Laindon Park Primary School & Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 February 2023

Pupils enjoy learning and playing together at this small, friendly school. They are confident that everyone is welcome here. From the early years, children learn to share ideas and equipment. Older pupils proudly take on roles in the school to help each other and to care for the school environment. Pupils understand and respect the rules and routines in place to keep them safe. They know that bullying is wrong. They say that it happens rarely and that teachers will always ensure it stops. Playtimes are energetic and fun. Adults lead activities such as dodgeball and a card collectors club so that pupils can follow their interests. In lessons, pupils follow instructions and settle to the tasks set by their teachers. Occasionally, a few pupils lose concentration, but adults quickly spot this and help them to focus again. Pupils persevere when they find things tricky. They say that adults will help them when they need it. Pupils enjoy the opportunities provided to extend their horizons. They enjoy a range of visitors, including theatre groups. The school council makes meaningful changes, such as saving leftover lunches. Pupils enjoy clubs, including archery. They show compassion for others by raising funds for local charities.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, some teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils are secure with the most important learning, or use assessment information to adjust teaching. When this happens, tasks are not closely matched to pupils' needs, and some pupils do not secure new concepts. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, all staff have the expertise to teach the most important ideas clearly and to check that pupils have embedded these ideas before moving on, so that all pupils achieve well.
• Some systems to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND are in the early stages of development. As a result, leaders do not always know what is and is not working well rapidly enough to make changes where needed. Leaders and those responsible for governance should put in place a systematic approach to evaluating and adjusting this provision across the school so that all areas of the curriculum are of an equally high standard.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)