Lawrence View Primary and Nursery School

Lynncroft Primary and Nursery School Garden Road, Lynncroft, Eastwood, Nottingham, NG16 3FZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Inadequate 4 Achievement of pupils Inadequate 4 Quality of teaching Inadequate 4 Behaviour and safety of pupils Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Inadequate 4

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires special measures.  Pupils are not making fast enough progress. They are not gaining the skills and knowledge which would enable them to be well prepared for the next stage in their education.  The results of national tests at the end of Year 6 in 2013 were a further decline on those achieved in 2012. Pupils left the school, on average, a year behind the level typically achieved by 11-year-olds nationally.  The teaching is not good enough to make sure that pupils make at least the progress that they should in either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2.  Too much of the teaching does not build on what pupils already know and are able to do. The work that teachers set is often too hard for some pupils and too easy for others.  Not enough has been done to improve the school’s performance since it was inspected in 2011. Governors, leaders and managers have not made improvements to the quality of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teaching, and standards have fallen.  Subject leadership is weak. Not enough has been done to raise standards of literacy and numeracy. Very recently appointed leaders are not yet in a position to tackle key areas of weakness rapidly.

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The school has the following strengths

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is lively. It engages children in a wide range of activities, both inside and outside the classroom, so that most make a good start to school life.  Most pupils behave well and say they feel safe at school.  The new headteacher has accurately evaluated the school’s performance and identified its underlying weaknesses. Along with a small group of recently appointed governors, she has set out a clear, sharply focused plan for improvement.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed teaching in 17 lessons and, in addition, made a number of short visits to lessons. They spoke with pupils in lessons and at playtime, and held a meeting with a group of older pupils.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s plans for improvement, and policies about keeping pupils safe. They also examined the work in pupils’ books, and a range of data about their progress.  The inspectors held discussions with teachers, the headteacher, three members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The views of 10 parents were analysed through the Parent View website. In addition, the views of 13 parents were gathered through discussions at a school meal ‘taster’ event. The inspectors also considered the views expressed in questionnaires returned by members of staff.

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Inspection team

Christopher Parker, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Judith Tulloch Additional Inspector

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Full report

In accordance with the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  Almost all of the pupils are from White British backgrounds and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action (pupils who need extra help with their learning) is above average. The proportion supported through school action plus, or who have a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is higher than the national average. In this school, the funding supports those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school met the government’s floor standard, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress, in 2012.  The headteacher has been in post since in April 2013. A new deputy headteacher is due to take up her post in January 2014.  There have been several changes to the teaching staff since the school was last inspected.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching throughout Key Stages 1 and 2, so that pupils make at least the progress expected nationally, and an increasing proportion make more progress than expected nationally, in reading, writing and mathematics by:  ensuring that teachers assess pupils’ progress accurately so that lessons build, at a more rapid pace, on what pupils know and are able to do  rigorously checking that pupils have the mathematical skills and understanding that they need for tackling the problems they are set  ensuring that teachers accurately teach pupils the sounds that letters make (phonics), and develop their wider reading skills  establishing high expectations, and making sure that pupils respond to them so that they are fully engaged in learning and are encouraged to persevere  injecting greater urgency and excitement into lessons and better organising how groups of pupils are taught  ensuring that teaching assistants are used to full effect throughout lessons

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 making sure that pupils’ work is always marked in a way that highlights how it can be improved, and that pupils are given time to respond to their teacher’s comments and to improve their work  providing more frequent and interesting opportunities for pupils to write in a range of subjects  teaching pupils a fluent style of handwriting and expecting them to present their work neatly in all subjects  stimulating pupils’ interest in reading and writing by giving books, and their authors, a high profile in classrooms and corridors.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management and increase the capacity of all leaders to bring about rapid improvement by:  providing further training to develop the subject leaders’ knowledge and skills in order to improve the teaching of literacy and numeracy  making full and effective use of pupil premium funding, and rigorously checking that it is having a substantial impact on pupils’ progress  developing a programme of professional development for teaching assistants so that they can play a full part in accelerating pupils’ progress  reviewing the curriculum and ensuring that, for example, the teaching of writing and calculation are well matched to the needs of all groups of pupils  making sure that pupils’ attainment and progress are accurately assessed so that leaders can make secure judgements about where to target additional support, and allowing them to evaluate accurately the impact of teaching on pupils’ learning and progress

