Ladygrove Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Ladygrove Primary School Old Office Road, Dawley, Telford, Shropshire TF4 2LF

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Outcome

Ladygrove Primary School 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?

Ladygrove Primary School is a warm and welcoming school where pupils thrive. The school’s motto ‘every day counts, every minute matters’ shines through.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has worked hard to ensure the curriculum is relevant to the community it serves. Pupils like coming to school and are keen to learn. The school wants all pupils to reach their full potential. Whatever their starting points, pupils achieve well. They are well prepared for their next stage of education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The overwhelming feature of this school is the palpable community ethos. Pupils show kindness to each other. They know what respect and tolerance mean and behave accordingly. Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Should a pupil feel worried or upset, staff quickly help them to feel better and get back on track. Pastoral support is excellent.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many exciting opportunities for pupils to gain new life experiences. Pupils of all ages appreciate having roles and responsibilities. Many pupils talk with joy about having the opportunity to walk Wallace, the school’s well-being dog. School councillors talk with great pride about their ideas to improve the school site. Pupils love the new ‘smile mile’ and zoned play areas.

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

Parents and carers appreciate how staff give their children a good start to school life whenever they join the school. In early years, learning and behaviour routines are quickly established. This means children quickly build their confidence and independence and benefit from the effective provision on offer.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has reviewed and amended the curriculum. Some 11 and 12 March 2025

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aspects of the curriculum have been reviewed very recently. The school has identified the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn. The curriculum is well designed and sequenced from the early years to the end of Year 6. Leaders have ensured that practical experiences are woven into the curriculum to bring pupils’ learning to life.

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Following the school’s review of its curriculum in the subjects that are fully embedded, pupils build a secure understanding and learn well. For example, younger children are given plenty of opportunities to practise using their phonics knowledge to write simple words and sentences. They are able to master foundational writing skills quickly. Pupils talk with pride about earning their ‘pen license’. Older pupils show their writing stamina and can write at length effectively across a broad range of genres. Similar success is seen in mathematics. By Year 6, pupils are able to select the best mathematical methods to solve mathematical problems independently.

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In a few subjects, the curriculum is not fully embedded. In these subjects, teachers do not routinely link prior learning to new learning or address any small gaps in pupils’ subject knowledge. This means some pupils do not retain all the important knowledge they need to be successful in these subjects.

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There is a well-understood reading strategy. Staff have the appropriate skills and expertise to ensure pupils become fluent and confident readers. The school has considered how it supports pupils who have not secured their reading fluency. These pupils benefit from additional support and, as a result, quickly improve their reading. The school has an extensive library run by pupil librarians. Pupils learn about diversity through the school’s choice of books. Pupils frequently read for pleasure.

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The school places great emphasis on developing the whole child. It has created a rich personal development programme which gives pupils a breadth of opportunities. The curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education teaches pupils how to be healthy and stay safe. Pupils understand the risks of being online and those they may face in their local community. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain. There are many clubs that pupils enjoy attending. Younger children spoke about enjoying practising their road safety knowledge in the local area, while older pupils really valued attending their first residential visit.

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This is an inclusive school. The school quickly identifies any special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) that pupils may have so that the right support can be put in place. Pupils with SEND progress well from their initial starting points.

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The school benefits from an effective governing body. Governors know the school well and support and challenge leaders in equal measure. This has helped the school to continue providing pupils with a high-quality education. Staff appreciate that leaders consider their workload and well-being. The streamlined recording system has been welcomed by staff. Staff morale is high.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 March 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The revised curriculum in a few foundation subjects has not shown full impact. This is because teachers do not carefully check how well pupils remember what they have learned. In these subjects, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge, which teachers do not identify and address swiftly. The school should ensure teachers have the guidance they need to continue to find and close any gaps in pupils’ knowledge so pupils can deepen their knowledge in those subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2016.

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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. 11 and 12 March 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). 11 and 12 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Benjamin Macguire

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 December 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered 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 met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteachers and the special educational needs coordinator of the school. The inspector also met with a number of teaching staff.  The inspector met with some governors, including the chair and vice-chair.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. 11 and 12 March 2025

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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.  The inspector gathered parents’ views by considering responses to Ofsted Parent View. The inspector also evaluated responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Jane Edgerton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 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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