Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School

Lubenham All Saints CE Primary School School Lane, Lubenham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9TW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Senior and subject leaders have not had enough ambition for the school or its pupils in recent years. This has led to a slow decline in pupil achievement.  Governance has been weak. Governors have taken too much on trust and not challenged senior leaders enough in the past.  Senior leaders and governors have not held colleagues to account for their performance in the past. This has helped to perpetuate an easy-going culture where complacency took hold.  The school’s curriculum does not inspire pupils to do their best work. It does not celebrate or support the values of the school and opportunities to develop pupils’ cultural awareness are missed.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Teachers do not identify the next steps in learning with enough precision and this slows pupils’ progress.  Pupils’ progress has not been good enough, particularly in the early years and Key Stage 2. Leaders and teachers have not tracked the

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This is a school that requires improvement

performance of pupils closely enough.  The behaviour of a minority of older pupils has gone unchallenged for too long. Their attitudes to learning and each other are not good enough and they struggle to adapt to the higher expectations now placed upon them.  The leadership of early years has not been effective in improving outcomes for children. The quality of outdoor provision requires improvement.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher has quickly developed a very good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Her plans for school improvement are already improving outcomes for pupils.  The headteacher and her senior teacher make a formidable team. They have raised teachers’ and governors’ expectations and aspirations for every pupil.  Teachers and teaching assistants are positive about change. They are embracing new ideas and initiatives with professionalism and pride.  The majority of parents are positive about the school and the improvements seen in recent months. Parents new to the school are particularly complimentary about the good start made by their children.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the impact of governors on school improvement by ensuring that: – governors challenge school leaders about their actions and insist that there is good evidence to support the answers provided – governors hold senior leaders, subject leaders and teachers to account for the progress of all pupils – governors are more rigorous in linking staff appraisal to performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the consistently high quality of teaching and learning by: – improving adults’ questioning skills so that they extend pupils’ thinking and deepen understanding – improving teachers’ accuracy in identifying the next steps in pupils’ learning and matching work more closely to their ability – introducing a curriculum that engages pupils, supports the values of the school and promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve outcomes for pupils, particularly in the early years and by the end of Key Stage 2, through: – senior and subject leaders holding colleagues fully to account for the achievement of all pupils – increasing the regularity impact of pupil performance reviews.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise standards of personal development, behaviour and welfare through: – the consistent application of the school’s behaviour rules and the modelling of exemplary behaviour by all members of staff, at all times – improved communication between the school and parents to ensure that there is no room for doubt about the high behavioural and academic expectations and aspirations for every pupil.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve children’s outcomes and provision in the early years by: – developing effective leadership – providing an environment that strengthens the learning of children, particularly outdoors.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 The school should undertake an external review of governance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 On her arrival, the headteacher correctly identified that the school was in a period of decline. Leaders and teachers did not have high enough aspirations for pupil achievement or behaviour. As a result, too many pupils did not make as much progress as they should.  The impact of subject leaders and middle leaders is inconsistent. Historically, too little was expected of these leaders and they were not challenged or held to account for their actions. Consequently, outcomes for pupils have not improved over recent years.  The school’s curriculum lacks detail and does not inspire pupils to do their best work enough of the time. Senior leaders and governors have not revisited or renewed the school’s ideals for some time and opportunities to promote key values within the curriculum are missed. This has led to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education not being as well developed as it might be.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher is a very effective leader who has quickly evaluated the school and what is required to ensure rapid and sustainable change. She and her senior teacher have made significant improvements to the school since their arrival. They have evaluated the school accurately and have been quick to identify and implement developments that are swiftly improving the school. Teachers present at the school during the inspection have embraced these changes. They have responded positively to the clear guidance and more demanding expectations placed on their performance. They are eager to discuss their work and ways in which they can improve their practice further. After years of neglect, there is now a greater emphasis on teachers and teaching assistants having access to professional development and training opportunities. The impact of these developments is evident in the accelerated progress seen in pupils’

