Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School

Lady Seaward’s Church of England Primary School Clyst St George, Exeter, Devon EX3 0RE

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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This is an outstanding school

 Leadership provided by The First Federation is exemplary. The improvements to pupils’ progress and the standards achieved are striking.  The academy is led by an exceptional executive headteacher who has both vision and intent. He is ably supported by the outstanding head of teaching and learning and all staff.  A culture of trust, openness and transparency between staff, pupils and parents permeates all aspects of leaders’ work.  Monitoring to improve the quality of leadership and teaching are highly effective. Staff at all levels reflect on feedback and work with others across the federation to improve their practice.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the academy is impressive. They are very proud of their academy. Attitudes to learning are extremely positive.  Children in Reception get off to a flying start. The excellent links with the on-site pre-school ensure that their transition into the academy is seamless.

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This is an outstanding school

 Excellent relationships between staff, parents and pupils ensure that pupils are happy and feel safe from the moment they start at the academy.  Parents are fulsome in their praise for the academy.  High-quality teaching over time enables all pupils to make sustained and rapid progress in a wide range of subjects.  For the past three years, at all stages, pupils’ standards and progress have been well above the national average.  Disadvantaged pupils and those with disabilities or special educational needs do as well as and often better than their peers.  Pupils of all ages are offered a broad and well- considered curriculum. Activities planned enable pupils to use their core skills of English and mathematics exceptionally well in other subjects. High-quality plans are in place to develop the curriculum in mathematics even further.  The enrichment curriculum is used extremely well. Organised clubs add notably to daily lessons.

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This is an outstanding school

Other activities help pupils overcome emotional barriers to learning and gain in confidence.  Governance is a strength. The First Federation makes a marked contribution to the work and vision of the academy.  Teachers’ understanding of Early Help is not as strong as other parts of the academy’s work. Early Help is the identification of problems at an early stage to provide support as soon as possible.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that all staff are trained with the requirements for Early Help to effectively meet the needs of those pupils who require it.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop planned experiences for pupils in order to fully meet the requirements of the new National Curriculum in mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 Profound improvements to the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement have taken place since the academy became part of The First Federation multi-academy trust. Leaders, staff, parents, pupils and governors should be proud of their collective efforts to transform the quality of education at the academy since 2012. Staff are the first to say they want to do even better.  The academy is led by an outstanding and inspirational executive headteacher. His depth of knowledge and ambition are used to set the aspirational tone for all. His removal of burdensome, bureaucratic and compliance-derived tasks from the head of teaching and learning has freed her to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ learning rapidly. Together, they portray the attitude and foresight that inspire all.  The use of academy freedoms and flexibilities to lead teaching and learning is outstanding. Staff are deployed within the academy and across the federation to maximise their strengths and pupils’ learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

High-quality continuous training and mentoring for all staff, regardless of their career stage, enhances teachers’ skills and ensures that staff know pupils’ academic and personal needs very well.  New staff are extremely well supported. The academy has a new and relatively inexperienced teaching team. Newly qualified teachers (NQTs) welcome the buddy support they receive from other NQTs across the federation. Leadership opportunities and talent are spotted quickly. Teachers reflect on their own practice when leading training, for example, in that provided for teaching assistants from other academies. Staff morale is high.  The curriculum for English, mathematics and science is academic in style and content. By the end of Year 6, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are well above those of other pupils nationally because of the strong emphasis on academic study. Leaders have developed high-quality plans to develop even

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

further the curriculum in mathematics in order to more fully meet the needs of the new National Curriculum and further enhance pupils’ mathematical reasoning skills.  As one parent explained, the exceptional enrichment curriculum is ‘the icing on the cake’. The academy balances academic rigour and wider curriculum experiences expertly. A wide array of sporting and musical clubs are supplemented by the cleverly thought-out enrichment programme. Parents, pupils and staff are overwhelmingly impressed by the gains in confidence, aptitude and skills developed through, for example, the technical theatre workshop programme producing the nativity play and working at the Northcott Theatre in Exeter.  Carefully planned activities provide an excellent foundation for pupils’ appreciation of modern British values. Pupils’ understanding is developed well when national experiences, such as trips to Parliament,

