Locking Primary School

Inspection of Locking Primary School Meadow Drive, Locking, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset BS24 8BB

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 15 and 16 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They are determined that all can achieve. Despite significant changes in leadership and staffing, leaders have carefully planned a curriculum that considers pupils needs and their local area.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They are interested in their learning and are happy and confident to talk about it. If pupils are worried or upset, they know they can approach adults in school. Pupils say bullying can happen but, when it does, they are confident that an adult will help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well. Staff encourage them to work hard. Pupils respond well to this. The new behaviour system prioritises resilience and has supported pupils to develop good attitudes to learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play an active role in the school. They take great pride in their responsibilities, including being school librarians and classroom monitors. This supports pupils to develop a sense of responsibility and respect for others.

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. They are outward looking and welcome the challenge and guidance they receive from the trust. Decisions made by the trust have brought about much improvement in the school’s work. Leaders know the school’s strengths and weaknesses well.

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better?

Staff, including those early in their career, feel that leaders support their development and well-being. They feel valued and well looked after. Leaders have provided teachers with the training and support they need to deliver curriculum plans effectively.

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better?

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. Staff are well trained in the school’s phonics programme. In the early years, adults prioritise developing children’s language and communication skills through songs and rhymes. Pupils read with increasing accuracy using the sounds they know to read unfamiliar words. Books are usually well matched to the sounds pupils know. Pupils who need to catch up with their phonics receive the right support and develop into confident readers.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum is clearly planned and sequenced, starting in early years. Staff have strong subject knowledge. As a result, sequences of learning are effective and build knowledge over time. Teachers make sure pupils revisit previous learning so they understand it securely. However, the curriculum is sometimes not challenging enough in the way it gets pupils to apply their knowledge.

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better?

Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know across the wider curriculum. In physical education (PE), there is a clear focus on developing 15 and 16 March 2022

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pupils’ knowledge and skills, which build towards playing competitive games. Pupils make relevant links to prior learning and achieve well. They talk confidently about their ‘personal best’ and how to improve. However, in some subjects, pupils struggle to recall relevant knowledge. In art, for example, pupils are unable to talk about techniques and artists they should know and remember. This leads to gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the same curriculum as their peers. Most teachers adapt resources and tasks to meet pupils’ needs. However, this is not consistent. As a result, the progress these pupils make is varied. Some parents of pupils with SEND share this view.

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive. During breaktime and lunchtimes, most pupils play well together. Even so, some parents raised concerns about low-level disruption during learning time.

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Before the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils enjoyed a wide range of educational experiences. Many activities had to pause while restrictions were in place. However, pupils have enjoyed the wide offer of clubs, including gardening, construction and dance. Leaders and staff have begun to restart these and have plans to extend them further. Pupils have plans to develop their roles as responsible citizens, which includes charity work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding work closely with families and external agencies. They make swift referrals to ensure that pupils and families get the support they need. Staff undertake regular training to keep up with the current guidance. Leaders’ checks on staff who work at the school are fit for purpose.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn about the dangers of drugs and how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some inconsistencies in the curriculum that leaders have not yet addressed. Consequently, in some subjects, pupils, including those with SEND, have gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Leaders need to check subject curriculums carefully to ensure that they are implemented well in every subject and year group.  Some parents expressed concerns about pupils’ behaviour. They feel that some behaviour affects their children’s ability to concentrate in lessons. Leaders need to 15 and 16 March 2022

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build upon the good work that has already started in strengthening links with parents, so concerns raised are addressed quickly.

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How can I feed back my views?

or 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. 15 and 16 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212139 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Locking Primary School became an academy in October 2017 and is part of the Extend Learning Academies Network.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  There have been significant changes in leadership and staff since 2019.  The executive headteacher was appointed in February 2021. The head of school joined in March 2021 and the early years leader joined in September 2021.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors met with the head of school, executive headteacher, subject leaders, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust, the school improvement lead and representatives of the governing board. 15 and 16 March 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, PE and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding, checked the school’s single central record and scrutinised polices relating to safeguarding. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead and reviewed a sample of case files.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils in classrooms and around school. They spoke with pupils formally and informally to discuss their views about the school. Inspectors also met with leaders to consider aspects of behaviour and

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pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors considered 78 responses to the Ofsted survey, Ofsted Parent View, alongside 32 free-text responses from parents.

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Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sean McKeown Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 March 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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