Lanercost CofE Primary School

Inspection of Lanercost CofE Primary School Lanercost, Brampton, Cumbria CA8 2HL

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since September 2012. 5 and 6 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of this inspiring school. They carefully follow the school’s motto of ‘care, believe and achieve’. Pupils are happy, feel safe and enjoy spending time with their friends. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meet the high aspirations that the school has for them. They achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast array of opportunities on offer to pupils is highly impressive. Pupils contribute their own ideas regarding the clubs that they would like, such as gardening, cookery, lacrosse and orienteering. They benefit greatly from a well- thought-out enrichment programme that builds on the school’s curriculum. For example, pupils thoroughly enjoyed a recent visit to a local river and the opportunity to meet and talk to an architect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are nurtured and well cared for. They behave extremely well during lessons and at social times. Pupils spoke enthusiastically about the school being a welcoming place, where they can be themselves and where they are treated fairly. Pupils have a strong sense of justice. They understand the importance of equality. Pupils recognise that the differences that exist between people help to make the world a more interesting place.

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better?

Relationships between pupils and staff are built on mutual respect. The school takes time to get to know pupils and their families well. It establishes links with parents and carers from the moment that children start in the Nursery class. Parents are involved in many projects and school activities such as learning celebrations and design and technology projects. This helps them to support their children’s learning at home.

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better?

Pupils value their education. They look forward to attending school, particularly after time away during school holidays. Pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at social times is exemplary. They know that there are trusted adults in school that they can talk with to share any worries that they may have. Year 6 pupils explained that they especially appreciated extra time to explore any questions that they had ahead of their move on to high school.

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better?

The school places reading at the centre of everything that it does. This begins from the moment that children start in the Nursery class. Children enjoy time in reading areas and also in the school’s library. They learn stories and rhymes and enjoy retelling them to their friends. The school ensures that staff deliver the phonics programme exceptionally well. Staff make sure that the books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they already know. Over time, pupils develop into confident and highly competent readers. This helps them to access the full curriculum and contributes to their learning across all subjects. 5 and 6 June 2024

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Staff are positive role models. They foster pupils’ love of reading remarkably well. Pupils particularly enjoy listening to stories that are told by different people, including staff, visiting authors and the local librarian.

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The curriculum is highly ambitious. It enables pupils, including those with SEND, to shine in each subject. The school has carefully constructed its curriculum so that it clearly identifies the knowledge that pupils should know and remember from the Nursery class to the end of Year 6. The curriculum utilises the rich resources available in the local area to extend and to develop pupils’ knowledge even further.

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Staff deliver the curriculum in a way that ignites pupils’ curiosity and builds a thirst for learning. Pupils develop a rich body of knowledge across a range of subjects. The school provides teachers with resources of exceptional quality to support the implementation of the curriculum. Staff spoke of the high-quality training that they receive, which supports them in developing their practice. They also spoke of how working as part of a close-knit team helps to ease their workload.

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The school carefully checks that staff deliver the curriculum well. It makes sure that teachers introduce new learning at exactly the right time. Teachers do this expertly. They check what pupils know and remember from the curriculum before moving on to new learning. As a result, pupils excel academically and are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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The school’s wider offer to develop pupils’ character, talents and interests is exceptional. For example, pupils enjoy drawing and art club. They are proud of their artwork that is on display at the local railway station. Pupil leadership groups, such as the school council, art and reading ambassadors, give pupils a voice for change. They raise money to improve their own environment, including fundraising to develop the school’s outdoor area.

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Staff and governors are incredibly proud to be a part of this inspirational school. Governors diligently fulfil their statutory duties. They provide support and challenge so that everyone can meet the high expectations they set. Everyone associated with the school is invested in a common purpose to provide a high-quality, ambitious education for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 5 and 6 June 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). 5 and 6 June 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 September 2012, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This Church of England school is part of the Diocese of Carlisle. Its last section 48 inspection, for schools of a religious character, took place in March 2018. The next section 48 inspection is due by the end of 2026.  A new headteacher and chair of governors have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 5 and 6 June 2024

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 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with leaders and with members of staff. The lead inspector held discussions with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with representatives of the diocese and of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, they held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with

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leaders and with some pupils. Inspectors reviewed samples of pupils’ work in these curriculum areas.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around 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 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 records of governing body meetings, leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and observed their behaviour at playtime and during lunchtime. They considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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 Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments. They also spoke with some parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Sue Dymond, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Amanda Whittingham Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 June 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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