decreased considerably as staff from within the school take on major roles in bringing about improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors hold leaders closely to account, setting challenging targets for the headteacher. They bring a good range of expertise to their roles and take advantage of training to keep themselves well informed. They are well organised and spend considerable time observing and supporting the work of the school directly. They use progress and attainment data to enable them to understand how well the school is performing in relation to national figures. They are fully informed about the effectiveness of teaching and support leaders in managing teachers’ performance. They are aware of how pupil premium funding is spent. They have an overview of its effectiveness on achievement but have not questioned leaders closely on which spending is most effective.

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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 132179 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 406474

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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 287 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Richard Wardman Headteacher Josephine Simmons Date of previous school inspection 03 February 2011 Telephone number 01522 721708 Fax number 01522 721596 Email address enquiries@themeadows.lincs.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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