Lumley Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Lumley Infant and Nursery School Great Lumley, Chester le Street, County Durham DH3 4JL

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 10 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

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Overall effectiveness Good

From then until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between graded inspections under section 5 of the Act. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s determination that every pupil should succeed. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are carefully considered within this offer which starts in the exceptional early years where children study a highly ambitious curriculum. Staff ensure that children are extremely well supported to concentrate well on the range of carefully selected activities to ensure they achieve the best possible outcomes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The strong curriculum model continues in key stage 1 where attitudes to learning are extremely positive. Caring staff model kindness to show pupils how they should behave. Pupils show consideration to each other in abundance. This includes at breaktimes when older pupils ensure that everyone has someone to play with. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of pupils’ personal development is exceptional. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils understand how to keep mentally and physically healthy through activities such as cooking and attending sports festivals. All pupils benefit from a range of educational visits, visitors and after-school clubs. These experiences include African drumming and Chinese calligraphy. The school’s links with a school in Uganda provide pupils with opportunities to become respectful and active citizens.

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better?

Since the school federated, leaders have revised the curriculum to clarify the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn. Most of the curriculum is well sequenced. Leaders ensure teaching of the school’s curriculum prepares pupils for future learning well. For example, in design and technology (DT), teachers sequence learning to ensure pupils revisit and build on prior learning. This helps pupils to improve their skills of cutting and joining materials. In Year 1, children learn all about puppets before designing and making their own puppets. Teachers check pupils’ knowledge and skills to support pupils to develop technical expertise over time.

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better?

In science, teachers provide opportunities for pupils to observe a range of phenomena. Pupils build scientific knowledge and learn how to work scientifically. For example, in early years, children observe the life cycle of farm animals. Older pupils investigate the life cycle of a plant. They observe the conditions that seeds require to germinate.

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better?

The mathematics curriculum begins in Nursery where staff skilfully design activities such as making a ‘potato pie’. As children make the ‘pie’, staff support children to learn to count. They help children to identify patterns and learn important mathematical vocabulary. Later, older pupils revisit prior learning to help them gain fluency in number. For example, in Year 2, pupils count in steps of two. 8 and 9 May 2024

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The school ensures that reading is a top priority. From early years onwards, pupils follow a structured phonics programme. Staff make sure that pupils practise reading often to help pupils to become fluent readers. However, some lessons do not reflect the precise structure of the phonics programme. Phonics is not taught consistently well in all groups. Pupils who need extra help to learn to read are quickly identified. These pupils receive support specific to their needs. This helps pupils to catch up. Pupils enjoy story time. They benefit from the well-stocked selection of books such as ‘The First Hippo on the Moon’ by David Walliams.

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Provision for pupils with SEND is exceptional. The school works effectively with external professionals such as occupational health and educational psychologists. Staff in school demonstrate expert knowledge. Leaders ensure the information in pupils’ support plans is precise. This helps staff to accurately meet individual needs. Pupils with SEND achieve exceptionally well from their starting points. Many parents speak positively of the way in which the school supports their children with SEND.

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Pupils’ behaviour throughout the school is exceptional. Pupils are polite towards each other and the adults who support them. They understand the importance of treating each other fairly. Pupils enjoy coming to school to learn. Leaders effectively support parents and carers to improve pupils’ attendance.

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The exceptional offer for personal development ensures that pupils benefit from a rich set of experiences. Pupils start each day with physical and mindful activities such as yoga and fitness. The school ensures that educational visits and visitors are accessible for all pupils, including pupils with SEND. Children in early years enjoy visiting Wharton Park where they explore the outdoor environment. Aspects of safeguarding are thoughtfully woven through the curriculum. For example, pupils learn to maintain healthy relationships. Pupils benefit from learning outdoors often. They look after areas of the school’s grounds. In autumn, pupils enjoyed entering a pumpkin growing competition in the region.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. Leaders are committed to staff development. Staff say that leaders support them well to manage their workload and well-being. Governors understand their roles well. They bring a range of skills and experience to support the school. Governors are committed to working with school leaders to ensure the best for all pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, phonics teaching does not match the rigour of the school’s chosen phonics programme. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they 8 and 9 May 2024

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should. The school should ensure that all staff have the expertise to teach phonics consistently well.

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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). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision for pupils.  Lumley Infant and Nursery School is federated with Lumley Junior School. The executive headteacher leads both schools.  There is one governing body for both schools.

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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.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the governing body, 8 and 9 May 2024

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including the chair and vice-chair. The lead inspector also held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and DT. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. An inspector spoke with some parents.

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 Inspectors also considered the responses to the online staff and pupils surveys.

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Inspection team

Kathryn McDonald, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Janet Madden Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 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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