
BEST PRACTICE REPRESENTATIVE 2019
THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW
Highlighting best practice
30 | LEECHPOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL
Headteacher Nicola Davenport
Our engaging learning
environment
The team at Sussex-based Leechpool Primary School have
focused in recent years on making sure that children and
staff are proud to be a part of the school. Having worked
with parents to foster an encouraging, caring culture they turned
their attention to improving pupils’ progress, achievement and
attainment, reinforcing their ethos and making much-needed
upgrades to the school’s physical environment. Headteacher Nicola
Davenport shares their journey with the
The Parliamentary Review
.
Addressing so many issues – including pupil behaviour, curriculum change,
teaching quality, the learning culture, staffing structure, quality assurance and
assessment processes – while bringing everyone and everything together and
resolving major infrastructure issues has proved demanding.
Our school environment is of integral importance to our pupils’ view of the school
and its stan dards, so infrastructure is always a priority. We have made sustainability
and value for money key criteria for any improvement we undertake; this approach
and the assistance of our local authority have allowed us to develop a school fit for
the 21st century.
Governance and pupil voice
Determination and our governors’ professional support have enabled us to construct
a completely new early years learning environment. Alongside that, funds raised by
our supportive parents have allowed us to create a purpose-built music room and
install a vast range of outdoor equipment. The entire school environment – including
working walls and displays to celebrate achievement – now reflect excellence and
highexpectations.
REPORT CARD
LEECHPOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL
»Headteacher: Nicola Davenport
»Established in 1973
»Based in Horsham, West Sussex
»Type of school: Community
primary with a nursery
»No. of pupils: 420 with a
nursery class of 24
»No. of staff: 54
»Pupil premium: 14 per cent
»EAL: 4 per cent
»SEND: 12 per cent
»www.leechpoolprimaryschool.
co.uk
Leechpool Primary
School
31LEECHPOOL PRIMARY SCHOOL |
The pupils’ voice was an essential part
of driving this change and, working
together, we have introduced a
reward system for good behaviour
and high standards. Our overriding
value of “respect” and the learning
skills embedded in our six “Rs” –
relationships, reflective, resilient,
resourceful, responsible and risk-taking
– were integrated into every aspect of
school life. We introduced a “Golden
Book” for individual achievements
and, day by day, strived to model all
the values of the school. Finally, we
took our existing vision of “breathing
life into learning” and added the key
aspiration “to be the best we can be”.
Academically, our immediate focus
has been on developing reading skills
and improving maths teaching. To
achieve this, we shared examples of
best practice, held regular progress
meetings to address every aspect of
the curriculum and evaluated impact
every half-term.
Our 2015 Ofsted inspection
Our improvements were recognised in
our 2015 Ofsted inspection, but that
acknowledgement was accompanied
by criticisms highlighting the demands
of simultaneously addressing so many
major issues. The inspectors told us
that we had developed the right
strategies and that our teachers fully
understood them but did not always
work in accordance with our policies,
standards and objectives. Ofsted’s
judgment was that not all staff were
“on board” and therefore the quality
of some teaching was failing to
improve; they judged the school with a
grade of “requiresimprovement”.
My immediate response was to
implement key non-negotiables in our
teaching and learning strategy. These
established that colleagues had to be
fully committed to, and accountable
for, their role within the team.
The school’s vision had to be owned
by each one of us, and it had to inspire
every aspect of our engagement
with our pupils, parents and the
widercommunity.
Together, we agreed ways in
which we could be more rigorously
disciplined, focused and creative.
We developed a more robust team
structure to improve leadership and
accountability. We supported those we
appointed to key posts and therefore
enabled them to deliver on their
challengingresponsibilities.
Throughout this process, we refused to
compromise on our broad curriculum
in which music, modern foreign
languages, art, PE and sport add
to our children’s energy, fun and
understanding. Education is about
preparing our children for a fulfilling
life beyond school.
Continued training
To help us achieve all-round excellence
while also addressing specific
challenges, including significantly
improving pupils’ writing skills, we
invested in CPD with provider TT
Education. Their support helped
us to assess and develop children’s
communication skills, with a particular
Key Stage 2 trim trail
We agreed
ways in which
we could be
more
rigorously
disciplined,
focused and
creative
“
“