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 updating the school website so that it meets current requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Undertake an external review of governance, to include a specific focus on the school’s use of the pupil premium, in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Standards in writing are too low. Portfolios of pupils’ completed work illustrate the slow progress that they have made during Key Stage 2. Only two-thirds of the pupils who left Year 6 last year made the progress expected nationally. At the end of Year 2, standards fell sharply, with the result that pupils started Year 3 over a year behind this age group nationally.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 Standards in mathematics at the end of Year 6 have declined year-on-year for the last four years. Almost half of the Year 6 pupils did not make the progress expected nationally. At the end of Year 2, there was a small improvement in results, but the pupils’ work and their performance in lessons indicate that there are considerable gaps in their knowledge.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The results of checks on the pupils’ knowledge of phonics (the sounds that letters make) improved last year. Almost all of those who did not reach the expected standard in Year 1 did so in Year 2. As a result, standards in reading rose at the end of Year 2. This improvement is yet to make a difference in Key Stage 2. However, some pupils have benefited from the help they receive from a catch up reading programme.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The progress of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is not fast enough. Although the school identifies the needs of these pupils and many receive additional help and support, work in lessons is not tailored well enough to help them to develop the skills that they need to allow them to catch up.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The pupil premium is not being used effectively to make sure that pupils make faster progress. Although the school now analyses the progress of these pupils, it does not evaluate the impact of the support that is funded by the pupil premium. In 2012, this group of pupils left the school two terms behind their classmates in English, and a year behind them in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is inadequate

 The children start school with skills that are not as well developed as expected for their age, particularly in speech and language. They make good progress in Nursery and Reception through the activities that the teachers lead and those they choose themselves. While many reach the standard expected by the end of the Reception Year, not all are ready for Year 1.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. Too often, teachers do not question pupils in a way that extends their understanding. Some of the pupils’ work – in their mathematics books in Year 2, for example – is very poorly presented. The quality of older pupils’ handwriting and presentation is not of a high enough standard.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Some of the work that teachers set for the pupils is not tailored carefully enough to suit those who need extra help and those who are capable of tackling harder work. Sometimes tasks are set without the teacher checking that pupils have the skills they need; for example, to use a protractor when measuring the angles of triangles in mathematics in Year 5.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 In some lessons, there is a lack of urgency, and movement from one activity to another takes far too long. As a result, pupils become restless and take time to regain their concentration. Some of the teaching of phonics lacks pace, and some teachers do not have a secure enough understanding of how best to teach phonics.  The accuracy and rigour of assessment varies considerably. Some recent checks of teachers’ judgements have highlighted discrepancies but, more generally, teachers are not entirely confident that information about pupils’ attainment and progress is accurate. Consequently, teachers are not able to plan the next stage in pupils’ learning accurately, or with confidence.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Recent steps to improve the marking of pupils’ work are evident in their books. However, teachers’ marking is not yet consistently providing pupils with clear guidance about how they can improve their work. Where helpful comments are made, pupils are not routinely responding to, and acting on them to make improvements.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 Teaching assistants are not being used effectively enough to accelerate pupils’ learning. Too often they only help disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to take part in whole-class activities. Often these pupils have yet to develop the skills needed to be successful in their learning. Teaching assistants are not always leading activities tailored to pupils’ learning needs.

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The quality of teaching is inadequate

