Pakefield Primary School

Pakefield Primary School

Address: London Road, Pakefield, Lowestoft, Suffolk, NR33 7AQ Unique reference number (URN): 141640

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance is high, and leaders work closely with families who have children who struggle to come to school. Leaders take the time to understand pupils' individual needs and work effectively to reduce the barriers that pupils face. Parents and carers are positive about this support. This has had a particularly positive impact in raising disadvantaged pupils' attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school is a calm place. Adults have high expectations of how pupils should behave. There are consistent routines in place that pupils follow. For example, when pupils see an adult's hand up, they know this means stop, look and listen. Pupils are clear about the simple rules that are 'be safe, be ready, be respectful'. They know how to conduct themselves around the school. Pupils enjoy their lessons. They develop the ability to discuss ideas with partners and in groups. The school is a positive place for pupils to learn and develop. Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Rare incidents of bullying are dealt with effectively.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have prioritised the early years and improved the quality of the provision. The learning environments are well considered, with lots of opportunities for children to rehearse basic skills in reading and writing. For example, children choose to write parents' names at Chinese New Year on envelopes. The outside areas enable children to explore different materials and ideas.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff receive training in effective interactions with children. Adults generally support children's language and communication development well. They support discussions with children, engage them in play and help them to expand their vocabulary. There is some further work for leaders to do to ensure that staff interactions with children are of a consistently high quality.

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Early years Expected standard

Reading is taught effectively. Children further practise their sounds and blending in smaller reading groups.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff carefully track pupils' progress and identify those at risk of falling behind, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities or who are disadvantaged. They put in place additional small-group work for those who need help to catch up. This means that most pupils leave Reception Year ready for Year 1. Relationships with parents are positive and supportive.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

There is a well-sequenced curriculum for personal, social and health education, and also for relationships and sex education. It has been written for the needs of the pupils in their specific local community, including topics such as beach safety. Pupils are able to talk about what they have learned about issues such as consent, inclusion and diversity. Their focus on

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Needs attention

including everyone helps them welcome newcomers well. Daily assemblies supplement this curriculum, with discussions about things that happen in their school. This has helped reinforce the relatively new school values.

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Needs attention

Pupils have lots of opportunities to have leadership roles, such as play leaders, librarians and council members. They undertake these with pride, for example making themed displays in the library and organising games at playtime.

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Needs attention

The curriculum is further enhanced with clubs and visits out of school. Pupils enjoy these and talk excitedly about the trips they have been on, such as to Norwich Castle. Staff listen to pupils' ideas. They adapt provision as a result, for example introducing quieter indoor clubs at lunchtime.

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Needs attention

Staff are well trained in pastoral support. This means that pupils with social or emotional problems get the right listening ear and support as needed. There are close links with families as well to support pupils to get into school, on time.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' experiences of learning through the school are disjointed because the quality of teaching is variable. This has an adverse impact on how well some pupils achieve. Some pupils have poor basic skills in writing and mathematics. This prevents some pupils from making the progress they could, including across the wider curriculum. This means that some pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of education as they could be.

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Achievement Needs attention

The proportion of pupils meeting the expected and higher standards in national tests at the end of key stage 2 is broadly in line with the national average. However, the attainment gap between disadvantaged pupils and non-disadvantaged pupils has grown over time. There is an increased focus on promoting the progress of pupils who are disadvantaged, and of those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, this has not yet had an impact.

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Achievement Needs attention

Most pupils pass the phonics check at the end of Year 1, which gives them the foundations for learning to read accurately and fluently.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the school. For example, teachers do not check consistently that pupils understand what they are learning, which means they do not identify misconceptions or gaps in knowledge. Some teachers' subject knowledge varies, and sometimes pupils are set activities that are too easy, and, at other times, too hard. The ways pupils are taught the basics of writing are also inconsistent. As a result, some pupils do not form letters accurately. This variation in teaching affects the learning of those who are disadvantaged and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, who do not consistently receive the support they need. Leaders are currently in a process of reviewing the curriculum in order to improve it. The aspects that have been fully reviewed are well designed and sequenced. Leaders' recent improvements to the reading curriculum are evident. Pupils at the early stages of reading

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

are taught well. Pupils enjoy discussing the books they have read at book club, and pupils are developing their vocabulary. Pupils get extra support with their reading if they need it, in order to catch up. Leaders are now prioritising writing so that pupils can write with increased levels of independence and accuracy. They are also developing the ways pupils are supported to remember more of what they have been taught across the curriculum. This work is in its early stages.

