Leonard Stanley Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Leonard Stanley Church of England Primary School Bath Road, Leonard Stanley, Stonehouse, Gloucestershire GL10 3LY

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Belonging is at the heart of this welcoming and inclusive school. As a result, pupils are excited to come to school. They are invested in the school’s values, particularly in being kind. Pupils behave well. They play in harmony across year groups. Pupils show genuine care for others. They have warm relationships with adults. This helps them feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils contribute to the life of the school in many ways. For example, they get to be eco- councillors and take pride in keeping the school environment tidy. Pupils enjoy attending the variety of clubs that have been selected based on their interests. Mountain biking, Bollywood and football club are firm favourites.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has undergone significant change, including to leadership. It has rapidly evaluated and improved the curriculum. While this is having a positive impact in some areas, the full impact is yet to be realised across the curriculum for all pupils. Work remains to ensure pupils remember their learning over time and apply their mathematical understanding. There is also more to do to support some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) so they achieve the high ambitions the school has for them.

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

Intelligent and strategic leadership has meant curriculum development has been at the forefront of the school’s work. The curriculum now specifies the precise knowledge pupils need to learn at each stage. Central to this have been efforts to foster a love of reading. ‘Roald Dahl days’ and ‘rocket reading challenges’ mean pupils are excited to ‘get lost in a book’. Books to practise reading with match the sounds children are confident with. Trained staff address any gaps in knowledge. As a result, pupils learn to read quickly.

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

The school has considered the local context while creating its broad curriculum. For example, ‘life skills’ afternoons build knowledge in coding and cookery. Disadvantaged pupils are well considered through the design of the curriculum. Small steps of learning make clear what pupils need to learn. The school engages well with external agencies to support pupils with SEND where needed. The effective systems in place ensure parents, carers and pupils are fully involved. While the school swiftly identifies pupils’ needs, support plans are not always precise. This means that activities are not always well matched to pupils’ needs. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not receive the support they need to learn the curriculum successfully.

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

In some curriculum areas, pupils find it hard to remember learning over time. This is due to previous deficiencies in the way the curriculum was designed and taught. As a result, pupils have some gaps in their learning. However, the school’s recent work is paying off. This is increasingly helping pupils to remember more of their learning. For example, the school has strengthened the writing curriculum so that children’s letter formation is secure before moving onto other technical aspects. Consequently, there has been rapid improvement in pupils’ writing. Older pupils are able to write with flair. In physical 24 and 25 September 2024

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education, pupils talk confidently about how what they know about forward rolls helps them learn about barrel rolls further up the school.

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The school has enhanced the mathematics curriculum. Knowledge of early number is prioritised. For example, in early years, children learn numbers to 10 by counting the steps on treasure maps. While emphasis is placed on number fluency, pupils are not always given the opportunity to apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems. This means some pupils do not develop the depth of mathematical understanding they need for future learning.

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The revised behaviour policy is having a positive impact on pupils. Adults model the behaviour they expect to see. Pupils live up to these expectations. They are polite and courteous. Careful tracking and personalised pastoral support means pupils attend well. The school cultivates strong links between school and home.

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The carefully considered personal development programme helps pupils to learn how to keep safe and well. Pupils get a say in how to improve the school, for example, through many leadership roles. Strong links with the local church and community help pupils learn about and celebrate difference. This prepares them for life in modern Britain well.

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The new headteacher, supported by a skilled governing body and dedicated staff, has brought stability and direction to the school. Leaders and governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas to develop. They are not complacent and continue to drive improvements, so the children of Leonard Stanley receive the best education possible.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Support plans for some pupils with SEND lack specificity. This means these pupils do not receive the support they need to learn the curriculum successfully in some areas. The school must ensure that targets are specific and measurable, and that pupils have an opportunity to demonstrate learning in these areas.  In some subjects, the implementation of the new curriculum is still developing. The previous curriculum left pupils with gaps in their knowledge and understanding. Consequently, some pupils find it hard to recall what they have learned over time. The school should help pupils to overcome their gaps and secure strong foundations for future learning.  Teachers do not always provide pupils sufficient opportunity to extend their learning and apply their mathematical knowledge to problem solving and reasoning activities. This means that some pupils are not able to develop the depth of mathematical

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understanding they should. The school needs to ensure that teachers have the expertise to provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to develop their problem solving and reasoning skills through the curriculum.

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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 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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.leonardstanleycofeprimary.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in January 2024.  The school is designated as having a religious character. The school is part of the Diocese of Gloucester. At the most recent section 48 inspection of the school, carried out in June 2018, the school was judged to be good.  The school operates its own nursery provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds.  There is a before- and an after-school club for pupils who attend the school.  The school does not use any 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form 24 and 25 September 2024

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, school staff, parents, pupils, governors, a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also spoke to leaders and pupils about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a known adult.

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 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 observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors met with pupils formally and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jo Briscombe Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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