St Lawrence School

Overview

St Lawrence School continues to be a good school, providing a supportive environment where leaders and staff know pupils extremely well. The school delivers well-matched, challenging lessons and effectively supports pupils with complex special educational needs and disabilities to improve their social, emotional, and communication skills.

Strengths

• Leaders have designed a "well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum" in most subjects, with teachers adept at spotting and correcting misconceptions.
• There is a consistent and effective approach to teaching phonics and early reading, enabling pupils to become "confident and fluent readers".
• Pupils benefit greatly from the on-site outdoor learning centre and educational visits, which help improve self-confidence and practical skills.
• Staff are well trained to support pupils with complex needs, maintaining positive links with specialist outside agencies to ensure timely support.
• Governors hold leaders fully to account, and staff report that leaders are sensitive to their well-being and workload.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must map out the precise knowledge, skills, and vocabulary for a small number of subjects where the curriculum is not yet clearly sequenced.
• Provision for personal development needs strengthening, specifically by increasing opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests.
• The curriculum should offer further opportunities to deepen pupils’ understanding of faiths and cultures different from their own.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with staff receiving appropriate training and demonstrating vigilance regarding potential signs of abuse or exploitation.