Lindow Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lindow Community Primary School Upcast Lane, Wilmslow, Cheshire SK9 6EH

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Outcome

Lindow Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this caring school community. They said that their teachers listen to their views. Pupils are confident that there is always someone they can talk to if they are worried or upset. Leaders deal well with any rare incidents of bullying. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to the high expectations that leaders set for their behaviour. Pupils are accepting of difference. They treat each other with kindness and respect. Pupils of all ages, needs and abilities support each other and form strong relationships. For example, older pupils act as a buddy for children in the early years when they join the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are enthusiastic about their learning. They work hard and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills and their confidence. For example, pupils carry out a range of roles with meaningful responsibilities, such as librarians, sports ambassadors, school council representatives and prefects. All pupils, including those with SEND, are encouraged to take part in the wide range of extra-curricular activities that are on offer, including dodgeball, clay club, netball and baking.

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

In the recent past, leaders have taken decisive action to transform and improve the curriculum that is on offer from the early years to Year 6. All pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum that meets their needs and interests. Pupils achieve well as a result.

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

In most subjects, subject leaders have strong subject-specific knowledge. They have used this expertise to carefully choose and then order the most important knowledge that they want pupils to learn. In these subjects, teachers use their strong specialist knowledge to 13 and 14 March 2023

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deliver the curriculum effectively. They break down information into small steps and revisit key ideas regularly to help pupils remember what they have been taught. Teachers also identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have so that their learning is secure.

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In a small number of foundation subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking is less well developed. They are still in the process of refining the important information that they want pupils to know and remember. This means that teachers are not clear about the essential knowledge that they want pupils to learn. They do not identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning as well as they should. This hinders some pupils from gaining a deep understanding of important knowledge and concepts in these subjects.

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Leaders encourage all pupils to read widely and often. Pupils make regular use of their well-resourced library. Parents, carers and members of the local community are invited into school to read different texts and books to pupils. This emphasises for pupils the importance of reading different types of texts, as well as the joy of reading for pleasure.

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Leaders have introduced a new phonics programme with success. This is taught from the start of the Reception Year. All staff have received training. They deliver the programme well and with increasing confidence. Pupils read books that contain the sounds that they know. If pupils struggle to read, they receive effective support to help them to catch up. Most pupils learn to read with fluency and confidence.

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Staff are ambitious for pupils with SEND. Teachers know how to identify pupils’ needs. Leaders are quick to secure early help and expert support for pupils when they need it. Leaders train and support teachers to adapt the delivery of the curriculum to meet pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND achieve well. Those pupils who attend the specially resourced provision, for pupils with severe or profound hearing loss, access the full range of curriculum subjects and are fully involved in the life of the school alongside their peers. They benefit from specialist individualised teaching and are well supported to be successful when they leave the school.

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There is a calm and welcoming atmosphere around the school. Pupils behave with maturity. They are polite and respectful to each other. In lessons, pupils can learn without distractions.

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Leaders ensure that pupils’ learning extends beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils enjoy the life-skills programme that leaders have devised. This develops their emotional resilience and understanding of the local community and the wider world. For example, pupils take part in residential activity programmes. Leaders ensure that all pupils try something new each year by taking part in an external event. These include competitions and experiences linked to sports, music or the arts.

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Staff appreciate the support that they receive to manage their workload and look after their well-being. They feel valued. Governors know the school well. They provide challenge and support that aids leaders in their drive to continually improve the quality of education that pupils receive. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture of care and vigilance so that all staff are alert to any signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. All staff receive regular safeguarding training. They make effective use of the clear systems that are in place to report and record safeguarding concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide effective help and mentoring for vulnerable pupils in school. They make timely referrals to a range of external agencies. This secures specialist support for pupils and families when they need it.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Other agencies, such as the local police, are invited into school to talk to pupils about how to manage the risks and dangers that they may face in society.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers are clear about what the important knowledge is that they want pupils to know and remember. This hinders pupils from building up their knowledge securely over time. Leaders should ensure that they finalise their curriculum thinking so that teachers understand what pupils should know and remember.  In a small number of foundation subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers use effective assessment strategies to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning as well as they should. This prevents some pupils from building securely on their prior learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to spot, and then address, gaps in pupils’ knowledge so that pupils learn all that they should in these subjects.

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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 February 2014. 13 and 14 March 2023

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268934 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes to the senior leadership team, including the appointment of a new headteacher.  School leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school hosts a local authority commissioned specially resourced provision for pupils with severe or profound hearing loss. There is provision for 12 pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school has 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, other senior leaders, subject leaders and a range of staff.  The inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector met with representatives from the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector met 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 reading with a familiar adult. The inspector also spoke with subject leaders about the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector considered the views expressed by parents in their responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included the free-text comments. The inspector spoke with some parents at the start of the day.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. The inspector also spoke with staff to discuss the support they receive from leaders.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils. The inspector also spoke with some pupils about school life.

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 The inspector viewed a range of documentation about safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with staff to understand how they keep children safe.

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Inspection team

Amanda Downing, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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