Lydbrook Primary School

Lydbrook Primary School School Road, Lydbrook, Gloucestershire GL17 9PX

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders, governors and staff have established a culture where all pupils are expected do well in an atmosphere that is kind and caring.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They provide robust challenge to the school as well as effective support.  Senior leaders have ensured improvements to teaching, particularly of writing and mathematics. This means that current pupils are making stronger progress across the school. More pupils’ work is now in line with national expectations.  The quality of teaching is good. Teachers ensure that the majority of lessons are interesting and purposeful. Pupils learn well.  Sometimes, teachers do not always challenge pupils enough in lessons. This means that pupils do not always produce their best work.  Pupils make a good start with learning to read as a result of careful teaching of phonics. This is then built upon by regular reading practice

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

and by pupils experiencing a wide variety of texts.  Children make a good start in the early years foundation stage. Staff provide a wide range of stimulating activities in a nurturing environment.  The school has recognised the need to develop middle leadership to provide more capacity. Individual teachers have received training and are now responsible for specific areas. It is still early days.  Pupils’ personal development is promoted well. Pupils’ well-being has a high priority in the school. Pupils enthusiastically take responsibility for leading different aspects of school life.  Pupils behave well across the school. In the majority of lessons, they are diligent. However, if the learning is not challenging enough they can lose interest and there is some low-level disruption.  Pupils enjoy a curriculum that they find interesting and stimulating. They experience a wide variety of activities and trips. They

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

develop a deep knowledge of their local community and the environment where they live.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes by tackling the inconsistencies in teachers’ challenge and expectations.  Enhance the roles of middle leaders so that there is more leadership capacity to monitor, evaluate and improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior leaders have taken effective action to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and areas of improvement. Leaders have developed detailed action plans that have resulted in the improvement in quality of teaching. As a result, more pupils are making better progress across the school.  School leaders have developed effective relationships with a range of partners and agencies. Leaders are reflective. They use the advice of other professionals such as local authority officers, speech and language therapists and advisory teachers well. This ensures that plans and initiatives are of good quality and informed by current research.  Leaders are determined that all pupils will achieve whatever their starting point or background. They use performance management, coaching and support to bring about ongoing improvements. They undertake close scrutiny of pupils’ progress from their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

starting points and of pupils’ current work in books. These activities identify any pupil who is at risk of underachievement, so that interventions can be put in place.  Structures to teach key skills in mathematics and writing with more precision and rigour have been adopted. These are working well in the majority of classes and lead to good learning. However, they are not yet consistently effective across the school.  Recent training has developed the skills of middle managers. They lead specific projects. It is early days. Currently, their expertise is not used enough to develop the quality of teaching and learning. Ensuring consistency across the school is too dependent on the headteacher and the part-time senior leader.  Leaders use additional funding well. They are very aware of the barriers which disadvantaged pupils face. They have taken good steps to tackle these. They ensure that all pupils have access to extra-curricular opportunities, including after-school clubs.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

