Lawn Primary and Nursery School

126240 Unique Reference Number Swindon Local Authority 293500 Inspection number 28 February 2007 Inspection date Paul Sadler Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Cleeve Lawn School address Primary Type of school Swindon Community School category SN3 1JT 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01793 522626 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01793 484480 Fax number 388 Number on roll (school) Karen Tredget Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Christopher Brown Headteacher 1 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 293500 28 February 2007 4 °11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school opened in August 2004 following amalgamation of separate infant and junior schools. A major building programme was completed in the summer of 2006. This is the school's first inspection. It serves an area of mainly private housing in the south of Swindon. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is average, as are the numbers of pupils from ethnic minorities and those who speak a language other than English at home.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. To quote a parent, 'It is a pleasure and a privilege to send our child to the school'. Children start school with broadly average skills and knowledge. They make good progress in the Reception year, by the end of which most can read and write a simple sentence. This good progress continues in Years 1 to 6, by the end of which they attain standards in national tests in English, mathematics and science that are above average. This is good achievement. The most and least able, and pupils from ethnic minorities, achieve especially well. Pupils' personal development and well-being are good. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is excellent because the school works very hard to encourage pupils' self-esteem and sense of social responsibility. Pupils' behaviour is good and they report that there is little bullying, any which occurs being dealt with effectively. They have an excellent

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Grade: 2

understanding of how to lead healthy and safe lives. Teaching is good. Teachers plan together and use common strategies, for instance, when teaching spelling or handwriting, enabling pupils to make steady progress. Marking is detailed and helpful and is used very well to set targets for improvement. There are excellent strategies to identify and help pupils who are falling behind, but these are not fully used to ensure that all pupils make the best progress of which they are capable. The curriculum is good. Pupils in the Reception year have a very good range of activities and resources through which to learn and older pupils are taught material appropriate to their ages and abilities. There is a good range of additional activities, including a number of sports and music clubs. Pupils get good care, welfare and guidance. Arrangements for child protection and to ensure pupils' safety are good and teachers have a very good

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Grade: 2

knowledge of their pupils' strengths and weaknesses, which they use to give academic guidance which is good and potentially excellent. Leadership and management are good. Understandably, much energy in the recent past has been used to create the new school and the success of this is recognised by parents. 'Since becoming a primary school it has improved even further' is a typical comment. Leaders and managers have recently turned their attention to evaluating the school's performance. This evaluation is now good; for instance, weaknesses in pupils' writing have been identified and rectified. There is a need for leaders and managers to widen their understanding of how they compare with other schools in a few areas, such as in the quality of the provision for the youngest children. The quality of teaching is monitored rigorously, and effective steps are taken to improve it. The governing body is experienced and

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Grade: 2

effective in providing strategic leadership. The school is in an excellent position to improve further, given what has already been achieved since the school opened.

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What the school should do to improve further

• The school should extend the use of the existing very good systems used to identify pupils' strengths and weaknesses, to ensure that all make the best possible progress. • In order to sharpen the focus on priorities for improvement, including in the Foundation Stage, leaders and managers should fully familiarise themselves with current practice elsewhere. 2 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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Grade: 2

Pupils attain above-average standards at all stages of their education. They usually meet the very challenging targets the school sets itself. Reception pupils develop a range of skills; for instance, they can make a Chinese dumpling from modelling clay, hiding a 'secret' coin inside, and describe accurately what they have done and why. By the end of Year 2, pupils can write at length and with accuracy, for instance, about their activities in a school holiday. By the end of Year 6 they can produce accurate work in a range of styles, from a resume of a Shakespeare play to instructions for a scientific investigation. This is good achievement. More- and less-able pupils make particularly good progress because the school has excellent systems to identify and develop their strengths and rectify any weaknesses. These approaches should now be used to benefit all children. Pupils who speak a language other than English at home

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Grade: 2

achieve very well because they are given very good support.

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Grade: 2

Pupils work and play well together. Their social skills develop rapidly in the Reception year, and throughout the school behaviour is good. A few parents complain that swearing by older pupils in the playground affects younger ones, but no examples of poor behaviour were seen during the inspection. Pupils enjoy school and their attendance is above average. They have an excellent understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. They particularly enjoy the recently introduced healthy hot lunches and their many opportunities for sport and exercise. They value opportunities to learn to cycle safely and understand why this is necessary before they cycle to school. They make excellent contributions to the school and wider communities, for instance, as 'playground buddies' and by giving performances or collecting for charity. The development of skills needed in adult life such as literacy, numeracy and information

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Grade: 2

and communication technology (ICT) is good.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good. In the Reception classes children are given many opportunities to learn in a variety of ways. Marking and assessment are very good and are used very well to identify the strengths of the more able and the reasons why pupils fall behind, and to plan lessons that respond to these pupils' particular needs. However, this approach is not always used to help those making steady progress to achieve more. Teaching assistants are skilled and effective and are used well, especially to support the least able. 3 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good, with some outstanding features. Work based on the geography and culture of a particular country, such as China in the Reception year and India in Year 4, is especially rich and stimulating. Pupils get plenty of opportunities to use ICT, such as Reception children learning to use a digital camera. Older pupils talk with enthusiasm about their use of laptop computers. There is a good range of additional activities both in school time and afterwards. Planning does not always ensure that pupils making average progress are provided with a consistently high level of challenge.

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Grade: 2

Pupils receive very good care and support. Staff know them well and are trusted by both parents and pupils. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported very well and parents speak with warmth and gratitude about their individual experiences. Arrangements for child protection are good. Very good systems are in place to monitor pupils' progress and to set targets, which are regularly reviewed, so that most pupils have a very good understanding of their progress and how to improve their work. These high quality systems do not always have sufficient impact on the progress of pupils making average progress.

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Grade: 2

The school has been very well led and managed through a time of change. There is now an increasing focus on raising pupils' achievement and much has already been achieved. A particularly effective innovation is the school improvement meetings where senior leaders review each pupil's progress with the class teacher and set targets for improvement. These are already leading to improvement in the standards being attained by pupils. Leaders and managers are developing a good understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, although in a few areas such as the Foundation Stage their understanding of what is expected is somewhat limited. Nevertheless, provision for this stage is good. Leaders and managers form a very effective team which is strongly supported by staff, governors and parents, and the school is in an excellent position to bring about further improvements, having successfully established itself in a relatively

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Grade: 2

short time. 4 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 5 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 6 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 7 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• I very much enjoyed talking and listening to you and seeing your work when I visited your school recently. I want to thank those of you who talked to me. I especially enjoyed attending the Key Stage 2 assembly and seeing your work around the school. I agree with you and your parents that your school is a good one. These are some of the best things about it: • You make good progress and Year 6 pupils do well in the national tests (SATs). • You behave well, get on very well together and help each other, partly because the older pupils get lots of opportunities to be responsible. • You keep healthy by eating sensibly and by using the opportunities to take part in sports and games. • The Reception children get a good start to school and learn quickly. • There is lots of interesting work for you, such as the work done by Reception children on China and that done by Year 4 on India. • You are taught well. Teachers know what you need to learn and the teaching assistants are

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

very good at helping those of you who are finding some of the work difficult. • You are very well cared for by the staff and feel you can talk to them about problems. You are given targets you understand and which help you to improve your work. • The headteacher, the other staff and the governors lead the school well. They have been very successful in getting the new school off to a good start. I have asked the school to improve two things. Firstly, to make sure that the results of tests and the other work you do are used to help all of you to learn as much as you can, and secondly to find out a bit more about what is happening in other schools to help make more improvements. 8 Inspection Report: Lawn Primary, 28 February 2007

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