‘There is a lovely warm welcome every day’: Ofsted awards Northampton primary school with ‘good’ rating

A Northampton primary school has been hailed as an “inclusive” place, where teaching is “strong” and pupils are “happy,” in its latest Ofsted report.

Lings Primary School has jumped from a ‘requires improvement’ Ofsted rating in 2019 to being graded ‘good’ in all areas, following a full inspection in March.

The Ofsted report states: “Pupils are happy coming to school. They appreciate and enjoy the wide range of activities on offer. Leaders ensure that there are a range of activities to enrich pupils’ lives.”

Pupils at the school were described by inspectors as “respectful” and “courteous” and knowing the importance of doing the right thing. There is little low level disruption, which staff deal with should it occur.

A parent told Ofsted: “There is a lovely warm welcome every day at Lings. It is definitely a community school.”

Inspectors also noted that many opportunities are provided for pupils to take responsibility such as ‘junior wardens’ who keep spaces litter-free and ‘young leaders’ who create games for others at playtime.

One pupil told an inspector: “If it wasn't for the school I would never have wanted to dance.”

Ofsted found that, while some pupils do not attend school as often as they should, leaders do all they can to encourage them to attend regularly.

Teachers were praised for having “strong” subject knowledge, supporting SEND children well and encouraging all pupils to read a variety of books. If pupils speak little English, teachers support them to be able to communicate and read.

“Pupils state that they enjoy hearing teachers read to them and that they ‘bring books to life,’” says an Ofsted inspector.

The curriculum at Lings Primary School was described by Ofsted as “ambitious and well-constructed.” Pupils are able to access learning resources independently and ‘star activities’ help to address any gaps in their knowledge.

Staff told inspectors they feel cared for and like a “real team” where “everyone looks out for each other.”

To improve to outstanding, Lings Primary School needs to ensure that key knowledge is identified in all subjects so teachers can check on what pupils understand and remember.

Leaders also need to address inconsistencies in some subjects by making sure subject leaders have time to check the curriculum in the most impactful way.

Read the full Ofsted report here.