 The teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is lively and varied. In the Nursery, the adults make particularly good use of the outdoor area to develop the children’s curiosity; for example, about insects they found under a log. In the Reception class, the adults take every opportunity to develop the children’s speaking, listen and writing skills.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The pupils are polite and usually respond positively to their teacher’s instructions. Although behaviour in lessons is rarely disruptive, sometimes pupils in Year 1 are unsettled when they are not sure what is expected of them. On these occasions, too long is spent managing behaviour, and this slows pupils’ progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 When lessons capture the pupils’ interest they respond positively and want to do well. Much teaching does not engage the whole class and some pupils lose interest, although they rarely disrupt others. Too many pupils do not take enough care in setting out their work because teachers too readily accept untidy presentation.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The governors and the headteacher have taken a strong stance on absence and, rightly, will not agree to holidays taken in term time. They are using an increasing range of options to make sure that pupils come to school every day. The school has successfully reduced the number of pupils who are frequently absent, but a few pupils continue to be absent too often.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The conduct of most of the pupils is good. Pupils say that they feel safe on the playground and that bullying, should it occur, is dealt with quickly. The school’s records of behaviour show that appropriate steps are taken when pupils misbehave. Rare incidents of bullying are dealt with by following the school’s clear procedures.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils requires improvement

 The pupils know what to do keep themselves safe. A recent anti-bullying week increased their understanding of the different forms that bullying can take. Pupils know that they can turn to adults in the school should they have concerns. They have been taught how to stay safe when using the internet, and a visit from the police has reinforced their understanding of staying safe.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The management of the teachers’ performance has not been sufficiently rigorous in the period since the last inspection. The targets set for teachers last year were not demanding enough to accelerate pupils’ progress. The new headteacher has set more challenging targets for this year to ensure that pay increases are only awarded for considerable improvements in performance.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The leadership of literacy and numeracy is not established or effective enough. The teachers leading both areas have only just taken on the role. They have identified a number of areas where improvements are needed, most notably in the accuracy of assessment, but are not yet in a position to tackle weaknesses in the quality of teaching. Newly qualified teachers should not be appointed.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The new headteacher has extensively analysed pupils’ progress. Some of the information indicates that they are doing better than their work and performance in lessons suggests, highlighting inconsistencies in the assessment of pupils’ work. The headteacher’s observations of teaching are accurate and incisive, and she provides direct and helpful feedback for teachers.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The headteacher has identified weaknesses in pupils’ achievement, the quality of teaching, attendance, and leadership and management. Although she has begun to tackle them, she has not had sufficient time – or the support of an established leadership team – to make a big difference. Steps taken to reduce absence are beginning to increase attendance.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The plan for school improvement is clearly focused on the most important areas of teaching and pupils’ progress. It sets challenging yet realistic targets; in the first instance, to ensure that pupils make the progress that is expected nationally, and then to increase the proportion making faster progress than this.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The subjects and themes that the pupils are taught are not planned in a way that takes account of the needs of all groups of pupils. Currently, the themes that pupils are taught do not always inspire and enthuse them, and they do not do a sufficiently wide range of writing. Displays in classrooms and corridors do little, for example, to motivate pupils to read or write.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The arrangements made by the local authority to support the school since it was last inspected have not been effective. The local authority has recently arranged for support from another school, but there have been few opportunities up to now for this partnership to have a marked impact on the school’s work and performance.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The school has received additional funding to extend sporting opportunities for pupils. Some of the funding has been used to allow more pupils to have swimming lessons. The headteacher has identified the need for specialist training for the teachers so that they can provide a broader range of sporting opportunities for pupils.

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The leadership and management are inadequate

 The governance of the school:  There have been many changes of personnel on the governing body since the last inspection. Currently, there are several vacancies. There are not enough governors to fulfil all of the governing body’s responsibilities. However, the school is being challenged by a small group of recently appointed, well-informed and knowledgeable governors. This group of governors, led by a recently appointed chair, have set the headteacher demanding targets to bring about rapid improvements. They know that teacher appraisal and performance management are now more robust, but have not yet taken steps to introduce a programme of professional development for teaching assistants.  Although governors have been informed of the broad areas on which the pupil premium has been spent, they have not been able to ascertain its impact on pupils’ progress. Governors questioned the effectiveness of some spending on staff, and made important changes,

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The leadership and management are inadequate

including the appointment of a substantive headteacher and, more recently, a deputy headteacher, to tackle the underperformance that is clearly evident to them. Safeguarding arrangements meet requirements, but the school’s website does not.

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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 122571 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 425025

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 212 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Janice Biscoe Headteacher Emma McGrenaghan Date of previous school inspection 26–27 September 2011 Telephone number 01773 719463 Fax number 01773 711567 Email address office@lynncroft.notts.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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