Lady Seaward's Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Lady Seaward’s Church of England Primary School Clyst St George, Exeter, Devon EX3 0RE

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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 Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Michala Firth. This school is part of The First Federation Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul Walker, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alex Warmsley. 10 and 11 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lady Seaward’s wants the best for each pupil. The school works hard to support academic success while also excellently fostering their personal growth.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The values of compassion, aspiration and resilience run like a golden thread through every aspect of the school. Children learn to be kind and thoughtful right from the start in the early years. Older pupils provide very positive role models for younger children. The environment that this creates helps pupils to do well academically and to become confident and compassionate young people.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are extremely positive about Lady Seaward’s. They value the school’s commitment to the care and well-being of their children. Parents appreciate the supportive, family atmosphere and know that staff will always make time to listen to them. Pupils behave well in and around the school, treating everyone with courtesy and respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Lady Seaward’s school is committed to providing the highest quality of care and education. Staff work tirelessly to improve the curriculum and ensure that activities interest the pupils. As a result, pupils enjoy their lessons and say that teachers make their learning fun. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils typically achieve well across the curriculum. This prepares most pupils well for the next stage in their education.

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

The school has developed a well-thought-out curriculum that is well delivered by staff. The clear, step-by-step approach identifies precisely what pupils need to learn as they move through the school. Activities are carefully thought out so that they interest and enthuse the pupils. As a result, the youngest children talk excitedly about the stories they are learning while older pupils are enthusiastic about the issues that they debate. This, together with the good subject knowledge of staff, is enabling pupils to know and remember more of the knowledge they need to learn. This prepares most pupils well for the next stage in their education.

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

Most pupils are well supported to become confident readers and writers. Staff have a good understanding of how pupils learn to read and write. They use this well to support pupils to learn phonics and the basics of writing. For example, the school teaches pupils to read and write words at the same time This helps pupils to understand the link between reading words carefully and spelling them accurately when writing them down. For a small number of pupils, some reading and writing activities are too complicated. This means they do not get the time they need to secure the basics before they move on to the next stage. These pupils struggle to become fluent readers and writers because they cannot quickly recall the basic information they need.

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

Children in the Nursery and Reception classes are well looked after. The school has a good understanding of the needs of the youngest children and ensures that they are well cared for. For example, the school works closely with parents and carers when children are toilet 10 and 11 December 2024

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training. Children do well in the early years because of the good relationships that staff establish with them.

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The school’s increased focus on the key information that pupils need to learn and remember is making it easier for staff to identify and support pupils who need extra help. As a result, staff are beginning to adapt how they deliver the curriculum to ensure all pupils learn the key information they need. This means that disadvantaged pupils, including those with special educational needs and/ or disabilities (SEND), receive the support they need to do well.

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The school’s values of compassion, aspiration and resilience run through the heart of the school. Pupils know that the school wants them all to do as well as possible in both their academic and personal development. The school successfully promotes and celebrates good behaviour. Pupils behave well in and around the school and are attentive in lessons. The school carefully monitors pupils’ attendance to ensure that they attend school regularly.

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The school’s approach to pupils’ personal development is praiseworthy. The school carefully considers how to support every aspect of pupils’ personal growth. This highly effective approach begins in the Nursery class, where the youngest children are thoughtfully supported by gentle routines that help them to develop friendships and get on well with each other. This builds in a wide number of ways as pupils get older, for example by identifying moments to pause and consider the awe and wonder of the world around them, or by having whole-school responsibilities such as being a mental health ambassador.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school does not ensure that all pupils become fluent in the basics of English and mathematics. This means that a small number of pupils do not develop secure enough knowledge to be ready for the next stage of their education. The trust should ensure that every child gains the basic knowledge they need to quickly become fluent in reading, writing and mathematics.

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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. 10 and 11 December 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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Website www.clyst-st-george.devon.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 April 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school located within the Diocese of Exeter. The last section 48 inspection took place in January 2024. The next inspection is planned to take place within the next five years.  Since the last inspection, the school has opened a Nursery class that includes provision for two-year-old children.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The breakfast club is run by the school. The after-school provision is operated by an external provider.

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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 10 and 11 December 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 evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, and representatives from the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in following subjects: early reading, mathematics, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  An inspector listened to pupils read to an adult.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Phil Minns, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jyotsna Paranjape 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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