Longleaze Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Raise achievement by ensuring that:
  • closely monitored progress-tracking information is used to enable pupils in Year 4 to make the progress they are capable of
  • homework consolidates learning in core subjects
  • all pupils present their work to a high standard
  • pupils are provided with more opportunities to develop their understanding of science.
• Improve behaviour by increasing the attendance of the small number of persistently absent pupils.
• Improve provision in the early years by ensuring that:
  • the leader of the early years develops further expertise to improve monitoring of the consistency of provision
  • staff are provided with more opportunities to share best practice.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Senior leaders know their school well. Their understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses is based on sharp, detailed analysis of evidence. Leaders openly acknowledge the school’s weaknesses because they understand that doing so is vital to securing improvement. They responded speedily to poor achievement in 2016 and put plans in place to ensure that this failure is not repeated.
• In the short time the headteacher has been in post she has made her ambitions for the school clear to staff and pupils. She has raised expectations of the quality of teaching, attitudes to learning and behaviour. She is being well supported by the deputy headteacher and middle leaders in embedding these expectations.
• Precise analysis of pupil progress information is being used to good effect to inform the leadership of teaching. This information is used in conjunction with other monitoring activities to consolidate strengths and remedy weaknesses in the teaching practice of individual staff. Monitoring activities include scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, as well as observations of lessons and asking pupils for their views.
• Leaders have fostered a positive culture that encourages pupils to be tolerant and supportive of each other. Key values such as respect, kindness and courage, identified by the school community, thread through different aspects of the school’s work. Furthermore, pupils live these values as they learn to develop ‘learning powers’, which are the skills pupils require to succeed in later life. Learning powers include cooperation, collaboration and staying focused on the task in hand.
• The school’s curriculum enables pupils to study cross-curricular topics. This means that pupils learn to transfer their skills from subject to subject and understand topics in different contexts. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their writing skills because they write for different purposes and audiences in different subjects, such as history and geography. Pupils write often and at length. They are increasingly learning in greater depth in mathematics. This is because they are now required to explain and justify their reasoning. However, the curriculum is not providing pupils with enough opportunities to develop their scientific understanding.
• Pupils’ learning and experience of school is enhanced by the wider curriculum. Mathematics and reading clubs at lunchtime complement after-school sports clubs and events such as dance festivals. The coordinator for music encourages pupils to participate in different events. For example, pupils can join the after-school choir and take part in local school-cluster music festivals. She has established good links with the local secondary school.
• Additional funding to enhance pupils’ experience of sport and physical education is used effectively. The enthusiastic coordinator has used funding to engage the services of a specialist sports coach and improve the quality of physical education teaching. Funding has been used to provide fun activities that have increased pupil participation in sport. For example, pupils enjoy ‘wake up, shake up’, which provides them with exercise at the beginning of the day. Schemes such as ‘skip to fit’ and activities such as archery and street hockey are also increasing participation.
• Leaders have a clear rationale for the spending of additional funding to support disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because they have identified the key barriers to learning for these groups of pupils, such as their social and emotional needs. Consequently, leaders use funding to enhance aspects of provision to tackle these issues. For example, the successful breakfast club is well attended by disadvantaged pupils. It has improved their attendance and ensures they are ready for learning.
• Leaders are ‘outward looking’ in their approach. This means that they take full advantage of external support in order to improve what they do. They work with various partners, the most influential of which are ‘Challenge Partners’. External advisers have enabled leaders to sharpen their analysis of progress information, develop the quality of self-evaluation and improve aspects of teaching. They have also helped to raise staff expectations of what pupils can achieve and develop pupils’ attitudes to learning.
• All parents who responded to the Parent View survey agreed that their child is happy in school, well looked after and well taught. The overwhelming majority of parents agreed that the school is well led and managed, and would recommend the school.
• The overwhelming majority of staff who responded to a survey issued during the inspection agreed that the school has improved since the last inspection, is well led and managed and they are proud to be members of staff.