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

are blended with local culture. Pupils’ leadership skills are developed exceptionally well through a wide range of activities and opportunities, including the opportunity to become a prefect.  The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is integral to the academy’s values and welcoming atmosphere. Pupils on the ethos committee play a proud and prominent role in developing this aspect of work. Trips to places of worship and visitors from Brazil to explain cultural art techniques significantly enhance pupils’ cultural understanding.  The pupil premium and service premium funding are used well. The small group of pupils supported through this funding make rapid progress during their time at the academy. By the end of Key Stage 2, their attainment is at least in line with other pupils at the academy and above that of other pupils nationally.  Funding to increase pupils’ participation in physical activity and improve their performance in physical

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

education (PE) and sport is used well. A large proportion of pupils across the academy take part in competitive sports. There is a very broad range of activities and clubs, including badminton and archery.  Parental satisfaction with the academy is extraordinarily high. All parents who responded to Parent View would recommend the academy to another parent. Positive responses to all the questions posed are much higher than those typically found for primary schools. Parents who spoke to the inspector when dropping their children to school were just as complimentary.  The governance of the school: Governance is a strength of the academy. Governors bring a very high level of skill and professional expertise, which informs and enhances the academy’s development and clarity of purpose. Governors understand the information they are presented with very well and use it to construct detailed improvement plans. Success criteria are checked regularly and used to monitor the improvements

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

being made as well as to hold senior leaders to account. Governors are well aware of any future challenges and have appropriate plans in place to secure the future success of Lady Seaward’s as part of The First Federation.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The procedures and guidance for keeping pupils safe are woven cleverly into all aspects of the academy’s curriculum. Staff take great care of all pupils. They are extremely vigilant in their approach to pupils’ welfare. All staff are well briefed on current policies in order to keep up to date. Plans are in place to complete additional training for staff on the Early Help requirements. Senior leaders and governors ensure that keeping pupils safe and secure is part of the culture of the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Teaching over time is outstanding. Teachers use assessment information precisely to inform future learning. As a result, work is seldom too easy nor too hard. Pupils are consistently challenged and interested in planned activities because they match their learning needs.  Teachers have high expectations and are highly responsive to feedback and guidance. This was seen on day two of the inspection in the way staff responded to feedback at the end of day one. Teachers are also very keen and eager to improve their practice even further. Parents spoken to recognise these positive features.  The teaching of writing is very effective. Precise activities build the skills needed to construct grammatically correct sentences that are accurately punctuated, with words correctly spelt. Pupils use these skills well in a wide variety of genres and subjects to good effect.  The teaching of reading is highly successful. Pupils’ learning is enhanced through discussions about

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

genres, text structure and organisation. Pupils aspire to reach ‘The Secondary Dimension’, a level of reading that the academy recognises as the highest level of performance. Activities such as ‘Stop, Drop and Read’, along with reading passport booklets, motivate and enthuse pupils to read often and with enjoyment.  The range of approaches used in mathematics lessons is supporting pupils’ learning and understanding of the four operations of number very well. Pupils’ mathematical skills are also promoted expertly through topic activities. Pupils use their knowledge of money, costings, time and measure carefully to plan school trips, for example to Longleat. Occasionally, planned activities do not always place enough emphasis on developing reasoning skills in order to secure pupils’ deeper mathematical thinking.  Scrutiny of pupils’ books and work lies at the heart of each and every staff meeting. Teachers become

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

extremely well versed in evaluating what pupils know, understand and can do. Information from this evaluation is used to inform future learning very well. Teachers also expect pupils to think carefully about what they have learned, which they do very well across the academy. As a result, pupils are able to identify where their learning needs to improve and act on it accordingly, in line with the core aims of the federation.  The academy has a marking policy, which teachers follow carefully. Pupils are very clear about what they need to do to make improvements to their work and sustain their excellent progress.  Work in pupils’ books shows a wide range of interesting tasks. Topics, such as ‘Transport’ and ‘Ancient Egypt’, capture pupil’s imagination and promote their curiosity. During lessons, adults check pupils’ learning by carefully observing, talking and listening to pupils. Pupils are very clear about how to act upon

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

any points provided.  Other adults play a vital part in the success in the academy. They provide high-quality support and challenge in lessons, helping with basic English and mathematical skills, as well as subjects across the curriculum. Around the academy, they support pupils during lunchtime, assist with supervision at break and run additional clubs.  Teachers use homework well to supplement lessons, reinforce learning or prompt further enquiry.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils have a very well-developed understanding of how to be successful learners. In lessons, they discuss their learning in a considered manner. Pupils’ understanding of others’ views is reflected in the cordial way they work and learn together. Across all age ranges, pupils enjoy each other’s company.  All parents who responded to Parent View reported that they feel that their child is safe in school. Pupils also report that they feel safe at all times. Pupils who spoke to the inspector showed a deep understanding of what it means to say that they feel safe. Aspects of safety feature strongly in the school’s curriculum and their quality is replicated in the academy’s procedures for safeguarding.  Pupils have a well-developed understanding of how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations in and out of school. They have been taught how to keep safe when using new technologies and are

