Sir John Lillie Primary School

Overview

Sir John Lillie Primary School has “taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.” The report describes a welcoming community where pupils are “happy and safe” and achieve highly, supported by high expectations and a broad curriculum. While the school continues to perform well overall, the inspection highlights specific inconsistencies in teaching methods that require attention to ensure all pupils secure foundational knowledge.

Strengths

• Pupils benefit from a “broad” curriculum enriched by external opportunities, such as visits to the Royal Albert Hall and local sports facilities.
• Early years provision is strong, with an emphasis on storytelling and language development that supports “readiness for future learning.”
• Reading is prioritised through a phonics programme, resulting in pupils achieving “exceptionally well” in national screening checks.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are “supported well” through precise staff training and individualised plans.
• Behaviour is “excellent,” with bullying being rare and pupils demonstrating values such as respect, empathy, and resilience.

Areas to improve

• In some lessons, teaching “does not always break down knowledge and check that the building blocks are secure,” causing some pupils to struggle with independent application.
• Leaders must ensure assessment strategies are “consistently applied” to help pupils deepen and connect their learning.
• Some pupils “do not attend school as often as they should,” requiring continued bespoke approaches to remedy persistent absence.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”