Lambs Lane PS Achieves Flagship Status

Lambs Lane Primary School has achieved the Inclusive School Award with Flagship status.

Good Progress Has Been Made

Lambs Lane Primary School is a 1 form entry school serving Spencers Wood in Reading.  Currently there are 212 pupils on roll, 58 of whom are classified as disadvantaged.  There are 7 pupils with additional needs who make up the Specially Resourced Provision (SRP).  Two more pupils will be starting in September and there is one consultation in place which means that the SRP will be full.  The SRP pupils are fully integrated in the school.  The school is fully accessible both inside and outside. 

The number of EAL pupils is growing and there are 3 Ukrainian families in the school.  The children arrived with no or limited English.  Good progress has been made by all of the pupils. 

There are 29 pupils on the SEND register and the school has 9 EHCPs.  PP is at 24%.  The school paid for the 12 PP pupils on Year 6 to attend the residential so that they would not miss out on the experience.  Most families live locally, other than the SRP pupils who come from a wider area.  There are some families in social housing who are quite isolated as public transport is not good and some children rarely travel further than Reading town centre. 

The school is open to visits from peers as well as having outreach links with School Direct, Therapeutic Thinking Network, Foundry College, SENDCo Network and IQM to name a few.  The school is in the process of joining the Orchard Learning Alliance and this will give more opportunities to work alongside peers. 

Calm and Purposeful Feel 

Moving around school, there are limited wall displays so as to reduce sensory overload and, in the classrooms, the displays are relevant to the learning and are changed regularly.  There is a calm and purposeful feel to the school.  Careful thought has been given to which class is in which room.  For example, there is 1 hut and the needs of the individual pupils were carefully considered before deciding which class should go in there as movement can be felt on the floor.  Another room was chosen for another class as there was additional space that could be used for 1 pupil.  

The pupils’ walkers, wheelchairs and other mobility aids can be seen in corridors and classrooms.  Our Assessor saw one boy changing his walker so that he could go outside and take part in his PE lesson.  The school has a hoist in the physiotherapy room for when pupils are having intervention.  The room also stores the equipment that pupils have outgrown.  The equipment is just seen by all as part of the school and is normal.

The school uses a Therapeutic Thinking Approach (TTA) to all of school life, from the curriculum to support for pupils.  The focus covers policy, use of language, group dynamics and rewards and consequences. 

Staff explained how this approach has helped with consistency across the school as all are using the same vocabulary.  It is evident that all pupils are known and are treated as individuals.  Adaptations are made as and when needed and there is a shared view that all children should be supported in order to achieve their individual goals.  This is one illustration of the school’s mission statement, Reach Out and Shine and there are many more examples.  The staff are constantly promoting this in what they say and in the activities they create for the pupils. 

Support for pupils is evident in how the building is used as well as in responses from staff.  There is a quiet room that pupils can choose to use during playtime as well as lesson time.  Staff are given guidance about how this room can be used safely.  There is a sensory room and our Assessor saw 1 pupil having intervention in there.  The door was open and as our Assessor walked past, they waved to him.  He waved back and then the Assessor saw how he was congratulated by staff as this was one of his targets.  Their joy at him being able to do this showed how well staff know and understand the pupils and how engaged they are with individual learning journeys.  Our Assessor saw how staff supported during play.  Pupils were out in the playground using their walkers and playing with their friends.  There was a high level of support and real vigilance but pupils were allowed to be independent when they could be but support was there if needed.  Sometimes it might just be a reminder to slow down. 

Support is Given to Families

Support is given to families.  The Family Support Worker is also a member of the office staff and so can become aware of concerns when, for example, monitoring attendance.  She, along with the Headteacher and Inclusion Lead, (IL) are on the gate at the start of school and so are easily accessible for parents.  The school can give vouchers for a Food Bank, it supported some families with gifts at Christmas, held a Christmas jumper swap to help as children grow out of them after 1 year and keep pre-loved uniforms that can be given out when needed.  Staff are discreet about how they offer this practical support.  Parents spoke positively about the support they are given. 

