Lawley Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Lawley Primary School Off Arleston Lane, Lawley, Telford, Shropshire TF4 2PR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Lawley Primary School. They feel safe, and they become assured, articulate young people. Pupils have every confidence that there are always adults to talk to and that staff deal with any bullying straight away.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), and staff alike. They have planned the curriculum well. Pupils study a wide range of subjects, and learning builds on what pupils already know. Pupils become fluent and enthusiastic readers. Leaders have forged useful links with nurseries and childminders. Pupils use information and communication technology to good effect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show respect towards one another and adults. They are interested in their work and behave well in lessons. Pupils move around the site in a sensible fashion. At social times, they make good use of a wide range of playground equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Visitors and trips out of school help pupils to engage with their learning. A well- planned programme of residential visits contributes to developing pupils’ character. Pupils have opportunities to take up positions of responsibility and to influence how the school runs. Many take part in a range of after-school clubs.

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better?

The school has taken important steps to ensure that learning is securely based on what pupils already know. Staff in the early years discuss the curriculum with those who teach children about to join the school. The learning of children in the Reception class prepares them well for all their subjects in key stage 1. At the start of lessons across the school, teachers connect pupils’ new learning to what has gone before. The curriculum is ambitious. Pupils study and enjoy all the subjects in the national curriculum, including learning Spanish in key stage 1.

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better?

Learning to read is the top priority. From the early years onwards, pupils follow a structured phonics programme. This programme ensures that pupils learn about letters and their sounds in a logical order. Adults check on how pupils are learning effectively, for example by asking individuals to sound out words. Staff work closely with parents and ensure that pupils read frequently to an adult. They provide effective support for any pupils at risk of falling behind. Books are well matched to pupils’ knowledge of phonics. Across the school, pupils enjoy a good range of fiction and non-fiction texts. Teachers pay due attention to different reading skills. This helps pupils to become fluent and enthusiastic readers.

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better?

Teachers have secure subject knowledge. In general, they plan activities effectively to enable pupils to meet the longer-term learning aims. As a result, pupils learn well and remember key information over time. In English and mathematics, teachers identify pupils’ misconceptions and provide effective feedback for pupils. However, in 13 and 14 September 2023

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some foundation subjects, assessment is less clear, and pupils do not know how to improve their work.

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The school is quick to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are trained well to support them, and, overall, pupils with SEND learn well. Nevertheless, the next steps for these pupils and how best to meet their needs sometimes lack detail. This means that, on occasion, some pupils with SEND do not receive the precise support they need to make the best possible progress.

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The school establishes clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour from the early years onwards. They have recently placed a renewed emphasis on recognising good behaviour. The school is a calm and orderly place. Disruption to learning is rare, in part because pupils are keen to learn and enjoy what they do. Pupils are proud of their school and take care over their work.

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Pupils follow a planned programme of personal development that teaches them about healthy relationships. They also learn about a range of traditions and cultures. Staff plan activities that develop pupils’ confidence and resilience. Staff provide a high quality of pastoral care. Outdoor play is being developed to ensure that it contributes fully to pupils’ mental and physical well-being. Pupils have a number of opportunities to take responsibility and serve others. Staff and governors listen to and act on pupils’ opinions and ideas about the school.

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Leaders understand the school well. They have provided effective training for staff, including those new to the profession. Staff believe that leaders are considerate of their workload. They think that decisions are made in the best interests of the whole school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, systems for assessment and feedback to pupils are unclear. As a result, pupils do not know how to improve their work in these subjects. The school should ensure that teachers are clear about how they are assessing pupils’ work, and how to inform them about how they can correct and extend it.  The school does not ensure that the next steps for pupils with SEND are identified clearly enough. This means that some pupils with SEND do not consistently receive all the help they need to make good progress. The school should make sure that all plans identify, precisely enough, the right information to enable staff to support pupils with SEND effectively so they achieve the best possible outcomes. 13 and 14 September 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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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

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Meetings were also held with the SEND coordinators and curriculum leaders. 13 and 14 September 2023

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 The chair of governors and two other governors met with the lead inspector. The lead inspector met a representative of the local authority and a school adviser.  The inspectors spoke with pupils at social times and with groups of pupils more formally.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including evaluations and improvement plans, and minutes of the governing body. They also reviewed the school’s attendance and behaviour records.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View. Two inspectors met with parents at the start of the second day of the inspection. The inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s surveys for staff and pupils.

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, history and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to staff, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  The lead inspector listened to a sample of pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 reading to a familiar adult.

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lesley Yates Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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