Primrose Lane Primary School

Primrose Lane Primary School Cunningham Road, Yeovil, Somerset BA21 5FH

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The head of school and assistant headteacher form a highly effective partnership, which is sustaining a relentless pursuit of the highest standards. They are strongly supported by leaders of the Huish Academy Trust in maintaining the successful growth of the school.  Leaders’ strategic appointment of staff and precise use of professional development to enhance their skills has been crucial in securing outstanding teaching.  Leaders and teachers are unwavering in their ambition for pupils to make the very best of their talents. Staff are diligent in getting to know pupils from the moment they arrive. The school’s success in overcoming individual barriers to learning has led to pupils making outstanding progress during their time at Primrose Lane.  Leaders and teachers have an excellent impact on pupils’ achievement. The quality of pupils’ work and their eagerness to learn provide compelling evidence of their ongoing academic

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

success.  Since the school opened, many pupils have entered the school other than at the usual time. Once at Primrose Lane, excellent teaching and support means that these pupils make strong progress.  Leaders and staff ensure that the culture of safeguarding throughout the school is extremely strong. Consequently, pupils feel very safe and well cared for, and parents overwhelmingly agree.  Leaders and staff have worked closely as a team to design a stimulating curriculum that enthuses pupils and caters very effectively for their needs. Within each topic, teachers place a careful emphasis on deepening pupils’ understanding of what they are learning.  Leaders use additional funds very efficiently. This enables staff to sustain highly effective support for disadvantaged pupils and for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils make strong progress from their different starting

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

points.  Pupils flourish. They love coming to school and behave extremely well. They have excellent relationships with each other and with staff. Pupils are polite and very proud of their school.  Pupils write expressively to a high standard for their age. At times, incorrect spelling of the complex words they use to enrich their writing clouds the quality of their work.  Exemplary leadership, teaching and support in the pre-school and Reception classes ensure an excellent start to the children’s education.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Sustain the emphasis on developing pupils’ accuracy in spelling so that it keeps pace with their rapidly widening vocabulary and enhances their ability to write at a high standard for their age.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The head of school and the assistant headteacher provide excellent leadership. They are strongly supported by the executive headteacher and governance, at local board and academy trust levels. Leaders’ teamwork, in managing the growth of the school and securing pupils’ increasingly high achievement, clearly demonstrates a strong capacity to sustain improvement.  Staff morale is high. All staff responses in the online survey articulated very positive views. Staff indicated that they are proud to work at the school. One typical comment reflected their determined commitment, ‘We have high expectations and any new initiatives would have been carefully thought about.’  Leaders have developed an efficient tracking system to assess pupils’ progress. This enables them to identify the right priorities and to take focused action. This has included the provision of relevant staff training to establish exemplary teaching.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The school develops beneficial links with parents and liaises productively with other agencies, including language and speech therapists. Parents hold the school in high regard and welcome the very caring family atmosphere that boosts their children’s confidence. In turn, this helps to promote strong progress for all groups of pupils, including those with SEND. This demonstrates the school’s effective commitment to equality of opportunity.  The school provides a very well planned curriculum that sparks pupils’ interest in learning. Stimulating activities, including those outdoors, further extend their ability to collaborate and learn with their classmates. Pupils study topics such as ‘The mysteries of Ancient Egypt’, which cultivate their enthusiasm in learning. They record their topic work beautifully in ‘floor books’ and discrete subject books, clearly showing their joy and success in learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

 The school strongly promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Topic work, for example about ‘rainforests’, extends pupils’ knowledge of faiths, cultures and environmental issues. Assemblies and displays develop pupils’ understanding of British values. In addition, opportunities for pupils to express their views and contribute to various charities are used well to extend pupils’ understanding.  The targeted use of the sport premium to promote participation in sport means that, as the school grows, pupils have regular and widening opportunities to try new activities. For example, the netball club and Monday dance sessions have become popular features, increasing pupils’ healthy engagement in sport.

