St Andrew's Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Laverstock

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Laverstock 16 Church Road, Laverstock, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP1 1QX

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

St Andrew’s Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Laverstock has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of ‘respect, love and honesty’ weave throughout the school. They set the expectations for how pupils act and behave. Pupils understand these well and respond positively to their teachers and to one another. Pupils are polite. They conduct themselves well and show consideration towards one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well cared for. Older pupils’ model positive behaviours and routines for younger pupils and children. Pupils especially enjoy the many ways the school celebrates their efforts and hard work. For example, the school rewarding them with served dining.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. In lessons, pupils enjoy sharing what they know and can do. In Reception, for example, children eagerly take turns to come to the front to put the number cards in order. All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils engage in many ways to feed back ideas and shape their school. The school council consult on activities for play time, such as a quiet space or new play equipment. The ‘School Nutrition Action Group’ (SNAG) involves several pupils across the school. They work with the school kitchen to taste-test menus and actively plan to reduce food wastage. Laverstock 10 and 11 December 2024

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

The curriculum design is broad and ambitious. The school evaluates the curriculum to improve how well pupils can achieve. It considers how its actions benefit the pupils. For example, the school has embedded a new phonics curriculum to teach children and pupils to read well. It makes sure pupils learn the sounds they need to know next. As a result, pupils develop the foundations to becoming more fluent readers.

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

The school has recently enhanced the curriculum in a couple of subjects. The school has begun to identify the important knowledge that pupils will learn but some subjects are further ahead with this than others. In the subjects where work is ongoing, pupils are not able to build their learning securely on what they know and can do.

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

Teachers use strategies effectively to know how well pupils understand their learning. When pupils are unsure, teachers quickly address what pupils do not understand. The school makes sure the writing curriculum helps pupils build and develop their literacy skills. However, pupils have fewer opportunities to practice and apply their writing skills across the breadth of the curriculum. Pupils do not often demonstrate the high expectations the school has for their writing widely across other subjects.

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

The school has robust processes in place to identify and check the needs of pupils and children with SEND. These are carefully reviewed with parents and carers, so planning and support for pupils is appropriate. Teachers adapt learning well, so pupils start their learning at points that build on what they know and can do.

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

The school astutely tracks how well pupils attend school. It communicates well to parents and pupils the importance of coming to school. When needed, the school works with families to provide support and help. As a result, pupils attend school well.

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

The school considers its actions to make sure they impact positively for pupils. The school has experienced a period of transition due to staff changes or absence. The result of this has been a change to some subject leadership. The school manages any change with care. For example, pupils are well-prepared when their teacher changes. They maintain warm relationships with their teachers. The school ensures new staff have training to be confident and have the knowledge they need to lead their subjects. Staff are positive in the way the school plans to support them and look after their well-being.

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

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the community and online. Visitors to the school teach them about road safety, or how to protect their identity online. Pupils remember this well. Through the personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum, pupils learn to respect one another’s space and opinions. They know how to look after their mental and physical health.

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

Through the vast opportunities for wider development, the school prepare pupils well to develop their confidence and try new experiences. It provides opportunities to give pupils the strategies to manage new challenges and keep trying. Pupils think about and reflect on their determination. For example, their efforts to push themselves further on a Laverstock 10 and 11 December 2024

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climbing wall. Children in Reception and younger pupils perform the nativity with enthusiasm, with some pupils singing solos. The school plans a wide range of sports and arts tournaments and events. Many pupils participate and enjoy the ways they can try new things.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The explicit knowledge and skills pupils learn are not clearly identified for a few foundation subjects. Where this happens, the planning for the progression of pupils is not precise. The school should ensure that the knowledge pupils need to learn is identified across all subjects and this builds progressively over time.  The school does not plan well for pupils to write more extensively and develop their literacy skills through the wider curriculum. As a result, pupils have fewer opportunities to practise their writing with the same high ambition they work towards in English. Leaders need to make sure the expectations for pupils’ writing are extended across the breadth of the curriculum.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019. Laverstock 10 and 11 December 2024

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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). Laverstock 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.st-andrews-laverstock.wilts.sch.uk

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School details

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

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school in the Diocese of Salisbury. The school was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in May 2019.  The headteacher joined the school in September 2022.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to curriculum leaders, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Laverstock 10 and 11 December 2024

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 The inspector held discussions with pupils, school leaders, teachers, the SENCo and representatives from the governing body.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central register; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that put pupils’ interests first.  The inspector reviewed a range of school documentation and policies. These included the school development plan and minutes of governing body meetings.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Rachel Hesketh, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector Laverstock 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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