Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School

Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School Inspection report

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122636 Unique Reference Number NOTTINGHAMSHIRE LA Local Authority 314352 Inspection number 10 °11 April 2008 Inspection dates Ann Taylor 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 398 School The governing body Appropriate authority Mr G Gold Chair Mrs C Botham Headteacher 30 September 2003 Date of previous school inspection Lantern Lane School address East Leake Loughborough Leicestershire LE12 6QN 01509 820112 Telephone number 01509 820113 Fax number

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3-11 Age group 10 °11 April 2008 Inspection dates 314352 Inspection number .

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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 three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Located in the village of East Leake, this school is larger than many other primary schools. The number of families eligible for free school meals is very low, indicating favourable social circumstances locally. The proportion of pupils who have learning difficulties or disabilities, or a statement of special educational need, is also low. When children enter Nursery at the age of three, their attainment is in line with national expectations. Pupils are mainly White British, with extremely small numbers from minority ethnic backgrounds. The school has the following awards: Healthy Schools Gold, Activemark, International Schools Award Intermediate Level and Investors in People.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Grade: 2

Lantern Lane is a good school which provides pupils with a good all-round education. It enables them to reach above average academic standards in English and mathematics and expertly equips them with skills to develop as well-rounded young people. Parents are very complimentary about the school and it has a deservedly strong reputation. Governors provide good support, both in setting a clear educational direction and in providing practical help with learning. Pupils make good progress in English and mathematics and reach above average standards by the time they leave. They do well in the Foundation Stage. In Key Stage 1, they have generally reached average standards in recent years, although Year 1 pupils are on track to improve this picture of satisfactory progress. Faster progress in Key Stage 2 means that overall achievement is good across the school as a whole in English and mathematics. This is because the teaching

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Grade: 2

is good, activities really engage pupils' interests, topics are inspiring and pupils have a love of learning and want to do well. Science has not been the focus for development and improvement work; progress here is satisfactory and pupils leave with average standards by the end of Year 6. The strong leadership of the headteacher is the catalyst for the mostly good progress and above average standards. She has encouraged, trained and built a strong team around her. She allows senior leaders the opportunities to try new ideas in order to improve learning. This is especially true in the exciting way in which the curriculum is changing and evolving. At the same time, accurate systems check how well things are working and improve practice where discrepancies are found. In this way, the school knows itself well and has correctly identified what it needs to work on. This is true about writing, which has significantly improved. The school's capacity

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Grade: 2

to carry on improving is good. Having said this, the staff are not so adept at looking at individual year groups and classes and analysing their progress in detail. Assessment systems are not yet sufficiently refined. Pupils' response to all that the school provides for their personal development, is outstanding. They love school, are excited by learning and their enthusiasm is endless. They are especially good at taking care of each other and there is a real sense of community spirit and friendship. The exciting curriculum is tailored to ensure that pupils learn well. For example, children carry on learning through 'play' into Year 1. Pupils are looked after well and adults in the school are especially kind and considerate. Guidance to help pupils reach higher academic standards is not as well developed as pastoral care and is an area which the school is currently working to improve.

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Grade: 2

Children receive a good start in the Foundation Stage Unit and make good progress. Recently, they have been reaching above national expectations by the time they enter Year 1. There are high levels of staff expertise, strong teamwork and an outstanding curriculum, which encourages fun, discovery and independence. The Foundation Stage manager has very high expectations and is passionate about the importance of children learning through play. The way children develop confidence and independence is excellent. This is aided by the expert care and attention given to children and the support offered to their parents when the children start in Nursery. Recent innovative changes, to continue learning in a play based way are helping children move 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008 seamlessly into Year 1. Very strong partnerships with parents ensure there is always an extra

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Grade: 2

pair of hands to help out and this makes a real difference to the quality of learning. Learning is stimulating and inspiring, for example, in the way older children made a volcano and then conducted a science investigation to make it erupt. The systems for tracking each child's progress have improved greatly over the last two years and are good. As with other parts of the school, systems for analysing the overall progress of year groups and classes are not as well refined.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Make better use of assessment data in order to track the progress of different year groups as they move through the school. ■ Improve academic guidance in order that pupils understand clearly what their targets are and know how they can improve their work in mathematics, English and science. ■ Develop assessment procedures for science in order to accelerate the rate of progress pupils are making.

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Grade: 2

Pupils of all abilities, including those who find learning more difficult, make good progress overall and achieve well in English and mathematics by the time they leave Year 6. In Years 1 and 2, standards are broadly average. However, there is evidence of improving progress in Year 1, where pupils are on course to reach higher standards by the end of Year 2. There have been year-on-year increases in the numbers of pupils reaching the expected standard by the end of Year 6 and overall standards in English and mathematics are above average. Last year showed somewhat of a down turn when standards dipped in English. However, inspection evidence confirms that progress has since improved. This is especially evident in the numbers of pupils reaching the above average standard in English and mathematics, where the improvement, largely in response to challenging targets, has been significant. Reading has traditionally been stronger than writing but a school focus on writing is paying off and standards

