Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 June 2025

Lydeard St Lawrence Community Primary sits at the heart of the local community. There are strong relationships between pupils and staff at this small school. Pupils, staff and parents and carers describe the school as 'small yet mighty', which reflects their strong shared sense of belonging. Pupils treat each other with care and respect. They are safe and happy. Staff have high expectations for all pupils' achievement. These are realised. Pupils are keen to learn and behave well. They know that staff will help them if they have any worries. Pupils take pride in the responsibilities they hold and play an active part in their school. For example, 'pupil ambassadors' introduced a 'growing garden'. Pupils enjoy harvesting vegetables and appreciate the importance of caring for the environment. Pupils take part in a range of enrichment activities. They develop their talents and interests through extra-curricular clubs. The school ensures that there is equality of access. Consequently, a high number of pupils participate in these activities. Pupils experience visits to places of interest which are often linked to curriculum subjects. For example, pupils visit a rural life museum to deepen their understanding of history.

What the school should improve

• Curriculum implementation is not always well-matched to the needs of pupils. This means that some pupils do not reach intended curriculum goals. The school should ensure that teaching is informed by robust pedagogical expertise.
• In some subjects, what is known about pupils' learning is not used to make the necessary curriculum adaptions. Therefore, gaps in learning are not always rectified swiftly. The school should ensure that assessment is used to inform teaching so that it supports pupils to build their knowledge cumulatively in all subjects.

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