Leighfield Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Leighfield Primary School Newtown Road, Uppingham, Oakham, Rutland LE15 9TS

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Outcome

Leighfield Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Sarah Eaton. This school is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Stone, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Richard Bettsworth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leighfield Primary School is an ambitious and nurturing school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm. The curriculum is enhanced through a wide range of creative opportunities and experiences. The school has high expectations for all. As a result, all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They show high levels of engagement and interest during lessons. Pupils listen intently and show an eagerness to share their ideas, thoughts and opinions. Pupils can talk about their learning with confidence. They can explain how their current learning builds upon what they have learned previously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel that their teachers help them to learn but also really care about them. One pupil shared: ‘Our school has an ELSA room. The ELSAs are basically like counsellors; they are special people who make you feel better.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to take part in the extra-curricular opportunities their school provides. Pupils regard their additional roles of responsibility as privileges. For example, one member of the ‘eco-team’ stated: ‘We have solar panels on our roof. At lunchtime, instead of putting everything in the bin, we keep uneaten waste so that it can become compost.’ 28 and 29 February 2024

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

Children get off to a secure start in the Reception Year. The curriculum is ambitious, and expectations are high. Children demonstrate high levels of independence. They remain focused for sustained periods of time. The provision is well resourced. It provides children with the opportunity to explore and learn through play. Relationships between staff and children are warm and nurturing. Resources have been carefully selected to ensure that children have exposure to diversity. Children are very well prepared for key stage 1.

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

The reading culture at the school is strong. Staff are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Effective support is in place to support some pupils to ‘keep up’. The school promotes and develops a genuine love of reading. This is evident in every classroom environment and in the school library. Pupils enjoy a creative calendar of reading events throughout the year. Pupils have access to a range of high-quality texts. The school has carefully chosen these to reflect a range of different topics, and to expose pupils to a diverse range of authors and genres.

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

The mathematics curriculum is ambitious and follows a mastery approach. Pupils have the opportunity to ‘revisit and retrieve’ what they have previously learned. Pupils say that starting every lesson with this is helping them to remember more of the mathematics curriculum. The school’s approach means that all pupils, including those with SEND, experience an appropriate level of challenge. The independent learning part of lessons allows pupils to develop their fluency, reasoning, and problem-solving skills.

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

There are clear learning journeys in place for all of the subject areas. Curriculum plans explicitly identify the important knowledge and skills that pupils will learn throughout each unit for each subject. The school’s art and design curriculum is a strength. The school has created resources including instructional teaching videos to support teachers with delivering the curriculum. In some of the foundation subjects, the way in which teachers check how well pupils are remembering their learning is still being developed.

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

Pupils with SEND receive appropriate support. Some pupils with the most complex needs access their own bespoke lessons, which are tailored to meet their individual needs. The school engages effectively with a range of external services. The school also benefits from access to educational psychology services through the trust, which provides effective support for pupils who require it.

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

Personal, social and health education lessons prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain. In addition, pupils engage in a range of curriculum enrichment opportunities. The school carefully plans these experiences to both broaden pupils’ horizons and to raise aspirations. For example, ‘aspirations week’ provides pupils with the chance to explore a wide range of careers. The school chooses visitors who challenge gender stereotypes to talk about their work.

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

Pupils show an age-appropriate understanding of different types of families and relationships. Pupils talk about diversity and the importance of respect with maturity. 28 and 29 February 2024

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One pupil shared: ‘It is not kind to say negative things about peoples’ beliefs or to say things are wrong about their religion. It is up to them what they believe - it is not our job to tell anyone what they can or cannot believe.’

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Staff, including early career teachers, feel well supported. They feel their workload and well-being are considered. Staff have access to a wide range of professional development opportunities. They particularly value the chance to network with other professionals across the trust. The advisory board fulfil their statutory duties. They have regular lines of communication with the trust.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

■ In some of the foundation subjects, assessment processes are not yet fully developed. In these subjects, teachers do not use assessment information to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge as effectively as they could. Leaders should consider their assessment processes in place for all of the foundation subjects so that pupils can be supported to know and remember more of the wider curriculum.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2015.

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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. 28 and 29 February 2024

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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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

■ The school is part of Discovery Schools Academies Trust Ltd.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 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. ■ This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 28 and 29 February 2024

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■ The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. ■ The inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult. ■ The inspector met with leaders responsible for behaviour, personal development, and the provision for pupils with SEND. ■ 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 reviewed a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan. The inspector met with members of the local advisory board and trust board.

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■ The inspector met with a school improvement representative from the trust. ■ The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View, including any free-text comments, as well as the results of Ofsted’s survey for school staff.

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Inspection team

Luella Manssen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 February 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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