Lache Primary School

Inspection of Lache Primary School Hawthorn Road, Lache, Chester, Cheshire CH4 8HX

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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 14 and 15 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lache Primary School is a safe and welcoming haven for its pupils. Pupils are very happy to come to school. They enjoy being with their friends and they think very highly of staff. Pupils appreciate all that staff do for them. They know that staff have their best interests at heart. This is a very caring school where every pupil matters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each morning pupils are greeted by Scooby, the friendly school dog. He helps some pupils who need additional support to settle into the school day and be ready to learn. The school has high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. Most pupils achieve well and are ready for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. In lessons, they are enthusiastic about their learning and listen carefully to their teachers. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), talk confidently about what they have learned.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have the opportunity to develop their talents and interests. They benefit from a range of clubs on offer. For example, they attend archery, craft, choir and football. Pupils are encouraged to develop into responsible citizens of their community. For instance, each class decides how they will raise money for local charities.

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better?

In 2023, the proportion of Year 6 pupils meeting the expected standards in reading and mathematics was significantly below the national average. This was because of weaknesses in the previous curriculum, which were compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This resulted in gaps in pupils’ learning. They were not able to catch up quickly enough to attain as well as they should in the national tests and assessments.

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better?

The school has since strengthened the subject curriculums. They are ambitious and clearly set out what pupils should learn. In the vast majority of subjects, teachers choose activities that help pupils to learn well. In turn, pupils remember what they have learned over time. This means that pupils currently at the school are achieving much better than the 2023 published data suggests.

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better?

In most subjects, pupils are ready for success as they begin Year 3 curriculum. However, in writing, the curriculum in the early years and key stage 1 does not prepare some pupils well enough for the demands of key stage 2. Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge of grammar and punctuation that hinder the accuracy of their written work across different subjects.

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better?

The school gives high priority to the teaching of early reading. This begins in the Nursery class where children enjoy listening to new stories and comparing them to stories that are more familiar. The phonics programme starts swiftly in the Reception class. It is taught effectively by well-trained staff. Pupils join in the phonics sessions with enthusiasm. To help pupils to remember the sounds that they learn, teachers 14 and 15 May 2024

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provide regular opportunities to revise prior learning. In addition, pupils who struggle to remember the sounds that they have learned are quickly identified and supported well to catch up with the programme. Pupils, including children in the Reception class, take home books that are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Most pupils in key stage 2 develop into fluent and accurate readers.

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Teachers regularly check how well pupils are progressing through the curriculum. They identify those pupils who need additional support. Teachers also make sure that misconceptions are addressed and that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are overcome.

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Pupils with SEND, including those in the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), are well supported so that they can learn alongside their peers. In particular, the staff in the specially resourced provision expertly help pupils to learn all that they should against their individualised learning plans.

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The school has very carefully considered the provision to support pupils’ personal development. This enables pupils to have rich experiences beyond their day-to-day lives. For example, the ‘eleven by eleven pledge’ ensures that pupils access activities such as going to the theatre or learning to ride a bicycle before they leave Year 6. Pupils especially enjoy the range of visits that they go on. For example, the annual trip for the whole school to the local zoo. Older pupils develop their leadership skills through a range of roles. For instance, house captains help to lead a weekly assembly. Pupils of all ages are pleased to belong to their house team. They wear their ties with house colours with pride.

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Playtimes are joyful. Pupils behave well. Pupils of different ages play together. Older pupils take pride in teaching younger pupils to play a range of games that make their time away from classrooms enjoyable.

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The school has developed a number of successful strategies which have led to some pupils attending more regularly. Even so, absence rates are higher than the national average. This means that pupils miss out on valuable learning which then hinders their achievement and personal development.

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The governing body wants the very best for pupils and their families. Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. They have the necessary skills to support and challenge the school well.

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The school gives a high priority to staff’s workload and well-being. For example, the new approach to giving pupils feedback on their work reduces marking time for staff. As a result, staff feel well-supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 14 and 15 May 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The writing curriculum in the early years and key stage 1 does not ensure that pupils are prepared well enough for the demands of key stage 2. This means that pupils have gaps in their knowledge of grammar and punctuation which hinders the accuracy of their written work across different subjects. The school should ensure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 gain the fundamental knowledge that they need to write with fluency and accuracy.  Many pupils miss valuable time away from school. This hinders their learning and causes gaps in their knowledge. The school should revisit its strategies for identifying the reasons why some pupils do not attend school and work with parents and carers to overcome these obstacles.

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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). 14 and 15 May 2024

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 The school has a specially resourced provision. There are nine places for pupils with social emotional and mental health needs. There are eight pupils aged between seven to 11 in this class.  The school offers a breakfast club and after-school provision each day.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and 14 and 15 May 2024

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considered the extent to which the school has created and open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, including early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, discussed the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, looked at a sample of pupils’ work, spoke with teachers and talked with pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other areas. This included talking with pupils and scrutinising curriculum documentation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders. An inspector also met with members of the governing body, including the chair.  An inspector spoke to a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour as they arrived at school and during

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lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  Inspectors considered the views of parents. They looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. They also spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day.  Inspectors considered the views of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.  There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Frith Murphy, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Davidson Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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