The Lincoln St Peter-in-Eastgate Church of England (Controlled) Infants School

Inspection of The Lincoln St Peter-in- Eastgate Church of England (Controlled) Infants School Greetwellgate, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN2 4AW

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged to be ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 6 and 7 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe this school as a ‘friendly and kind place’. Typically, a pupil commented, ‘We have kind and lovely friends to play with and lots of amazing teachers.’ Staff put pupils first in all that they do. They live the school’s values of ‘friendship, respect, responsibility, courage, trust and forgiveness’. Leaders ensure that pupils enjoy their time at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils are generally calm and focused. Lessons are rarely disrupted. Pupils say that they feel safe. They say that there is no bullying. Staff sort out occasional unkindness and disagreements. However, leaders’ expectations of what pupils can learn are not high enough in all curriculum areas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff provide opportunities that nurture pupils’ personal development. They develop pupils’ strength of character and confidence. Pupils gain from opportunities to mature spiritually, morally and socially. They delighted in the Christingle collective worship. They cherish links with the local church community. Pupils are active in their charity fundraising to support a South Sudan village.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers value the school. Typically, a parent commented, ‘Leaders greet children at the gate with a smile every morning. They are well looked after. They come home full of excitement about what they have learned.’

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better?

The quality of education is variable. Leaders have developed ambitious curriculums in some subjects. They have identified the key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. They arrange this knowledge so that pupils build on previous learning. For example, in history, pupils learn about local historic people. They use this knowledge to develop an understanding of chronology. In art, pupils build their knowledge of line, shape, colour and texture through learning about portraits and artists such as Picasso and Warhol.

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better?

However, leaders have not ensured that curriculums are ambitious enough in some subjects. In mathematics, leaders have not developed a curriculum that is ambitious enough. Teachers’ expectations are not high enough in this subject. They do not consistently build pupils’ learning over time. Pupils have gaps in their learning which are not addressed. Pupils do not learn well enough in mathematics.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. They ensure that stories and books support class topics. Leaders have introduced a new phonics scheme. They have provided staff with training to follow the scheme. Staff mostly match texts to the letters and sounds pupils are learning. However, teachers do not have high-enough expectations for some pupils who are more fluent in their reading. 6 and 7 December 2022

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Not all teachers use assessment effectively in all subjects to check what pupils know and to inform what should be taught next.

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Leaders have a strong knowledge of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Adults tailor pupils’ learning so that they can access the same curriculum as others. Adults skilfully help pupils with SEND with their learning.

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Leaders make sure that children get off to a positive start in the Reception class. Teachers have embedded routines for children. Children know what adults expect of them. Children play and learn together. They benefit from well-planned opportunities to build their knowledge and explore the world around them. Stories are integral to children’s learning. For example, they learn traditional tales. Children are well prepared for their future learning.

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Staff provide pupils with a range of opportunities to learn about themselves and others. Leaders have developed a well-planned personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education curriculum. Pupils learn about British values and what these mean for them. Staff promote pupils’ emotional and physical health. Leaders develop pupils’ awareness of different religions and cultures. Pupils learn about friendships. They receive age-appropriate relationships and health education. Staff encourage pupils to take on responsibilities, for example, as monitors and helpers.

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Governors ensure that the school achieves its mission in being part of the community. However, they have not made sure that leaders receive sufficient support. Leaders are burdened with workload. As a result, leaders have not been able to fulfil all of their responsibilities . For example, they have not systematically monitored and strategically improved the quality of education across all subjects.

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Staff feel that leaders are considerate of their well-being and workload. They say morale is positive. They enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a secure culture of safeguarding. Staff know and understand pupils very well. All staff receive regular training. They know what to do if they have any concerns about pupils’ welfare. They understand their responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep records of safeguarding concerns. However, they have not ensured that these records contain the details that they should.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know that staff support them when they share their worries or concerns. Pupils learn about potential risks, for example, when online and in the community. They learn how to share any concerns with a trusted adult. 6 and 7 December 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers have not identified the important knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which they should learn it. At times, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can learn are too low. As a result, pupils do not learn in a way that enables them to build their knowledge and skills over time. Leaders should ensure that there are high expectations of what pupils can learn. They should make sure that there is clarification across all subjects as to the knowledge that should be taught and when so that pupils are able to know and remember more.  Leaders and teachers do not use assessment well in all subjects. They do not regularly check what pupils know and remember, to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge and to inform future learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to use assessment effectively.  Governors have not acted to sustain leadership capacity. Leaders are not fulfilling

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

all of their responsibilities. As a result, the school does not provide a consistently high quality of education, and leaders have not maintained robust safeguarding records. Governors should ensure that the support they provide enables leaders to fulfil their responsibilities consistently.

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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. 6 and 7 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school with a Christian ethos. It received its last Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools (SIAMS) inspection in June 2019. The next SIAMS inspection is not overdue.  The school does not use the services of any alternative provision.

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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

 This was the first 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 headteacher and other leaders, including the special educational needs coordinator and the designated safeguarding lead.  Inspectors met with governors, including the chair. They met with a local authority officer, remotely. 6 and 7 December 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, art and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with teachers and curriculum leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They listened to pupils read.  Inspectors looked at a range of other subjects, including science, PSHE, history, design and technology, English and religious education. They visited lessons, reviewed curriculum plans, spoke with pupils and teachers, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with pupils formally and informally about different aspects of school life.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents. These included policies related to the curriculum, safeguarding and behaviour. Inspectors reviewed the single central record and safeguarding records.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who completed the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire. They considered responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Chris Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kyna Adkins Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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