Governance of the school

• Changes to the make-up of the governing body have broadened the range of experience and expertise that individual governors bring to the wider group. As a result, governors’ expectations of their own work and that of school leaders have risen. They have become more confident in the way they carry out their responsibilities.
• Governors are now more challenging of school leaders in order to hold them to account. They are increasingly using detailed progress information to establish the achievement of different pupil groups. As the chair of governors told the lead inspector, governors now ‘require more granular detail’. Governors use this information to ask effective questions. They gauge progress and the quality of leaders’ responses by triangulating other sources of information, such as reports from external advisers. Governors are also tenacious; they return to issues to establish whether actions have taken place as promised and there is evidence of impact.
• Governors are committed and take their responsibilities seriously. They are passionate supporters of the school and visit frequently in order to fulfil their various roles. As a result, they know the school well. This is because governors talk to pupils and staff, look at pupils’ work and observe them ‘in action’.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders promote a culture in school whereby all staff and pupils are aware of the importance of being safe. Staff know the procedures to follow should they have any concerns about the welfare of a child. These records contain detailed information which enables designated safeguarding staff to track cases easily and take necessary action. Leaders secure the necessary support required for specific cases from external agencies. This is because they have formed positive relationships that result in prompt, effective action. All staff have received appropriate child protection training. Furthermore, checks to ensure that staff are suitable to work with children are robust and complete.
• The overwhelming majority of pupils who responded to the pupil survey reported that they feel safe in school. Pupils who spoke to the lead inspector reported that there are good levels of staff supervision at breaktimes. They also commented that there are staff they would be happy to speak to if they were worried. This view is shared by the overwhelming majority of pupils who responded to the survey. Moreover, pupils also feel safe because older pupils act as peer mediators. These pupils, who are highly visible in their blue fluorescent vests, are on hand at breaktimes to offer assistance to any pupils who want support.
• Pupils are taught to stay safe through the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum. Whole-school events such as ‘Safety Fortnight’ enable pupils to learn about ‘stranger danger’, road safety and fire safety. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils who spoke to the lead inspector said that it is important that pupils do not use their real names online and do not make passwords too easy. They also said that pupils should not assume that people are who they say they are online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Leaders’ higher aspirations for pupils are shared by staff. Teachers are now using their good subject knowledge to ensure that pupils are learning at greater depth. Teachers across the school are consistently setting interesting tasks that are matched to pupils’ different abilities. These tasks encourage pupils to challenge themselves because they incorporate different levels of ‘chilli’ challenge. Some tasks pose mild challenge while others present a more difficult, ‘spicy’ challenge. The most difficult challenges, faced by the most able pupils, are ‘white hot’.
• Most pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning. This is because staff have higher expectations of them and plan activities that stimulate their thinking and prompt them to take a greater interest in their learning. For example, in one observed lesson, the enthusiasm of Year 3 pupils was clear to see. Pupils were desperate to answer the teacher’s question about the name of the punctuation mark that is used in the abbreviated word ‘didn’t’. Their interest had been sparked because one pupil had incorrectly said ‘comma’. The entire class put their hands up to answer the question, many straining to get out of their seats!
• Teachers rightly emphasise the importance of enabling pupils to identify and learn from their mistakes. The feedback that teachers provide to pupils helps them to see where they have gone wrong so they can improve their work. Pupils are encouraged to respond to teachers’ feedback to show that they understand why they have made errors and know how to develop further.
• Classroom environments are well designed to act as an additional resource to enhance learning. Wall displays, three-dimensional objects suspended from the ceiling and ‘customised’ corners of the room, such as dedicated reading areas, promote the enjoyment of learning. These different features of the environment are colourful, instructive and imaginative.
• The school’s assessment system is well established. Frequent assessment enables teachers to track confidently what pupils know and can do. Assessments are moderated internally and with other schools to ensure accuracy. The assessment system corresponds well with the new curriculum and helps teachers focus on what pupils are learning rather than simply what they are doing. This, in turn, is helping to ensure that pupils learn at greater depth.
