Lum Head Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Lum Head Primary School Troutbeck Road, Gatley, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 4RR

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Inspection dates: 30 and 31 January 2024

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Outcome

Lum Head Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They appreciate the care that staff provide. Pupils build strong relationships with the staff and with each other. Pupils are confident and well mannered. They speak politely and articulately with visitors. Pupils are proud of the positive contribution that they make to their school through community and sporting activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils demonstrate positive behaviour throughout the school. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. This allows pupils to try their best during lessons. Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for pupils’ achievement. The academic, personal, social and emotional support that the school provides contributes strongly to pupils’ success.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a mature understanding of equality and diversity. They are proud of their many responsibilities, for example as members of the school council and the restorative ambassador team. Younger pupils enjoy the wide range of games that older pupils, in their role as sports leaders, provide for them at lunchtime. A variety of visits and after- school activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum.

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

Since the previous inspection, the governing body and the school have worked together to further improve the school’s curriculum. These improvements are helping pupils to achieve well in a range of subjects. Governors have a sharp focus on supporting and challenging the school to continue to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.

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

The school has implemented an ambitious curriculum from the early years to Year 6. This meets the needs of pupils, including those in mixed-aged classes and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). 30 and 31 January 2024

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In most subjects, the school has identified the important knowledge that pupils should acquire. This knowledge builds on what they already know in well-ordered steps. Teachers have been suitably trained and they use their strong subject knowledge to make sure that pupils learn the content of the curriculum. In these subjects, pupils progress well through the curriculum and achieve well. However, in a few subjects, the essential knowledge that should be taught is not as clearly defined. This makes it harder for teachers to design learning and then accurately check that pupils are learning and remembering all that they should.

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The school prioritises reading. In the early years, children have many opportunities to listen to stories and rhymes that develop their vocabulary. Staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively. They make sure that children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, read from books that include the sounds that they have already learned. Teachers are swift to spot any pupils who are not keeping up with the programme and help them to catch up quickly. Pupils regularly visit the school’s library and receive book recommendations from the librarian. Older pupils develop effective reading habits. They spoke enthusiastically about the books that they have read.

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The school identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity. Staff check carefully that appropriate support is in place for these pupils as they move through the school. As a result, pupils with SEND participate in all aspects of school life.

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Children in the early years settle into school life quickly. They understand and follow well- established classroom routines. The positive behaviour of pupils across the school and their good attendance support their learning. Pupils are attentive in class.

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The school supports pupils’ wider development and welfare well. Pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships, including when online. They learn about the differences between people and the importance of respect. They also benefit from the strong support that the school provides for their social and emotional needs.

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Staff are proud of the strong culture of teamwork that exists in the school. They are supported to fulfil their roles effectively. For example, the school considers staff’s workload when new initiatives are introduced.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the important knowledge that pupils should learn has not been clearly identified. This means that teachers are less able to design learning that helps pupils to learn all that they should. It also means that teachers find it more difficult to check that pupils have gained a secure understanding of subject content before new 30 and 31 January 2024

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learning is introduced. The school should ensure that staff have the information that they need to design, and then check, pupils’ learning so that they know and remember more over time.

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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 February 2019.

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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' 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). 30 and 31 January 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 February 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed since the previous inspection.  The chair of the governing body and several other governors have also been appointed since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school's education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher and with other leaders and members of staff. He also spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. 30 and 31 January 2024

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 The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and physical education. He talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. He also observed some pupils from Years 1 to 3 reading to staff.  The inspector considered a range of documents and discussed the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around the school. He also observed pupils during lunchtime and while they played outside at

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playtime and lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also met with parents and carers before school to find out their views on the school.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 and 31 January 2024

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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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