This means these pupils are involved in all aspects of school life and make good progress.  The curriculum ensures that pupils develop and practise key skills in reading, writing and mathematics well. It also captures pupils’ interest through a wide range of topics, visits and activities. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about their recent learning. They talk about how the visits they make stimulate questions for them, and how they find the answers when they are back in school.  Pupils’ spiritual, cultural, social and moral development is developed well. In school, pupils treat each other with respect. They take on responsibilities. They learn a great deal about the Forest of Dean through their work with the local community. They reflect together on global issues and things that concern them.  Staff and parents are positive about the school. They recognise the recent improvements and the school as a kind and caring community.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are very knowledgeable. They are passionate that the school will achieve good outcomes for all pupils. Through regular visits and effective meetings, they hold the school to account well. They are reflective about their own practice. They ensure that they have the right skills as a group and the best committee structure to drive things further.  As governors have detailed knowledge of teaching, learning and outcomes, they stay well informed about recent improvements and their effectiveness. They inject an appropriate sense of urgency into the school’s work. They are both supportive and challenging. They help the headteacher to take important decisions in the best interests of the school and hold him to account well.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  A culture of kindness and care underpins the school’s work. Pupils say that they feel safe. Their parents and staff agree. All pupils spoken with during the inspection felt that adults would sort out any concerns they might have.  Clear policies are in place. The arrangements for staff recruitment, vetting and training are suitable and up to date. The member of the governing body with responsibility for safeguarding has very good knowledge. She is in close contact with the school and carries out regular checks. Some reporting of incidents to governors and the local authority is not carried out effectively. Although staff manage incidents well, this weakens the governing body’s oversight.  Pupils have a strong understanding of how to stay safe. They are very clear about how to stay safe online.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The quality of teaching and learning over time is typically good. Teachers have clear routines and structures. There are very good relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils are diligent, interested and work hard when they are captured by this good teaching.  The teaching of reading is effective. Young pupils develop their knowledge of sounds well because there is systematic teaching of phonics. They practise their reading regularly. Staff choose books carefully that are at the right level of challenge. Pupils are motivated and interested. Teachers monitor the reading of older pupils carefully and have high expectations. They use high-quality texts in class. Older pupils read a wide range of fiction and non-fiction and can discuss these.  More precise teaching of writing is developing pupils’ skills of grammar, punctation and vocabulary well. In the majority of classes, pupils use these skills effectively in their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

creative writing or in other areas of the curriculum, such as science or history. Their writing is interesting and accurate. In some classes, pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length to practise their skills sufficiently.  Pupils are developing calculation skills in mathematics well through carefully planned activities and regular practice. Pupils are motivated to do well, and the work is well pitched at the right level. In some classes, not enough pupils are using their skills to problem-solve and reason.  Teaching assistants provide strong support to pupils who need more help, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Carefully planned work or interventions mean that these pupils make good progress.  In the majority of cases, teachers match work well to the needs of pupils. They take good steps to ensure that work is challenging for their age in the mixed-age classes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

Sometimes pupils are not challenged enough. This leads to some pupils becoming uninterested and producing little.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are confident, reflective and engaging. Generally, they work hard and are proud of their learning, which they talk about enthusiastically. On occasions, when they are not challenged enough by teachers, presentation in books and attitudes to work become inconsistent.  Leaders give a high profile to ensuring pupils’ well-being. They encourage pupils to be physically heathy. There is a wide range of clubs and activities. Pupils skip regularly in the playground and ‘skip to be fit’ by recording their score and trying to improve.  The school has successfully created a climate where talking about things openly is encouraged. Pupils talk through concerns and solve problems together in weekly sessions. Worry-boxes and kindness-boxes are available if pupils do not want to raise things directly. Pupils say that these initiatives help them deal with things and offer

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Personal development and welfare

them strategies.  Pupils have many opportunities to work in the local community and organise events. They successfully fundraise for their residential trips. Many pupils are members of committees, including the school council and eco council. They are very proud of their school. They work with staff well to make it even better.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils behave well around the school. They play well together. Older pupils take responsibility for younger pupils. Pupils are very respectful of each other and of adults. Behaviour in lessons is generally good, except when teaching is not challenging enough. On these occasions there is some disengagement and low-level disruption.  Staff know individuals and their families very well. There are strong relationships and staff make sure that everyone feels valued. If a pupil is experiencing difficulties with managing their behaviour, additional support is put in place which is kind and effective.  Pupils’ overall attendance is similar to the national average. The school is taking good steps to reduce the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent, which has been above the national average for some time. Leaders carefully track attendance and support and challenge families as appropriate, sometimes working with external