• The vast majority of pupils who responded to the pupil survey agreed that teachers help them to do their best. They also agreed that teachers ensure that all pupils understand what they are learning. Furthermore, the vast majority stated that they enjoy their learning and that teachers listen to what they have to say.
• Homework is not sufficiently reinforcing pupils’ English and mathematics skills. Although creative termly projects encourage pupils to engage with their learning, leaders acknowledge that homework is not being used to best effect. They recognise that pupils require more regular, frequent tasks that reinforce specific literacy and numeracy skills. A significant minority of parents who responded to Parent View also expressed their dissatisfaction with homework.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils’ social and emotional needs are supported well in school because they are overseen by the appropriately trained pastoral manager. The needs of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are identified by staff at pupil-progress meetings. This enables all staff to become familiar with pupils’ needs and to be involved in drawing up strategies to overcome barriers to learning.
• Support that is put in place for vulnerable pupils is reviewed on a regular basis at further pupil-progress meetings. The impact of support is evaluated to establish whether further changes to provision are required.
• A number of staff have been trained to help pupils who have anxiety and autism spectrum disorder. In respect of autism spectrum disorder, the school’s work is regarded as an example of best practice by other schools. Certain teaching assistants are ELSA (emotional literacy support assistant) trained and provide support which helps pupils to be ready for learning.
• A nurture club at lunchtime provides a safe space for pupils who find aspects of the lunch break a social challenge. They can choose to engage in quieter, more calming activities, either on their own or with others. Staff are also on hand to help resolve friendship issues if necessary.
• Pupils enjoy different lunchtime diversions. When the weather is dry they can use the school field, in addition to a fun ‘trim trail’. Pupils also enjoy playing with a variety of objects provided at breaks, from skipping ropes to wooden drums and barrels.
• A number of pupils who responded to the pupil survey reported that they did not think there was any bullying in the school. The overwhelming majority of pupils agree that bullying incidents that do occur are handled effectively by staff. This view is supported by the majority of parents who responded to Parent View, who agree that staff deal effectively with bullying.
• The school’s approach to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is a strength. The school takes advantage of residential trips, the latest events in world news and visiting speakers to broaden pupils’ horizons. For example, during the inspection, the ‘Open the Book’ group from the local church presented to pupils during assembly. They helped pupils to understand a biblical story by enacting a scene from the Bible.
• Leaders are aware of the need to promote equality, tolerance and respect for people’s differences. They have worked successfully to embed this work in the culture and values of the school. As a result, incidents of inappropriate behaviour, such as the use of homophobic language, are rare and continue to reduce.
• All parents who responded to Parent View agree that their child is well looked after.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils generally behave well and move around the school site in a calm, orderly fashion. At breaktime, the lead inspector observed pupils of different year groups leaving classrooms in single file, calmly walking out to the playground. Pupils reported that this is typical. The same was also true when they returned from break. However, a few pupils were observed to run in the corridor at other times.
• Pupils wear their uniform well. They are proud of their school and respect the fabric of the building. They are also prompt to lessons and come well equipped, ready for learning. However, the presentation of work in some pupils’ books could be better. Where this is the case, titles have not been underlined with a ruler, handwriting lacks discipline or space has not been well used.
• The attendance of pupils overall and for most groups of pupils is in line with, or better than, average. This is because staff work closely with parents to promote the value of attendance. Attendance is lower than average for a small number of pupils who are away a lot.
• The vast majority of parents who responded to Parent View agree that staff ensure that pupils are well behaved.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Current assessment information indicates that pupils in most year groups, including middle-ability pupils, are making strong progress across a range of subjects, including English and mathematics. The availability of accurate and closely monitored progress information is enabling staff to intervene and help pupils to catch up when they fall behind.
