Lincoln Monks Abbey Primary School

School report Lincoln Monks Abbey Primary School Monks Road, Lincoln, LN2 5PF

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 School leaders and the governing body continue to secure improvement in teaching and pupils’ achievement; they have identified the right priorities for future development.  Pupils make strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics so that standards, which were below average at the time of the previous inspection, are now broadly average.  Children in Nursery and Reception make good progress and achieve well.  Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are excellent. They relate to each other very well and feel safe at school.  Good teaching maintains pupils’ interest in their learning. It creates a positive climate for learning that meets most pupils’ needs.  The current range of taught subjects and activities is effectively aligned to the new National Curriculum; this contributes suitably to pupils’ basic skills and their use in different subjects.  Effective teaching and the well-organised curriculum contribute fully to pupils’ spiritual, moral,

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

social and cultural development.  Parents are very satisfied with the school’s contacts with them. They believe strongly that their children are happy and safe while at school.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough of the teaching is yet outstanding.  Teachers do not ensure that pupils follow up the guidance given to them through the marking of their work.  At times, teachers do not set work that is challenging enough nor do they make it clear what they want pupils to learn by the end of the lesson. As a result, some pupils do not achieve their best.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 24 lessons or parts of lessons, including three observed jointly with the senior leaders. Additionally, inspectors reviewed a small sample of pupils’ current written work to check the quality of teaching and learning in the school.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils and with senior and middle leaders. The inspectors met the Vice-chair of the Governing Body and another governor. An inspector met a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including the school’s records of current pupils’ progress, a summary of the school’s self-evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, plans for improvement and monitoring documentation, records of behaviour and safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors took into account 80 responses to the online Parent View questionnaires.  Inspectors considered the 38 questionnaires returned by staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Krishan Sharma, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. The number of pupils has grown by nearly one-fifth since the previous inspection.  There is a part-time morning and afternoon provision for Nursery children. In addition, there are two full- time classes for Reception children.  Around 60% of pupils are White British, a smaller proportion than average. The remaining pupils come from a wide range of ethnic groups of whom those from Other White background (East Europeans) are the largest group. A higher than average proportion of pupils speaks English as an additional language.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the additional funding known as the pupil premium, at one in three, is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, at just one in ten, is slightly above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

p.3

Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress.  An above-average proportion of pupils joins and leaves the school at other than the normal times during the school year. The rate of mobility is gradually decreasing.  The headteacher advises and supports other primary schools within the local authority.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more teaching outstanding by ensuring that teachers consistently:  set work that is challenging enough for pupils to achieve their best in all lessons  make it clear in all lessons what they expect pupils to learn  check that the written guidance they give pupils to improve their work is acted upon.

p.3

The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has high expectations for the school and these are clearly reflected in its key plans. The continuing improving standards since the previous inspection, pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning and the good teaching demonstrate that the school has the capacity to realise its ambition to become an outstanding school.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Senior and other leaders make regular checks on pupils’ learning and progress, including observation of teaching and reviews of pupils’ written work. The substantial amount of data that emerges, including checks on children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, informs the allocation of extra help for those pupils who need it. Meeting pupils’ identified needs is a strong feature of the school’s provision. As a result, the senior leaders and the governing body are able to ensure equal opportunities for all pupils and that no group is discriminated against.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is one of the key strengths of the school. It has been reviewed systematically and meets the new national requirements. It is broad and balanced and provides a good range of stimulating activities by bringing together interesting themes covering many subjects. The school is rightly proud of the contribution its curriculum makes to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Extra activities, such as the work of the school council and visits to the local council, promote pupils’ awareness of British values of democracy at work.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Preparation for developing and aligning assessment of pupils’ progress with the new curriculum has been thorough and robust. Consequently, the school is almost ready to implement its new arrangements. Senior leaders are fully committed to ensuring that under the new arrangements teachers make consistent and accurate assessments.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Subject and other leaders have a clear grasp of strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility. Their future plans show that they have a good awareness of what further developments are needed. The headteacher enables them to lead and influence classroom practice.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The use of pupil premium funding is effective. Additional support provided to the eligible pupils meets their specific needs. Consequently, across the school, their progress is as good as others.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The arrangements for managing teachers’ performance are robust and are aimed at rewarding good teaching. Links between teachers’ pay increases and the effectiveness of their teaching in the classroom are fully recognised. Staff training is substantial and is directly linked to teachers’ personal performance goals and the overall priorities of the school.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The use of primary school sports funding has increased pupils’ participation in a wider range of physical activities and competitive events. The fitness tests introduced for Years 2 and 6 pupils show clear gains in their physical agility. The teaching of physical education is getting stronger as a result of the deployment of local sports coaches.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Parents find the school accessible and feel they are kept well informed about their children’s progress at school. They appreciate the care shown for their children.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has maintained regular contacts with the school, which enables it to provide support if the school needs it or to make the school’s effective practice known to other schools.

