Lydlynch Infant School

Lydlynch Infant School Lydlynch Road, Totton, Southampton, Hampshire SO40 3DW

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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 Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new executive headteacher leads with passion and determination. She is committed to improvement, developing a strong team of teachers and strengthening leadership.  Subject leaders’ responsibilities are not yet distributed widely enough to support senior leaders in their work.  The curriculum has been focused on developing pupils’ English and mathematics skills. Other areas of the curriculum are not as well developed.  Governors have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They provide a good level of challenge to senior leaders.  Leaders have taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Most individuals and groups of pupils make increasingly strong progress from their starting points, and outcomes are improving.  The school’s assessment recording system hinders leaders from having a full picture of the impact of interventions on some groups of

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils’ attainment and progress.  Lessons are generally well planned, and teachers have increasingly high expectations of what pupils can achieve. However, approaches to teaching are not always consistent. Sometimes, work is not well matched to pupils’ needs. This can slow the progress that pupils make, particularly some groups of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).  Children in the early years make a good start to their education. They enjoy learning and conduct themselves very well. They make good progress and are well prepared for Year 1.  As a result of effective phonics teaching, pupils do increasingly well in the Year 1 phonics screening check.  Pupils’ books are generally well presented but standards in handwriting are inconsistent.  Due to a concerted effort by the school, attendance has improved since the previous inspection and is now much more in line with the national average. Fewer pupils are now

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

persistently absent from school.  The majority of parents and carers are positive about the school and how leaders are improving it.  Safeguarding is effective. Adults keep pupils safe and address child protection concerns in a timely fashion.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: – further developing the curriculum to ensure that it is broad and balanced and meets the needs of the school community – developing middle leadership so that some of the responsibilities of senior leaders can be distributed to others, helping senior leaders to prioritise more effectively.  Further improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that: – teaching is of a consistently high standard so that all pupils are challenged effectively and tasks are well matched to their needs, enabling more pupils, including those with SEND, to make strong progress from their different starting points – leaders are able to analyse and evaluate progress effectively, for all groups of pupils across the school – pupils apply their handwriting skills consistently well across the school.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 There have been a number of leadership changes since the previous inspection, and considerable staff turbulence. The new executive headteacher joined the federation at the beginning of this term. She has very quickly established good working relationships with pupils, staff and governors. She is passionate and dedicated with a resolute belief that every pupil, regardless of their background, can and will achieve. She understands what needs to be done to improve the school.  Leaders have developed and maintained a very inclusive ethos. This focuses on ensuring that the needs of all pupils are accurately identified, carefully catered for and, as far as possible, met.  Due to the small size of the school, much of the management and monitoring of the quality of the school’s provision falls to the senior leaders. However, other members of staff are beginning to take on monitoring, training and middle leadership roles. This is

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

starting to help to support senior leaders in their work and to ensure that all staff are fully involved in shaping the direction the school moves in.  All staff, including those leaders who work across the federation, know the pupils as individuals. A variety of tasks and adult support, along with carefully chosen resources, help disadvantaged pupils, and those with SEND, to take part effectively in most lessons. Most teachers ensure that lessons meet the various needs of their pupils successfully. However, a small number of pupils who are taught in small groups do not have regular contact with their class teacher.  Until very recently, leaders had not done enough to ensure that the school’s curriculum was suitably broad and balanced. In some year groups, too little time has been spent on learning about subjects such as computing and music. Outcomes in these subjects have not been given the same attention and importance as English and mathematics.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

Leaders are working to ensure that a more appropriate curriculum is developed and embedded across the school so that pupils make better progress.  Currently, the curriculum is based around a series of topics. These are supported by long-term plans that help teachers to link new learning to facts and skills pupils have previously learned. However, work in pupils’ books shows that, on some occasions, activities do not build on prior learning but repeat it with little progression and contain little challenge for the most able pupils. As a result, the curriculum does not yet fully meet the needs of all pupils.  Leaders and staff make a good contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Pupils are tolerant of each other and they are clear that everyone should be treated with respect, regardless of their background. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of British values, such as democracy and tolerance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

They are beginning to be prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have established effective relationships with alternative providers used part time by a small group of pupils. Leaders communicate to check on the attendance, progress and general well-being of pupils. As a result, the alternative provision meets pupils’ individual needs and they remain safe.  Staff take every opportunity to widen pupils’ range of experiences and enhance their learning, for example trips and visitors help bring topics to life. Pupils also benefit from a range of extra-curricular opportunities, including sports and gardening.  Pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils through appropriate interventions. Leaders regularly check the progress that disadvantaged pupils are making and work with staff to ensure that teaching approaches are adapted to meet pupils’ specific needs. As a result, disadvantaged pupils make increasingly

