1.1: Standards and Progress in Learning and Skills:

Through our robust and termly Self Review systems, pupils at LPS demonstrate that they can effectively apply skills across all areas of learning in most classes. 

Oracy:  Nearly all pupils’ speaking and listening skills are good or better. In the Foundation Phase, pupils’ speaking and listening skills develop very well and, by the end of Key Stage 2, nearly all pupils use their communication skills effectively. Nearly all pupils listen well in lessons and levels of concentration are high in nearly all classes.  Standards of Oracy work presented at half termly standardisation meetings are good or better. Lesson observations demonstrate that nearly all pupils work together well and respond enthusiastically to the tasks they are given. They demonstrate recall of previous knowledge and use this effectively to acquire new knowledge and skills in nearly all classes.  The LPS Question Matrix has improved higher order questioning and responses from pupils in nearly all classes.

"Nearly all pupils listen attentively to adults and their peers, respond appropriately to instructions and are keen to answer questions. Nursery pupils listen to and correctly follow their teacher’s instructions, for example during a physical development activity. Older pupils speak eloquently, sensibly, and confidently in formal and informal situations. They talk freely about their learning and respond maturely to questions asked during class activities".

Estyn, 2022

Reading:  Nearly all pupils are enthusiastic readers. Reading skills develop well through the school. The younger pupils in the Foundation Phase have a good grasp of sounds and begin to blend letters very well. Some more able learners reach high standards at a young age. Our older learners read an increasing range of texts confidently and with enjoyment.  More able pupils read with expression and use higher order analytical skills.  This is demonstrated in our National Reading Test data, which demonstrates an upward trend over time.  Our tracking data demonstrates that 90% of pupils make above average progress in reading with only 2% making below expected progress, where these learners receive specific interventions.

Writing:  Most pupils’ write well for different purposes and many attain the higher than expected level. Teachers provide many opportunities for children to improve their letter formation and from Year 1, children begin to use cursive handwriting.  However, there needs to be more consistency across the whole school within this new approach to cursive handwriting.  Books are well presented and a sense of pride is evident.  By Year 2, nearly all pupils are producing good or better examples of extended writing across the curriculum in all genres.  They have an increasingly interesting and imaginative vocabulary and, by the end of Year 6, express themselves in writing to a very good standard through effective processes of drafting and editing. The writing of more able pupils is excellent. Teachers coach and challenge more able pupils, of all ages, to develop their individual style, and they therefore produce some very accomplished writing. For example, children in upper Key Stage 2 write detailed discussion texts on their current topic, giving examples and citing expert opinions and statistics.  

"Nearly all pupils develop their writing skills well as they progress through the school. Most convey their ideas clearly and effectively in a range of contexts. They develop and use their understanding of grammar with increasing confidence. In reception, a few pupils are developing early approaches to writing with support from adults, for example when writing an application form to join the ‘Go Jetters’, a group that helps make the world a better place.

Many in Years 3 and Year 4 write maturely for their age, for instance when creating detailed instructions on how to bake a Victoria sponge cake, as part of their work on the Second World War. Pupils in Years 5 and 6 use alliteration, rhyme, and personification maturely, for example when writing their Ode to a Friend".

Estyn, 2022

Numeracy:  Nearly all pupils apply their numeracy skills well within their learning projects, for example when drawing and interpreting pie charts and scatter graphs in History and Science.  Most pupils can apply their mathematical skills very well. Towards the end of Foundation Phase and throughout Key Stage 2, nearly all pupils independently use and apply relevant numeracy skills within their self-directed learning projects. Nearly all teachers provide rich opportunities for pupils to apply their numerical skills in a variety of real-life contexts.  Nearly all, pupils respond very well to these experiences with increasing independence and self-evaluation accuracy. This is evidenced through half termly workbook scrutiny and standardisation meetings.  Additionally, each year group demonstrate good or better progress within standardised testing.

"Pupils across the school make strong progress with their mathematics and numeracy skills. Reception pupils develop their understanding of number successfully, for example when working with money, they understand that if a teddy bear costs 6p they need a 5p and a 1p coin. As they progress through the school, pupils continue to develop confidence in using their numeracy skills and are beginning to develop a sound understanding of number concepts. Pupils in Year 3 and Year 4 use written methods competently to solve simple addition and subtraction problems and recognise and name a range of regular and irregular shapes. Many pupils in Year 5 and Year 6 develop good thinking skills in mathematics and use information well to tackle more complex problems. For example, they successfully interpret tables to convert imperial monetary values to decimal as part of a project about the Second World War".

Estyn, 2022

ICT:  Nearly all pupils develop their ICT skills very well and apply across the curriculum effectively. For example, pupils in KS2 are able to plan and create animations using various Apps. They also demonstrate their ability to format texts and images within a variety of platforms such as DTP and Word Processing online tools. They are able to scan useful websites for relevant information for tasks across the curriculum and present this information on a variety of platforms. Towards the end of KS2, nearly all pupils collaborate their research and topic work using shared work spaces on HWB, enabling the class teacher and pupils to share work, communicate and evaluate progress both in school and outside school.  

In the Foundation Phase, ICT is used creatively by learners as a means of communicating text animation, media and pictures.  Early Years pupils benefit from very good teacher modelling of ICT skills across the curriculum.  They use tablets and laptops to enhance their skills development. For example, pupils use numeracy and phonics apps to support and consolidate their learning and make use of VR Headsets to explore their topic.  Towards the end of the Foundation Phase, most pupils apply these skills independently to a very good standard.  For example, pupils select the appropriate software package to research and present their self-directed learning projects.