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

work since the start of the current academic year.  The headteacher has made it her business, and a priority, to know every child individually. She is able to discuss their attainment and progress in great detail. She has introduced meetings during which she holds teachers to account for the progress of each child, but these meetings are not yet formally timetabled into the school calendar. Any pupil’s underperformance is challenged, with actions for improvement quickly put in place and monitored for effectiveness by senior leaders. Teachers’ performance targets are now reviewed regularly and closely linked to pupils’ achievements and school improvement priorities. The headteacher is addressing any staff underperformance in a methodical and determined manner, ensuring that she sets a strong example for all to follow.  The senior teacher is also the special needs coordinator and pupil premium champion. She provides an

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

excellent role model for other subject leaders. She has overhauled and greatly improved the monitoring and review processes for the school’s most vulnerable pupils. The senior teacher has ensured that the support in place for those in receipt of the pupil premium, and pupils who have special educational needs or disability, is now targeted and assessed more regularly. Their rates of progress are improving as a result.  The headteacher has rightly identified that pupil behaviour requires improvement. She has introduced a simple and effective behaviour monitoring system that ensures that pupils are crystal clear about what is expected of them, in and out of class. However, this is not followed consistently by pupils because not all staff model exemplary behaviour all of the time. The raising of expectations has not been universally well received by some older pupils and their parents. The inspector considered these views thoroughly and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

found that the headteacher’s actions are entirely appropriate and necessary to raise pupils’ achievements.  School leaders have used additional funding such as the pupil premium and the sports and physical education funding to widen the opportunities available to pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged. They have ensured that all pupils have had every chance to be involved in activities and events. The range and number of clubs and sports available have been increased and there are more competitive sporting opportunities. This is helping to raise pupils’ participation rates in after-school activities, school trips and competitive sporting events. However, leaders have not fully analysed or reported the impact of the use of these funds in raising pupils’ achievements.  Pupils are encouraged to stand for election for a number of roles of responsibility and this introduces them to fundamental British values such as democracy and service to others. In addition to roles such as

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

school council members and sports ambassadors, the worship team takes a lead in designing and presenting assemblies, while the green team focuses on environmental issues, to the point where even the school’s energy ratings are published in the school newsletter.  The school has had very limited support from external organisations as a result of its conversion to an academy. It is part of a collaborative arrangement with other academies but leaders have not used this sufficiently well to maintain and improve standards over time. The headteacher is addressing this and these links are helping to provide a much more accurate view of the school, while improving access to staff development opportunities.  The governance of the school – Governance has not been strong enough in the past. Too often, governors took the limited information provided by school leaders at face value and made little effort to check or test this. Governors did not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

make enough effort to delve below the surface of pupil performance information. Historical documents such as the minutes from governors’ meetings, show that there was insufficient challenge to information provided by school leaders. Governors were not sufficiently aware of staff or pupil underperformance and did not take steps to address these in a timely fashion. They did not use the processes for staff appraisal and performance management effectively to promote school improvement. – Governors now have an increasingly accurate picture of the school and the areas in need of improvement thanks to the improved quality and transparency of information provided by the headteacher. They know the areas in need of improvement and why these have been prioritised. The chair of governors understands the urgency required to improve the school quickly and is increasingly effective in holding the headteacher to account during their regular meetings.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

– Governors have a solid understanding of their roles and responsibilities in relation to leading and managing a standalone academy. They have taken measures to ensure that the school meets its responsibilities for matters such as the health and safety of staff and pupils. Improved record keeping since the arrival of the current headteacher provides good evidence to support this. – Governors are ambitious for pupils and understand the importance of the school to village life. They are making strides to improve their effectiveness as individual governors and as a governing body, but agree that they would benefit from an external review of governance to accelerate this process.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Statutory requirements are met and staff and governors undertake regular training to ensure that their practice is current. Visitors to the school speak of how safeguarding procedures, including physical safeguarding features to the building, have been improved

