Longford CofE (VC) Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• To improve the outcomes for pupils, ensure that:
  • the most able pupils do more challenging work in mathematics
  • pupils further develop their reasoning skills by solving more mathematical problems in real-life contexts
  • the improvements made in English and literacy continue at a fast pace so that pupils achieve strong outcomes.
• To improve the quality of leadership and management, ensure that:
  • middle leaders continue to develop and extend their roles so that they continue to help drive school improvement, particularly in mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• All staff and the governing body have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Since the previous inspection, there have been considerable changes to staffing at all levels of leadership. There have also been changes to teaching staff and membership of the governing body. Even so, the improvements to the leadership and teaching of English, mathematics, physical education (PE), science and the early years have been sustained.
• Leaders and the governing body have focused on the right things, in the right order. This ensures that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in English and mathematics continues to improve.
• The headteacher has been astute at securing high-quality external advice and support, including from the local authority. She and the governing body have continued to manage periods of turbulence effectively. Although some changes aimed at improving pupils’ outcomes have not had enough time to reveal their full impact, pupils now make better progress than they did in the past.
• The headteacher has a strong moral compass. She, along with other adults involved, ensures that the school is fully inclusive. Families new to the school are warmly embraced and quickly integrated into the life of the school.
• The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides excellent support for pupils and their families. She works very closely with the headteacher to provide early help for those who need it. Together, they accurately assess how well pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are doing. They also scrutinise the impact of the support and guidance they provide for those pupils who are vulnerable due to their circumstances. They use any additional funds wisely, including the pupil premium, to ensure the maximum impact on pupils’ future life chances.
• The new leader for English has already made significant improvements to the provision for phonics. Changes to the school’s library ensure that children and pupils practise reading with books that are at the right level for their developing phonics knowledge. Although recent, this has been a great improvement. Staff have carefully sorted and stored the new books. As a result, pupils can choose for themselves suitable reading materials which are modern and interesting.
• The leader for mathematics has ensured that planning includes additional challenges for pupils in mathematics lessons. However, staff do not consistently provide the right level of challenge when starting a new topic, particularly the most able. Pupils do not develop their reasoning skills further by solving enough mathematical problems in a range of contexts. The newly identified replacement leader for mathematics is working closely with her colleagues. She is attending local mathematics leadership groups and receiving good-quality external support to improve outcomes in this subject.
• The school provides a curriculum that meets national requirements. Using teachers from outside the school, the school provides specialist teaching for subjects such as food technology, music and drama. The school also provides a good range of regular clubs and enrichment activities, including residential visits. Day visits, for example to Salisbury Cathedral, help pupils understand local history and the wider school community. These experiences enrich pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, preparing them well for life in modern Britain.
• The assessment and recording of pupils’ achievements in English and mathematics are now consistent. The headteacher is aware that the assessment and recording for other subjects are less robust. Recording pupils’ progress effectively in subjects other than English and mathematics is one of the next steps in the school’s development plan.
• The headteacher and governors have an accurate assessment of the school’s current performance. They undertook a moderated school self-evaluation with the local authority in June 2017. The school’s leaders work closely with other local schools sharing best practice and learning together. This is supporting their work effectively to improve pupils’ outcomes.
• The headteacher and physical education leader ensure effective use of the PE and sport premium to improve pupils’ healthy lifestyles and physical abilities.