"Pupils of all ages use a wide range of technology to advance their learning across the curriculum. They apply their digital skills at a level appropriate to their age and stage of development. For example, pupils in Year 2 carry out independent research effectively on their class topic and older pupils code an algorithm to make a toy model move".

Estyn, 2022

Welsh:  Nearly all pupils make a good start in developing their Welsh language skills within Early Years. They understand and respond enthusiastically to simple classroom commands. Most pupils ask and answer questions confidently and sustain a conversation well, using an increasing range of familiar sentence patterns. Most pupils’ writing skills are at an appropriate standard or better for their age. These skills are applied across the curriculum to enhance writing, across a variety of genres, within their learning projects.  Additionally, there is improvement in the use of Welsh language in the playground and assemblies. For example, our Criw Iaith lead playground games and weekly assemblies. Incidental Welsh Language is improving throughout the school due to systems such as, ‘Helpwr Heddiw’, ‘Patrwm Y Pythefnos’ and ‘Drillio’ sessions that are carried out daily.  These help to consolidate patterns, and pupils are rewarded for using Welsh inside and outside of the classroom with our LPS Welsh Dojo.  However, these systems have gradually become inconsistent in approach throughout the year, resulting in some learners not developing as well as they should.  When systems are working fully and consistently they prove to be extremely successful.  This will be a focus for the coming year led by the AoLE Leader and PVG. Monitoring throughout the year has also identified a lack of consistency in approach to bilingualism across the school.  This will be an additional focus for the the AoLE leader and PVG to improve next academic year. 

PSD & Wellbeing:  An excellent feature throughout the school is the high level of pupil wellbeing and enthusiasm for learning, as evidenced in our recent Regional School Improvement Report. Nearly all pupils behave very well when moving around the school and on the playgrounds. They have a strong sense of fair play. Nearly all pupils treat each other and adults with respect, maturity and greet them pleasantly. 

Nearly all pupils can describe what makes a good learner, for example, having good listening skills, checking their work, being aware of the rights of the child, working collaboratively and self and peer assessing each other’s work. There is very good provision for self-determined learning across the school, which is evidenced through lesson observations, pupil workbooks, phase meeting minutes and internal tracking of relevant skills.  Nearly all learners are able talk about the process of pupil voice and how their ideas are developed to improve their self-determined learning. 

The use of the LPS Question Matrix provides highly effective opportunities for self-directed learning for all of our pupils at LPS. This process demonstrates that the contributions of all pupils at LPS are valued and encouraged which has had a direct impact on improved PSD outcomes and wellbeing.  Nearly all learners are able to talk about how the questions they generate at the start of each topic are used during their learning projects. Nearly all learners expressed how they independently researched questions that were generated during pupil voice sessions. These strategies are contributing to child-initiated learning across the school and empowering pupils to have ownership over their learning.

Nearly all classes have made links to health and wellbeing through their learning projects.  Most children are able to talk confidently about the Pupil Learning Journal and its application to support self-valuation of their learning.  All Foundation Phase pupils have access to the outdoor environment to enhance their learning experiences, nearly all pupils talk enthusiastically about their Messy Monday, Welly Wednesday and Funday Friday sessions. Learning outdoors supports the development of healthy and active lifestyles, sense of well-being and gives them rich activities to nurture creativity. Their experiences are further enhanced through collaboration with various organisations throughout our community to develop the outdoor learning environment. Communication with parents and carers regarding this excellent practice is shared during FP Parent meetings and workshops.  These are held to inform and educate families on new approaches, skills and developments, therefore improving home/school links and clarity over policy and practice.

"Behaviour throughout the school is exemplary. Nearly all pupils are proud of their school and show positive attitudes to their work. The school code helps pupils develop good relationships with each other and with adults and embedded reward systems such as the ‘good to be green’ strategy have a positive impact on pupil attitudes. As a result, pupils of all ages understand the importance of following rules when working together in class to promote a positive ethos.

Nearly all pupils are polite, demonstrating mutual respect and caring attitudes towards each other. This is particularly evident in the ‘Turn Your Frown Upside Down’ club, which supports pupils of all ages to develop a positive approach to their well- being. Pupils highlight this as a particular strength of the school and a good example of the school’s commitment to their well-being.

Nearly all pupils feel safe in school and know whom to approach for advice and support. Well established pupil voice groups promote pupils’ rights successfully. For instance, the ‘Healthy, Happy, Helpers’ group lead the school’s work around the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child".

Estyn, 2022

Application of Skills: Termly Workbook Scrutiny demonstrates that nearly all pupils are able to apply and develop their cross- curricular skills within their learning projects across Areas of Learning.  Nearly all teachers ensure skills have a clear focus and ensure opportunities are not missed.  Most pupils recognise the skills that they are proficient with and are beginning to select their own approaches.  Most pupils make connections to previous learning and transfer these skills effectively in a range of subjects across the curriculum. For instance, they apply strategies when contrasting the experiences of evacuees in History lessons and explore misconceptions in Science. 

Nearly all pupils use success criteria to assess and improve the quality of their work through discussions with peers.  Most pupils are confident when self and peer assessing to improve their learning.  Most pupils have a good understanding of the learning process and are able to successfully identify next steps for improvement.  This is evident in nearly all classes, where there are good opportunities for pupils to plan, edit and redraft their writing.

Areas for Further Improvement:

• Improve consistency in application of the LPS Cursive Handwriting Scheme and Policy across the school. 

• Improve bilingualism within lessons and across the daily life of the school in accordance with the expectations of LPS Progression Models.