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

and strengthened since the arrival of the current headteacher. She has created accurate and comprehensive behaviour records which she analyses regularly for trends and patterns; these are then addressed through decisive actions that are monitored and evaluated for impact. The headteacher makes sure that the recording of child protection concerns is comprehensive and follows up any incidents quickly and tenaciously, to minimise the risk of harm to pupils. Governors understand their role in the safeguarding of pupils and know the importance of keeping pupils safe from the risks of extremism, child sexual exploitation and internet use.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is inconsistent. Not all teachers identify pupils’ next steps in learning with enough precision. Consequently, pupils do not make as much progress as they could because tasks are not matched well enough to their abilities.  The quality of adult questioning is variable and this has an impact on the depth of pupils’ understanding. Where it is strongest, adults extend pupils’ thinking and knowledge through a range of thought-provoking and well-chosen questions. Teachers expect pupils to use their prior knowledge and learning to develop their own ideas, and to respond using a wide range of vocabulary. However, teachers and teaching assistants do not consistently apply this practice across the school and opportunities to deepen and master learning are lost.  Teachers’ practice is improving quickly. They have increasingly high aspirations for pupils regardless of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

their ability or background. Work in books shows that although teachers set work which is challenging for the majority of pupils, this practice is inconsistent. Pupils’ learning is supported by appropriate levels of homework. Pupil progress meetings ensure that no pupil is left behind and that that their learning is being accelerated.  The impact of additional adults in each classroom is variable. Where impact is greatest, teaching assistants are an integral part of pupils’ assessments, contributing valuable information to support the class teacher. Where impact is less strong, teaching assistants do not communicate effectively enough with pupils or are too rigid in their approach to pupils’ learning needs.  Where learning is strongest, teachers build on pupils’ prior learning. Pupils are able to explain what they are learning and why. For example, in a Years 5 and 6 English lesson, which was based around a short

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

animated tale, pupils were able to explain the grammatical features required for an effective story flashback. Work in their books illustrated how their writing in this genre had improved over recent days. The teacher set high expectations, leaving pupils in no doubt about the quality and quantity of work expected of them.  The teaching of reading is well structured and effective. Pupils’ phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) skills are well taught and extended to older pupils who still struggle with their reading. The vast majority of pupils read fluently for their age, and there is a very strong culture of reading for purpose and for pleasure. Teachers expect pupils to write for increasingly extended periods as they move through the school and this is helping them to apply their skills while increasing their resilience as writers.  Pupils are taught a wide variety of techniques for mathematical calculations. They are encouraged to use

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

these regularly and at all ages. Teachers increasingly expect pupils to apply their mathematical skills to a range of problems. This is contributing to more effective learning and understanding of mathematical concepts, while improving pupil outcomes. A good example of this was seen in a Year 3 and 4 lesson on multiplication, where pupils were not only using apparatus effectively but were also expected to explain what they had done and why.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare requires improvement. The school’s values and ethos are not sufficiently well infused into the curriculum or the everyday life of the school. Consequently, some pupils are unclear about the academic and behavioural standards expected of them.  Pupils’ attitudes to work are usually positive except where tasks are not well matched to their abilities, and their progress slows as a result. The vast majority of pupils are happy to comply with the requests of adults at the first time of asking. However, some older pupils are less so, but the impact of this on their learning and behaviour is minimised because the class teacher manages pupils very well.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral and social education is addressed through timetabled activities such as celebration assemblies and acts of collective worship. The headteacher actively seeks opportunities for pupils to

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Personal development and welfare

consider and reflect upon their behaviours, their school community and their impact on modern Britain and the wider world. However, there are insufficient opportunities to celebrate and study cultural diversity within the existing school curriculum.  Pupils of different ages know how to keep themselves safe in a variety of situations. School leaders and teachers are vigilant as regards internet safety and extremism and take every opportunity to reinforce safeguarding messages to pupils. The headteacher has ensured that recording systems are now fit for purpose and records are analysed regularly to look for ways to improve pupils’ safety and welfare.  Pupils know about different forms of bullying and believe that the school is a safe place to be. They are hard pushed to identify incidences of bullying and are sure that any adult will deal with a problem if it arises.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement because not all pupils conduct themselves well at different times of the day. A small minority of older pupils do not display sufficient self-discipline or maturity to accept the boundaries recently placed upon them by the school. In some cases, pupils’ actions and attitudes appear to be condoned by parents and this undermines the current good work of teachers and leaders to improve behaviour in the school.  Pupils do not show consistently due regard for other pupils on the playground. While the inspector witnessed very little boisterous behaviour at playtimes, some pupils appeared to be unaware of the potential impact of their play on those around them and this resulted in some preventable collisions and accidents. However, the inspector saw no evidence of bullying or the use of derogatory or offensive name-calling.  Younger pupils are much more positive about behaviour in the school and show care and consideration

