Lovelace Primary School

Inspection of Lovelace Primary School Mansfield Road, Hook, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2RN

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like coming to this school. They have kind friends to play with. Staff take the time to check how pupils are feeling. Pupils are confident that if they have a worry, they can speak to an adult who will help them. This helps pupils feel happy and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. For example, sports leaders set up play equipment so that younger pupils keep active during playtimes. Pupils have opportunities to celebrate faiths and cultures that may be different from their own. They learn the importance of treating everyone equally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In the early years, children behave extremely well. Staff have high expectations of these children, which they rise to. In the main, pupils across the school conduct themselves well, although a small number struggle to concentrate as well as they should during learning time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aims for pupils to achieve highly across a range of subjects. However, provisional outcomes in 2024 for pupils at the end of Year 6 were below national averages. Therefore, some pupils were not prepared as well as they could be for the next stage of their education. The newly established leadership team has taken effective action to ensure that pupils benefit from a high-quality education.

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

Reading is given priority. Staff teach children in the Nursery Year to recognise sounds in the environment. This helps prepare children for phonics learning in Reception. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. This is because the school aims for pupils to read fluently as soon as possible. Staff receive effective training in early reading. Therefore, there is a consistently effective approach to the teaching of reading. Pupils practise reading books that match the sounds that they know. This helps them to read with confidence and enthusiasm. Staff check the sounds that pupils know regularly. Pupils, including some with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), who may find reading difficult quickly receive the help they need.

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

Vocabulary development is a focus. From the early years, the school teaches pupils to use ambitious vocabulary and communicate well. For example, in the Nursery, adults model words such as ‘delicious’, ‘peel’ and ‘segment’. Pupils in Year 6 learn words such as ‘flinch’, ‘bellowed’ and ‘baloney’. Teachers clearly explain the meaning of these words so that pupils use them in their writing, which they do.

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

The school has strengthened the curriculum. They have carefully identified what needs to be taught and when. Pupils learn the curriculum in a logical order and build on their previous learning. For instance, in physical education (PE), pupils in Year 3 learn to control a ball successfully with their feet. For example, they know to use small taps when dribbling. Children in the Reception Year have been taught what each number represents. This helps them to confidently count sets of objects. In some subjects, the curriculum is new and not securely embedded. As a result, there are inconsistencies in its delivery. In 10 and 11 December 2024

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addition, on a few occasions, the checking of what some pupils know and remember is not timely enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning.

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The school identifies pupils with SEND swiftly. Leaders have taken effective action to ensure that teachers adapt their teaching approaches so that these pupils learn alongside their classmates and achieve well.

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Most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. However, some pupils are not as motivated to learn as they could be. This is because, sometimes, expectations for pupils’ behaviour are not high enough.

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The school’s provision for personal development is well considered. The school aims for pupils to be responsible, resilient citizens. It provides opportunities for pupils to show these qualities. For example, pupils are proud to have recently sung at an event in the local community. They explain that, though they forgot a few words, they kept going. This is because they learn the importance of not giving up.

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Pupils are taught that families can look different. Pupils respectfully explain that the most important part of being in a family is that you are loved. Pupils learn about consent in an age-appropriate manner. Pupils are taught how to manage their feelings, which starts from the early years. This helps to ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern society.

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Governors have an accurate understanding of the school. They have effective processes in place to check that the school is taking appropriate actions to raise standards. Staff are typically proud to work at the school. Staff, including those at the start of their teaching careers, value the adaptation to the marking policy, which has impacted positively on their workload. Staff are positive about the guidance and training they receive to develop their practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the curriculum is new and not securely embedded. Sometimes, there are inconsistencies in its implementation. In addition, the checking of what pupils know and remember is occasionally not timely enough. As a result of these inconsistencies, some pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that the new curriculum is taught as intended and that pupils’ learning is checked swiftly, enabling any gaps in knowledge to be addressed.  At times, some pupils do not show positive attitudes to their learning. This means that they do not learn as well as they should. The school should ensure that expectations 10 and 11 December 2024

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for pupils’ behaviour are high across the school and that the behaviour policy is implemented consistently.

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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 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 25 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since September 2024.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  The school makes use of one unregistered 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 provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 10 and 11 December 2024

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 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 held meetings with the senior leadership team. In addition, they met with subject leaders, and groups of staff and pupils.  An inspector met with representatives of the governing body and a school improvement partner who works with 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 considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music, religious education, history and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions

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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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Joshua Levenson Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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