Lancot School

Inspection of a good school: Lancot School Lancot Drive, Dunstable, Bedfordshire LU6 2AP

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Inspection dates: 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Outcome

Lancot School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Claire Probert. This school is part of Chiltern Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Adrian Rogers, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Graham Pryor.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of this inclusive school. They say they feel safe, and parents agree. Pupils live by the school’s values of strength, working together, aspire and nurture. Being part of Lancot School community enables pupils to become ‘agents for change’. Pupils know they have a voice and that they can make positive differences in the world around them. For example, they select charities and raise money to support good causes. Parents and families support the school because relationships are strong.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all. Pupils respond well and benefit from these high expectations. Pupils enjoy learning the school’s updated curriculum. They learn lots about the local area. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave with kindness and respect. As soon as they start the early years, children quickly learn the school’s rules and routines. Throughout the school, pupils are keen to learn the exciting things their teachers plan for them. Consequently, they listen carefully to their teachers and learning is purposeful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many wider opportunities for pupils to contribute to school life. For instance, pupils can apply to be on the junior leadership team.

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

The school has designed a new ambitious curriculum. It is well sequenced and builds on pupils’ prior learning. Teachers focus on developing pupils’ vocabulary across the 30 April and 1 May 2024

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curriculum. This supports pupils’ understanding and adds to their knowledge. In most subjects, pupils talk confidently about their learning. The work in pupils’ books demonstrates their clear understanding. However, in a small number of subjects, where the curriculum is not yet fully established, pupils cannot always remember their prior learning.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They skilfully check how well pupils understand their learning. Teachers quickly identify any misconceptions and gaps in learning. They use this information to reshape lessons and plan the pupils’ next steps.

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Reading has a high priority across the school. Children learn to read as soon as they start school. All staff are well trained to teach the systematic phonics programme to pupils who are at an early stage of reading. There is a consistent approach to daily phonics lessons. Staff swiftly identify any pupils struggling so they receive timely help to allow them to catch up. The school has invested heavily in new books to ensure pupils have a wide range of texts to suit their interests. Pupils read a large range of authors, with many stating different favourite authors. Pupils enjoy reading and love their teachers reading to them.

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Staff identify pupils’ needs accurately. Individual plans reflect the learners’ needs, which increases their access to learning. Adults know the pupils well. They are well trained to support their individual needs and help them to achieve their targets. As a result, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils are polite and courteous. They warmly welcome visitors into school and are proud to share what is special about their school. Most pupils enjoy school and attend regularly. However, despite some recent improvements, there are some pupils who miss school too often. This means that pupils miss out on important learning, which impacts negatively on their social and learning development.

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Personal development is a real strength at Lancot School. Pupils learn to be safe in their community and online. They learn British values, so they understand what it means to live in modern Britain. Pupils like to celebrate their differences and are respectful of others. Pupils understand the importance of equality and are adamant that everyone should be treated equally. The school provides the pupils with many opportunities to take on roles of responsibility. For example, the older pupils like to help the younger children at lunchtimes and prepare games for them to play. Pupils learn about healthy relationships, sex and health education through the school’s carefully planned curriculum. Pupils know how to keep themselves healthy.

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Governors work well with the trustees. They know the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They offer support and challenge to help bring improvements and ensure the school’s statutory duties are carried out effectively. Governors and trustees regularly check on the school’s work, such as safeguarding. The school considers staff workload and well-being. For example, staff have the time they need to fulfil their responsibilities. 30 April and 1 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The development of the curriculum is at an early stage in a small number of subjects. Therefore, pupils have not yet gained the depth of knowledge that they need to build their learning over time. The school needs to ensure that the curriculum for all foundation subjects is fully and effectively implemented so that pupils gain the knowledge they need.  Some pupils continue to be persistently absent from school. As a result, these pupils have gaps in their knowledge as they miss out on the high-quality teaching of the curriculum. The school should continue to review and monitor its strategies to reduce persistent absences further.

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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 July 2018.

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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 30 April and 1 May 2024

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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 April and 1 May 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 17 and 18 July 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is sponsored by Chiltern Learning Trust. A local governing body oversees the school and is responsible to the board of trustees.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND, specifically social, emotional and mental health needs. This caters for approximately 12 pupils. Places are commissioned by Central Bedfordshire local authority.  The school uses four unregistered alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the chief executive officer for the trust, as well as members of the local governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited 30 April and 1 May 2024

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a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with leaders and pupils about several other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; spoke to staff about the training they receive; spoke to those responsible for safeguarding about systems to keep children safe; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector considered 180 responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. She also considered 150 responses from Ofsted’s pupil survey and 65 responses to the survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Julie Winwood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 30 April and 1 May 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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