p.4

The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders are determined to secure further improvement in the quality of teaching, so that more of it is outstanding. To this end, they recognise the need to check more explicitly the impact teaching makes on pupils’ progress and achievement during their monitoring of lessons and reviews of pupils’ written work.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective. It has a good grasp of the school’s performance in national tests and how its results compare with other schools nationally.  The governors are aware of the overall quality of teaching in the school. They ensure that only good teaching is rewarded. To this end, decisions about teachers’ pay are now linked to teachers’ effectiveness in improving pupils’ progress and achievement.  The governing body ensures that safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements.  The governors maintain a regular oversight on the use of the pupil premium and the impact it makes on

p.4

The leadership and management are good

the progress and attainment of the eligible pupils.

p.5

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. The management of behaviour is highly consistent, which pupils and parents find reassuring. Parents, staff and pupils speak approvingly of the high standards of behaviour in the school.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are very positive and are central to the improving achievement in the school. They demonstrate their eagerness for learning and give their willing commitment to work in lessons.

p.5

Behaviour

 Relationships, including those in the early years, are excellent and contribute strongly to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. All different groups of pupils represented in the school get on well with each other. Pupils are very polite and courteous towards each other and adults.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils wear the school uniform with pride. They take good care of their classrooms and the rest of the school building, including outdoor facilities. Litter is extremely rare.

p.5

Behaviour

 Attendance has risen and is now above average. Senior leaders and governors’ persistent efforts in maintaining good levels of attendance and punctuality have paid off.

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The checks required on the suitability of staff, volunteers and other visitors are diligently made. Potential risks in the school and when on trips are thoughtfully assessed. Pupils play their part by ensuring that their conduct in the school keeps them and others safe.

p.5

Safety

 Pupils are fully aware of the different forms of bullying, such as name-calling, the improper use of the internet, or that which is prejudice-based. Parents and pupils alike say that bullying is extremely rare and is promptly dealt with if and when it occurs. School records support this view.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Typically, the teaching maintains pupils’ interest in and commitment to their work in lessons. Teachers are very skilled in asking probing questions, which they use in testing pupils’ prior knowledge and understanding or to challenge them to think deeply about the work they are doing. In most lessons, the feedback teachers and teaching assistants give is helpful in ensuring that pupils continue to make good progress and achieve well. Adults in the Early Years Foundation Stage routinely give children space and time to promote their independence.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Effective teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) contributes well to rising standards in reading. The insecure readers, including those who speak English as an additional language, benefit most from the systematic teaching of phonics. The teaching of writing is well planned. Pupils are given a range of good reasons for writing and they are taught how to organise their ideas. The teaching of mathematics is becoming increasingly effective because of the strong leadership provided by the subject leader.  When learning is most effective, particularly in Years 5 and 6, teachers set demanding work that excites all groups of pupils. As a result, pupils excel and achieve outstanding results. The most able pupils are often given challenging activities and they rise to their teachers’ high expectations. In contrast, when learning is not as effective as the best in the school, the work set is not challenging enough and results in

