Lockwood Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lockwood Primary School Boosbeck, Saltburn-by-the-Sea, North Yorkshire TS12 3BL

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Outcome

Lockwood Primary School continues to be a good school. There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy place to learn. Pupils get on well with each other. They enjoy the physical activities at playtime, including the trim trail, outdoor gym and Daily Mile running track. Pupils are respectful, caring and eager to play an active role in lessons. Pupils say they are not concerned about bullying as it does not happen in school. There is very little low-level disruption. Lessons have a quiet and productive buzz about them. Teachers and support staff know each pupil well. Pupils who are stuck with their work are supported effectively in class. Pupils enjoy their reading. Younger pupils get off to a flying start when learning to read.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Nevertheless, pupils’ learning and understanding in subjects such as geography, history and physical education (PE) are muddled. Leaders have not thought carefully about what pupils learn and in what order. Occasionally, pupils are confused about what they are learning. Some pupils do not know simple facts, rules or ideas as set out in the national curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Over time, a lot of the school’s systems, ways of working and the foundation curriculum have not been reviewed or amended. Staff and governor training is not as effective as it could be.

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

The new headteacher is getting to grips with the size of the task in hand. There is much to do to ensure pupils get the best education possible. Recently, the headteacher and staff have reviewed the school’s behaviour policy. Pupils now understand more clearly the school rules and how they will be rewarded for good behaviour. Pupils now work harder in lessons to increase their chances of winning house points or other rewards. 6 and 7 October 2021

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The foundation subject curriculum is weak. Pupils learn a range of subjects while completing project and classwork linked to themes such as ‘predators’. However, a check on pupils’ understanding highlights a range of common misconceptions. For example, in discussion, pupils can mix up different historical time periods, include days of the week when counting to 10 in French and they incorrectly describe the established rules of cricket or football. Assessment of pupils’ written work can be unhelpful. Sometimes, it does not relate precisely to the subject pupils are learning. When this happens, pupils do not understand what they are doing well or what they need to improve.

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Reading is a significant strength of the school. Staff teach early reading with enthusiasm and in the same way. This ensures pupils who need extra help when learning to read in the early years and Year 1 catch up quickly. Over time, most pupils read confidently and with fluency before they start Year 2. Pupils have a lot of choice when it comes to selecting reading books in school. They talk with animation when describing the stories adults read to them, including ‘The Robot and the Bluebird’ by David Lucas.

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Training for leaders, staff and governors is infrequent. This is resulting in gaps in their understanding and/or inconsistent application of school policies that relate to the curriculum, special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), safeguarding and accountability. Governors, senior and subject leaders do not monitor and hold others to account as well as they should.

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Opportunities to improve pupils’ personal development take place both within the curriculum and as stand-alone events. However, the personal development curriculum is not planned in a way that helps pupils build on what they have learned previously. Nevertheless, pupils develop leadership skills as prefects or as members of the eco- committee. Year 6 pupils participate in a 10-week leadership programme, training them to become mental health ambassadors. The school is involved in several charity events, including efforts to provide school uniform to families who need it and local amateur theatre events supporting disabled teenagers.

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Staff enjoy coming to work each day. A team spirit and collective determination to do what is right by the pupils is evident across the school. Staff say leaders check in on them regularly. Staff say the new headteacher is managing change effectively and including them in decisions that affect their own work. Support staff say the pupils they come across are polite and often hold open doors for them. They also say leaders would support them fully if they had a worry or concern about a pupil’s behaviour or welfare.

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In discussion with the headteacher, the inspector agreed that the foundation subjects, including history, geography, design and technology and PE, may usefully serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe. They have confidence in the staff who look after them. Pupils comment positively about the number of staff who supervise them when they are outside 6 and 7 October 2021

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playing and about the personal attention they receive if they have a trip or fall while at school.

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However, during the inspection leaders were asked to update and amend the single central record which documents the pre-appointment checks leaders undertake before a member of staff starts working at the school.

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Governors’ understanding of their responsibilities relating to safeguarding needs to be strengthened further. Additionally, staff training, and therefore understanding of safeguarding issues, is not as strong as it should be.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 While the curriculum and approach to teaching early reading are strong, the foundation curriculum does not promote a love of learning or deep understanding of each individual subject beyond English and mathematics. Some pupils do not understand simple concepts or knowledge as set out in the national curriculum at key stages 1 and 2. Leaders must ensure they develop a foundation curriculum which identifies and orders effectively the most important knowledge and skills pupils should know and apply.  Teachers’ assessment of pupils’ understanding does not help pupils recognise what they do well or what they need to improve in the foundation subjects. This is because feedback does not centre on the knowledge pupils should know and remember. This is also, in part, due to the current structure of the foundation curriculum. Leaders should ensure assessment is sharply focused on the intended outcomes of a more appropriate

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and sequenced foundation curriculum so that pupils understand more clearly how to improve further.  Continuing professional development for staff, leaders and governors is thin on the ground. There is no strategic approach to developing staff as leaders or governors as the accountable body to help improve the quality of education pupils receive. Subject leaders have had little training to be effective in their role and they do not have many opportunities to monitor or improve the subjects they lead beyond their own classroom. Subject leaders and members of the governing body do not have an accurate view of what is being taught in the school or how effective teaching is. Leaders should develop a plan and introduce additional training opportunities for all senior and subject leaders, as well as governors, to ensure they understand and discharge their responsibilities effectively. Staff and governors should receive further

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

safeguarding and SEND training to deepen their understanding of how to keep pupils safe or how to support pupils with SEND more effectively in the classroom. 6 and 7 October 2021

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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 outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 6 and 7 October 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Kerry Reed (Co-chair) Sarah Wales (Co-chair) Headteacher Lesley Lawson

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School details

Website www.lockwoodprimaryschool.eschools.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a foundation trust including the following primary schools: Badger Hill, Belmont, Chaloner, Galley Hill, Highcliffe, Lingdale, Handale and Whitecliffe.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above average.  A new headteacher took up post in June 2020.  Most pupils attending the school are White British.  The school has provision for two-year-olds in the early years foundation stage.  Most governors are new to the school and took up post in the last year.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and took that into account in his evaluation. 6 and 7 October 2021

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 The inspector undertook deep dives into the following subjects: reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector talked to pupils about and reviewed their work in the foundation subjects, including geography, history, languages and design and technology.  Meetings were held with senior and curriculum leaders, teachers, governors, support staff and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed interactions during social times.  The inspector reviewed the school’s records of staff recruitment.  The inspector observed the work of the school and scrutinised a wide range of evidence, including behaviour and admissions records, safeguarding files, recruitment

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checks and curriculum documentation.  The inspector took into account the 23 responses from parents who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. Three members of staff and 12 pupils completed Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys. All of these responses were taken into consideration.

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Inspection team

Lee Elliott, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 October 2021

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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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