Lynton Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lynton Church of England Primary School Market Street, Lynton, Devon EX35 6AF

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Outcome

Lynton Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend Lynton Church of England Primary School. Staff build positive relationships with pupils and know them well. This creates a happy and nurturing environment for pupils to thrive in. Leaders and staff are determined for all pupils to succeed, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show positive attitudes towards their learning. They are kind and caring towards one another and enjoy being part of the school family. This extends to social times, when pupils play well together. Knowing each other well is an aspect of the school that pupils value highly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities that go beyond the academic curriculum. They value the clubs and trips on offer. Pupils enjoy residential visits that allow them to mix with pupils from other schools in the federation. They say that this prepares them well for their transition to secondary school. Pupils enjoyed the recent visit to London where they learned about contrasting localities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the support that staff give to pupils. They value the opportunities leaders provide to help pupils to build their confidence.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. Teachers are clear about the important knowledge and concepts they want pupils to learn, including in early years. For example, in history, concepts such as civilisation and invasion have been well considered, and this helps pupils to build their knowledge over time. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with SEND with accuracy. They adapt learning to help these pupils learn the curriculum well alongside their peers.

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

Knowledgeable subject leaders are using their expertise to develop staff subject knowledge. However, some staff do not yet have the subject knowledge they need to help 4 May 2023

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pupils learn the curriculum well. For example, some learning is not precisely matched to the knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Where this is the case, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they could.

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In some areas of the curriculum, teachers use assessment well to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. For example, in reading, teachers spot pupils who fall behind and support them to catch up. However, in other subjects, teachers are still developing their use of assessment. Teachers do not routinely check whether pupils remember important knowledge. As a result, some pupils develop misconceptions and find it difficult to build their knowledge well over time.

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Leaders are determined for pupils to succeed in learning to read. This ambition begins in Reception, where children are exposed to a range of books that excite them about reading. This continues across the school, with pupils enjoying a range of carefully considered books. As a result, pupils enjoy talking about their favourite authors. While learning to read, most pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Leaders provide training to support the teaching of early reading. This helps most pupils to progress well. However, some staff do not have the subject knowledge they need to model the teaching of phonics with accuracy. As a result, some pupils do not learn to read as well as they could.

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Leaders set routines for pupils to follow that make the school calm and orderly. Staff know pupils’ individual needs well. They plan targeted support for pupils to help them to behave well. As a result, learning is rarely disrupted. Children in early years settle into routines quickly. They play well alongside each other and sustain high levels of interest in their learning. Pupils are proud to explain that bullying is not a worry for them. If they have any friendship worries, they know that staff will help to resolve these quickly.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. The school’s values of ‘curiosity, achievement, respect, inspiration and support’ are threaded through the curriculum. This ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain as responsible, respectful and active citizens. Pupils treat everyone equally. They enjoy the responsibilities they have to support the school. For example, pupils act as ‘associate governors’ and meet with governors regularly to share their views. They have recently planned a bake sale to raise money for a new tree to commemorate the King’s coronation.

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Staff feel well supported by leaders. They value working with subject leaders and other staff across the federation to develop the curriculum. Staff say that this adds positively to their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe. Staff receive regular safeguarding training. This helps them to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff are confident about how to record concerns. These are routinely followed up by leaders. Leaders provide appropriate support to 4 May 2023

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families who need it. They ensure that the necessary recruitment checks are in place for all adults working at the school.

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Pupils know from whom to seek support if they have any worries. They are taught about keeping safe in the wider world, including how to keep safe while enjoying the local coastline.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not have the necessary expertise to help pupils to learn the curriculum effectively, including when learning to read. As a result, some pupils do not build their depth of knowledge and vocabulary well enough. Leaders must ensure that all staff have the depth of subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum effectively.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment with enough precision to understand what pupils know and remember. As a result, some pupils do not build on their prior knowledge as well as they could. Leaders need to ensure that there is a consistent and effective approach to assessment. This will help teachers to adapt learning based on what pupils already know.

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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 2016.

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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. 4 May 2023

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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. 4 May 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

5 and 6 October 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Lynton Church of England Primary School is part of West Exmoor Federation, which includes two other schools: Parracombe Church of England Primary School and Kentisbury Primary School.  This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into four mixed-age classes.  The school does not 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 inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the 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. 4 May 2023

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 The inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders, parents, pupils, governors and representatives from the local authority.  The inspectors listened to pupils reading to a trusted adult.  To evaluate safeguarding, the inspectors spoke to the designated safeguarding lead, staff, governors and pupils, and evaluated record-keeping and staff training.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey for parents, and comments made by parents online during the inspection. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for pupils and staff.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs His Majesty’s Inspector 4 May 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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