St Lawrence's CofE Primary School

Inspection of St Lawrence’s CofE Primary School School Hill, Westbury-sub-Mendip, Wells, Somerset BA5 1HL

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 22 and 23 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending St. Lawrence’s Church of England Primary School. They are proud to be at the heart of the local community. Pupils are polite, and they feel happy and safe. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive and respectful. Pupils thrive in the nurturing environment that staff provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From Nursery onwards, staff set high expectations so that pupils can ‘be the best that they can be’. Pupils are motivated and have positive attitudes to learning. The learning environment is purposeful and calm. Pupils are keen to share their ideas and take an active part in their learning. They learn about diversity beyond their local community and the importance of tolerance and respect for others. Pupils enjoy the leadership roles they have within school, such as being eco-warriors. This helps to build their sense of citizenship and responsibility.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the classroom, pupils of all ages mix well together. They enjoy playing games and socialising. Staff provide many opportunities for pupils to develop wider interests. Pupils attend a wide range of after-school clubs and enjoy visits to places of interest, such as the wind turbines. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are confident that, if it does occur, an adult will sort it out effectively.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils. In most subjects, the curriculum is designed and sequenced to build pupils’ knowledge over time. Pupils have regular opportunities to revisit learning and apply what they know. For example, in mathematics, pupils in Year 4 use previous learning on the ordering of fractions to help them solve more complex problems containing improper fractions.

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better?

However, in some subjects, leaders do not have an accurate overview of their subject. Where this is the case, they have not identified precisely enough the important knowledge that pupils need to know. Staff’s subject knowledge is not always secure. This means that pupils do not consistently receive the subject- specific support they need to learn important knowledge.

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better?

The curriculum in the early years provides children, from Nursery onwards, with a secure foundation for the knowledge and skills they need for Year 1 and beyond. Staff support children to develop their communication and language skills. Children learn effectively with their peers and adults.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Children in Nursery enjoy listening to stories and rhymes. As soon as they start school, children learn to link letters with the sounds they make. Leaders provide additional support for pupils who need it. This helps them to quickly develop the knowledge they need to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the books they have read. They are particularly proud of the new school library, which they helped to design. Wider opportunities to 22 and 23 March 2023

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develop a love of reading are embraced. For example, older pupils recently enjoyed visiting the Wells Literature Festival.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Teachers adapt their approach so that pupils can follow the curriculum successfully. Staff know families well and work closely with them to identify pupils’ needs and build independence. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well.

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The positive personal development of pupils is a strength of the school. Pupils enjoy the opportunity to focus on the school’s core values, such as during assemblies. They are well informed about other faiths and cultures. For example, pupils recently participated in celebrations to mark Chinese New Year. Local events, such as art exhibitions, provide pupils with the chance to become involved in community activities. They enjoy these occasions and are interested to find out about the lives of others. Younger pupils talk excitedly about visits from the police and firefighters. Pupils of all ages know how to keep themselves safe.

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Parents are positive about the school and value the nurturing environment leaders provide. Leaders are considerate of staff’s workload and well-being. Staff value this. Governors know the school’s strengths and areas for development. They provide challenge and support for leaders to help bring about continued school improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority. Staff act in the best interest of pupils and report any concerns swiftly. They receive relevant safeguarding training, as well as regular updates. Leaders ensure that appropriate background checks are carried out on adults working at the school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work to build trust with families. They make proactive use of early help services where needed. Leaders collaborate well with safeguarding partners, such as the local authority designated officer.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the essential knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. As a result, pupils do not build securely on what they already know or prepare for what comes next. Leaders need to identify the precise knowledge they want pupils to learn so that they develop a detailed understanding of the curriculum. 22 and 23 March 2023

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 In some subjects, teachers do not have sufficient subject knowledge. This means that pupils do not consistently receive the subject-specific support they need to achieve the ambitious learning goals set out in the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that teachers develop the expertise they need to deliver the curriculum effectively in all subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or 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. 22 and 23 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10241773 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 28 and 29 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher and a new chair of governors has been appointed.  This is a voluntary controlled, Church of England school. The school’s provision for religious education and collective worship was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in September 2017.  The school provides before- and after-school childcare.  The school includes an on-site nursery, which caters for two-, three- and four- year olds.  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. 22 and 23 March 2023

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors 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. Inspectors also spoke to leaders and teachers about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  To evaluate safeguarding, an inspector spoke to members of the safeguarding team, including the designated safeguarding leader (who is the headteacher).

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Inspectors also spoke with staff, governors and pupils to evaluate the culture of safeguarding at the school and the quality of staff training.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, and comments made by parents online during the inspection. They also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Liz Geller, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Caroline Musty Ofsted Inspector 22 and 23 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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