Laurel Lane Primary School

Inspection of Laurel Lane Primary School Laurel Lane, West Drayton, Middlesex UB7 7TX

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Natasha Moffatt. This school is part of Frays 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), Christopher Cole, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Angie Brett. 21 and 22 January 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy attending Laurel Lane. This is an inclusive school where everyone is welcomed, supported, and encouraged to do their best. Pupils are kept safe because there are effective systems in place to address any concerns that might arise. The school supports pupils who need additional help to self-regulate. Nevertheless, some pupils remember the school when it was not as calm. Staff work closely to support these pupils, reminding and reassuring them of their safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have raised their expectations of pupils. Pupils are learning to rise to this challenge. However, there is variation in the quality of pupils’ learning experiences which means that they do not consistently achieve strong outcomes. The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, these pupils also experience variability in their learning experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and during break and lunchtimes. This begins in early years where children settle quickly and learn to share, take turns, and listen to others. Bullying is rare. Where it does occur, leaders have taken swift and effective action to deal with it.

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

There has been much change in the last 12 months, including to the leadership team. The new team is clear in its ambition for the school, and this is reflected in the standards it has set. The impact of the changes can be seen and felt across the school. Staff have worked hard to implement the new systems.

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

The school has changed its approach to the teaching of phonics. It has focused on ensuring teachers check pupils’ progress through the phonics curriculum regularly. This means that if pupils fall behind they can receive support to catch up quickly. Teachers deliver the phonics programme well. Pupils read books which are matched to the stage they are at. However, there are some pupils who struggle to blend the sounds together to make words. This makes reading laboured for these pupils. The school is aware of this and has appropriate plans in place to secure improvements.

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

Children in early years are happy and well cared for. They enjoy a range of opportunities for learning. They develop secure social and emotional skills. There is a focus on routine, being patient, taking turns and self-regulation. The school has established a strong curriculum which allows pupils to develop secure knowledge. This includes a focus on both everyday and specialist language for different subjects. Children achieve well in early years and are well prepared for Year 1.

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

The school has a clear and effective behaviour policy. Staff help pupils to understand the school’s behaviour expectations. Pupils routinely behave well in lessons and at break times. Any incidents which do occur are dealt with swiftly by staff. The school works closely with families to ensure their children attend regularly and on time. This is having a positive impact. Pupils’ attendance is improving. 21 and 22 January 2025

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The school has rightly focused on improving the curriculum. The new curriculum is now sequenced so it builds learning over time. There is a focus on vocabulary, which begins in early years and helps pupils to explain their learning. However, the curriculum is not implemented well. Some staff have not developed the subject knowledge they need to deliver the intended curriculum effectively. In some subjects, assessment is not used with precision to check pupils’ understanding. As a result, errors and misconceptions are not routinely identified or addressed, meaning gaps develop in some pupils’ learning. This means pupils, including those with SEND, do not build secure knowledge they need to achieve well, including in national assessments.

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Pastoral support for pupils and their families is strong. This is because the staff team have built strong relationships with the school community, so even those in the most challenging of circumstances are settled in school. Parents and carers recognise the many strengths of the school and value the school as the heart of the community. There is a strong focus on pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn about the importance of respecting and valuing all members of the school community. This has enabled a sense of acceptance and celebration of diversity.

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The school is well led. Leaders and those responsible for governance know the strengths of the school. They have identified the right priorities moving forward and have clear plans in place to secure further improvements, especially to the quality of education. Leaders have created an environment where members of staff are happy in their work. Staff have experienced much change in recent years, but leaders have ensured that they are given support for their workload. Staff are fulsome in their praise of leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Assessment is not used with precision to check what pupils know and to identify and address any misconceptions. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge which make it difficult for them to build and deepen their learning. The school should ensure assessment is effective and the information gathered is used well to rectify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.  Some staff do not have sufficient subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum well. This means that pupils do not consistently learn important curriculum content. This limits how well they achieve, including in national assessments. The school should continue to provide training and support so that staff are well placed to implement the curriculum and support all pupils, including those with SEND, to achieve well. 21 and 22 January 2025

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.laurel-laneprimary.hillingdon.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 October 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant change since the previous inspection; there is a new headteacher, new members of the senior leadership team and a new chair of the governing body.  The school is part of the Frays Academy Trust.  The school has a nursery provision, including for two-year-olds.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, computing, and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders and other staff.  Discussions were held with the chief executive officer of the Frays Academy Trust, the trust director of teaching and learning and representatives from both the board of trustees and the federated local governing body.

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 Inspectors conducted deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, and art. 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 considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  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 scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including school development plans and behaviour and attendance records.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions and by considering their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Amy Jackson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Nneoma Thomas 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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