Lydbrook Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 December 2024

This welcoming school is at the heart of the community. Pupils are proud to attend. Each day gets off to a positive start as leaders greet pupils as they arrive on foot or by bus. Pupils are kind to staff and one another. If they have concerns, they feel confident talking to an adult. This makes for a happy and safe place in which to learn. In recent years, the school has redesigned and improved the curriculum to make it more ambitious. The impact is evident in some subjects and phases, such as reading and early years. However, further work remains to ensure that all pupils gain a secure body of knowledge, including in mathematics and writing. The school's 'secrets of success' promote positive attitudes to learning. Starting in the early years, children learn to be 'cooperative' like the 'Lydbrook beavers'. Across the school, pupils understand and meet the expectations of how to behave consistently. Pupils carry out leadership responsibilities as well-being ambassadors and 'mini-police'. They act as superb role models for other pupils by resolving any minor issues that may arise at breaktime. From singing in the church to litter picking, pupils learn to be community-minded young citizens.

What the school should improve

• In some of the wider curriculum subjects, the school has not fully identified the key concepts or how prior knowledge connects to new learning. This prevents pupils from developing their understanding over time. The school should ensure that all subjects outline the most important concepts and how these connect to prior learning to help pupils build their knowledge and understanding over time.
• Some pupils, including some with SEND, do not master accurate letter formation or practise using their phonics to spell correctly. This restricts their ability to produce high- quality writing. The school should ensure that pupils are given regular opportunities to secure the necessary transcription and spelling knowledge to become proficient writers.
• Not all pupils have the opportunity to apply their knowledge of mathematics to problem-solving tasks. Where this is the case, it limits the depth of some pupils' mathematical understanding. The school should ensure that all pupils are routinely provided with sufficient opportunities to develop their problem-solving skills in mathematics.
• In some subjects, the school does not use checks on pupils' learning effectively to identify what pupils know and remember in lessons and over time. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall the essential knowledge they have learned previously. The school needs to ensure that its systems for checking pupils' understanding are used consistently to inform future learning.

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