Setting

Ms Mitchell & Ms Turner Co-headteachers The Latimer Primary School Latimer Street Anstey Leicestershire LE7 7AW

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 17 November 2015, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2011.

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection and the school is continuing to improve. As co- headteachers, you have used your wealth of skills to analyse the performance of the school with great accuracy. You have created a culture where adults and pupils make the most of opportunities to improve their learning and skills. You value the opinions of parents and pupils and they know that you will act on these whenever possible. Governors speak of every decision you make being based on what is best for the pupils and say that the ‘Four Simple Truths’ of the school are evident in your actions. You are seen as very positive role models for staff and pupils.

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Leaders and governors have acted effectively on the areas for improvement identified at the time of the last inspection. Pupil attainment has risen each year since then as a result. You have shown your commitment to raising standards in English, in particular, with both of you taking the role of joint subject leader. Your passion for encouraging young readers is reflected in the school’s ‘Book-it List’, which identifies 100 books that pupils should read before they complete each key stage. Pupils have extended opportunities to write in dedicated books and through their cross-curricular topic work. Teachers work together in small groups to research and share best practice with colleagues and this is leading to better teaching and improved pupil achievement across the school. Ofsted

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Children entering the early years benefit from a new classroom which is well organised by the class teachers and their team. The majority of children enter the early years at levels of development which are below that which is typical for their age. Often, their reading, writing and number skills are underdeveloped. You are satisfied that this analysis is accurate because the teachers’ assessments are validated by external partners and the local authority. The teachers identify specific developmental needs quickly and they ensure these are met through a range of different activities which engage the children. Currently, this is seen in tasks which help to develop children’s moving and handling skills through the use of tweezers and precise finger movements. As a result of improved teaching and leadership, the

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

majority of children leaving the Reception class make good progress and achieve good levels of development. This means they are well prepared for Year 1.

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Leaders and governors show their determination that all pupils will achieve to the best of their ability by closely monitoring pupils’ progress. Governors hold school leaders and teachers to account for every child. This includes the progress being made by particular groups of pupils such as those who are disabled or have special educational needs, those who come from disadvantaged backgrounds and the most- able pupils. You have introduced an effective system for assessing pupils’ achievement over time but this does not yet extend to subjects beyond reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers plan lessons which have a clear purpose, and pupils’ good attitudes to learning are reflected in their engagement in lessons observed across the school. However, in feedback to pupils about their work, teachers do not always pinpoint the next steps in learning precisely enough. As a result, misconceptions can recur over a period of time and are not always effectively

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Leaders and governors place a high priority on keeping children safe. This is reflected in the comments of parents and pupils. Year 6 pupils can explain how they are kept safe in school and how they can keep themselves safe, for example online. They take responsibility for keeping other pupils safe through roles such as anti- bullying monitors. Monitors are trained to support others in the playground and act as a first point of contact if a pupil has a concern. They know when to refer issues to an adult but also have the skills to deal with minor issues on their own, with great success. Pupils are confident that adults will always deal with their worries quickly and effectively. Each pupil also identifies three people who they consider to be safe. This includes another pupil, an adult in school and another outside school. This system is well known to pupils and parents, and is highly valued by both.

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Short inspection of The Latimer Primary School

Leaders and governors have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements meet requirements. They are very aware of the risks that pupils might face, now and in the future, and show great vigilance at all times. To address this, you have ensured that the teaching of fundamental British values such as respect, tolerance and democracy have a high priority.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas in need of further development. They have identified relevant improvement priorities within a comprehensive development plan. The impact of this plan can be seen by the continuing improvements which have taken place since the last inspection. While the areas for improvement have been addressed successfully, you have not become complacent and continually seek to improve outcomes for all pupils. A good example of this is the package of support in place for those pupils in receipt of the pupil premium. Learning support packs provide essential resources so that pupils attend school with the correct equipment for learning. This also enables them to do homework, which is set regularly throughout the school. Additional support is provided for these pupils to access clubs and events outside school and you are sure that this plays a significant part in their academic

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Inspection findings

achievement. However, you have not undertaken enough analysis of available information to be assured of this.

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Inspection findings

 You have developed a culture where staff know that they will be held accountable and underperformance is addressed in a prompt fashion. The governing body has restructured since the last inspection with a focus on attracting specialist skills, particularly in the area of education. This is allowing governors to hold you to account for school improvement in a challenging and rigorous manner, using the school’s performance management procedures. Governors have a very good knowledge of their role in improving the school and make regular visits to increase their understanding of its day-to-day life. They complete written records of their visits which now include a review of safeguarding on each visit.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and governors formally review pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics each term. There is a very effective system for tracking and assessing pupil progress and attainment at an individual level. This is supported by the monitoring of information on classes, year groups and specific groups such as boys, girls, disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs or disabilities. This ensures that no pupil is overlooked and that support is provided at an early stage. As a result, almost all pupils make progress which is at least good, over time. Assessment procedures for other subjects are less well developed and you identified that this was an area for further development during the inspection.

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Inspection findings

 Work in pupils’ books shows that the vast majority make good progress over time. Pupils are encouraged to take pride in their work. Teachers set time aside for pupils to review marking and there are specific sessions where personalised tasks are set to consolidate individuals’ learning. Particularly good practice was seen in Year 1 books where the teacher’s good subject knowledge allowed her to feed back to pupils on their next steps with great accuracy. This level of teacher subject knowledge is not yet consistent across all year groups. This results in pupils’ learning not always being secure and some misconceptions recurring over a period of time.

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Inspection findings

 Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. This is clear from the responses to the online survey, Parent View, and the school’s own parental satisfaction surveys. The overwhelming majority of parents believe that the school is a safe place for their children and that you and your staff listen to them. Pupils behave well around the school and at different times of the day. They are very willing to talk about their work and explain what they are learning. By Year 6, they are able to have very well-developed conversations about what they have learned and can express mature and well-informed opinions. For example, having studied evolution and the story of Creation, Year 6 pupils could explain their personal views and the evidence that led them to these views. They are very well prepared for life beyond their primary school. The school’s curriculum places much value and emphasis on the development of British values and pupils are actively involved in democratic

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Inspection findings

decision making. In Year 6, pupils take part in all aspects of a mock election, meeting with serving MPs and running the school for a day if they win the election.

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Inspection findings

 The vast majority of pupils make at least the progress expected for children of their age by the end of Key Stage 2. In 2015, a much higher proportion of pupils than the national average made more than expected progress in their writing. The proportion of children leaving Reception with a good level of development has increased over time and now exceeds the national figure. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well and many match or exceed the attainment of those who are not disadvantaged. Pupils with special educational needs or disabilities also achieve well and the gap between their attainment and that of other pupils narrows over time.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and governors should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 Pupil progress and attainment are equally strong in all curriculum subjects by: – extending the school’s comprehensive and rigorous assessment and tracking system to include all subjects taught at the school – further developing teachers’ subject knowledge so that they identify and feed back the next steps in pupils’ learning with greater precision.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met both of you, a deputy headteacher and the school’s special educational needs coordinator, two governors, parents and a group of Year 6 pupils. We visited the Reception class, Years 1, 2, 3 and 6, spending a short time in each, and looked at a sample of pupils’ work together. We also considered responses of parents from Parent View, comparing these to the school’s own parental questionnaire. I looked at a range of documents including an evaluation of the school’s performance and plans for further improvement, information on how the pupil premium is spent and a number of policy documents, including those for child protection and special educational needs.

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