Teachers explained a real strength of the school is that staff know the pupils so well and that they are prepared to meet the varied needs that pupils have and make the necessary adaptions.  All pupils are included and are only out of class for individual or small group interventions.  Differences are respected by the pupils.  The teachers feel well supported.  There is always someone available to help.  The Headteacher and senior staff are approachable and available and all colleagues share and support each other. 

There are regular team meetings when individual pupils are discussed as well as surgeries when outside knowledge and support is available.  Teachers like being given time to speak with PP pupils to explore how they feel about their targets and what they would like to focus on.  The pupils have a voice.  The range of meetings give the opportunity to reflect and to develop practice.  Our Assessor saw examples of the paperwork and tracking that is used for individual pupils and it is exemplary; it shows knowledge and understanding of pupil need and suggestion and reflection. 

Teachers spoke about the positive staff relationships in the school.  They are a team.  They appreciate the TAs and the work they do and how staff will step in to help and support others.  The TAs reiterated this. 

There is a strong sense of teamwork and no barriers are put up because of position or responsibility.  The TAs said that morale is high in the school.  The Headteacher is approachable, the IM offers support and training that is relevant to individuals.  TAs fully endorse the view that all pupils should be included and spoke of how inclusive the pupils are.  They see how the pupils learn that you should support each other. 

No One is Left Out  

The Year 6 pupils our Assessors spoke to were articulate, friendly and very positive about their school.  The first thing that was mentioned was how everyone was included and that no one is left out.  They liked that everyone ‘got what they need’.  They recognised that some pupils might need more breaks to help them learn but that was fine.  They said that the staff were friendly and that learning was fun.  They liked having Talk Partners and that these were changed regularly so that were able to work with different people.  The pupils spoke about the different responsibilities they have as Ambassadors around the school and how they liked doing this.  The Headteacher explained how they had helped during the parents’ evening by greeting parents, taking them to the appropriate classroom and making teas and coffees and how proud she had been of them. 

A parent spoke about how worried she had been when her child started at the school but after a couple of weeks, her worries melted away.  He goes to school happy and leaves school happy.  He is excited about everything and she said she really likes the fact that he is expected to do things for himself even if it might take a bit longer.  She did speak to staff when she thought he was using his chair too much and her comments were listened to and explored.  Staff are happy to listen and give time to parents.  There is always someone there who can help. 

She described attending assembly, expecting to see her son at the end of the row but he was in the middle of the pupils and an adult behind him just helped him to stand when he needed to.  Another parent explained how she is always listened to and that staff act on what she says.  She feels so supported and welcomes the fact that there are no negatives.  Her children’s needs are understood and she is never made to feel that she is doing the wrong thing.  Both parents described how they and their children had been treated negatively in society but that never happens in school.  Staff and pupils are all inclusive in their actions. 

Rewards for pupils have been reviewed in the light of TTA, so that all pupils are included.  High Tea with the Headteacher is a good example of this.  Pupils are put forward for a range of reasons and not just for high achievement in work.  The lists of pupils being given rewards are carefully monitored to ensure that all pupils are recognised.

Governors are Fully Supportive 

The governors are fully supportive of the school’s inclusive approach.  They said how the ethos of the school goes well beyond words.  They see how the staff try to make each pupil feel valued and able to achieve.  Everyone is so integrated that the pupils accept each other despite differences.  Governors have monitoring roles in the school and visit regularly and feedback at Governing Body meetings.  Their desire to understand the school’s work is shown by them being prepared to go on training.  The Chair of Governors, for example, was going on training for TTA that evening. 

Our Assessor added, “It was a real pleasure for me to visit the school again and to see how its work is developing.  The TTA approach that the school is using just highlights even more how important each child is to staff and the school.  An Early Career Teacher that I spoke to told me how lucky she felt to be working at Lambs Lane as there is so much inclusive practice there that she had not encountered in a previous school she had worked in. 

“I felt the genuine warmth that exists between staff, pupils and parents.  The overwhelming commitment to knowing each pupil as an individual and ensuring that all needs are met is inspiring.  Given this, it is no surprise that Lambs Lane is such a happy, welcoming and inclusive school.”