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Governance of the school

 Governance at local board and academy trust levels makes a strong contribution to the leadership of the school. Governors are highly skilled. They are kept well informed about all aspects of school life, through their own visits and by detailed reports from school leaders. Governors are rigorous in evaluating the use of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. They hold leaders to account for securing the strong progress made by these groups.  Governors provide high levels of challenge and support. They provide wise counsel and full encouragement to leaders in developing the school and driving improvement. These are seen in their full support of the leaders’ programme of staff training and in their strategic and carefully considered appointments of staff. Governors fulfil all legal responsibilities, including safeguarding, to a high standard.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. All staff put the safety of pupils at the heart of their work and, as a result, are vigilant in securing pupils’ well-being. School and academy trust leaders ensure that safeguarding procedures and regular training of staff are kept up to date and enable staff to keep pupils safe. Leaders recruit staff and volunteers carefully and carry out rigorous checks to ensure that all are safe to work with pupils. All records are meticulously kept and fit for purpose. Staff leaders and governors at school and academy trust level make purposeful checks on the school’s safeguarding information. They undertake regular risk assessments, including those for checking the school’s site and facilities.  Pupils feel very safe in school. All parents who expressed a view said that their children feel safe and are well looked after at school. Without exception, staff who submitted

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Safeguarding

responses to a questionnaire were equally adamant that pupils are kept safe at the school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

 Excellent teaching, learning and assessment are typified in all classes by teachers’ skilful, probing questioning and clear explanations, which deepen pupils’ thinking. Staff promote very caring, encouraging relationships that boost pupils’ confidence. Pupils throughout the school respond respectfully. They are willing to try and ‘have a go’, knowing their efforts and contributions will be valued. Consequently, pupils make strong progress  Teachers and teaching assistants sustain a positive learning atmosphere in all classes that consistently promotes pupils’ exemplary attitudes to learning. The small number of pupils with SEND receive exceptional levels of care and guidance and enjoy learning successfully alongside their friends. Parents recognise and express their appreciation of the school’s high-quality teaching. Parents’ typical comments included, ‘The school provides a wonderfully rich learning environment in which every child has the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

opportunity to thrive.’  Teachers set consistently high expectations and demonstrate high levels of subject knowledge. They share a keen sense to improve and engage diligently in training across the academy trust. Several teachers within the academy trust are lead practitioners. They lead training within the school and across the trust, thereby advancing their skills as well as the skills of others.  Staff use their detailed knowledge of individual pupils to adapt their teaching. For example, teachers plan ‘booster sessions’ for the most able and for those needing extra support to sustain strong progress.  The school’s classrooms and outdoor learning areas are spacious, well-organised and well-equipped places to learn. Teachers ensure that displays across the school support and attractively celebrate pupils’ high-quality work, especially their writing. Teachers make pertinent reference to the guidance on display. Pupils respond well and use this

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

information to help extend their skills and deepen their understanding.  The teaching of pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills is consistently strong across the school. The teaching of phonics is a particular strength. Staff make sessions lively and interesting. Consequently, pupils willingly respond to teachers’ questions, thereby enabling teachers to either celebrate pupils’ achievements or to correct misconceptions and sustain strong progress. Pupils respond well to teachers’ strong focus on widening their vocabulary. For example, teachers’ modelling of technical terms, such as ‘equivalence’ in mathematics and ‘expanded noun phrases’ in English deepens the pupils’ understanding. However, at times, pupils’ ability to spell the increasing number of complex new words presented to them is less secure.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding. It is underpinned by high-quality care and support from staff. Pupils of different needs and backgrounds, including those who have English as an additional language, thrive because their well-being is nurtured diligently by staff. Pupils are confident that any adult at the school will listen to them, and do their best to help them, if they are worried about anything.  Pupils say that they really enjoy school and parents agree. Typically, one parent wrote, ‘Both my children love being at school. They have made amazing progress and are very happy little children!’  Pupils’ relationships with each other and with adults are extremely supportive. These positive relationships help them to feel confident and to respond with keen interest to the stimulating curriculum planned for them. Pupils show a clear awareness of the

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Personal development and welfare

needs of others. For example, during the inspection, older pupils assisted other pupils who seemed upset, without hesitation.  Pupils talk knowledgeably about British values such as democracy, eagerly describing how they are involved in decision-making and take part in votes. For example, pupils choose where books presented to the school should be located and used.  The high levels of trust between adults and pupils and between the pupils themselves secure their genuine passion in learning. Throughout the school, pupils are very enthusiastic learners and are keen to do well. Pupils listen carefully to adults’ guidance and waste no time moving swiftly into their work. Pupils sustain concentration when working independently and greatly enjoy working supportively together in pairs and groups. The presentation of their work is of a high standard.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils are polite and friendly towards each other, staff and visitors. Pupils sustain their exemplary behaviour, not only at break, lunchtimes and during the breakfast club, but also as they move around the school. Almost all of the pupils’ responses to their online survey indicated that they feel very happy, safe and proud to be at this school. All the pupils who spoke with the inspector confidently agreed that they feel very safe at school, ‘because we have lots of friends, and adults care about us’. Pupils also demonstrated that they learn how to stay safe and know what to be mindful of when using the internet.  Pupils have no concerns about bullying, but they acknowledge that ‘people sometimes do silly things’. They say that teachers quickly ‘sort it out’.  Most pupils attend well and arrive punctually each day. Almost all absence is due to illness. The school implements rigorous systems for checking and promoting high

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Behaviour

attendance. Staff make home visits and communicate well with parents and agencies as the need arises to help the very small number of pupils whose attendance requires improvement.

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

 In the context of this growing school, assessments of pupils’ developing skills in relation to the national picture should be considered with care. This is because pupils’ skills on entry and times of arrival vary considerably from year to year. For example, no pupils currently in Year 3, and only half of those in Year 2, experienced learning in the school’s Reception class. Nevertheless, since the school was created there has been a sustained rise in the achievement of pupils throughout the school.  Comparisons between assessments and examples of pupils’ skills on entry to where they are now clearly show sustained strong progress during their time in this school. Outcomes in the national curriculum assessments in key stage 1 last year indicated strong progress by those pupils who had entered the school when it opened.  Current assessments of pupils in Year 2, their work in books and responses in class

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

show that pupils have sustained this strong progress. Standards in Year 2 now mostly exceed those expected and show a substantial increase in the number of pupils working at greater depth. A similar picture of strong progress made this year in reading, writing and mathematics is evident across Years 1 and 3. Convincingly, the longer pupils learn in this school, the more they reach and exceed the levels of skill and understanding expected for their age.  Since the school opened, despite significant changes in year groups, both in size and pupils’ starting points, more pupils have reached the expected level in the phonics check than have done so nationally. This reflects teachers’ successful development of pupils’ phonic understanding across early years and Year 1 classes. Pupils across the school use their phonic knowledge very effectively in their reading. Most pupils also apply their knowledge of letters and sounds to support accurate spelling of familiar

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

words in their writing.  Reading is promoted strongly. Teachers promote supportive links with parents who contribute well by helping their children to develop their reading skills at home. Pupils show a keen interest in reading. They can describe main characters, explain the meaning of words and read fluently with increasing expression, showing good skills for their age. The progress that pupils make in their reading during their time in the school is exceptional. Their very capable reading supports their achievement in other subjects.  Pupils with SEND make strong progress. They receive bespoke support and guidance from skilled and caring staff and are fully included in all aspects of school life. Consequently, their personal and academic needs are met equally successfully.  Leaders and teachers also ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those from service families have their needs carefully identified and met. Consequently, as seen with their

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

peers, these pupils make outstanding progress, both academically and personally.  The most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are regularly challenged. In mathematics for example, pupils make strong progress and respond eagerly to suitably demanding problem-solving activities that deepen their thinking.  All pupils are similarly challenged to use increasingly complex vocabulary to enrich their writing. Their high-quality work in books shows that pupils explain their ideas through well-developed and often extensive pieces of expressive writing. For example, pupils in Year 1 retell favourite stories such as Red Riding Hood, subtly replacing characters and events, but retaining similar meaning. Pupils in Years 2 and 3 show good understanding of complex terms such as preposition and alliteration when asked to talk about their work. At times, though, pupils struggle to spell correctly some of the new

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Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

words presented when using them to enrich their descriptive writing.  Pupils of all ages continue their successful progress across the range of subjects. Pupils’ work in books shows that, in relation to their age, they develop good skills of enquiry in science, history and geography. Their beautifully presented work in religious education, for example, when writing about ‘Noah’, demonstrates their deepening cultural awareness and respect for other people’s beliefs.

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Early years provision Outstanding

 As the school has grown since it first opened, so the range of children’s skills on entry have fluctuated. Currently, most children start in the pre-school or Reception with speech and language development broadly typical for their age. A high proportion of children, including those who speak English as an additional language, go on to make excellent progress in these and other areas in response to consistently strong teaching and support.  Sustained strong teaching of phonics, early reading, writing and mathematics skills has ensured that an above average proportion of children achieve and increasingly exceed a good level of development in these aspects. By the time they enter Year 1, children have made very strong progress and are ready to begin the next stage of their education.  The leader for early years provides exemplary leadership. She has clear plans for the setting and ensures that practitioners follow best practice to secure children’s

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Early years provision Outstanding

successful learning. The leader works in close collaboration with the pre-school practitioner to make sure that specialist guidance and support are obtained for children who may need it.  The leader for the early years and the pre-school manager carefully plan their meetings with parents when children first move into the school. They ensure that discussions are based closely on what children know and can do. Staff then use the information diligently to plan the children’s next steps in learning. Staff regularly update their assessments of the children’s deepening knowledge. They plan teaching and activities to sustain strong progress.  Parents highlight the warmth of the relationships that staff promote, with them and with their children. Parents also greatly praise the fun and success that children have in their learning. Typically, one parent wrote, ‘I can only praise all the school staff for everything they do. I really appreciate that my child thrives on a stable routine and is

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Early years provision Outstanding

very well looked after at the school.’  All children, including the most able and those with SEND flourish in the extremely well-equipped indoor and outdoor learning areas. Staff are skilled in identifying when children are ready to move on and swiftly provide increased challenge to deepen their understanding. The leader of early years ensures that the curriculum and range of learning activities takes close account of children’s interests and stimulates their full engagement in learning. Consequently, children behave extremely well and become engrossed in their learning. For example, children play and investigate and do so equally successfully as individuals or with their classmates. Children happily extend their writing skills in the outside ‘garden shed’. They demonstrate their good phonetic understanding when writing the names of different types of dinosaurs found in their ‘dinosaur world’.  Teachers and teaching assistants work diligently to ensure that children are kept

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Early years provision Outstanding

extremely safe in the early years. Safeguarding and welfare procedures are of the same high standard as elsewhere in the school.

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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

Website www.primroselane.somerset.sch.uk

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School details

Email address office@primroselane.somerset.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Primrose Lane Primary School was founded and became part of the Huish Academy Trust in September 2016. The Huish Academy Trust also includes Huish Primary School.  This school was originally sited at Huish Primary School, prior to moving to a new school building in June 2017.  An executive headteacher oversees the work of both schools. Each school has its own head of school and local governing board.  Primrose Lane is a growing school. Currently, it has four classes, namely a pre-school known as ‘Little Learners’, a Reception class and Year 1 class and a Years 2 and 3 class. Currently, it is well below size of an average-sized primary school. Children experience early years provision part time in a pre-school class and full time in a Reception class.  The majority of the pupils are from White British backgrounds. The percentage of pupils who speak English as an additional language is lower than the national level.

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Information about this school

 The percentage of pupils with SEND is below average. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged broadly matches the national average.  The proportion of pupils who join the school other than at the usual time is above that found nationally. The school accommodates a number of pupils from service families.  The governing body manages the pre-school and a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning activities across the school. The head of school accompanied the inspector during all visits to lessons.  A wide range of documents was scrutinised, including records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance, safeguarding procedures and the school’s self-evaluation.  The inspector examined the school’s systems for evaluating pupils’ progress and records of checks on the quality of teaching. He also scrutinised samples of pupils’ work across a range of subjects and classes  The inspector talked with individual pupils during lessons and breaktimes about the school and their work. He listened to individual pupils reading. The inspector interviewed a group of pupils about the school. The inspector also attended a school assembly.  The inspector met with the chair and other representatives of the local governing body and with representatives of the Huish Academy Trust. The inspector held meetings

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Information about this inspection

with senior and middle leaders and spoke informally with other teachers, teaching assistants and support staff.  The inspector examined the views expressed in 17 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and in 17 parents’ additional written comments. He also gathered the views of several parents as they brought their children to the school and the views of 20 members of staff and 20 pupils in their questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Alexander Baxter, lead inspector 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

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 .

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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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