St Lawrence Primary School

Inspection of a good school: St Lawrence Primary School Lower Road, Effingham, Leatherhead, Surrey KT24 5JP

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2023

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Outcome

St Lawrence Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from attending this caring and inclusive school. They are proud to show their values of ‘ready, respectful and safe’. This is clear to see in the positive behaviour pupils show in all parts of the school. They show genuine respect and kindness to each other during breaktimes and are happy and eager learners in the classroom.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between adults and pupils are genuinely warm and nurturing. Pupils trust the adults in the school because they are consistent and fair. Pupils know that adults want the best for them and so follow their advice on how to keep themselves safe. Pupils are clear that bullying does not happen in their school but are confident that staff would respond and help them if it did. If incidents do occur, leaders work with all pupils involved to help them to understand what has happened and repair relationships.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high ambitions for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils are given the support they need in order to achieve well. Pupils understand and value the high expectations adults in the school have for them and meet these expectations consistently.

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

Leaders have put in place an ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum. They have agreed on what pupils will learn by the end of primary school and have planned out the small steps of knowledge that pupils will need to achieve this. Teachers plan and teach sequenced lessons which successfully build pupils’ knowledge over time. In Reception, teachers ensure that children have strong foundations of knowledge. This is especially the case in mathematics and phonics. This helps children to be ready for their learning in Year 1.

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

Leaders prioritise the teaching of reading. The phonics scheme in place is well sequenced and books match the sounds that pupils learn. On a small number of occasions, teachers use resources that are not as effective in helping pupils learn to read. However, staff are 21 and 22 February 2023

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experts in teaching phonics and, as a result, they plan lessons that make sure all pupils, including those with SEND, learn to read well.

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Leaders have ensured a consistent approach to assessment throughout all subjects. In all subjects, including phonics, teachers use information from assessment well to spot if pupils are falling behind. They take swift action to put in place extra activities to make up any gaps in learning. Due to this, pupils progress well through the school’s planned curriculum and published end of key stage outcomes are positive.

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Leaders have trained staff to consistently apply the school’s agreed approach to ensuring positive behaviour. As a result, the atmosphere in classrooms is calm and purposeful. Reception staff teach children the routines and rules that they need to be successful learners. As such, children maintain high levels of attention in class. Pupils continue to have positive attitudes to learning through their time in St Lawrence. Low-level disruption is very rare and does not have a negative impact on how well pupils learn.

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Provision for pupils with SEND is effective and highly ambitious. The school’s inclusion team has trained staff well to identify and support pupils with additional needs. Teachers make appropriate changes to the curriculum so that all pupils achieve well. Leaders have prioritised the mental health and well-being of all. Staff are identified as inclusion champions to remove any barriers to learning that pupils may have.

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Pupils show genuine respect for diversity and share and celebrate the difference within the local community. They are very inclusive and know to treat everyone with mutual respect, regardless of any difference. Staff teach pupils about different religions and cultures so that they have the knowledge to be ready for life in modern Britain. Leaders capture the views of pupils about clubs and activities that interest them. A high number of pupils attend a wide range of clubs such as art and drawing, golf, gardening and the Harry Potter club.

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Staff feel that leaders support them well and value the work that they do. Leaders prioritise the well-being of staff. The decisions they make do not cause unnecessary workload. Governors and trustees have secure knowledge of the school and fulfil their statutory duties well. They work strategically with leaders to ensure that the school’s provision is effective and inclusive for all. However, persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils remains too high. Leaders are aware of this and are working with external agencies to improve levels of attendance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a high priority in the school. Leaders have ensured that staff have the knowledge they need to spot early signs that a pupil or their family may need help. Staff are well trained about local safeguarding risks and teach pupils how to be safe online and in the community.

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Safeguarding

The school’s response to any concern raised is robust and swift. Safeguarding records are 21 and 22 February 2023

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well kept, detailed and show a clear timeline of appropriate support given by the school. Safeguarding leads are tenacious in working with external agencies to get their families the right support at the right time.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Persistent absence of disadvantaged pupils remains too high. This means that these pupils are not fully benefiting from all that school has to offer. Leaders should now carefully consider what additional strategies and support the most vulnerable families need to improve attendance.

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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 October 2017.

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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. 21 and 22 February 2023

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School details

Website www.stlawrence-primary.surrey.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Both the chair of governors and chair of trustees have joined since the last inspection.  St Lawrence Primary School is part of The Howard Partnership Trust.  There is a before- and after-school club provision managed by the school which was part of the inspection.  The school does not currently 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the principal and other members of the leadership team. They also met with the chair of governors and two other members of the governing body.  The inspector also met with representatives from the board of trustees, as well as the trust’s chief executive officer and director of education. 21 and 22 February 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, they discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from governors’ meetings.  The inspector spoke to parents and carers and also took into account their responses to Ofsted Parent View.  The inspector took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  The inspector evaluated the effectiveness of the safeguarding arrangements in the

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school by speaking with leaders, staff and pupils. They met with the designated safeguarding leads to discuss the arrangements for safeguarding. During these meetings, the inspector scrutinised records and sampled case files to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils at risk of harm. The inspector also examined the school’s work to recruit and check on the suitability of staff, as well as checked the knowledge of staff about their responsibilities.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 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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