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Grade: 2

of writing have also improved. Science standards remain at the average level because current assessment systems have not proved effective in accelerating pupils' progress.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects, is outstanding. Pupils develop a very strong moral code and this is reflected in their excellent behaviour. Pupils are polite and friendly, yet inquisitive and eager to talk to visitors. Play leaders make a significant contribution and are appreciated by younger pupils. Consequently, pupils feel safe and secure. Pupils willingly and spontaneously organise successful fund-raising activities, which are benefiting others both here and abroad. Pupils like the challenging activities that make them think; this is certainly reflected in their very positive attitudes to learning. Attendance is above average. Social skills are developed very well through a wide range of sporting, musical and other extra-curricular activities. Pupils have an excellent knowledge of how to maintain a healthy lifestyle and they know about healthy

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Grade: 1

foods. They take regular exercise through lessons, extra-curricular activities and the use of the extensive range of play equipment. Special curriculum days and the school's strong international 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008 links ensure pupils have an excellent appreciation of a wide range of other cultures. Good literacy and numeracy skills, plus their mature and responsible attitudes, give pupils a good foundation for their future education.

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Grade: 2

In all classes, expectations of what pupils can do are high. When planning lessons, teachers make sure that tasks are matched to the abilities of all pupils and are sufficiently challenging to ensure that they make good progress. Lessons are interesting; activities successfully engage pupils and play a significant part in making sure that they enjoy school as much as they do. Occasionally, teachers talk for too long and pupils do not have enough time to practise or consolidate their learning. During such lessons, the pace of learning is slower. Relationships between pupils and adults are very strong and rooted in mutual respect. In this industrious learning environment, teachers are able to concentrate fully on teaching. Teaching assistants are knowledgeable about the pupils in their groups and make an important contribution to their good achievement.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good. It has some outstanding features. The school constantly reviews this provision and some of the most recent initiatives, particularly developing the cross-curricular approach, are still 'bedding in' and the impact on achievement is yet to be fully seen. The curriculum is imaginative, challenging and relevant to pupils' interests and the organisation of mixed-age classes. There are excellent quality international projects and all pupils learn French. An extremely well planned provision of personal, social, health education and citizenship (PSHCE) extends pupils' personal development and develops their understanding of the world around them. There are a good range of visits, visitors and links with other schools, including some overseas. Extra-curricular activities are good and a wide range of sporting events successfully enhance pupils' learning.

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Grade: 2

Strong provision in these areas is characterised by dedicated and capable staff who have the pupils' best interests at heart. They make sure that all pupils are well cared for. Pupils are happy that adults will help them, if they need to talk to someone. Outside agencies provide good individual support where and when it is needed. Procedures for keeping pupils safe and secure are firmly in place. Support for pupils who may be struggling with their learning is well provided for from skilled classroom assistants who work with individuals or groups, helping ensure these pupils make the same good progress as others. Academic guidance is less strong. Some pupils are not really clear about their targets, despite the school working closely with pupils and parents in setting them. The way that teachers mark pupils' work does not always help them to know what they have to do to improve. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Grade: 2

The effective and determined headteacher places great store in developing her team and in ensuring they are aware of good practice both locally and nationally. To this end, there are productive partnerships with other schools and educational organisations which have helped, for example, to contribute to the improved writing standards this year. She has built a strong team of leaders around her who have been responsible for specific improvements in recent years, for example, in the innovative curriculum and the development and use of assessment procedures in English and mathematics. The school accurately recognises assessment systems need taking a step further, by analysing data for each year group and in improving science assessment systems in order to accelerate progress. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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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? Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The effectiveness of the Foundation Stage 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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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 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 April 2008 Dear Children Inspection of Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, Loughborough, LE12 6QN You may remember that I visited a while ago with Mr Speakman and Mr Watts. I am writing to thank you for being so polite and helpful during our visit and to tell you what we found out. You go to a good school, which gives you a well-rounded education. The Foundation Stage Unit is a lovely place and means your time at school gets off to a good start. Mrs Botham and the rest of the adults look after you really well and there is a positive, friendly atmosphere in school. You play a very important part in all this, because you are kind, considerate, look after each other, behave very well and concentrate really hard in lessons. Most importantly, we know how much you enjoy coming here. You really are a credit to your school and to your parents, so well done! We think what you learn in lessons is really exciting. This is because your teachers make a

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

special effort to make sure you are doing lots of practical activities and learning about things which interest you. When you leave school in Year 6, most of you reach better standards in English and mathematics than are seen in many schools. This gives you a head start for your secondary school education. You have a lovely school building and are lucky to have parents and staff who have provided you with such a lot of play equipment to use. We have asked Mrs Botham and all the adults in the school to do the following things, so your school can be even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Check how well each year group is doing so that if any class is slipping behind, something can be done about it early on. ■ Help you understand about your targets so that you can use them to help improve your work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Have a look at the way teachers record how well you are doing in science, so that you can do as well here as you do in English and mathematics. You can help by looking at your targets, remembering them and asking for help if you do not understand what they mean. We hope you have a lovely summer and send you our best wishes. Mrs A Taylor Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Lantern Lane Primary and Nursery School, 10 °11 April 2008

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