Ofsted praise following inspection

Pupils enjoy an enhanced curriculum at West Lynn Primary School.A curriculum enhanced by trips, visitors and experiences is offered to pupils at the school where Latin is taught and children have the chance to learn an instrument.The school, a member of the West Norfolk Academies Trust, was visited by an Ofsted inspector last month for an ungraded inspection and the report has been published.

“The wider curriculum is interesting and broad. Latin is taught and enjoyed by pupils, being the basis for several modern foreign languages. Opportunities to take up a musical instrument are offered. The school provides a wide range of after-school clubs that are well-attended and enable pupils to develop their interests,” the inspector said.

The ungraded inspection means the school, which has 158 children aged from five to 11 on its roll, has maintained the standards it had when it was awarded an overall “Good” in a 2019 report.

Executive headteacher Jo Borley said everyone connected with West Lynn Primary works hard to provide the very best education for children in a nurturing environment which cares for each individual child.“We are thrilled the inspector noted how our pupils are happy, confident and enjoy learning – all key elements of their time with us. Our ambitious team works very hard to ensure all our pupils are incredibly well prepared for both the next stage of their education and for their future responsibilities as citizens,” she said.“Our children are well behaved, work hard and tell us how well cared for they feel by our entire team. It’s a privilege to work alongside them and our fantastically supportive wider community.” The report says the curriculum is taught in an “interesting and engaging way”.“This helps pupils to make strong progress through the curriculum. All pupils can participate through support or adjustments if needed. This ensures that they learn well. Handwriting and letter formation, punctuation and presentation are systematically taught,” it adds. A strong focus on attendance and punctuality has seen both areas improve and the importance of good attendance is highlighted through assemblies, posters and the school website.Chairperson of the Trust Roger Livesey said the school was to be congratulated on the report.“We know how hard everyone works to ensure the children have the very best opportunities to enable them to be both successful students and valued members of the community as they continue through their education. Everyone connected with the school should be very proud of the outstanding work that goes on.” Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified quickly and are supported effectively to access the curriculum and achieve well, the inspector noted.“Trust-wide guidance and training supports teachers with workload and ensures consistency. Teaching and learning are regularly reviewed. Leaders are outward-looking, keen for ways to improve further. There is a strong sense of ‘team’ within the school and the trust.In commenting on what the school needs to improve, the inspector said: “The school should ensure that activities support pupils’ learning effectively and that pupils move on to learning more complex knowledge, or applying knowledge in different contexts, when they are ready to do so to ensure pupils achieve as well as they can.”Relating to written work, the inspector noted: “The quality of pupils’ written work does not always reflect what some pupils are capable of. The school should ensure that all teachers have the same high expectations of letter formation, letter orientation, handwriting, punctuation and presentation and provide opportunities for pupils to practise applying this knowledge.”