Church Lane Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of Church Lane Primary School & Nursery Church Lane, Sleaford, Lincolnshire NG34 7DF

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Church Lane Primary School and Nursery provides pupils with the best possible start on their educational journey. Pupils describe their school as ‘phenomenal’ and ‘the best school in the world’. Parents and carers rightly praise the education and care their children receive. A typical comment was: ‘Church Lane is an exceptional school with dedicated staff who genuinely care about all children’s education and well-being.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is passionate that each and every pupil will experience success. Pupils thrive here, academically and personally. They live out the school’s motto of ‘being kind, working hard and achieving greatness’. In lessons, pupils are attentive and enthusiastic learners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The ‘Church Lane Way’ teaches pupils about the behaviours and habits that the school expects them to demonstrate. Pupils treat one another, and adults, with courtesy and respect. Pupils trust staff, who show pupils high levels of care. Pupils are happy, safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the school’s array of opportunities to take on responsibilities, such as being members of the school parliament, ‘play rangers’ and ‘well-being warriors’. Pupils take these responsibilities seriously. They are proud of the differences that they make in these roles.

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

The school has designed a curriculum that is exceptionally ambitious for all pupils. It identifies precisely what pupils will learn and when this will be taught. As a result, pupils make excellent progress through the curriculum.

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

In lessons, teachers have strong subject knowledge and carefully check that pupils’ understanding is secure before moving on to new learning. Staff model learning precisely so that pupils know exactly what they must do and how to do it. This results in pupils achieving an excellent understanding of their learning and producing high-quality work consistently.

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

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are impressive. They demonstrate high levels of engagement, which is reflected in their ability to remember, in depth, what they have learned. They are eager to share this knowledge with others. For example, pupils in Year 5 could talk about their past learning about gravity. They recalled learning about Galileo and could define terms such as geo-centric and heliocentric and discuss with confidence how scientific views have changed over time.

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

The school organises many educational experiences for its pupils that enrich their learning. These include museum visits, drama workshops and a trip to France, where pupils practise using phrases learned at school while visiting French shops.

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

The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Plans to support their learning are clear 25 and 26 February 2025

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and effective. Teachers make careful adaptations so that these pupils can access the curriculum. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life. They make strong progress.

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The school prioritises reading as central to the curriculum. Staff are well trained and carry out close checks on pupils’ learning. Interventions support pupils who are at risk of falling behind. Reading books are matched to the sounds that pupils know. This begins immediately in the early years class and continues for as long as needed. Pupils develop into fluent, confident readers with positive reading habits.

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Children make an exceptionally strong start in the Nursery Year and Reception class. They learn in an environment that inspires curiosity. There are stimulating, carefully designed activities that enable children to learn, understand and practise new skills and vocabulary. Children in the early years are extremely well prepared for their next steps.

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The personal development offer for pupils is exemplary and goes beyond what is expected. Themes such as personal, social, health and relationships education, citizenship and life skills are woven through the curriculum. Pupils have a mature understanding of equality, diversity and fundamental British values.

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The school makes sure that its pupils are familiar with the world beyond Sleaford. Leaders are passionate that every pupil will experience success and be able to take part in a wide range of enrichment opportunities. Many pupils access extra-curricular sports and activities such as swimming, gymnastics and the extremely popular dance classes. They do this through the Church Lane Sports Scholarship and the school’s Arts Academy.

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The school is exceptionally well led. Leaders, governors and staff work together very effectively. The school puts pupils at the centre of everything that it does. Staff feel very well supported and are extremely proud and happy to work at a school where they are part of a close-knit team, dedicated to supporting the development of every pupil.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 7 and 8 October 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher and the chair of governors are new to their roles.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school provides before- and after-school clubs.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other members of staff and the governors of the school, including the chair of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, 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 discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. In addition, they met with pupils to hear their views.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 the views of parents through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Dawn Ashbolt, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ellenor Beighton Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 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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