Lansbury Lawrence Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lansbury Lawrence Primary School Cordelia Street, Poplar, London E14 6DZ

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2022

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Outcome

Lansbury Lawrence Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school and its history. They enjoy learning and are kept safe. Pupils were keen to talk about the school’s ‘edible garden’ and the school chicken. They explained with pride how some of the food they grow is cooked in the school kitchen for their lunch.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of all pupils. They want pupils to enjoy their learning, be ready for their next steps and contribute actively to their community. Leaders use local history and the community to enrich what pupils learn in each subject. For example, pupils in Year 5 learn about the importance of the Docklands to global trade, and in Year 6, they learn about the Poplar Rates Rebellion. Pupils can explain how what they learn links to their wider knowledge in both geography and history.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind to one another, respectful of staff and polite to visitors. Pupils focus on their learning in lessons, and they are keen to learn. They enjoy their playtime and make good use of the space and activities available. Bullying is rare. Pupils have assemblies about bullying, including cyber-bullying. They know that they can speak to any member of staff if they are worried. If there are problems, staff deal with them quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils, from the early years to Year 6. Leaders have thought about the key knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember at each stage of their education and in each subject area. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and check that pupils understand ideas before moving on. Pupils like referring to their ‘knowledge organisers’ to see what they have learned previously. Across the curriculum, pupils achieve very well. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Leaders structure learning with care and precision. They ensure that pupils revisit and build up their knowledge step by step over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 5 were learning about decimal numbers. They used their knowledge about multiples of ten and ordering four-digit numbers from their learning in Years 3 and 4. In history, pupils in Year 1 learned about emergency services in the past, including the fire brigade. Teachers then refer to this when teaching about the Great Fire of London in Year 2.

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Leaders have helpful and clear approaches for assessing what pupils know and remember. Teachers check this in lessons in a variety of ways, from quizzes to asking pupils questions. To deepen pupils’ understanding, teachers get pupils to link new knowledge to previous learning. For example, pupils in Year 4 learned about the significance of the Tower of London. They used their knowledge of the Great Fire of London from Year 2 to explain why the building survived this event . When teachers identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge, they are skilled in adapting their teaching to correct these gaps.

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Leaders make reading a top priority. Staff follow a structured phonics programme to teach pupils to read from the early years up. Pupils have books that match the phonics sounds they know. They take these home so that they can practise and learn to read them fluently. Pupils also choose books from the library to take home to read with parents and carers. If pupils fall behind, teachers are quick to intervene and provide the support they need to catch up quickly.

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Leaders identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They make sure that teachers know how to support these pupils. Pupils with SEND study the same subjects as their peers. Teachers adapt their resources to support pupils. Some pupils also have additional, well-planned support from staff to help them in lessons.

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Staff and pupils understand the school behaviour policy. Pupils said that teachers apply it fairly. The policy focuses on reflection and pupils learning from their mistakes. Pupils feel motivated by the school reward system. They particularly like the class reward of a ‘VIP lunch’.

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Leaders plan and fund educational trips for all pupils. They offer a broad range of after- school activities. Staff track participation to make sure that pupils access a range of activities. Pupils can develop their leadership skills in various ways, such as being part of the ‘arts council’ or as ‘digital leaders’. Food from the ‘edible garden’ is shared with parents. Pupils contribute to the local community, for example with visits to a local care home.

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Leaders make sure that staff have the training they need to do their jobs effectively. Staff appreciate the way that leaders consider their workload when they introduce new initiatives. Staff enjoy working in the school. Governors know the school well and both support and challenge leaders. For example, they have oversight of the headteacher’s attendance action plan. 18 and 19 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture of safeguarding in school. They ensure that teachers receive regular training and that they follow the school’s safeguarding procedures. Teachers know to report any concerns they have, no matter how small. Leaders are not complacent about safeguarding and they have their systems externally audited. Leaders ensure that all statutory pre-employment vetting checks are carried out when recruiting new staff.

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Safeguarding

When leaders identify pupils who may need support, they are quick to contact and act on advice from external agencies. They support these pupils and families in school and maintain suitably detailed records of concerns.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013.

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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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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

Website https://lansburylawrence.towerhamlets.sch. uk Date of previous inspection 23 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses no alternative provision.  The school has a Nursery provision for three- and four-year-olds.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders. He met with the chair and members of the governing body as well as with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: 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, reviewed samples of pupils’ work and met with pupils to discuss their learning. The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read and spoke to pupils about reading. The inspector also considered pupils’ learning in computer science, art, design and technology and geography.

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 Through discussions with leaders, governors, pupils and staff, the inspector considered how pupils are safeguarded. The inspector also looked at records related to safeguarding, including records of pre-employment checks on staff.  The inspector met with groups of pupils and he observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  The inspector spoke with a range of staff about safeguarding, behaviour and their well- being and workload. The inspector also considered the responses from pupils, staff and parents to Ofsted’s surveys, including Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Mark Smith, lead inspector His Majesty’s 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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