Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery

Overview

Lainesmead Primary School and Nursery is described as a “welcoming, nurturing and inclusive” institution where staff maintain “high expectations” of pupils. The report highlights that pupils are “thoughtful, polite and kind” with “exemplary” behaviour, while leaders provide effective support for well-being and learning.

Strengths

• Pupils demonstrate “exemplary” behaviour and are “keen to learn,” acting as “wonderful ambassadors” for the school.
• Pastoral support is “outstanding,” with leaders adept at helping pupils “understand and manage their emotions” through resources like the ‘Burrow’.
• The curriculum in reading, writing, and mathematics is “designed well,” helping pupils develop “secure knowledge over time.”
• There is a “strong reading culture” where pupils get a “flying start” and develop confidence, fluency, and vocabulary.
• Adults provide “well-targeted support” for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with English as an additional language (EAL).

Areas to improve

• The curriculum in some foundation subjects, such as design technology, computing, and history, is “not designed well,” with sequences of learning that do not “focus sharply enough on the key knowledge.”
• Leaders must “design a curriculum and develop sequences of learning that help pupils to know more and remember more in all subjects” to ensure deep knowledge is built.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and that there is a “strong safeguarding culture” where staff act quickly to refer concerns.