‘Unlocking potential in all, empowering a community of hope’, expresses the very essence of this vibrant, inclusive school. The school’s motto is lived out daily. Pupils are nurtured, cared for, and provided with a high quality of education. Pupils value their learning. They are proud of the school, their successes, and achievements. The ‘hedgerow of hope’ displays their impressive learning with the local community. Leaders have great ambition for all pupils. They have high expectations of staff to raise aspirations and broaden horizons for pupils. Staff are united in providing the best opportunities and experiences for every pupil. Pupils are highly motivated to learn. They focus diligently on learning in their lessons. Pupils are happy and safe. Staff have high standards and pupils live up to them. The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are respectful of each other and adults. Leaders and staff’s expertise mean that pupils’ behaviour is very positive. Pupils say that bullying is very rare. They trust staff to resolve incidents quickly and sensitively. They know that an adult would help them if they had any worries. Staff provide a huge range of meaningful experiences to support pupils’ personal development. They provide a wealth of opportunities to develop pupils’ interests and talents. Parents and carers know that their children are looked after well. They value what the school provides as part of the local community. Typically, a parent commented that ‘the school encourages diversity and understanding and is a wonderful place for children of all backgrounds.’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? Leaders have developed an ambitious and well-planned curriculum for all pupils. The curriculum is designed to progressively build pupils’ knowledge and skills from Nursery to the end of Year 6. Subject leaders have thought carefully about the key knowledge pupils should learn and when. Teachers provide expert teaching. They effectively introduce new learning. They focus on ensuring that pupils learn and use new vocabulary accurately. Teachers have high expectations of pupils. They have strong subject knowledge and check to make sure that pupils’ learning is secure before moving on. Pupils appreciate the ‘learning flashbacks’ that help them recall their previous learning. They are suitably challenged. For example, in science, pupils develop a mature understanding of evolution. Teachers make sure that the curriculum is equally ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers and support staff adapt the curriculum to enable all pupils to know more and remember more over time. Leaders ensure that pupils who have English as an additional language get off to a good start. They have access to the full curriculum and quickly catch up. Leaders have prioritised reading. They enable pupils to learn to read well. Staff are excellently trained to teach pupils to read. Children in the Nursery are supported with activities that prepare them well for phonics in Reception. Leaders ensure that phonics is taught faithfully to the chosen scheme. All resources and books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils learn. Pupils get off to a very strong start in reading. Those who need extra help are given support and do not fall behind. Pupils learn to read accurately and fluently. Leaders ensure that older pupils learn to read with understanding. Teachers introduce pupils to a wide range of authors and books. Pupils are enthusiastic and speak with confidence about their reading. Leaders’ work to promote pupils’ personal development is exemplary. They coherently plan rich experiences for all pupils. There is a strong focus on developing pupils’ confidence and character. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate differences in others. They learn about different cultures, religions and beliefs. They learn about physical and emotional health, age-appropriate relationships, and sex education. They take part in community-based projects and charity fundraising. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. Staff provide pupils with an extensive range of experiences to enrich learning. Pupils take part in many clubs. They are introduced to new experiences such as varied sporting and musical activities. Pupils recall meaningful experiences including residential trips. Leaders provide children in early years classes with very well resourced indoor and outdoor classrooms. Children learn through activities that interest them. Teachers plan activities that fully support children’s personal, social and emotional development. The early years staff clearly understand the important knowledge they want children to remember. Teachers provide children with rich opportunities to develop early literacy and Inspection report: The Lincoln St Peter at Gowts Church of England Primary School 29 and 30 March 2022 2 mathematics. For example, Nursery-aged children used Easter chicks and eggs to recognise, order and count numbers to five. Staff are proud to be part of the school. They appreciate the strong and varied professional development opportunities that they have. They believe that their workload is mostly fair. They enjoy working at the school. Staff feel cared for. Governors understand their responsibilities well. They know the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. They support and challenge leaders effectively. They are mindful of staff and leaders’ well-being and workload.