St Leonards, Heath and Reach, VA Lower School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

This is an outstanding school. It is very welcoming and ensures outstanding care, guidance and support for its pupils. The extremely caring ethos results in very happy pupils who thoroughly enjoy school life.

The school's strong sense of purpose to ensure pupils learn successfully, together with the exceptional provision for their well-being, contribute greatly to their personal development. Senior leaders and staff have maintained and built upon the strengths identified in the previous inspection. As one parental comment stated, 'This is a happy, friendly, child-centred school where great values and fantastic learning are paramount'.

All groups of pupils are highly valued and have full acces...s to the high-quality learning opportunities provided. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and are highly motivated learners. Attendance has improved to high levels.

Pupils make valuable contributions to the school and to the wider community. Community cohesion is promoted well at local and international level; the school is working on developing and strengthening national links with other communities within the United Kingdom to further pupils' knowledge and understanding. However, overall, pupils make exceptional progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

They demonstrate raised awareness of cultures different from their own. The vicar from the local church takes regular assemblies which enable pupils to think deeply and act maturely. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding.

They feel extremely safe because of the strong pastoral-care systems. They show an excellent understanding of how to lead a healthy lifestyle. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently high for all groups of pupils because the quality of teaching and learning is outstanding.

Progress is outstanding because the expertly planned curriculum focuses particularly well on developing pupils' interpersonal skills as well as their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) competence. As a result, pupils are extremely well prepared for their next school. Achievement is outstanding, especially given pupils' starting points on entry.

Pupils identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve highly because their needs are very well catered for and they are sensitively supported. Teaching very successfully promotes outstanding progress for all pupils. Teachers establish clear expectations and high-quality relationships with pupils.

Explanations, instructions and questioning promote learning of the highest quality. Assessment is used with great skill to plan teaching and to match tasks to pupils' abilities. The school has been successful in reducing the gap between boys' and girls' attainment, particularly in writing.

Both boys and girls develop into confident speakers and readers. They write interesting and compelling pieces across a wide range of subject matter. Teachers enable all pupils to have the skills in mathematics that they need to understand challenging concepts.

Pupils in Key Stage 1 benefit from a continuous programme of skills development and tackle problem-solving and investigations with confidence. However, individual pupils in Key Stage 2 do relatively less well in their application of their numeracy skills in problem-solving tasks. The headteacher has quickly gained the confidence of the governing body, staff, and parents and carers.

Safeguarding policies, procedures and practice are effective and almost all parents and carers feel very confident that their children are safe. Since the previous inspection, the school has maintained and further built on its many positive aspects. It has been highly successful in raising the achievement of all pupils, with outstanding promotion of equal opportunity for all.

The very effective systems for evaluating the strengths and areas for development of the school are playing their part in sustaining high standards over time and adapting to changes within the school. The school's excellent organisation and strong, shared vision for its further development demonstrate an outstanding capacity to sustain improvement.

Information about the school

This is a much smaller village school than others of its type.

Most pupils are of White British heritage. Pupils are taught in 4 classes, two of which are mixed-age. The school's number on roll is increasing and currently there are more boys than girls.

Very few pupils are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. Their needs relate mainly to speech and language and moderate learning difficulties.

Very few have a statement of special educational needs. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are catered for in the Reception class. The school has a breakfast club and an after-school club, both managed by the governing body.

A pre- school that is not managed by the governing body shares the school site and is subject to a separate inspection. The headteacher, previously a senior teacher at the school, was appointed in March 2011, following a period of two terms as interim headteacher. The school has National Healthy Schools status and an International Schools Award.

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