Lilliput Church of England Infant School

Inspection of Lilliput Church of England Infant School Lilliput Road, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH14 8JX

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Lilliput Church of England Infant School as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005, as until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection of the predecessor school. 3 and 4 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lilliput is a friendly, safe and nurturing school. The vision of ‘loving one another, respecting one another, serving one another’ threads its way through all aspects of school life. Pupils say that this guides them to make the right choices.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff aim high. They expect pupils to work hard and try their best, and they do. By the time pupils leave Year 2, they are well prepared for junior school both socially and academically.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils listen well and do the right thing. They need few reminders about how to behave. Poor behaviour seldom disrupts learning. Pupils respond positively to praise from adults. They enjoy earning house points to win the behaviour cup.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide pupils with meaningful opportunities to be responsible, respectful and active citizens. For example, the school council organises charity events for those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils learn to be positive advocates for the school and community they serve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders plan experiences beyond the curriculum to broaden pupils’ interests. These include tree planting and watching a ‘nest cam’ to see local ospreys hatching. Pupils say that learning at Lilliput is fun and exciting.

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better?

Leaders prioritise children’s communication and language skills from the moment they join Reception Year. Staff select well-chosen books and rhymes to help extend children’s vocabulary. ‘Reading for pleasure’ time is a favourite. Teachers and pupils enthusiastically recite familiar stories and poems. Staff deepen pupils’ understanding of the world by reading books about refugees and equality. The headteacher rewards pupils with a ‘platinum tea party’ for reading at home. This inspires pupils to read regularly.

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better?

Early reading is central to the school’s work. A systematic phonics programme is taught from the first day of Reception Year. Children can read and write the sounds they have learned. Staff know how to teach phonics well. They use assessment precisely to pinpoint pupils who need extra support. Those at risk of falling behind receive bespoke ‘phonics crew’ sessions. These improve pupils’ confidence. By the time pupils leave Year 2, they read fluently and accurately.

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-thought-out curriculum. They have mapped the knowledge and vocabulary they expect pupils to learn and by when. Subject leaders have sequenced learning so that pupils’ knowledge builds in a logical order. School trips complement pupils’ learning. For example, Year 2 pupils know about fossils and the work of Mary Anning after visiting a beach in Lyme Regis. However, in a few wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not explicitly link what pupils already know with new learning. As a result, even though published outcomes in 2022 were above 3 and 4 July 2023

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the national average, pupils do not deepen their knowledge sufficiently in all wider curriculum subjects.

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Teachers successfully build recap and recall into lessons, including in Reception Year. For example, staff use ‘flashback four’ to assess if pupils are remembering the most important content long term. This is proving successful in mathematics. Pupils confidently talk about numbers and how they can apply their knowledge to solve problems.

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Staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly. Leaders do all they can to support staff. For example, they make effective use of the school speech and language therapist for staff training and guidance. Staff adapt their approaches to allow pupils with SEND to learn the same curriculum as others. Pupils with SEND achieve well from their starting points.

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From Reception, children follow the school routines. Pupils’ conduct is generally positive. They show respect in their interactions with staff. Pupils play well together. They learn to take safe risks when exploring the large woodland area.

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Leaders make learning relevant and engaging. Visits from dentists and firefighters promote the importance of keeping safe. Pupils celebrate diversity and learn to respect different family types and religious beliefs. Close links with the local church allow pupils to reflect and consider the view of others.

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The great majority of parents hold the school in high regard. Many believe that the staff ‘genuinely care and take the time to know each child individually’. However, some parents would like better communication from school leaders.

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Staff are proud to be a member of the school’s community. Most appreciate leaders’ efforts to manage their workload and well-being. Local governors and trust staff work closely with leaders. They ask challenging questions to make sure the school is well placed to improve further.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise pupils’ safety. They train staff to keep pupils safe. Staff understand how to identify potential risks to pupils. Leaders act quickly when staff raise concerns. They check that adults are suitable for working with pupils. Leaders work well with safeguarding partners to help minimise the risk of harm to pupils.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn about important issues, such as water, road and online safety. Pupils know that if they have a concern, they can talk to an adult or send a message to the ‘worry monsters.’ 3 and 4 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not explicitly link what pupils already know with new learning. This means that pupils’ knowledge in these subjects is not as well developed as in other areas. Leaders should ensure that the implementation of the curriculum in all subjects allows pupils to make deeper connections with their learning over time.

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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Coastal Learning Partnership, a multi-academy trust of 16 primary schools.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is in the Diocese of Salisbury. At the most recent section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in March 2019, the school was judged to be excellent overall.  Lilliput Church of England Infant School converted to become an academy school in July 2016. When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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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 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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school staff. The lead inspector also met with governors, the chief executive officer and head of learning and achievement for the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, early reading, mathematics, science and art. 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 met with subject leaders and looked more widely at documentation in computing, history and personal, social and health education.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding by discussing policy and process with the designated safeguarding leaders and other staff. The lead inspector reviewed recruitment checks on staff and scrutinised the single central record.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how leaders support their workload and well-being.  An inspector spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments and correspondence received from parents. They also considered responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Heather Barraclough His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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