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Inclusion Needs attention

There are some inconsistencies in the ways that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported to access the curriculum. The activities that some pupils with SEND are set are not matched carefully enough to their needs, and, at times, they do not get the help they need. This is particularly evident in the variation of some pupils' written work. Where this is the case, pupils do not achieve what, or make the progress, they are capable of.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Not all pupils' needs are as clearly identified as others. For those who have detailed plans, leaders undertake appropriate consultation and advise teachers on the best strategies to support. Staff are trained in these strategies.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Some pupils with SEND receive effective, targeted support that helps them to access learning. Leaders have recently developed their systems to ensure greater consistency in the quality of target setting for pupils with SEND. This is now helping leaders to identify more precise and appropriate ways to support pupils so they can achieve their individual targets. Pupils' progress is tracked regularly by leaders and teachers.

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Inclusion Needs attention

Leaders use additional pupil premium funding effectively. For example, they use it to provide extra writing sessions for children in Reception Year who need help to catch up in readiness for key stage 1.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

There have been substantial changes to leadership in recent years. This includes significant changes to the leadership of the trust and the school. Subsequently, leaders identified that standards in some areas of the school have declined. Support is now in place. Work to improve behaviour over the last year, including raising expectations, has had a positive impact. Behaviour has improved. Pupils tend to demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. Incidents of poor behaviour and suspensions have dramatically reduced over the last year.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

During this academic year, there has been further ongoing work to improve the curriculum and quality of teaching. Leaders have improved the reading curriculum. Early reading is typically taught well, and pupils enjoy both reading and talking about books. Classrooms are focused on learning, with useful prompts and vocabulary displays to support pupils' language development. Leaders know what needs to be done for the school to improve. They make decisions in the best interests of pupils. Improving the consistency in the provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and/or those who are disadvantaged is a high priority for them.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

The trustees retain oversight of the school's work and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. The standards committee have increased their focus on Pakefield to ensure that improvements are made. The local governance arrangements are being reviewed and are at a very early stage of implementation.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Training for staff has focused on the core provision of English and mathematics, together with inclusion. Staff's workload is well considered by leaders, within the context that there is still much work to be done to improve the school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy at this school and attend well. They talk with enthusiasm about topics they have learned about, for example recalling the story of the Great Fire of London. They are enthusiastic readers who enjoy the high-quality books that they study in reading lessons. Children make a positive start to their learning in the early years. There is clear focus on developing the children's speaking, early reading and writing skills. However, the quality of education, in the rest of the school, that pupils receive varies too much. Some teaching does not help pupils to secure basic skills in writing and specifically their handwriting, structure and punctuation. Pupils enjoy their lessons and take part in discussions, for example about whether the Trojan Horse was a real event. However, learning is not consistently well embedded. Teachers do not check often enough that pupils have really understood what

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

they have been taught. This means some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have a mixed experience in school. When strategies to support them are more precise, or when staff have greater expertise, pupils have a positive learning experience, with successful adaptations put in place. However, not all pupils with SEND experience this.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy playing with their peers at playtimes. They take on leadership roles. For example, play leaders organise games and activities for younger pupils. Pupils are librarians and members of councils and take these responsibilities seriously. School leaders listen to pupil voice and make improvements to the school. For example, pupils helped to arrange for new playtime toys and equipment to enhance social times. Pupils enjoy taking part in clubs and going on trips. They learn about life in modern Britain through assemblies and lessons.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Bullying is rare. Pupils feel safe and have adults they can talk to if they are worried or have concerns.

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Next steps

Leaders should develop staff's expertise in teaching writing so that this consistently improves the quality and accuracy of pupils' written work.

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Team inspectors:

Carol Dallas, Ofsted Inspector Emma Davies, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

Leaders should improve the ways that staff use information about pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities so that adaptations and support are put in place that are closely matched to pupils' needs and result in pupils achieving well. Leaders should improve the ways staff check pupils' knowledge and understanding, ensuring that gaps in knowledge are identified and filled quickly so pupils' knowledge builds securely and consistently. Leaders should further develop staff's skills in the early years, so interactions with children are consistently of a high standard and further support their communication and language development.

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About this inspection

This school is part of The Active Learning Trust Limited, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Lynsey Holzer, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Claire Heald.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with school leaders, multi-academy trust leaders, a trustee, parents and pupils during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school uses 2 alternative providers.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. The current headteacher has been in post since September 2025.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Ryan Stevens The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 63% 62% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 59% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 61% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 75% 75% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 75% 74% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 77% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 73% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 78% 74% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 68% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 77% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 50% 46% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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national average

2023/24 (final) 70% 62% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 67% 60% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 67% 59% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 60% 58% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 67% 58% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2024/25 (revised) 53% 61% Close to average

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average

2023/24 (final) 60% 59% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.3% 5.5% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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