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

good progress in English and mathematics.  Leaders make effective use of the sport and physical education (PE) premium funding to increase pupils’ participation in sports, and to secure quality PE teaching and coaching alongside professional development for teachers. During the inspection, Year 1 pupils were seen developing their tennis skills with a professional coach, clearly building upon prior learning.  Home learning set by teachers successfully supports pupils’ understanding and learning. For example, pupils complete a range of activities linked to a topic with their families at home. Parents are kept up to date with their children’s progress and have the opportunity to meet regularly with their class teacher.  The majority of parents who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, agreed that their children are happy and well looked after at the school. Some voiced unease about the many changes in staffing and leadership of the school, and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

also about bullying and the way that concerns are dealt with. Other parents noted the positive impact of the changes and feel that their children are well cared for. One comment, representative of such views, stated: ‘Lydlynch has a very inclusive atmosphere and everyone is made to feel special and accepted, that’s what I particularly value about it.’ Another parent wrote: ‘I would highly recommend this school as all the teachers and staff are extremely supportive.’  The local authority has supported the school since the previous inspection. Leaders report that this support has been fundamental in developing and enhancing the English and mathematics leadership and curriculum. Officers report that leaders have responded well to this support and have made significant improvements.

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Governance of the school

 Governors carefully evaluate the effectiveness of the work of leaders and staff. They visit regularly to get an overview of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. As a result, they have an accurate understanding of the strengths and weaknesses of the school. Governors use their evaluations to challenge leaders and hold them firmly to account for the school’s performance.  Governors fulfil their statutory obligations well. They ensure that all the required systems and training are in place to help keep pupils safe. They keep a close eye on the way additional funding is spent to ensure that provision is effective.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Safer recruitment procedures are effective. The record of recruitment checks is accurate and complete. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained in their duties, including the ‘Prevent’ duty. Staff report any concerns to the designated leaders and record these concerns in a timely way on an online system. Records show that leaders refer to the local authority those pupils who are at risk of harm.  Governors are very aware of their role in promoting safeguarding. They make the necessary checks on leaders’ work to ensure that children are kept safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching is increasingly successful. This is because of clear direction from leaders, a strong focus on professional development and revised approaches to the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. These changes have resulted in higher expectations of pupils and they are making a positive difference to the quality of pupils’ work. However, teaching does not meet the needs of all pupils as teachers do not always plan accurately for some groups of pupils.  Leaders have an accurate view of individual pupils’ achievement. As yet, leaders do not have a clear overview of the effectiveness of interventions and strategies for all groups of pupils. A system to enable leaders to fully analyse and evaluate progress and attainment is in development.  Pupils apply their phonics learning and other strategies well to read with increasing confidence. Teachers are now using good-quality texts to structure learning across

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

much of the curriculum and to help pupils to develop an extensive vocabulary. Pupils increasingly use this vocabulary to make their writing interesting.  Opportunities to develop pupils’ writing skills are most often linked to books or topic work to provide a context and purpose for writing. Pupils’ books show that their writing skills are developing more rapidly than before. An approach to support pupils’ spelling has recently been introduced, and pupils are improving their skills and increasing their scores in tests. There was some evidence of the impact of these skills in pupils’ work.  The school’s drive to improve mathematics provision is clearly visible across the school. Pupils demonstrate increasing confidence in applying their skills across a wide range of activities. For instance, pupils were seen outdoors during mathematics lessons making ‘human arrays’ or using large equipment to double and halve amounts. They are able

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

to work successfully, independently and alongside others, making good progress. Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to reason and problem solve.  Pupils are provided with immediate feedback, in line with the school’s marking policy, to ensure that errors and misconceptions are tackled in a range of ways. This includes providing further teaching on the same day so that pupils are prepared to make progress in their learning the following day.  Pupils’ books are generally well kept. Handwriting is taught, but pupils are not using it consistently in their everyday work. This can slow the speed at which they write.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils are polite, kind and aware of the needs of others. They relate well to each other and to staff. They spoke with pleasure about how much they enjoyed the school and how well the staff care for and look after them. They know staff are there for them if they have a problem.  Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe in school. Most said that there is no bullying in their school, but if it did happen, an adult would deal with it. Pupils show a good understanding of how to keep safe online; for example, Year 2 pupils were observed learning about cyber bullying.  Staff work closely with pupils and their families to provide appropriate additional support when necessary. Plans for pupils with specific needs are kept under regular review to ensure that most pupils are able to learn successfully and play a full part in

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Personal development and welfare

school life.  Pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, benefit from before-school interventions that help improve attendance and provide a calm start to the day. Initiatives, such as the nurture room, where staff help pupils to manage their feelings and find respite, are helping pupils with emotional needs to overcome any anxieties and access learning.  The school actively encourages a healthy lifestyle, and pupils understand why this is important. One pupil said, ‘We don’t want to have a heart attack when we get older, so we need to be healthy.’