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Results of national assessments in 2018, particularly in early years and key stage 1, showed improvements to pupils’ attainment. Progress across key stage 2 remained strong. Pupils’ work in books shows that leaders’ actions to improve the quality of teaching in writing and mathematics are having a positive impact to raise attainment further. Pupils are developing into confident mathematicians. Their writing has improved so that they write creatively and with greater precision. More pupils are working at age-related expectations or at greater depth in key stage 2 than has been the case in previous years. Pupils are well prepared for the next steps in their education.  In 2018, the proportion of pupils who met the expected standard in phonics was above the national average. Pupils develop good skills and use their knowledge of sounds to decode effectively. Older pupils are keen readers who read widely.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils’ attainment at the end of key stage 1 in 2018 was broadly average. Many of these pupils were functioning below national expectations when they entered the school. This demonstrates good progress. The school’s key stage 1 results have fluctuated in the past. Evidence in books and the school’s data show that progress of pupils is being maintained more consistently. More pupils are working at the nationally expected levels or greater depth.  Progress across key stage 2 has been consistent so that pupils build on their key stage 1 learning well. The attainment of pupils, however, has frequently been lower than the national average. Effective action by leaders has improved the quality of teaching across key stage 2. The school’s own data and work in books, particularly those of Year 6 pupils, show that pupils are on track to make good progress and more pupils are working at nationally expected levels.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils with SEND, including those with complex needs, are making good progress. They are developing their basic skills as a result of careful and precise teaching. They develop their wider knowledge and understanding well. Their confidence and self- esteem grow.  Disadvantaged pupils do at least as well as their peers in the school. As with other cohorts in the school, more disadvantaged pupils than previously are working at levels expected nationally.  Pupils gain appropriate skills, knowledge and understanding in a range of other subjects. They are stimulated by interesting topics, for example in history and geography. Frequently their studies result in pupils producing memorable events or presentations of their learning. For example, pupils become very knowledge about their particular heritage of growing up in the forest community. They have presented their learning, including dialect poems, to the local historical association. They have also

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Outcomes for pupils Good

researched the particular contribution of foresters in the First World War. This was a feature at their Remembrance events.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years is well led. The early years leader knows the strengths and areas of development well. She is very clear about the priorities to improve children’s learning and ensures that these are in place. This means that children are making good progress from their starting points.  The majority of pupils enter with starting points lower than expected. Through experiencing high-quality teaching, children make strong progress. Year on year, more pupils leave the provision achieving a good level of development. The majority of children currently attending the provision are on track to achieve the standards expected for their age. They are well prepared for Year 1.  The high quality of teaching and learning is underpinned by clear routines, interesting activities and specific interventions. All of these take place in an environment that is kind and caring. Children are stimulated to learn.  Staff are very clear about what skills they must develop to ensure that children learn

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Early years provision Good

effectively. They are aware that many children arrive with poor vocabulary and fine- motor skills. Carefully planned adult-led activities give children specific practice and new skills. The stimulating environment then offers opportunities for the children to build on their skills. A ‘vocabulary tree’ captures the words from high-quality text. A curiosity box encourages children to ask questions. Children develop their fine-motor skills through punching holes in card, cutting with scissors and a range of exciting writing and recording activities.  Children’s behaviour and attitudes to learning are good. They are motivated because of the interesting activities. Children develop the confidence to explore activities inside and outside. Adults model a calm and kind approach. Children respond to this. They play well together and care for each other.  Staff follow safeguarding procedures and policies that are applicable to the whole

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Early years provision Good

school. They establish and maintain good relationships with parents and help them to develop their child’s learning further at home.

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School details

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

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address head@lydbrook.gloucs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22–23 January 2014

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school in a rural setting.  The school was last inspected by Ofsted under section 5 in January 2014. Ofsted carried out a short inspection in March 2017.  Since the previous inspection the deputy headteacher role has changed. She now works part-time as a senior leader to improve teaching and learning  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is similar to the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who receive SEND support.  There is a before- and after-school club that operates on the school site. These are managed by the school’s governing body.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors, together with the headteacher and the school’s senior leader for teaching and learning, observed learning in all classes.  Inspectors met with middle leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. They examined information on pupils’ current progress and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors took account of the 14 responses to the staff survey, the 27 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and the 17 written comments that were submitted.  Inspectors observed pupils at work and at play. They listened to pupils read and talked to them about school life. They met representatives of the school council and of the eco, fundraising and well-being committees.

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Inspection team

Stephen McShane, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Fox Ofsted 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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