Ofsted Inspection finds that Lowe’s Wong Infant School, run by The Minster Trust for Education in Southwell requires Improvement

A school has been told it requires improvement following an Ofsted inspection.

The educational standards agency visited Lowe’s Wong Infant School in November for the first time since the school became an academy in 2021 and is run by The Minster Trust for Education.

Areas noted by inspectors as needing to be improved are the overall quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, and leadership and management.

However, the school was praised for it’s early years provision and personal development of pupils, with both areas described as being good.

The report states that Lowe’s Wong is a happy school where the care that staff give to pupils is ‘second to none’ and parents also appreciate how well their children are known. One parent said: ‘The staff always have the best interests of children at the heart of everything they do.’

Reading, mathematics and the early years curriculum is well designed and set out in sufficient detail what pupils should learn and when — but in other subjects across the wider curriculum this is not the case.

The inspector says that in some subjects the school has not clearly identified the precise knowledge that pupils will learn.

It is not consistently clear how new learning builds on prior learning and as a result, pupils do not have consistent progression in their knowledge.

In addition, checks made to ensure that pupils are learning well in these subjects are not effective and do not help the school to identify the areas where further work is needed, or where staff may require additional support and guidance.

Pupils do have access to varied experiences beyond the curriculum, with sports and social clubs, and interesting school trips, with pupils agreeing that everyone is friendly in their school.

Behaviour is not consistently good across the school as some lessons are disrupted by the poor behaviour of a few pupils.

This behaviour is not always well managed and can hinder the learning of other pupils.

The school was also told it must ensure its staff have the knowledge and skills they need to adapt lessons so that pupils with special educational needs (SEND) can learn in as best as they can.

Schools that require improvement will be visited by Ofsted inspectors again within 30 months following their last inspection.

The school became an academy in 2021 and is run by The Minster Trust for Education.

Head of Lowe’s Wong Infant School, Aly Speed, said: “Before Christmas, Ofsted inspected Lowe’s Wong Infant School, a member of Minster Trust for Education.

“The inspection team reached the overall conclusion that the school requires improvement, while also recognising areas of good provision and strengths.

“Both the school and the Trust are, of course, disappointed with the judgement and are keen to address any areas of concern raised in the report.

“It is heartening that the report recognises many positive aspects of the school’s provision.

“The inspection team was clear that the school is at the heart of its community, something the school will always aspire to be.

“The areas for improvement identified are important to us and there is already progress being made in these areas.

“In particular, the school will continue to refine its wider curriculum to ensure the precise knowledge for pupils is more clearly defined, to make sure all children’s needs are met including pupils with SEND, and to support the very best behaviour for all pupils in every classroom.

Mrs Speed added: “We care deeply about every child that attends Lowe’s Wong Infant School.

“While we believe there is so much that we do that helps them to flourish, we take the recommendations made very seriously and are determined to make things even better for every pupil.

“We are very well placed to address the concerns raised rapidly, the report states: ‘Leaders demonstrate the ambition and capacity to make the improvements needed with the support of the Trust.’”