Lutton St Nicholas Primary Academy

Inspection of Lutton St Nicholas Primary Academy Lutton, Spalding, Lincolnshire PE12 9HN

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 January 2025

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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

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The headteacher of this school is Jacob Perrin. This school is part of Keystone Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Helen Joyce, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Joseph Pignatiello. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the school’s values of teamwork, empathy, achievement and motivation running through their learning experiences. Pupils learn to work and play together well. As a result, this is a safe, welcoming and inclusive school. Pupils and parents are enthusiastic about the positive changes that have happened recently at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. The school has made changes to the curriculum to ensure that it is suitably ambitious for all pupils. However, some pupils do not benefit from a consistently well-implemented curriculum across some subject areas. This means that pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they could be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils access a rich set of experiences beyond the classroom which helps them to develop their curiosity and understanding of the world. This includes a range of trips and visits to places such as the theatre, museums and the seaside.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of belonging at the school. From the moment children start in the early years, they are encouraged to develop their independence and demonstrate respect for one another.

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

The school has undergone many changes since the previous inspection. This includes a change in leadership. The school is now in a position of greater stability. The curriculum has been adapted to ensure that it is clear what pupils should learn and when. When this curriculum is taught well, pupils build their knowledge. For example, the changes to the curriculum have begun to have an impact on the teaching of reading. Pupils benefit from a reading curriculum that prioritises pupils being able to read fluently as soon as possible. This means that children in the early years, and pupils in key stage 1, are starting to read with greater fluency and accuracy. Staff promptly identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind their peers and help them to keep up. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the different books that they read. They understand the skills connected to reading and can talk about what they need to do to improve their reading accuracy.

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

However, the changes to the curriculum have not been in place long enough to have had an impact on pupils’ learning. Some pupils have gaps in their learning. For example, pupils lack basic geographical and musical knowledge. They can talk about the activities they have done in lessons but not what they have learned from them. The school has not identified these gaps. As a result, staff cannot help pupils to fill gaps in their learning and build their knowledge over time. Furthermore, teaching does not consistently focus on the most important knowledge that pupils should learn. At times, pupils do not benefit from work and explanations which help them to learn the ambitious curriculum that the school has designed. 21 and 22 January 2025

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In some subjects, the curriculum is taught more effectively. In English and mathematics, for example, pupils have opportunities to develop their understanding and to revisit prior learning.

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Pupils across the school benefit from positive relationships with staff and pastoral support. In the early years, children are immediately welcomed into the life of the school. They quickly settle into routines and develop positive attitudes to their learning. Children benefit from quality interactions with staff and develop their communication and language skills.

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The school has clear systems in place to identify pupils who may require additional support. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well across the school. Additional adults support some pupils effectively to access the curriculum alongside their peers.

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Pupils behave well. They show care and consideration towards each other. Pupils are enthusiastic about collecting house points and enjoy celebrating their achievements.

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The school has carefully considered pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about how to stay safe and be healthy. They show an understanding of the fundamental British values. Pupils can talk about how they have been able to apply this understanding, such as through participating in democratic elections for the school council.

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There is a clear understanding from leaders at all levels about the strengths and priorities for the school. The trust has supported the school well during the period of change and has ensured stability in staffing as quickly as possible. Most staff talk positively about the support that they receive for their workload and well-being. Staff, governors and the trust share a vision to further improve pupils’ outcomes and aspirations.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In lessons, the work that pupils receive, and the explanations they hear, do not consistently focus on the important knowledge that they should learn. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge as well as they should. The school should ensure that pupils routinely benefit from teaching which enables them to develop their understanding of the school’s ambitious curriculum.  Since revising the curriculum, the school has not considered well enough where pupils may have gaps in relation to their prior learning. This means that pupils have gaps and misconceptions in their understanding which have not been identified or addressed. This in turn makes it difficult for pupils to acquire new knowledge. The school should 21 and 22 January 2025

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ensure that checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding enable teachers to identify and address gaps so that pupils can learn the new 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). 21 and 22 January 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school joined Keystone Academy Trust in 2021.  The school does not currently use any alternative provison.  The headteacher at the school took up their post in January 2024. The assistant headteacher started at the school in January 2025.

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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. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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, other leaders, staff, the chair of trustees, the CEO, the chair of the local governing board and other governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. 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.  Inspectors also reviewed samples of pupils’ work and visited lessons in other subjects. They talked to pupils about their learning across the curriculum.  Inspectors met with leaders responsible for pupils’ behaviour and attendance and

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pupils’ personal development. They also met with leaders responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors met with the teacher responsible for the early years, visited the early years and spoke with children.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  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 considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They met with parents in person at the school gates. Inspectors also considered responses to the online surveys for staff.

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Inspection team

Roxanne Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rebecca Jackson Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 January 2025

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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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