OFSTED

Ofsted Inspection

Lingham Primary School were inspected by OFSTED on Tuesday 1st June to Wednesday 2nd June 2026.

New Grading Structure;

Ofsted now use a 5-point scale to grade different areas of a school’s work. They no longer provide an overall effectiveness grade for any school inspected under the framework.

Safeguarding is evaluated on a ‘met’/‘not met’ scale for schools.

The evaluation scale for each evaluation area, other than safeguarding, is:

Urgent Attention

Needs Attention

Expected Standard

Strong Standard

Exceptional

Secure Fit Model

Inspections now use a “secure fit” approach. This means that a school must fully meet all the criteria for a grade before it can be awarded. Previously, inspectors could apply a “best fit” judgement, where strengths in some areas could offset weaknesses in others and a school could still receive a good outcome. The new model ensures that judgements are consistent and based on clear evidence across all areas.

Ofsted state that the changes aim to provide parents, carers, and schools with greater transparency and confidence in inspection outcomes. They also reinforce the importance of continuous improvement and high standards in every aspect of school life.

Our Results

We're absolutely delighted that the inspection recognised the many strengths of our school. Five of the seven areas were judged as Expected: Early Years, Achievement, Personal Development and wellbeing, Curriculum and Teaching, and Leadership and Governance. We were especially proud that Inclusion was judged Strong, recognising the care, support and opportunities we provide to ensure every child feels welcomed, valued and able to flourish.

The only area judged as Needs Attention was Behaviour and Attendance. We were particularly pleased that inspectors highlighted the exemplary behaviour of our children throughout the report. The judgement was not due to behaviour, but to attendance, which we know remains an area where we have more work to do. Improving attendance has been a key priority for us, and we are already seeing positive progress. We will continue to work closely with our families to build on this, because we know that being in school every day gives children the very best chance to succeed.

We're incredibly proud that the report reflects the caring, ambitious and inclusive school our whole community has worked so hard to create. While it's wonderful to see so much of our work recognised, we're equally excited to keep moving forward and continue giving every child the very best start in life.

You can find a copy of our OFSTED Report on the OFSTED website, or you can click the links below: