Lyndhurst Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lyndhurst Community Primary School Hill Street, Dukinfield, Cheshire SK16 4JS

p.1

Outcome

Lyndhurst Community Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that one or more areas may be declining, as set out below.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

I spoke with a number of pupils during the inspection. They told me that they feel safe in school and that staff look after them well. They said that pupils behave themselves most of the time. When they do not, teachers are good at dealing with them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying sometimes happens in school. However, pupils are confident in the way staff respond to it. They know that teachers will help them with any problems they have. Leaders act quickly and do all they can to stop bullying happening again.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff want pupils to do their best. Pupils respond positively by behaving well and working hard. Pupils are doing well in mathematics. They are getting better at reading. In some other subjects, though, pupils do not get all the knowledge they need. Some younger pupils are not reading as well as they could.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get the chance to take part in lots of extra events, on top of their work in class. They go on residential trips to take part in adventurous outdoor activities. They go to after-school clubs, including boxing. They also find out about how important it is to treat everyone with respect, no matter who they are.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have an ambitious curriculum in place. It covers all the subjects of the national curriculum and contains other activities besides. These include visits to places like a Viking centre, to support learning in history. There is also a wide variety of clubs, ranging from football to chess. Pupils get the chance to take on responsibilities, such as serving as school councillors. The school has a high number of pupils who are disadvantaged. Leaders have these pupils at the centre of their thinking in the broad curriculum they provide. 3–4 March 2020

p.1

2

In reading and mathematics, leaders plan what pupils will learn and when. They adapt the curriculum in these subjects to help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They also adapt the way they teach it. They do this by, for instance, giving extra support from teaching assistants.

p.2

2

Reading is mainly well organised. Because of some staffing instability, there was a substantial dip in attainment and progress at the end of Year 6 in 2019. The proportion of pupils at the expected standard was not significantly below average, though. Leaders have done something to improve this. There is now a focus on teaching pupils how to do things such as inferring meanings from what they are reading. This is helping to strengthen their reading.

p.2

2

Children start learning phonics soon after they enter the nursery. They start with knowledge that is below typical for their age. The teaching is well organised and allows pupils to build up their learning into Year 1. Most pupils reach the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of that year. Staff provide help for pupils who need to catch up. However, the books they give them to read do not match what they know about phonics closely enough. This prevents them from becoming fluent at reading.

p.2

2

The mathematics curriculum is well structured. Leaders recently checked on how well pupils were gaining knowledge in the subject. They decided to do more work on making sure pupils have a secure grasp of important knowledge, such as multiplication tables. This has helped most pupils to know more and remember more in mathematics.

p.2

2

Leaders plan mathematics in the early years effectively. Teachers give work that matches most children’s needs. They give them helpful resources to enable them to learn well. However, some parts of the classroom environment do not support children’s learning as effectively as possible. For example, children sometimes cannot access materials that would help them to understand numbers.

p.2

2

In other subjects, leaders have not planned the curriculum well enough. They have recently written plans for what they want pupils to be able to do by the end of each year. However, in several subjects, such as science, geography and history, what knowledge pupils will gain and when is not clear. They are unable to build up their knowledge in a sensible order over time. Teachers’ subject knowledge is not strong enough in these subjects. This means that they do not consistently provide pupils with work that makes them think hard and helps them to learn what they need to.

p.2

2

Leaders deal well with any incidents of bullying. They record them in detail and make sure that pupils feel protected. Pupils mostly behave well in class and show positive attitudes. This means that they can learn without being put off by poor behaviour.

p.2

2

Leaders think about the well-being of their staff. They do whatever they can to manage teacher’s workload. Staff who spoke to me said they feel able to approach leaders with any concerns they have.

p.2

2

In discussion with the headteacher, we agreed that science, history and geography may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection. 3–4 March 2020

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders take safeguarding very seriously. They train staff well. Staff know what to watch out for that might mean a pupil is at risk of harm. They know how to report any issues they come across.

p.3

Safeguarding

The safeguarding leader keeps detailed records of any concerns about pupils. She makes sure that pupils get the right level of help they need. If there are any serious worries, she refers them to services such as social care straight away.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe, knowing that staff will look after them well. Staff help pupils to keep themselves safe. For example, staff tell them how to stay out of harm’s way when they are on the internet.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum in subjects other than English and mathematics is not coherent enough. In several subjects, the order in which leaders expect pupils to acquire knowledge is not clear. This means that pupils do not learn in a logical sequence that builds on previous knowledge. Leaders must ensure that they consistently organise the curriculum so that it is clear what pupils should learn and when.  Teachers do not have sufficiently secure subject knowledge in a number of subjects. Because of this, teachers do not routinely provide pupils with work that is demanding enough or enables them to learn the content they need. Leaders should ensure that teachers receive appropriate training so that they teach pupils what they need in order to acquire detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum.  Although the teaching of phonics is mainly well organised, younger pupils who need to catch up do not read books that are matched closely to their knowledge of phonics.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

This means that they do not develop fluency and confidence in reading as quickly as possible. Leaders need to provide younger pupils with books that enable them to apply their knowledge of phonics so that they become fluent at reading and are able to access the full curriculum more securely. 3–4 March 2020

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.4

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 10–11 May 2016.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 3–4 March 2020

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Website www.lyndhurstprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 10–11 May 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The current headteacher is new to the school. She took up her position in September 2019.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 I held meetings with the headteacher, the curriculum leader and other members of staff. I spoke with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  I reviewed the school’s website and a range of school documents. These included the school’s self-evaluation document, its improvement plan, curriculum documents for a variety of subjects, including history and geography, and records about behaviour, safeguarding and bullying.  I spoke to pupils informally in class about their work. I also spoke to a group of pupils about their experiences in school.  I spoke with a number of parents and carers informally during the inspection. I evaluated 13 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. I also analysed 12 responses to the staff survey. 3–4 March 2020

p.5

6

 I looked in depth at reading, mathematics and science. I spoke with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at a range of pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils. I also heard pupils read and talked to pupils about their reading.

p.6

Inspection team

Mark Quinn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 3–4 March 2020

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7