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Personal development and welfare

confident about what to do and who to talk to if they feel unsure about something.  Care for the small number of pupils who need additional support is thorough and well documented. Strong working relationships with a range of outside agencies, such as social care, help to ensure the safety of these pupils.  Teachers have yet to undertake training to identify ‘early help’ for those pupils who may need it. Currently, this aspect is less well understood by teachers and hinders their even better understanding of how to quickly overcome any potential barriers to learning for those pupils who may require it.  Planned activities prepare pupils exceptionally well for life beyond school. Technical theatre programmes not only enhance pupils’ academic learning but build confidence and promote pupils’ social development exceptionally well.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils display very positive attitudes to learning across a range of subjects. Those who spoke with the inspector were positive about all aspects of the school. Parents are especially welcoming of the way the school looks after their children.  Relationships between staff, pupils and parents are excellent. Pupils are courteous and polite to each other, adults and visitors.  Incidents of bullying are exceptionally rare. However, pupils are very confident that any issue, no matter how minor, will be dealt with. Behaviour logs show that parents are involved at the earliest possible stage, even for minor misdemeanours. This close working relationship with parents acts as a strong deterrent to any poor behaviour.  Pupils are extremely proud of the part they have played in developing the prefect system. It is therefore very effective in raising pupils’ aspirations. Those selected wear their ties and blazers with pride. Pupils’

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Behaviour

conduct around the school is polite, orderly, happy and friendly.  Pupils develop a mature approach to regulating their own behaviour. Their well-developed reflection skills, teamwork and ability to cooperate with each other play a very strong part in their academic achievement and personal development.  Parents who responded to Parent View were unanimous in their opinion that pupils are well behaved. Staff also state that pupils’ behaviour is of a very high standard. One parent stated that her child was distraught not to be at school due to illness, such was her enjoyment at attending.  Attendance rates are consistently above the national average. There have been no exclusions for the past three years.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Pupils make outstanding progress throughout the academy. The excellent grounding pupils receive during the Reception Year is built upon substantially during Key Stage 1. Here the foundations for high achievement later in the school are embedded. Pupils’ progress improves as they move through Years 3 to 6. National results from 2012 to 2015 demonstrate exceptional progress and high value added, which has improved year on year.  Academy and national data about pupils’ progress during Key Stage 2 for the last three years is also strikingly good. All pupils made better than nationally expected rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This progress reflects the consistently high standards of teaching across the school.  For the past three years, standards of attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics have also been well above the national average for all groups of pupils.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 The most-able pupils achieve equally as well as other groups due to the interesting and varied challenges that they receive. Year 6 pupils work exceptionally well together to solve mathematical logic problems and puzzles. As a result, the progress made and attainment reached by these pupils is excellent.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are provided for very well. Teachers and adults know the pupils’ particular needs precisely, due to the closeness of the academy community and effective communication between home and the academy. Enrichment activities are used especially well so that pupils make rapid gains in confidence and also thrive academically.  Pupils’ attainment in the Year 1 phonics assessment is above the national average. Pupils use this early grounding to develop their reading, spelling and writing skills. Later in the academy, older pupils are expected to write at length and with stamina in many subjects.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Pupils read with enthusiasm and fluency in class and from their chosen books. One pupil read and spoke knowledgably about why Jaqueline Wilson’s writing made her books so popular with so many children. Pupils are encouraged and read widely beyond ‘class readers’.  Pupils are set challenging targets for all subjects. Their progress towards these targets is carefully checked. Pupils are keenly aware of where they are on their journey to success and what they need to do next to improve their knowledge, skill or understanding. Pupils’ achievement has continued to improve as a result of leaders refining the system for monitoring pupils’ progress over several years.  The quality of work in pupils’ books confirms that their progress is rapid and has been for some time. At the beginning of Year 1, pupils spell consonant, vowel, consonant (CVC) words accurately, with sentences containing some capital letters and full stops. By June, the same pupils consistently combine sentences to

