Lymington Church of England Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

Lymington Church of England Infant School is outstanding.

It has an exceptionally caring ethos which puts a very high emphasis on meeting the individual needs of each pupil. One parental comment of the staff stated, 'The whole team are focused on children's development and happiness.' Most pupils enter the school with academic standards which are broadly average, and they progress rapidly during their time at school to leave with attainment that significantly exceeds the national average.

The learning of all pupils is tracked and analysed exceptionally well to ensure pupils' learning is consistently excellent. The progress of groups of pupils needing extra support, including those who speak E...nglish as an additional language, are monitored very closely and these pupils achieve as well as all other groups at the school. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are given excellent support and make excellent progress from their starting points.

There is no noticeable variation in the rate of progress for any group of pupils, including those on school action. Those pupils who have been identified as gifted and talented also make excellent progress, and all pupils in this group achieved Level 3 by the end of Key Stage 1 in 2010. Pupils do exceptionally well in most outcomes.

The school has worked hard to improve levels of attendance. The governors and headteacher have been very successful in this through clear target setting and very close monitoring. They liaise with parents and carers about avoiding taking holidays in term time, and reward pupils' good attendance with certificates and the class weekly attendance shield.

Pupils say they know it is important to be in school. As a consequence, attendance is now above average and improving. The standard of pupils' behaviour is exemplary throughout the school.

The school has developed very well since its last inspection and has built on already strong practice to develop outstanding provision in Key Stage 1. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage achieve outstanding outcomes. Here, the continuous provision is becoming very well embedded and children benefit from a high level of challenge in almost all their activities.

The governors are exceptionally well informed and influential in their role. Together with the headteacher, they provide outstanding leadership and management. They hold an excellent strategic view of what is needed to develop and improve the school even further.

Self-evaluation is extremely thorough and honest, enabling the school to identify areas for further improvement. The headteacher's leadership inspires staff to implement new ideas and improvements. Consequently, the school's capacity to improve further is outstanding.

Community cohesion is promoted well, although the national element is less well embedded in the curriculum than other aspects.

Information about the school

The school is situated in the centre of a coastal town. It is an average sized infant school and takes pupils from a large area, with a wide mix of social and economic backgrounds.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is well below average. Most pupils come from White British background, although there are a small number of pupils who have a Black or minority ethnic background and a few who speak English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is about the national average.

There is a community pre-school located onsite which is managed separately from the school. The school is recognised nationally through the Healthy School and Activemark Awards, the Basic Skills Quality Mark and the Silver Sing Up Award. The school has also gained the Becta Information and Communication technology (ICT) award.

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