Days Lane Primary School

Inspection of Days Lane Primary School Days Lane, Sidcup, Kent DA15 8JU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 13 and 14 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are excited about their learning and want to achieve well. The curriculum enables pupils to develop their knowledge and skills effectively. Leaders provide an inclusive curriculum and have high expectations of all pupils. Pupils learn about diversity and different cultures through well-chosen texts. Leaders plan cultural experiences, including performances from a Chinese lion dancer and an African dance group.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations for behaviour and learning across the school. Staff and pupils understand and share the school’s values consistently. Behaviour across the school is excellent. Pupils value and respect each other. Leaders deal with any incidents, including bullying, quickly. Leaders ensure that behaviour is consistently managed. This helps to build a positive learning environment. Pupils are safe and feel happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers encourage pupils to make a positive difference to the school and local community. Pupils support the community of the school through their many leadership roles. For example, peer mentors and sports leaders help younger pupils to have positive breaktime experiences. Leaders enrich the curriculum with a range of outings and visitors.

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better?

Leaders have identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. Subject leaders ensure that pupils build on prior knowledge and skills sequentially. For example, in history, pupils in Year 6 compared primary and secondary sources in detail. In mathematics, pupils’ secure foundations begin in early years, where staff encourage children in Nursery to pay for items in the café area. Staff help children in the early years to practise counting as they collect building blocks. Throughout the school, teachers use resources effectively to help pupils deepen their mathematical understanding. However, recent changes to curriculum thinking have not yet been fully embedded in all subjects.

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better?

Teachers have effective subject knowledge. They present information clearly and deepen pupils’ knowledge through effective questioning. Teachers check and address any misconceptions in pupils’ understanding and provide support to help them keep up.

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better?

Leaders place a high priority on reading. Early reading starts promptly in the early years, with pupils experiencing stories, songs and rhymes. From Reception, pupils receive daily phonics lessons, which helps them to segment and blend with confidence. Pupils love reading. Leaders check pupils’ phonics understanding regularly. They use this information to provide additional support for those pupils who need to catch up. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Pupils have highly positive attitudes to learning. They show resilience and focus during lessons, so disruptions to learning are extremely rare. In early years, children engage in independent activities for sustained periods. They are inquisitive and learn to question what they are seeing. For instance, in Reception, children predicted what would happen to daffodils placed in water, air and soil.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. They support pupils with SEND so that they can access the same curriculum as others, when appropriate. Subject leaders work closely with teachers so that adaptations for pupils with SEND are well considered. Staff use resources effectively to support pupils with SEND.

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There have been a lot of recent changes to curriculum thinking. Subject leaders value the specialist support and training they received to develop their expertise. Some staff felt that these changes have led to increased workload.

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Trustees have a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They check the school’s work through regular visits and meetings. However, the board of trustees does not have a strong understanding of the school’s quality of education and the impact of recent curriculum changes on staff well-being.

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Leaders support pupils to develop their character and personal development. Teachers help pupils to learn about faiths and cultures that are different to their own. Pupils respect and value their differences. Pupils enjoy the variety of visits and workshops that leaders organise, which enhances their learning. They enthused about experiences like singing at the O2 arena and taking part in sporting competitions. Teachers encourage pupils to contribute to the wider community through, for example, fundraising and supporting the local food bank.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff receive comprehensive training. Staff are aware of local risks that could affect pupils. Staff know how to identify and support vulnerable pupils and those at risk. Thorough recording of concerns enables leaders to take swift action. When required, leaders involve external agencies in a timely way.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that, through the curriculum and assemblies, pupils are taught how to keep safe. Leaders encourage pupils to share any worries. Pupils know that teachers will help them if they have any concerns.

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 Trustees have not securely assured themselves of the quality of education across the school. Recent curriculum changes have led to an increased workload for some staff. Trustees need to ensure that they have the expertise to enable them to oversee all aspects of the school’s work comprehensively and to support the well- being of all staff.  In some subjects, curriculum plans are not fully embedded. This has led to gaps in pupils’ knowledge and understanding in these subjects. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum is followed securely across all subjects to enable pupils to secure their understanding.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240237 Type of school Primary

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School details

Co-chairs of trust Laura Larkins and Caroline Lancett

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School details

Date of previous inspection 1 and 2 December 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy school in April 2014. When its predecessor school, Days Lane Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does not use 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 is the second routine inspection following the COVID-19 pandemic. Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and a range of staff. They also met with members of the governing body and the school improvement partner.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and art. Activities included discussions with leaders and teachers about the curriculum, visiting lessons, speaking with groups of pupils about their learning, and scrutiny of pupils’ work. Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects.  Inspectors checked the school’s policies and records, including those related to behaviour and pupils’ wider development.  Inspectors considered responses of pupils, parents and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.  To inspect safeguarding, inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding and considered safeguarding documents and records. These included the school’s records and plans for supporting pupils who have been

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referred to outside agencies.  Inspectors held meetings with staff and spoke with pupils during social times. They observed pupils’ behaviour across the school, including as they arrived and left school.

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Inspection team

Sacha Husnu-Beresford, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Slee Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 March 2023

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