Lakeside Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lakeside Primary School Leyland Road, Glascote, Tamworth, Staffordshire B77 2SA

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Outcome

Lakeside Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy and secure at Lakeside Primary School. They love the extended grounds and fields where they play and learn. Leaders set high aspirations for all. The school’s values of ‘kindness, respect and tolerance’ are at the heart of everything. Pupils are encouraged to challenge themselves, learn from mistakes and never give up. They try hard and are proud of their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Right from the start, children learn the school’s five golden behaviour rules. Teachers expect all pupils to use good manners, listen to others and get along together. As a result, behaviour is good. Bullying hardly ever happens. Pupils are confident that adults are fair and deal with any problems quickly. Parents and carers agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning the full range of curriculum subjects. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils will learn in each subject have been significantly raised over time. Pupils enjoy different learning experiences, such as science work with the University of Birmingham and visits from interactive theatre companies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has good links with sports clubs and pupils enjoy a range of after-school activities. Pupils are proud of the history of Tamworth. They are excited that the Commonwealth Games baton is soon to pass through the town.

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

Throughout Lakeside Primary School, there is a strong sense of ‘we are a team, we work together, we can do it’. Leaders are ambitious. Governors are well informed. They understand how well things are working and what more needs to be done. Relationships are based on trust.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum. Despite the disruptions of the COVID-19 pandemic, everyone has worked tirelessly to bring this curriculum to life. Subject leaders share their expertise with staff and provide more help and support as needed. Curriculum 28 and 29 June 2022

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planning is well structured. Teachers identify the key subject knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to know and remember for future learning. However, some subject leaders lack a good understanding of how learning in the early years links into their subject area. This means that, in some subjects, expectations of what children can do when they enter Year 1 are too low.

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Leaders have taken decisive actions to improve the way that early reading is taught from nursery onwards. Children experience language-rich routines and activities right from the start. This paves the way for future learning.

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Once in Reception, children follow a well-structured phonics programme. Books are well matched to the sounds that pupils are learning. Teachers have high expectations and teach phonics well. They check that pupils are remembering and using new sounds. They keep a close eye on those pupils who are not keeping up. These pupils receive extra help, but they do not have enough time to practise and apply the new sounds. As a result, they do not become confident and fluent readers quickly enough.

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Mathematics is taught well. Learning is sequenced towards very clear, ambitious outcomes from early years to Year 6. There is a strong focus on securing pupils’ confidence and mental fluency. This starts in early years where children are taught early number through practical activities, stories and rhymes. Teachers display and promote mathematical language throughout the school. More sessions have recently been introduced to help pupils recall and apply mathematical knowledge at speed and with accuracy.

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Teachers provide the right support for those pupils who need it so that everyone is fully included in school life. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same curriculum as others. Even when pupils have very high levels of need, lessons are adapted to make sure that they experience the same curriculum. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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The curriculum extends and broadens pupils’ experiences in a range of subjects. Pupils enjoy learning about important people in history, such as Walter Tull, Alexander Bell and Katherine Johnson. Pupils are beginning to talk about big ideas in history, such as continuity and change. Likewise, in art, the curriculum is well organised. Pupils study artists ranging from Banksy and street art to American and Japanese art and sculpture. This broadens pupils’ thinking. As a result, they are beginning to talk about art and artists with confidence.

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There is a clear focus on the mental well-being of pupils and staff. Staff feel valued and are highly positive about leaders. They say that leaders are supportive and considerate about workload. Staff feel included in the development of the curriculum. They appreciate the training and resources and say that help and advice are always available if needed. 28 and 29 June 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created an effective safeguarding team in school. The family support worker knows the community well and is trusted. Everyone in the school works together to make sure that those who need help are identified quickly. The team follows up any concerns swiftly. Records are detailed. Nothing is left to chance. Help is sought from external experts when needed. This teacher’s comment captures the staff views: ‘We are all responsible for the children’s safety; it’s our first duty.’

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Safeguarding

The curriculum is used well to teach pupils how to keep safe. For example, pupils are taught about online safety and the importance of healthy relationships.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Teachers do not ensure that some pupils, particularly those who have fallen behind in their reading, have sufficient time to practise the sounds that they have learned. As a result, they do not become fluent readers quickly enough. Leaders should ensure that children who fall behind in reading have the opportunity to practise new sounds frequently so that they become confident and fluent readers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders lack a detailed understanding of how learning in the early years links into their subject curriculum. This means that, in some foundation subjects, expectations of what children can do when they enter Year 1 are too low. Senior leaders should provide subject leaders with further support and training to enable them to develop their subject curriculum from the early years.

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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, Lakeside Primary School, to be good in June 2015. 28 and 29 June 2022

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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. 28 and 29 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241469 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

 Lakeside Primary School joined Mercia Primary Academy Trust in April 2018.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2019.  The school operates a wrap-around care provision that is managed by the governing body.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, the leader of SEND and other staff members.  The inspector also met with members of the local governing body, the chief executive officer and one trustee. 28 and 29 June 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils read.  The inspector looked at school documents. These included information about leadership, behaviour, attendance, and the school curriculum and improvement planning.  The inspector explored the school’s safeguarding arrangements through viewing safeguarding records and procedures, meeting with pupils and staff and talking to safeguarding leaders.  The inspector met with parents on the playground. She considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with the additional free-text responses. She also considered responses to the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Marilyn Mottram, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 June 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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