Lawn Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of a good school: Lawn Primary and Nursery School Cleeve Lawn, Swindon, Wiltshire SN3 1LE

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2023

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Outcome

Lawn Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lawn Primary and Nursery is a vibrant and welcoming school where pupils flourish. Pupils are proud to belong to this harmonious community. They feel happy, safe and well cared for. Pupils say that if they have any worries, teachers respond to concerns raised from the worry boxes in classrooms. Bullying is not something that pupils worry about.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of interesting opportunities. Many appreciate and take part in the creative, sporting or cultural activities. As they get older, pupils relish new experiences and challenges through residential trips and extra-curricular visits.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve and behaviour. Pupils work hard to meet these expectations. For instance, classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils are absorbed in their learning, with no time wasted. Pupils enjoy and are interested in learning alongside their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of all the school does.

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

Leaders are ambitious and determined to provide pupils with knowledge and experiences to help them thrive. In the subjects where the curriculum is well developed, such as mathematics and reading, leaders set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order to learn it in. However, in a small number of foundation subjects, leaders’ work to identify the essential knowledge pupils need to learn is not yet fully developed.

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

Pupils achieve well from early years through to the end of Year 6. Leaders structure the curriculum so that children’s learning in Nursery and Reception Years prepares them effectively for key stage 1. Pupils learn well in mathematics, where they acquire knowledge securely over time. The curriculum makes careful links between content across year groups. Teaching ensures pupils grasp what they are learning. In turn, pupils feel a sense of accomplishment and enjoyment. 21 and 22 February 2023

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Children get off to a flying start in Nursery and Reception Year. Children particularly enjoy exploring the learning environment, rich with language and learning opportunities that feed their curiosity. Skilled staff capitalise on every chance to help children learn new words and develop confidence with numbers.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn alongside their classmates. Leaders work effectively with staff, parents and pupils to set and review targets regularly to support learning. As a result, pupils with SEND develop their knowledge and skills across the curriculum effectively. The school is highly inclusive. Every pupil is valued and well supported to participate fully in all aspects of school life.

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Leaders’ improvements to the teaching of reading are paying off. Well-trained and well- supported staff teach phonics effectively. Staff are skilful in picking up on any pupils who need extra support to keep up. Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to read daily and to practise their sounds. Older pupils understand how important it is to be able to read well. This ensures they succeed in other subjects and are well prepared for secondary school.

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Behaviour in the school is routinely impressive. Pupils are keen to concentrate and show very positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils respect adults and know they are there to help them learn as well as they can.

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Leaders place a high priority on pupils’ wider development. Pupils take responsibility and support others. For instance, anti-bullying ambassadors appreciate looking after and helping younger children with friendships. Other leadership opportunities, such as school council or the green team, help pupils develop their character and promote the school’s embedded values. Pastoral support, including understanding why mental well-being is so important to learning, is a strength of the school. For example, pupils are taught about their emotions and feelings to help them to learn well.

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Teachers benefit from the high levels of expertise that leaders bring to the school. Staff recognise that leaders are considerate of their workload and welfare and listen to concerns. Governors are helping to improve the school by reflecting and refining how they work with leaders. For example, they ask well-informed questions to determine whether leaders’ actions are having the intended impact.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The safeguarding culture is strong. Staff are well trained to recognise potential signs of harm. They report concerns promptly and leaders ensure that these are followed up. Leaders know pupils and their families well. They understand the community and local risks. Leaders and staff work effectively with other professionals to reduce harm and get children the help they need quickly. Information about child protection is recorded in detail and overseen meticulously by a team, to ensure that no concerns are missed. 21 and 22 February 2023

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Checks on adults working in the school are carried out thoroughly and are monitored by leaders and governors.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects, the curriculum is not yet fully effective. Leaders have not identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. Consequently, pupils do not consistently achieve as well as they could. Leaders need to refine the curriculum so that it identifies the precise sequenced, foundational knowledge that pupils must know and remember.

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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 July 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

Inspection number 10256759 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 18 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher started working at the school in February 2022.  An assistant headteacher and special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) were appointed from September 2022.  The school provides wraparound care through a breakfast and after-school club.  Nursery provision at the school is for two-year-old and three-year-old children.  The school currently uses one registered 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteacher and SENDCo.  The inspector met with two governors, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative from the local authority. 21 and 22 February 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons and looking at pupils’ work. It also involved talking with leaders, teachers and pupils about how teaching builds pupils’ knowledge over time. The inspector also heard pupils read to a known adult.  The inspector checked a wide range of safeguarding documents, including the single central record. He also reviewed the school’s records for child protection and assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding throughout the inspection.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan and relevant school policies.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, along with their written comments. He also talked with parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection.

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 The inspector gathered pupils’ views about their learning, what behaviour is like at the school and whether they felt safe. The inspector also talked to pupils about their views on personal development.  The inspector met with a range of staff to gather their views on how leaders support them and took account of their responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, 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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