Lawrence View Primary and Nursery School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Mrs Emma McGrenaghan Lynncroft Primary and Nursery School Lynncroft Eastwood Nottingham Nottinghamshire NG16 3FZ

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Nursery School

Following my visit to your school on 15 March 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to confirm the inspection findings.

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Nursery School

This monitoring inspection was conducted under section 8 of the Education Act 2005 and in accordance with Ofsted’s published procedures for inspecting schools with no formal designation. The inspection was carried out because Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector was concerned about the personal development, behaviour and welfare of pupils at the school.

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Evidence

I scrutinised the single central record and evidence of safeguarding training. I also scrutinised attendance records, school improvement planning and documents relating to the monitoring of teaching. I visited lessons, observed playtimes, lunchtime, and the start and end of the school day. I spoke to pupils, staff and parents. I met with school leaders, an attendance officer from a local academy trust and a group of pupils.

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Evidence

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Evidence

Leaders and managers have taken effective action to improve behaviour and secure consistently positive attitudes to learning.

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Context

The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Most pupils are of White British background. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below average. Few pupils speak English as an additional language but numbers are increasing. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children looked after by the local authority, is above average. The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is average.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The school’s improvement plans and systems to monitor the quality of teaching indicate leaders’ clear focus on improving pupils’ level of engagement and their attitudes to learning. Leaders ensure that staff share best practice so that all teachers know how to improve their work to motivate pupils. The staff I spoke to during my visit said that they feel well supported and understand the school’s aims. Midday staff indicated that they are pleased with the way in which the school is developing their roles to help them to be more effective in managing behaviour and engaging with pupils. Those pupils I spoke to during my visit said that they like the opportunity to discuss their ideas with their classmates during lessons.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

In lessons, I saw some good examples of pupils sharing their ideas with each other and engaging in animated discussions with their teacher about a class text. They understood what they were trying to learn and quickly got on with their work. In several classrooms, teachers provided opportunities for pupils to explain their answers and set interesting challenges that pupils enjoyed. Pupils listen to their teachers and work quietly. They respond well to praise. The pupils I spoke to during my visit said they like a range of subjects. For example, physical education is popular because pupils say it is ‘fun and athletic’. During a physical education lesson that I saw, pupils worked well with partners and demonstrated their skills willingly to the rest of the class. Many pupils present work well in their books and try their best to be neat because of the efforts by leaders and staff to improve the quality of

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Teachers promote good behaviour and positive responses by reminding children in the early years about the ‘five finger rules’. During my visit, the older children were recounting the events of the story ‘Jack and the Beanstalk’. They happily took turns and tried hard to speak aloud in complete sentences. They listened well to each other and to their teacher who praised their efforts. The younger children were enthralled by a story because their teacher used expression and visual prompts from a book to keep their interest and to build excitement. Children were helped to understand that the story was ‘pretend’ to allay any worries. This reflects the high regard staff have for children’s welfare. Pupils use the outdoor spaces safely at playtimes and lunchtimes. They know the rules for playing football and share resources well. Those who are ‘playground pals’ keep an eye open for those who may be without someone to play with. During my

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

visit, pupils used a range of small apparatus and some devised their own games, playing cooperatively, although a few were not actively engaged. Playtime and lunchtime end effectively. Pupils stop promptly on the signal. Teachers praise orderly lines and remind any who need to calm down before entering school.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Lunchtime is well organised and proceeds calmly. The newly introduced dining-room arrangements are popular with pupils and staff, and encourage pupils to socialise. Pupils respond quickly when called for lunch and follow the instructions of the midday staff who carry out their duties appropriately, inside and outdoors. The school is providing training to help midday staff to develop their roles more effectively. They are not yet fully involved in engaging pupils by instigating playground games and activities.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils like to achieve the school’s awards for being ‘Star of the term’ or best reader or writer. They value their friendships and the help they get from staff. Pupils say they get on well together and know who to speak to if they have a problem. They said, ‘We respect each other like a big family.’ The older pupils are proud of the fact that, sometimes, younger pupils seek their advice about friendships.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Some pupils commented on how the nurture room helps them to improve, for example by learning to control their tempers or expressing their feelings. During a session in the nurture room, pupils were observed discussing planting seeds. They talked willingly and showed interest in what they were doing. Staff create a relaxed but purposeful atmosphere where effort is praised and pupils work towards their own targets, with a positive effect on their personal and social development. The nurture room provides a comfortable and attractive environment which pupils are happy to attend. However, some of the spaces around the school are cluttered and not so well presented.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The parents I spoke to during my visit expressed no concerns over behaviour although some parents indicated that they are not always sure about how well the school’s rules are applied. My visit showed that pupils are clear about the ‘sad and happy face’ system and like working towards prizes and rewards. Leaders check and monitor behaviour. They carry out careful analysis in order to identify patterns and reduce the number of incidents. Those pupils who find it difficult to behave well receive the support they need to help them to improve. However, there are few wall displays to remind pupils about the school’s rules and not enough emphasis on the celebrating and rewarding of good behaviour.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Pupils are keen to win the school’s rewards for good attendance and know that being in school regularly is important to their learning. The school’s figures show that attendance overall is average. Leaders’ efforts and external support from a local academy trust develop firm links with parents who are helped to understand the effect of poor attendance on their child’s learning. As a result, the number of pupils who stay away frequently is reducing.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

The school monitors punctuality but leaders are not yet doing enough to ensure that all pupils arrive at school on time. The arrangements at the start of the school day do not firmly reinforce the school’s message to pupils and parents that punctuality is important, as there is no clear indication that school day is starting. Early morning tasks run smoothly and there is little time wasting, but tasks are not sufficiently motivating to urge latecomers to be on time.

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare

Safeguarding is effective. The headteacher is the designated lead for safeguarding and her training is up to date. She has ensured that all staff receive regular training to help them to keep pupils safe, including the ‘Prevent’ guidance to combat extremism. Staff know the safeguarding and child protection processes and are well equipped to keep pupils safe. Pupils know about the different forms of bullying and say it is not a problem in their school. The school’s records show that any incidents of poor behaviour that do occur are recorded thoroughly and are reducing over time. When I asked pupils about staying safe when using the internet, they talked about possible risks and described how the school helps them to keep safe. The school’s single central record meets current statutory safeguarding requirements.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Create more visual reminders around the school to reinforce the school’s expectation of good behaviour.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Provide a more definite and motivational start to the school day to aid punctuality.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Involve midday staff more fully in promoting pupils’ engagement and enjoyment during lunchtimes.

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Priorities for further improvement

 Make sure that indoor and outside spaces reflect a sense of pride in the school.

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Priorities for further improvement

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Nottinghamshire County Council. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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