Governance of the school

• Governors have managed the changes to the school since the previous inspection well. They have reorganised themselves. They ensure that they keep up to date with training in areas such as safeguarding. They fully understand published data about the school’s performance.
• The governing body now provides robust challenge to support the headteacher and other members of staff in the drive for further improvement. Governors are clear-thinking, and have the same determination and vision as the headteacher.
• Governors have an honest, open understanding of the strengths and areas for the future development of the school. They have helped ensure that the school’s improvement plan is fit for purpose. They keep a regular, watchful eye on the plan to ensure that progress against the pertinent targets is kept on track.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders and the governing body have ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose.
• The governor with particular responsibility for safeguarding regularly checks safeguarding arrangements to keep informed and to provide support.
• There is a strong safeguarding culture in the school. The school works closely with agencies, other providers, parents and carers to keep pupils safe.
• The school has an appropriate safeguarding policy, which staff understand and follow. Staff receive good-quality, regular training and updates in safeguarding. As a result, they understand their responsibilities and how to keep pupils safe.
• Pupils feel safe in school and learn how to keep themselves safe, and how to stay safe when online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teaching, learning and assessment have all considerably improved since the previous inspection. Staff’s expectations of pupils’ attitudes to learning and what they should be achieving are high. As a result, outcomes are improving and pupils are making better progress than found previously.
• Teachers create welcoming, warm, stimulating learning environments which are appropriate to the age of the pupils using them. Pupils in one classroom have easy access to an attractive and well-equipped outdoor learning area. Indoors, they have a good variety of resources to learn and play with. Attention-grabbing interactive software enables pupils to use computers to improve and develop their mathematics and hand-eye coordination.
• In another classroom, pupils are excited that Narnia has physically arrived. The ‘icicles’ and ‘snow’ are gradually creeping across the walls and around the classroom. A lamp recently appeared. Pupils are wondering if the faun will appear next, or will it be the Queen’s sleigh bells they hear? The atmosphere created helps pupils become enraptured when they listen to the class story being read to them at the end of the school day.
• The older pupils use homework, for example over the summer, to prepare them for the next activity that they will be learning. The volcano models on display are testament to the close cooperation between home and school.
• Teaching is helping pupils to understand and interpret better the text of the books they are reading under the guidance of their class teacher. It is also helping them to get more out of other texts they are reading, either as part of the school curriculum or for their own pleasure.
• Pupils are provided with challenging activities in mathematics. However, sometimes pupils could start these sooner. This is particularly so for the most able or when pupils start a new topic in this subject.
• Teachers’ assessment of English and mathematics is now consistently good across the school. Pupils’ work is carefully moderated within the school and with partner schools.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• The school is fully inclusive. Pupils and their families know that it is all right to be different at this school. Pupils come from a wide range of backgrounds and have varied understandings of the world around them. The celebration of people’s differences boosts pupils’ understanding of life in modern Britain.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know who to turn to if they have any concerns. They learn how to work safely when doing practical activities, for example in food technology and science.
• Older pupils help younger ones in lessons and at playtimes. Pupils who are new to the school are quickly made to feel welcome and part of the Longford family. This also applies to their families.
• The school curriculum and school clubs provide pupils with a good range of activities to keep them fit and healthy.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils take care to present their work to a good standard. They are proud of their work.
• Pupils take care when moving around the school to avoid damaging the attractive displays. They are polite, holding doors open for each other and adults.
• Pupils are exuberant in the playground and let off steam during playtimes. Nevertheless, when the bell goes for lessons they stop their play, generally lining up quietly, ready to return to their lessons.
• Adults make learning interesting, carefully supporting pupils when needed. As a result, pupils enjoy their learning. They listen to each other’s views, and learn how to express their own views with increasing care and consideration for others.
• A few pupils do not attend school as often as they should. When this happens, school leaders take appropriate action to help them improve their attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils currently in the school are making good progress. In the past, due to a legacy of weaker teaching, pupils did not always reach the standards of which they were capable. Leaders have taken effective action to turn this situation around. Pupils now make better progress and their achievement is improving in all year groups. This is clearly seen in pupils’ work and the school’s accurate assessment information.
• Pupils’ literacy skills develop well in all their subjects. Changes to the teaching of phonics enable pupils to build on their understanding well. Improvements to the way reading is taught are helping pupils to enjoy their reading at a deeper level.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, along with those who are vulnerable due to their circumstances, make good progress. They are well supported in lessons by class teachers, and other adults.
• Similarly, disadvantaged pupils make progress at the same rate as other pupils with similar starting points.
• Pupils use modern information communication technology (ICT) well throughout the school. The youngest pupils use ICT to record their work. Older pupils use ICT to programme animations, demonstrating their coding skills.
• Paws, the ‘reading dog’, is helping pupils to develop a joy of reading. He and his handler regularly listen to pupils reading. They help pupils to increase their self-confidence and to share their understanding of the text.
• Pupils apply and extend what they learn in English and literacy sessions in their work across a range of subjects. However, the progress of pupils, particularly the most able, in developing deeper levels of mathematical thinking and understanding across the curriculum is not fast enough. This is because teachers do not plan work that consistently challenges pupils to extend their mathematical skills.

Early years provision Good

• Children join the Reception class with a wide range of skills and understanding. In general, when they arrive, children’s personal, social and emotional development is at a lower level than other aspects of their development.
• Children behave well and enjoy their learning. Some children start school not knowing how they need to behave in order to learn. They quickly learn to listen to staff and each other. They learn to follow the school rules, remembering to use ‘kind hands’ when playing with each other.
• Most children leave the Reception Year ready to start Year 1. They make good progress in all the areas of their learning, generally reaching a good level of development. Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make the same good progress as their classmates.
• The teaching of phonics continues to improve. Children who struggle with their sounds receive more support. Children regularly practise applying their phonics knowledge. The changes and improvements to the school’s library ensure that children practise reading with books at the right level for their developing phonics knowledge.
• The school has resolved previous limitations to the outside space and equipment that children use. Children now receive the full range of experiences to which they are entitled.
• Regular observations and accurate recording of children’s development ensure that school leaders know how well each child is doing and where any shortfalls in their development need to be met. Parents continue to have hard copies of children’s ‘learning journeys’, showing them what their children have been doing and learning in school. The school has also introduced a secure online system. Parents told the inspector how they appreciated this immediate picture of their children’s day.
• As with the rest of the school, safeguarding is effective.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126304 Wiltshire 10037068 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary controlled 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 81 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Governing body Janette Bennett Louise Knipe 01722 327 292 www.longford.wilts.sch.uk admin@longford.wilts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 October 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is smaller than average. Since the previous inspection, the number of pupils on the school’s roll has doubled. There are three mixed-age classes. Some pupils, in all classes, have only been attending the school for a short time. Some year groups are smaller than others, with a range of six pupils to 19 pupils. The cohort of Year 6 pupils who left the school in 2017 was less than five.
• The current headteacher was appointed in January 2016. There have also been considerable changes to the teaching staff, management and leadership roles since the previous inspection.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector worked extensively with the headteacher throughout the two days. She met with the leaders for English, mathematics and the early years. She also met with members of the governing body, the SENCo and the family worker.
• The inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority and the Diocese of Salisbury. She talked with groups of pupils. In addition, the inspector spoke with several parents following the school’s harvest festival.
• The inspector scrutinised the quality of pupils’ work and listened to some of them reading. She observed pupils learning in lessons and at playtimes.
• The inspector took account of the 19 responses by parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and a letter from a parent. The nine responses by pupils to Ofsted’s electronic questionnaire were considered, and the seven responses submitted by staff.
• The inspector considered a wide range of documentary evidence, including records relating to safeguarding, the quality of teaching, the curriculum, assessment information, the school’s self-evaluation and action plans.

Inspection team

Steffi Penny, lead inspector

Her Majesty’s Inspector