Lakenheath Community Primary School

Inspection of Lakenheath Community Primary School Mill Road, Lakenheath, Brandon, Suffolk IP27 9DU

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 10–11 March 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school experience a wide-ranging curriculum. They particularly enjoy the learning beyond the classroom. They benefit from specialist teaching in areas such as physical education and music. They enjoy learning in the spacious grounds, in the forest area and taking part in the many different games at playtimes. They take part in a range of clubs and trips away. Children in the early years have a well- appointed area where they enjoy climbing around and playing with the different activities. However, the quality of education that pupils experience is not yet good. Pupils’ learning in some subjects is not well organised and the steps to developing skills are not clearly planned out.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour around school is good. They are sensible, polite and respectful. They play together well and look out for those who need a friend. Some parents and a few pupils expressed concerns about name-calling and bullying. However, the majority of pupils spoken to were adamant that, although this did happen in the past, it does not occur as much now. They were clear that there are many adults they can go to if they have worries or concerns.

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better?

It is clear that standards, both in attainment and behaviour, dropped significantly after the previous inspection. The current headteacher and her team have successfully begun to turn this decline around. The behaviour of pupils is good. There is a strong focus on developing the ‘whole child’, with a broad curriculum and emphasis on personal development. The attainment of pupils at the end of key stage 2 has begun to rise. However, the quality of education is still not good enough overall.

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better?

Leaders have reorganised classes and put in place an overview of what topics are to be taught in each phase. For some subjects, the detail of what knowledge and skills should be taught, and in what sequence, is not yet in place.

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better?

Where leaders have put in place more detailed plans, and there has been substantial staff training, the learning is more effective. Where learning is best, teachers develop pupils’ vocabulary, and use pictorial and practical resources to support pupils’ understanding. In mathematics, as in some other subjects, pupils are encouraged to discuss and debate their ideas. Pupils are beginning to be more confident in their written explanations.

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better?

For subjects, such as English, where there is a new scheme in place, teachers do not yet have enough understanding of how to structure learning. The steps that build up towards the end-of-year expectations are not clear. Teachers have not had enough training where this is the case. 10–11 March 2020

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The teaching of early reading is not good enough. The proportion of pupils passing the phonics check at the end of Year 1 has fallen over the last three years. Teaching is not precise. It does not focus closely enough on the sounds and shapes that different letters and combinations make. Pupils’ practice of words and sounds is not always a high enough priority in the lessons. As pupils get older, they are encouraged to like reading. They read frequently. Teachers are now using high- quality texts to teach English and as class stories. Pupils enjoy the books.

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The early years has an attractive outside space, which has provision for all areas of learning. Children are happy. However, there is not sufficient emphasis on developing reading, writing or mathematics. Pupils do not do enough practice of these skills, either in their play or with adults.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), alongside the rest of the pupils, could be doing better. Leaders have tightened up systems for identifying needs and planning support for pupils with SEND. However, the effectiveness of provision and support varies between classes. Pupils with behavioural and/or emotional difficulties are well supported, with strong individualised provision to engage them.

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Across the school, there is a strong focus on developing pupils’ personal development. There are many extra-curricular clubs and activities, with provision for the disadvantaged pupils a priority. Leaders ensure that pupils get to have experiences that take them beyond their local area, such as visiting London, singing as part of a mass choir and enjoying residentials throughout key stage 2.

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Senior leaders understand what needs to be done to improve the provision. However, some leaders need further development to ably lead their area of responsibility. Staff report confidence in the leadership team. They feel that the staff as a whole work together as a team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. School systems enable a joined-up approach, so that all adults who work with individual pupils know when they might need extra support or help. Staff are well trained in knowing what signs to look out for to ensure that pupils are safe. Governors and leaders make sure that all appropriate checks are made on adults working in the school. 10–11 March 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The teaching of early reading skills is not good enough. The focus on the sounds and shapes that letters make is often lost within the activities. Consequently, pupils are not developing this knowledge quickly or securely. Teachers need more skills and support to deliver effective phonics teaching.  Leaders have put in place new systems for some subjects. However, teachers are not yet confident on how to deliver these effectively. Pupils’ skills are not developed in a coherent way. Leaders need to further plan out the system over each phase to enable this to happen.  Children in the early years do not have enough opportunities to practise core skills of reading, writing and mathematics in either their play or with an adult. They are not making the progress that they ought to be. Leaders need to ensure that opportunities for practice are planned in and that staff are confident in how to develop these early key skills.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum as a whole is not yet planned out in sufficient detail for teachers to be confident about what knowledge and skills they should be teaching pupils in all subjects. As a consequence, pupils do not always learn what they need to. Leaders need to put this detail in place and support other leaders so that they are confident in knowing what quality learning looks like for their subjects and/or areas.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7–8 May 2015

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Information about this school

 The school works closely with two other schools as part of a Suffolk project and also with a local teaching school.  The school provides a variety of different breakfast clubs.  A separately registered provider runs an after-school club on the premises.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We spoke to the headteacher, leaders and members of teaching and support staff. We met with representatives of the governing body and the local authority school effectiveness officer.  We spoke to pupils in lessons, out of lessons and on the playground. We went to an assembly and spoke to parents.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, writing, mathematics, history and science. These deep dives included discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. We looked at pupils’ work and visited lessons. 10–11 March 2020

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 To inspect safeguarding arrangements, we scrutinised the school’s single central record and spoke to a wide range of staff, pupils and parents. We looked at a range of safeguarding records.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ashley Best-White Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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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