Layston Church of England First School

Overview

The report states that the overall effectiveness of the school ‘Requires improvement’, noting that recent leadership and staff changes have slowed curriculum implementation. While pupils benefit from strong relationships with adults and a ‘well-structured personal development programme’, the quality of education is inconsistent, particularly in the early years where provision is judged ‘Inadequate’.

Strengths

• Pupils ‘value and respond positively to the care and nurture they receive’, fostering strong relationships with adults.
• Behaviour and attitudes are ‘Good’, with pupils showing respect and kindness, including older pupils acting as ‘buddies’.
• Staff are ‘trained well to teach reading’, and pupils’ reading books are matched to the sounds they are learning.
• A ‘well-structured personal development programme’ ensures pupils understand how to stay safe and develop an understanding of different cultures.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are ‘generally well supported’ to access the full curriculum.

Areas to improve

• The early years curriculum is ‘disconnected’ and does not prepare children for Year 1, leaving them with ‘significant gaps in knowledge’.
• There is a ‘lack of understanding’ regarding the therapeutic approach to managing challenging behaviour, causing discontent among staff and parents.
• The governing body has not held leaders to account with enough rigour, failing to recognise or improve important areas of the school.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.