St Lawrence Church of England Primary School

Inspection of St Lawrence Church of England Primary School Manor Lane, Wymington, Rushden, Northamptonshire NN10 9LL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 December 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Lawrence Primary School is a happy, friendly place. Pupils embody the school’s vision of ‘Let your light shine’. They say that they are proud of their school and that they feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is calm. Pupils are considerate towards each other. Pupils behave well because they enjoy their learning. For example, they show excitement at science experiments or outdoor learning. Pupils say that bullying is rare and that if bullying does happen, their teachers deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the high expectations that staff have for them. Pupils know that teachers expect them to work hard. Because of this, they participate in lessons with confidence and enthusiasm.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities to develop personally. For example, they can access many clubs. Pupils relish competitive sporting matches against other schools.

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better?

Leaders have developed a well-planned curriculum. In most subjects, they have identified the key skills, knowledge and outcomes expected for each year group. For example, in mathematics, the curriculum is sequenced to give pupils the reasoning skills they need for future learning. In some areas, such as art, and design and technology, plans are less developed. Leaders are addressing this.

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better?

Teachers help pupils to recap on their previous learning. This helps pupils to remember most of what they have learned. Leaders have ensured that many subject areas have considered approaches to checking what pupils have learned. However, assessment is not focused closely on what pupils know and remember. This limits how effectively teachers can use this information to support pupils further in some subjects. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they might.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading effectively. They have put in place a well-sequenced programme that supports learning well. Children learn phonics as soon as they start in Reception Year. Pupils who need extra help to catch up receive it. Teachers share their enjoyment of books. As a result, most pupils develop a love of reading. For example, pupils enjoy the ‘50 books in a year challenge’.

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better?

Most staff teach reading effectively. A small number of staff are not fully confident in using the new phonics programme. Consequently, a few pupils do not learn to read well quite as quickly as they might.

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better?

In early years, children benefit from high expectations. Children settle quickly, are happy and enjoy sharing activities. Staff are trained effectively in supporting 1 and 2 December 2021

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children. Leaders ensure that routines are followed. Children learn the knowledge they need to move on successfully to key stage 1.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong support. Teachers adapt the learning in class so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as their peers. Skilled adults give these pupils extra help. Leaders work effectively with a range of specialist external advisers to support pupils with SEND. Consequently, these pupils learn what they need in order to be successful.

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Leaders’ work supports pupils’ personal development well. The curriculum builds pupils’ cultural understanding effectively, such as when they learn about current affairs. Through the curriculum, pupils also develop a strong understanding of difference. For example, they study and celebrate Diwali and the Chinese New Year. As a result, pupils talk confidently about respect, law and fairness.

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Governors are ambitious for the continual improvement of the school. They provide valuable support and challenge to leaders. Governors monitor safeguarding effectively. They check on leaders’ support for groups of pupils, such as those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged. Governors’ checks lead to further actions for improvement.

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Leaders ensure that all staff have a reasonable workload. This supports staff’s well- being effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are vigilant in looking for any signs of abuse. Leaders keep well-organised records and review these regularly. Leaders make prompt referrals to other agencies when they need to.

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Safeguarding

The curriculum teaches pupils to seek help if they have any worries. They learn how to keep themselves safe online and when in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is a systematic approach to assessment in many subjects within the school. This does not focus sharply on checking closely what pupils know and remember. Leaders must provide clear guidance and support to teachers and subject leaders so that they make suitable use of what this assessment tells them.  A small number of staff are not fully confident in using the school’s new phonics programme. Because of this, some pupils learn to read less quickly than they 1 and 2 December 2021

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might. Leaders must train all relevant staff so that they all know equally well how to teach phonics.

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How can I feed back my views?

to 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. 1 and 2 December 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

28 and 29 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005, deemed section 5 of the same Act at the time of inspection

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Information about this school

 St Lawrence Church of England Primary School is federated with Christopher Reeves Voluntary Aided Church of England Primary School, Podington. The federation is known as Chellington Church of England Federation.  The school last received a Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in January 2020.  St Lawrence Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school has an on-site nursery for children from three years of age.  Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new headteacher. She took up her post in September 2018. The majority of the members of the governing body are new.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 1 and 2 December 2021

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This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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 Prior to the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed documents on the school’s website as well as published information about the school’s performance and previous inspection reports.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, members of staff and the school business manager. The lead inspector held a meeting with five governors, including the chair and vice-chair of the governing body, and met with the school improvement partner.  Deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and art were carried out. These included discussions with subject leaders and teachers, visits to lessons and scrutiny of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also met with pupils to discuss their learning in these subjects and listened to pupils from Reception Year, Year 1 and Year 2 reading to a familiar adult.  A range of documentation was scrutinised, including leaders’ plans to improve the school, curriculum plans and school records relating to behaviour.

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 Inspectors spoke to pupils at break- and lunchtime and during lessons.  Inspectors visited all classes, including Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspectors reviewed the 28 responses that were submitted by parents and carers to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and also considered the 15 free-text responses from parents. The inspectors also considered 23 responses to the Ofsted staff survey and the 26 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Duncan Ramsey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Dooley Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 December 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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