Lakeview School

Inspection of Lakeview School School Lane, Off Brooklands Avenue, Wixams, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK42 6BH

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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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 Good 18 and 19 October 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Lakeview are part of a friendly community. From the start, children learn to share and play together. There is something for everyone to play with at breaktimes. Pupils enjoy books and games. Older pupils relax on outdoor beanbags or exuberantly enjoy the gym equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand what bullying is and why it is wrong. It happens sometimes but pupils said that when adults know about it, they make sure it stops. Pupils feel safe here and they are kept safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Clear routines help children settle easily into the early years. Pupils quickly learn how to behave in lessons, and understand the rules. Older pupils know the school values well. They explain how these help their learning and behaviour. Pupils respond well to teachers’ high expectations and work hard. They are proud to develop independence in their learning, for example by checking answers in books or with buddies. They listen respectfully to presentations by other pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Throughout the school, pupils delight in the new words they learn. Young children talk confidently about habitats and plants from their learning outdoors. Older pupils use vocabulary well to explain complicated learning in subjects such as science.

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better?

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum. From the early years, this clearly sets out the most important learning. Teachers have the expertise to break this down into small steps of learning to meet the needs of their pupils. They introduce and explain the precise vocabulary needed to understand new ideas. This enables pupils to build their skills and knowledge.

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better?

In lessons, teachers have good routines for learning. They recap and revisit the most important points regularly. This helps pupils to understand and remember what they learn. Teachers introduce new ideas clearly. They give pupils the time they need to apply new skills and knowledge. Pupils said that ‘practice, practice, practice’ helps them to know and remember more over time. Subject leaders are ready to carry out regular monitoring of learning. This will help them identify what is working well and where extra support for teachers or adjustments to the curriculum are required.

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better?

Adults check pupils’ understanding regularly, in small groups and the whole class. They are quick to spot where pupils need an extra explanation or more help, and put this in place straight away.

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better?

Skilful adults help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). From the early years, adults look out for emotional and learning difficulties and provide extra support for children who need it. Leaders follow advice from external professionals for pupils with the highest levels of need. Targets to support learning 18 and 19 October 2022

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are set and reviewed regularly. Systems for leaders to review the effectiveness of this support are developing. Pupils with SEND achieve well overall.

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Children learn to read quickly from the start of Reception. Books which match the sounds they are learning help pupils practise their phonics. Adults check what pupils know throughout lessons. They correct errors and provide extra help with phonics for those pupils who need it. This helps these pupils to catch up. Regular reading lessons and the clear teaching of vocabulary help pupils understand increasingly challenging texts. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and the books their teachers introduce in daily story sessions.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. Routines are consistent so pupils know what adults expect. Pupils can get on with their work in lessons. They listen attentively to their teachers and to each other. From Nursery, pupils learn to share equipment kindly and to concentrate. They are confident to experiment with the exciting activities adults set up for them. Older pupils learn to collaborate and work with others, for example to solve problems in mathematics or present their ideas in science.

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Pupils develop their talents and interests at a wide range of clubs. Trips and visits help pupils to learn about the world beyond school and to develop teamwork and resilience. From the early years, children think about their future career aspirations. They meet role models from the community, such as nurses, firefighters and the police. Pupils accept that everyone is different. They show kindness and understand British values, such as tolerance.

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Leaders at every level recognise that the school has recently been through a turbulent period with staffing. Most staff now feel well supported and feel that leaders are considerate of their workload. Many parents are positive about the changes and improvements leaders have made, but a few lack confidence in leaders and the school systems for communication.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all adults are trained to recognise safeguarding concerns and know the school systems. ‘Worry boxes’ in classrooms and good relationships between adults and pupils enable pupils to alert staff to any worries. All concerns are accurately recorded.

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Safeguarding

Leaders act promptly to secure extra help for pupils and their families when it is needed. They work well with external agencies to keep pupils safe. Pupils and their families can get help from the family support worker in school and the mental health team.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out checks to ensure that new staff are safe to work in school. 18 and 19 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Systems to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of leaders’ actions are evolving rapidly. Leaders do not yet always know where changes have secured the improvements they are aiming for and where further action is needed. Leaders should ensure systems to monitor learning for all pupils are implemented consistently so that actions can be adjusted and extra training provided where needed.  Following a period of staffing turbulence, a few parents are less aware of how some areas of life in school have improved. Leaders should work closely with parents and engage more positively with all stakeholders, so they are more informed about school life and understand the reasons for decisions taken by leaders.

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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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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. 18 and 19 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 May 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school with a nursery.  A number of new staff have joined the school recently.  Leaders do not use any providers of alternative education off site.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with senior leaders and teachers, including subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject 18 and 19 October 2022

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leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, met with pupils to speak about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors met with the designated safeguarding lead and other staff to discuss safeguarding.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including school development plans, safeguarding and behaviour records.  The inspectors considered 75 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including 54 free-text comments. They also considered 32 responses to the staff survey and 54 responses to the pupil survey.  The inspectors spoke to groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school. They also observed the behaviour of pupils at breaktimes and around the school.

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Inspection team

Lynne Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Suzanne Thrower Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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