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  The relationships pupils have with adults and with each other are warm and trusting. Consequently, pupils enjoy coming to school, as can be seen in their improving attendance. Attendance is just below the national average. Leaders are working to support the few remaining families for whom regular school attendance remains a challenge.  Staff have high expectations of pupils and uphold the school’s behaviour policy fairly and consistently. Pupils respond well to this and model good behaviour, both in class and at play. Pupils enjoy their learning and mostly work conscientiously. Incidents of low-level disruption are rare. Behaviour systems encourage positive attitudes to learning and the few incidents of poor behaviour are swiftly addressed.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 For the past three years, attainment at the end of key stage 1 has been steadily improving. In 2018, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was just below the national average. This was not the case for boys in writing, or for disadvantaged pupils in all three subjects, where outcomes were well below the national averages.  More pupils now attain at greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics than previously. However, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving greater depth in any subject is significantly below the national average and that of their peers.  Most current pupils, including boys and those who are disadvantaged, are now making good, and often very strong, progress and any gaps in attainment are narrowing. The school’s own assessment information is supported by work seen in pupils’ books and during lessons.  The progress of individual pupils is monitored, and interventions are put in place as

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Outcomes for pupils Good

necessary. Most pupils with SEND are now making stronger progress from their starting points than was previously the case.  Due to increasingly high-quality phonics teaching, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the national phonics screening check in 2018 exceeded the national average at the end of Year 1.

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Early years provision Good

 Many children come into the early years with knowledge and skills well below those that are typical for their age. Over the past three years, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development has increased year on year and it is now in line with the national average. Teachers in the early years and key stage 1 work together well to ensure that all children can make a positive start when they move into Year 1.  The classrooms and outdoor areas are exciting and interesting. Staff are friendly and provide a warm welcome for children and their parents. This helps children to settle in well. They are keen to explore and find out as much as possible. Children independently use the bank of computers in the classroom, and can explain what they are doing and how to use different programs. Parents spoke highly of the staff and the work they do with their children in the early years.  The early years leader has analysed children’s progress information and put measures

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Early years provision Good

in place to improve children’s reading and writing skills. She has used this information in her work with staff, improving the setting so that the indoor and outdoor environments better promote learning. All staff are aware of the need to engage boys in their learning. They have introduced appropriate topics to stimulate boys’ interest. As a result, differences between the attainment of boys and girls are beginning to diminish.  Staff encourage regular communication with parents. This includes the initial transition sessions to help build children’s confidence in the setting and ensure that they settle quickly. Staff record children’s progress in online journals which are shared with parents.  Safeguarding procedures are effective and welfare requirements are met fully. All adults share the responsibility of keeping children safe and communicate effectively across the provision in order to do so.

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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

Executive Headteacher Miss Jane Phillips

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School details

Website www.federationofhazelwoodandlydlynch.co. uk/ Email address adminoffice@lydlynch.hants.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January–1 February 2017

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Information about this school

 This infant school is smaller than the average-sized infant school. It has six classes of pupils from Reception Year through to Year 2.  The school is federated with another local infant school and shares a governing body.  Significant changes in leadership and staffing have taken place recently. The executive headteacher has been in post since April 2019. In September 2018, five new teachers took up post at the school.  The proportion of pupils who attract pupil premium funding is below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in all classes. All of these observations were carried out jointly with the executive headteacher or the head of school.  Meetings were held with the executive headteacher, head of school, senior leaders, leaders of English and mathematics, and governors. Meetings were also held with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at documentation, including: the school’s analysis of its strengths and weaknesses; information on pupils’ attainment and progress; records of behaviour and safety; minutes of governing body meetings; and safeguarding documents.  A discussion was held with a group of pupils, and informal conversations with pupils took place during lessons and at breaktimes. Inspectors listened to pupils read and scrutinised work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors considered the 33 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View,

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Information about this inspection

as well as 18 free-text comments. Views of parents were informally sought at the beginning of the school day. Inspectors also received a letter from a local resident.  Inspectors considered the 19 responses to the staff survey and the 31 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Marcia Goodwin, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Ashcroft 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

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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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