Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lubenham All Saints Church of England Primary School School Lane, Lubenham, Market Harborough, Leicestershire LE16 9TW

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Outcome

Lubenham All Saints Church of England 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?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about this popular small school. One parent captured the sentiments of many when they said: ‘This is a school with a great family feel. All the children are so kind and friendly. All children are supported in so many different ways.’ Relationships are warm and trusting. The school radiates a friendly and inclusive ethos. Pupils live up to the high expectations of the ‘Lubenham Way – choose respect, choose kindness, do your best and step up and take part’. Older pupils enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities, including being school and well-being ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They say they are proud to attend. Classrooms are busy and purposeful. Stimulating displays assist pupils in their learning. Pupils achieve well. They enjoy celebrating their achievements during regular celebration assemblies.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well. Pupils who need extra help or support receive it quickly. They know they are cared for. Pupils behave consistently well. They say that bullying is not part of the school’s culture.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils freely say how happy and safe they feel at school. They enjoy participating in a wide range of school activities, including sports, music and taking care of the school’s chickens. Pupils also enjoy memorable trips and residential visits, including to the Houses of Parliament.

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

Leaders’ vision for the success of the school is unwavering. At the heart of the school is a strong culture of collaboration. Staff work well together, including with those in the local 28 February 2023

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partnership’s other schools. All staff are ambitious for every pupil. Pupils know staff want them to succeed. Leaders have ensured that all staff have the knowledge and skills they need to deliver the school’s curriculum consistently well. Staff value opportunities for professional learning. Their morale is high.

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Leaders have designed an ambitious, broad and inclusive curriculum for all pupils. In all subjects, leaders have forensically identified the knowledge and skills that pupils need to know and remember. They have considered how pupils build their knowledge from the early years to the end of Year 6, in mixed-age groups.

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Children get off to a great start in Reception. Staff ensure that these children are well prepared for the start of Year 1. Children learn in a stimulating indoor and outdoor environment. Learning activities are purposeful and well supervised.

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Teachers’ subject knowledge is strong. They use this to create learning activities which promote pupils’ engagement. In history, for example, pupils in the Kingfisher class worked well together to research information about the Wars of the Roses, building a whole-class historical timeline.

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Teachers question pupils well. They adapt their teaching in response to pupil feedback. In mathematics, misconceptions are swiftly identified. Teachers correct these so that pupils do not develop gaps in their knowledge. Pupils’ achievement in this subject has strengthened rapidly since the pandemic. They produce consistently high-quality work.

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The teaching of phonics and early reading is strong, by teachers and supporting adults alike. Leaders promote a love of reading well. The ‘corridor library’ is well stocked with books that meet pupils’ interests and celebrate diversity in society. Pupils in all classes have opportunities to read every day. All staff use a systematic approach to the teaching of reading which commences right at the start of Reception. Staff ensure that all reading books are well matched to the letter sounds pupils are learning. Pupils show resilience in their determination to read well. They use their phonic knowledge to decode unfamiliar words. Pupils who need extra help receive this without delay. Staff promote pupils’ writing skills equally well. They dovetail writing alongside the development of pupils’ reading skills. Many pupils produce high-quality writing from an early age and throughout their time at the school.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are consistently well supported. Staff understand their needs well. They support these pupils to become increasingly independent learners. Leaders work tenaciously to ensure that pupils who require specialist support receive it. Leaders make sure that parents are involved in decision-making during review meetings and SEND coffee mornings.

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Leaders ensure that all pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They have crafted a curriculum which promotes Christian and British values, alongside pupils’ learning of different faiths and cultures. Pupils have a strong sense of equality and treat everyone fairly and respectfully.

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Trustees and governors know the school well. They have an accurate view of its 28 February 2023

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strengths. They actively support how the school continues to build on these strengths. They appreciate that leaders are constantly striving for better.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and pupils look out for one another in this school community. Leaders have established a strong culture of vigilance. Staff are well trained. They are alert to the signs that a child might be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Designated safeguarding leads ensure that pupils and their families get the right help at the right time. They work well with external agencies, including educational psychology and social care. Record-keeping is thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say they feel safe in school. Leaders are aware of local risks. They use their local knowledge to inform pupils’ curriculum for safety, including substance misuse and online safety.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2018.

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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. 28 February 2023

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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 February 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative education provision.  The school joined the Learn Academies Trust in October 2016. The school is part of a cluster arrangement of three local primary schools.

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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 executive headteacher and the head of school. They also met with subject leaders and coordinators, including those who are based in other schools as part of the cluster arrangement. The lead inspector met with the coordinator for special educational needs and/or disabilities who also works across the local cluster of schools.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors met with the designated safeguarding leads and reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record for the recruitment of staff. Inspectors checked 28 February 2023

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staff’s knowledge of the school’s safeguarding procedures.  The lead inspector met with the trust’s chief executive officer. He also met with a member of the board of trustees and three members of the local governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during playtime.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: phonics and early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, they met with subject leaders and coordinators, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed curriculum documentation for other subjects, including science, art and music.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s survey for school staff. They held additional discussions with staff and parents and carers.

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Inspection team

Chris Stevens, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ryan Brown Ofsted Inspector 28 February 2023

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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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