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

add description to their writing, add the suffix ’ing’ with accuracy and use punctuation within sentences for effect.  Pupils make equally strong progress in a wide range of subjects. Specialist teaching of PE develops Years 4 to 6 pupils’ understanding of using space to attack and defend well when playing basketball. Years 2 and 3 pupils develop their technical language very well when using their scientific knowledge to report on the findings of a water investigation.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Leaders ensure that children get off to a flying start through highly effective liaison with the on-site pre- school. Close working and sharing of information means that the transition process for children who move into the Reception class is seamless.  The proportion of pupils reaching a good level of development is above the national average. Boys do particularly well in moving and handling and progress rapidly in their self-awareness. The skills and attitudes developed during Reception Year ensure that children transfer smoothly into Year 1.  Staff work carefully with parents to make sure that children’s personal and emotional needs are developed just as effectively as their academic learning. Children feel very safe and their attitudes, behaviour and resilience when tackling new activities and learning are admirable.  Staff develop very supportive relationships with and between children. As a result, children relish the

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Early years provision is outstanding

chances they get to learn with and from each other. This underpins their highly successful progress during the Reception Year, especially in developing their communication, language and literacy skills.  Children develop their self-confidence and readiness to learn very well. They greatly enjoy their learning and behave extremely well as a result of the stimulating range of indoor and outdoor learning experiences they receive.  Leaders ensure that learning is very well resourced, with bright and attractive activities in all areas. Children move safely between areas of learning and are safe from harm. Adults are well trained in procedures to ensure that children are safe in the academy.  Children learn equally well when choosing their own work because adults watch and listen carefully to each child during activities. The moment any child shows any sign of becoming disengaged, staff act swiftly to support. If necessary, staff adapt an activity, prompt a further challenge or move onto different

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Early years provision is outstanding

activities to restore or maintain their interest.  Leaders and teaching assistants use the information they know about children to carefully plan the next steps in each child’s learning journey. They noticed that boys’ writing skills required improvement so planned activities to promote this aspect of development, such as recording numbers of garage car parking spaces during the transport topic. High levels of concentration, thinking and perseverance were evident.

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School details

Unique reference number 137642 Local authority Devon Inspection number 10003874

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 90 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anthony Power

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Head of Teaching and Learning

Emma Lupton Telephone number 01392 873629 Website www.clyst-st-george.devon.sch.uk Email address admin@clyst.st.george.devon.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy

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Information about this school

 Since its last inspection, the academy joined The First Federation on 18 February 2012. The First Federation is a multi-academy trust of six primary academies across Devon. The trust also sponsors an academy in Exmouth. An executive headteacher leads, and a single governing body serves, all academies. Day-to-day leadership at the school is provided by the head of teaching and learning.  The academy is much smaller than the average primary school. Currently, the academy has 90 pupils on roll but numbers are growing. Children in the early years are taught in a mixed Reception and Year 1 class. There are two other classes for pupils in Years 2 and 3, and Years 4, 5 and 6. The 10 Year 6 pupils are taught separately during the morning sessions by a qualified teacher, then join Years 4 and 5 during afternoon lessons.  There are no pupils who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils from ethnic

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Information about this school

minority backgrounds is much lower than the national average.  The number of pupils supported by the pupil premium (additional government money to support pupils in local authority care and those known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below the national average. A small number of pupils receive the service premium; this is additional funding to support children in service families.  The proportion of pupils receiving support for their special educational needs is broadly average. The proportion with an education and health-care plan or statement of special educational needs is above the national average.  Due to the small size of the school, the numbers in identified groups are often very small or individual pupils. To avoid potential identification of these pupils, the report will refer to children in the Reception Year and pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2.  There is a privately run pre-school on the school site. This was not part of this inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed in 11 lessons or part lessons, of which nearly all were observed jointly with the head of teaching and learning. A series of short visits to classes was also undertaken. The inspector listened to several Year 5 pupils read and talked to them about their books.  The inspector held discussions with the executive headteacher, governors, directors of the First Federation and all teaching staff. Members of the school council were spoken with to gather their views about the academy and their learning. The inspector also spoke informally with many pupils during lessons and around the academy.  The views of 30 parents were analysed from Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Discussions were also held with a number of parents when they dropped their children at the academy. The inspector considered one e-mail from a parent.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including information on pupils’ attainment and

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Information about this inspection

progress, the academy improvement plan and minutes of governing body meetings. The academy records of training, the monitoring of teaching, and information on the management of teachers’ performance were analysed. Policies and procedures for the safeguarding of pupils, including case- studies relating to the attendance, behaviour and exclusions of pupils were examined.

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Inspection team

Richard Light, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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