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Behaviour

towards others. Children in Reception and Year 1 readily work in pairs, sharing equipment and ideas without a second thought. By Years 3 and 4, pupils show good attitudes to their work and talk about how they feel safe in school and on the playground. They are also very positive about school dinners, particularly looking forward to ‘Chippy Friday’ each week.  Leaders now keep comprehensive records of poor behaviour and any incidents that show pupils’ intolerance towards others. Records also show that leaders and teachers follow up incidents with parents or the appropriate authorities, a move not wholly popular with some older pupils.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with national averages and there is a lower proportion of persistent absenteeism than is seen nationally.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 The most recently published information shows that pupil outcomes at the end of Key Stage 2 have declined slowly, but consistently, over a number of years. The rate of decline quickened slightly following the school’s conversion to an academy.  Historically, while pupil attainment at Key Stages 1 and 2 is broadly average, not enough pupils make more progress than is expected for their age. This is because aspirations and expectations have not been high enough in the past and there was no formal mechanism for monitoring or challenging pupil underachievement.  Children enter Reception at levels of development that are broadly typical for their age, or just below. Since 2013, the proportion achieving a good level of development has been below average. There is no pattern or trend to show consistent weaknesses in any area of development or group of children.  Achievement in the Year 1 national phonics screening is consistently above the national average and

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

suggests that pupils make strong progress in their reading skills after Reception.  By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils’ attainment is broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. In 2015, a greater than average proportion of pupils achieved at higher levels in reading and mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils do not attain as well as other pupils, nationally, but the very small sample numbers do not provide a reliable source of information. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability perform better than similar pupils nationally.  In 2015, by the end of Key Stage 2, attainment was broadly average and most pupils made expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. However, a much lower proportion than seen nationally made more than expected progress, particularly at the higher levels. Progress in writing and mathematics lies behind reading and this reflects the school’s commitment to developing reading for all pupils at

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

specific times of the school day. The gap between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally is narrowing over time in reading, writing and mathematics.  Current assessment information shows a changing and more optimistic picture and this is evidenced in the work seen in pupils’ books. Leaders and teachers have refocused their assessments on pupils’ progress rather than pupils’ attainment, and staff have been encouraged to look beyond their own classrooms and consider their role in improving outcomes for all pupils who attend the school.  In all year groups there is good evidence to show that the vast majority of pupils are making increasingly strong progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Senior leaders ensure that pupil progress meetings are well documented and show a high degree of personalisation towards individual pupil’s needs. Teachers are increasingly aware of the need to monitor pupil assessment information closely. They

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

understand that this is the method by which they will be held accountable by school leaders.  Workbooks show that pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are increasingly, but not yet consistently, being stretched by work that extends their thinking and expands their knowledge. As a result, their understanding and mastery of reading, writing and mathematics is developing at a quicker pace than has been seen in recent years.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Children’s outcomes in the early years have not been good enough over recent years. From entry points, which are typical, or just below typical, too few have made the progress expected for children of their age. As a result, the proportion leaving the early years at a good level of development has, too often, been below average. This reflects ineffective leadership and teaching practice during that time.  The learning environment, particularly outdoors, has been neglected by school leaders for some time. This has affected children’s capacity to develop fully in all areas of the early years’ curriculum. As a result, too many children have not been well prepared for their transition into Year 1.  The headteacher is currently leading the early years. Along with the current class teacher, she has quickly identified the shortcomings in this part of the school and taken effective and decisive action to address

