Ivy Lane Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Ivy Lane Primary School Ivy Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 1HE

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Inspection dates: 12 and 13 January 2022

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Outcome

Ivy Lane Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teamwork is central to the work at Ivy Lane to ensure pupils are educated and nurtured well. Leaders are determined for all pupils to reach their potential. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the school. One parent, whose view was typical of many, commented that, ‘teachers are caring and passionate about the profession and provide engaging lessons which stimulate curiosity and imagination’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. Staff have an accurate understanding of pupils’ individual needs. Staff provide effective care and support. Pupils appreciate the many ways through which staff promote their personal development, including the use of outdoor learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and considerate. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Pupils understand that the school does not accept bullying in any form. They say that if bullying happens, adults deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are respectful of their peers and adults. They understand what it means to be a good friend. They know the importance of the school’s values. Pupils acknowledge and respect that people are different. As a result, they have formed strong relationships with each other and the adults who support them.

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

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They provide opportunities for pupils to gain resilience and become lifelong learners. Staff appreciate that leaders have a strong focus on ensuring both adults and pupils are well cared for and valued.

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

Leaders prioritise reading. As soon as children start in Reception, they develop a love of reading. Staff introduce children to a variety of stories, including traditional stories and fairy tales. Careful assessment means that teachers know where pupils need support. Teachers check that pupils are keeping up. If pupils fall behind, they receive well-targeted 12 and 13 January 2022

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support to catch up. Leaders have invested heavily to ensure that high-quality texts are available to pupils. The school environment motivates pupils to read, such as through vibrant reading corners and using the library. Pupils listen carefully to stories that adults read to them. Pupils say that they love reading. Older pupils say that ‘reading is a means of escape’.

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Leaders have organised the mathematics curriculum carefully. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are keen to learn. Leaders have focused on ensuring staff revisit pupils’ prior knowledge to support new learning. Staff effectively introduce children in the early years foundation stage to a wide range of key mathematical concepts. Effective talk from adults enables the youngest children to secure a good understanding of number.

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Leaders have worked systematically in planning aspects of the wider curriculum. However, in some subjects, such as physical education (PE), what pupils’ need to know is not clear enough. Pupils are unable to talk about the key knowledge and skills they should know and remember with confidence. Teachers do not check what pupils know and can do precisely enough. Consequently, pupils have gaps in their knowledge and understanding of PE.

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Staff tailor the curriculum well to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND and those with emotional needs are fully included in the life of the school. Careful identification and ongoing assessment of pupils’ needs ensure effective support is put in place. Staff work well with external agencies to support pupils further.

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Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning. They behave well. As a result, the school is a purposeful place to learn. If poor behaviour occurs, staff ensure they re-engage pupils back to their learning quickly.

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Leaders have a clear and accurate understanding of the needs of the community. Strong parental involvement means that the school knows its families well. Pupils like the help they get with their physical health and mental well-being. They talk enthusiastically about the opportunities for outdoor learning. Pupils realise it is alright to make mistakes and take acceptable and supported risks. Staff provide opportunities to help pupils to develop as individuals. Pupils say that adults understand them. Adults spot if something is not right. Consequently, pupils feel that they can trust all adults with their learning and safety.

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Governors and trust representatives share the ambition of school leaders. They are knowledgeable about the school’s direction of travel. They provide appropriate timely support and challenge to leaders to ensure decisions are made in the best interest of pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure there is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe. Staff receive frequent, up- to-date safeguarding training. As a result, they understand what to do if they are worried 12 and 13 January 2022

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about a child. Staff know that leaders take their concerns seriously. Staff are fully aware of the potential risks some pupils may face.

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Necessary checks on the suitability of staff are completed to ensure they are safe to work with children. Pupils feel safe. They know who to go to if they have a concern. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum supports pupils’ understanding of risk well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The key content that pupils must know in some subjects is not explicit enough. It is not always clear what pupils should know and by when. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge over time. Leaders need to ensure that staff identify, sequence and prioritise essential knowledge so pupils have the necessary building blocks for future learning.  In some subjects, such as PE, assessment information is not detailed enough to check what pupils know and can do. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified. Teachers need to check how well pupils are learning the curriculum so they can assure themselves that key knowledge is being remembered.

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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 predecessor school, Ivy Lane Primary School, to be good in June 2014.

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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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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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. 12 and 13 January 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212143 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 June 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Pickwick Academy Trust in August 2017.

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Information about this school

 The school uses two unregistered alternative providers.

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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 has taken that into account in their evaluation.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the pastoral manager, groups of staff, representatives from the multi-academy trust and members of the governance committee.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited samples of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 12 and 13 January 2022

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 The inspector also looked at curriculum plans for history.

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 The inspector listened to pupils read to an adult in Years 1, 2 and 3.

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 The inspector looked at how the school keeps pupils safe. The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads. The inspector also scrutinised the school’s single central record.

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 The inspector considered 47 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 37 free-text comments. The inspector also considered 56 responses to the pupil online survey and 22 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 12 and 13 January 2022

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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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