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

unevenness in the progress pupils make. Pupils also do not achieve their best when teachers do not make it clear what they expect them to learn by the end of the lesson.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Additional adults are deployed routinely to give extra attention to those pupils who have short or long- term needs. As some of these pupils find learning difficult, the individual attention they receive helps them make brisk progress. Consequently, their learning improves over time.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils who speak English as an additional language benefit greatly from additional support and they make strong progress from their starting points.

p.6

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils’ work is marked regularly and conscientiously. Teachers’ comments guide or instruct pupils to make certain improvements. However, teachers do not check enough whether pupils follow up the advice given. As a result, marking does not always have the desired effect.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, standards reached at the end of Key Stages 1 and 2 were broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics, showing a small dip from the previous year in both key stages. However, from their low starting points at the end of Year 2, the results attained by Year 6 pupils in 2014 represented excellent progress.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 There is clearly an improving picture of achievement across the school, including in the Early Years Foundation Stage; the achievement of pupils in Years 5 and 6 has been a consistent strength. Overall, however, pupils’ achievement is good rather than outstanding because of variations between classes and year groups in both Key Stages 1 and 2, where some pupils do not demonstrate the same substantial and sustained progress as others. This inconsistency mirrors the variable quality of teaching in the school.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Reading is improving strongly. Pupils enjoy reading and can talk about characters in the text they read. The systematic teaching of phonics and the teaching of reading in general, is improving pupils’ confidence in tackling unfamiliar words and demanding texts. The results of the Year 1 phonic screening check have risen and are above average.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in writing is good. Pupils can organise their writing well because teachers give them clear guidance and opportunities for practising their skills. They write for a range of purposes. By the end of Year 6, pupils show a strong grasp of English grammar, punctuation and spelling, as demonstrated in the national tests for the last two years.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics is strong. Due to the increasing emphasis on developing pupils’ calculation skills, pupils are becoming increasingly competent in handling calculations mentally and in written form. Most of them are confident in talking about their mathematical work.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils generally make the progress they are capable of as the work set for them in most lessons is sufficiently challenging. The school’s data show that the proportion of pupils achieving the higher grades (Level 5 and Level 6 of the National Curriculum) at the end of Year 6 compared favourably with the national figures in 2014, except in reading. However, this is not the case at the end of Year 2, where the proportions were below the national figures.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 The learning of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is at least good. The progress of pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those from East European backgrounds, gets stronger as they move through the school. Their achievement is often as good as, or close to, others in the school.

p.6

The achievement of pupils is good

 In the 2014 Year 6 tests, the attainment of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium was lower than that of others in the school and other pupils nationally. These pupils were about three terms behind in reading, writing and mathematics. However, their progress compared favourably with others in the school and other pupils nationally. Across the school, most disadvantaged pupils are making at least good progress and the gap in their attainment is narrowing due to the senior leaders’ sharper focus on their performance.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 From starting points that are well below those typical for their age, children make a flying start in Nursery. Most children, from all ability groups and backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language, make at least good progress in all areas of learning. By the time, they leave Reception their attainment is getting closer to the national figure. As a result, they are well prepared for entry into Year 1.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Adults plan a good range of stimulating activities in the classroom and outdoors, which cover all areas of learning. Children listen attentively to adults and respond to their instructions and suggestions well. Adults are skilled in observing and assessing children’s achievement. They encourage children to talk about their work. On occasions, their interventions are not suitably challenging to help children extend their ideas.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Children work in a safe and happy learning environment. They behave very well and move around sensibly to ensure their own and others’ safety. Relationships between different groups of pupils are excellent.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led. As a result, the early years provision has improved since the last inspection. Staff work as a team and have detailed knowledge about each child’s strengths and areas in which improvements are needed. Adults value parents’ contacts with them.

p.7

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 failing

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 120429 Local authority Lincolnshire Inspection number 448680

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 455 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Paul Hopkins Headteacher Victoria Johnson Date of previous school inspection 5 November 2009 Telephone number 01522 527705 Fax number 01522 510522 Email address enquiries@monksabbey.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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 and 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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10