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Early years provision requires improvement

these. There is a specific action plan in place which is reviewed termly for impact by senior leaders and governors.  Conversations with children, examples of their work and information in their learning journey documents show that current progress is much stronger than in recent years. A majority of children are already achieving, or close to achieving, good levels of development as a result of increasingly effective teaching. School leaders have taken appropriate steps to ensure the accuracy of current assessments and the evidence seen by the inspector confirms this.  The class teacher uses her strong subject knowledge and her accurate ongoing assessments of the children to set interesting and challenging learning tasks. For example, in a mathematics lesson, the children were asked to be detectives, seeking out colours in the playground and creating tally charts. This captured their imagination and they frantically searched the playground to make sure that no colour was

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Early years provision requires improvement

overlooked. They then used this information to create colour pictograms which they were able to explain to the inspector.  The teacher has very high expectations for the children. She models advanced, subject-specific and technical vocabulary that the children quickly understand and use accurately. She asks questions skilfully, extending both the children’s vocabulary and their understanding of what they have learned. This extends to all areas of learning, including the teaching of phonics.  The class teacher has reorganised the limited indoor space and children are now able to access many more resources to enhance their learning. The areas of provision are much better suited to children of this age than had been the case previously. Planning is monitored thoroughly to ensure that there is equality of opportunity for all children. This is ensuring that there is effective challenge for children of all

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Early years provision requires improvement

ages in this mixed age class, and that any underperformance is identified and addressed quickly.  Children in the early years behave very well and have very positive attitudes to their learning. They cooperate and collaborate with each other willingly, sharing the excitement of discovery and ensuring that nobody feels left out. They are polite, well-mannered and eager to please, showing confidence and self- discipline in equal measure. Safeguarding in the early years is effective with physical precautions and administrative recording designed to minimise any risk to children. Parents feel that their children are safe and are full of praise for the communication between the school and home.

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School details

Unique reference number 139864 Local authority Leicestershire Inspection number 10002977

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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

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 82 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Jenkins Headteacher Gemma Kettle Telephone number 01858 462319 Website www.lubenham.leics.sch.uk Email address admin@lubenham.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy

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Information about this school

 Lubenham All Saints CE Primary School is much smaller than the average primary school and serves a semi-rural village.  Pupils are taught in four mixed age classes, including children in the early years who attend full time.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage; there are very small numbers of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and none who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is below the national average but rising annually. This funding provides extra support for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is slightly above the national average.  In 2015, the school met the national floor targets for pupil achievement.  The school became a standalone converter academy in September 2013, having previously been judged

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Information about this school

to be a good school in 2011. Arrangements are in place for the school to join a multi-academy trust within the next year. The current headteacher and senior teacher joined the school in September 2015 following the resignation of the previous headteacher and a short period of interim headship that was the result of recruitment difficulties. There have also been a number of changes to teaching and support personnel, as well as governors over the past year, including a new Chair of the Governing Body.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in eight lessons. He observed the teaching of early reading skills and listened to pupils reading. The inspector also talked to pupils about their school and looked at examples of pupils’ work in all year groups to gain a view of the impact of teaching over time.  Meetings were held with the school’s senior leaders and representatives of the governing body. The inspector also spoke to the school’s external educational consultant, the director of education for the Diocese of Leicester and the headteacher’s mentor, assigned by the diocese.  The inspector spoke to parents informally at the start of the school day. He received two letters during the inspection and spoke to two parents by telephone. There were insufficient responses to the Ofsted online parent questionnaire (Parent View) to provide any further parental opinion. The inspector also considered the five responses to the staff questionnaire and 24 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector looked at a range of documents, including: the school’s own self-evaluation; the school’s most recent information on the achievement and progress of pupils; information provided to families; information relating to the safeguarding of pupils and the school’s most recent data relating to the attendance and punctuality of pupils.  The inspector considered the range and quality of information provided on the school’s website.

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Inspection team

Stephen McMullan, 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

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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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