• The work in pupils’ books supports the latest progress-tracking data. Pupils’ writing skills are improving because they are given frequent opportunities to write at length for different purposes and audiences across subjects. History and geography work shows how pupils apply the writing skills that they learn in English. Being able to write in different ways in a range of subjects is strengthening pupils’ various writing skills. For example, they are better able to use paragraphs effectively to structure texts and confidently develop a personal voice when writing letters, journals or stories.
• In mathematics, teachers are presenting more tasks which develop problem-solving and reasoning. The work in pupils’ books shows that they are increasingly thinking at a deeper level and making good progress as a result.
• Disadvantaged pupils make comparable progress with their peers within school and nationally, as do pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. This is because leaders are keenly aware of their ongoing progress and have made overcoming barriers to learning a priority among all staff. This has resulted in a high level of support that is successfully improving attendance, participation in extra-curricular activities and readiness for learning.
• More of the most able pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, are achieving the progress they are capable of. This is because teachers are demanding more of them and setting work that poses a higher degree of challenge. It is also because pupils are having to explain their thinking in rational and articulate terms. For example, a most-able pupil in Year 2 was asked to say why certain multiplication facts were true or not. In the case of ‘13x10=130’, the pupil said it is true ‘because I know the answer has to end in a zero’.
• In 2016, pupils’ achievement in the Year 1 phonics check was in line with the national average. Over time, achievement in the early years has been higher than average.
• In 2016, pupils’ achievement in reading and mathematics by the time they left the school was below average. Disadvantaged pupils’ progress in these subjects was in the bottom 10% of schools. Leaders responded swiftly to this underachievement by analysing the underlying causes and taking action promptly to bring about improvement. In large part, the causes of underachievement were specific to this particular group of pupils, particularly those who were disadvantaged.
• Although pupils in most year groups are making strong progress, and continuing to improve, pupils in Year 4 are still not making enough progress. This is because assessment information is not being used to full effect to identify where pupils are falling behind so they can quickly catch up.

Early years provision Good

• The number of children achieving a good level of development has been higher than average over time. This is also true for children’s achievement in reading, writing and mathematics, which has also been consistently higher than average. Current progress information indicates that outcomes are on an upward trend.
• Transition arrangements with feeder schools are good because of the positive relationships that have been established, particularly with the on-site pre-school. The early years leader has devised a ‘Top Ten Tips’ guide for parents of children who want to join the school. Visits are made by staff to other settings so that children are familiar with staff. This means that children’s needs are quickly identified when they enter the school and appropriate support put in place.
• Staff assess children on entry to establish their starting points. Children are then assessed at intervals to monitor their progress. This enables staff to keep a close eye on ‘how they are doing’ and to provide appropriate resources to support children.
• Children’s behaviour is good, for the most part. They listen attentively to their teachers, follow instructions and cooperate with each other. Children show that they know how to keep themselves safe. On occasion, pupils lose focus if they are not sufficiently interested.
• Teaching is typically good because it meets children’s needs. This is because teachers devise activities that are interesting and fun. For example, in an observed session, the teacher used resources such as a picture and a number line to help children learn how to add. She also modelled the method effectively for the class. As a result, children were attentive because they wanted to know how to add up. They were keen to explain to the teacher where the answer goes in the sum ‘5+3=_’. Teaching practice is not always consistent across the two classes, however. This is because staff do not sufficiently share practice and take advantage of training opportunities.
• Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Teaching assistants are appropriately trained to support different aspects of children’s learning.
• Although outcomes and teaching in the early years are good, leaders’ oversight of the consistency of provision across classes is not sharp enough. This limits the potential for improving provision further, unless opportunities are taken to develop leadership expertise and share practice.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 126262 Wiltshire 10005553 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Foundation 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 246 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mark Levitt Laura Oakes 01793 849251 www.longleaze.wilts.sch.uk head@longleaze.wilts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2–3 November 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The headteacher took up post in January 2017.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.
• Longleaze Primary School is an average-sized primary school.
• The majority of pupils are from a White British background.
• The number of girls in the school is lower than average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is just below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities who receive support is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.

Information about this inspection

• The lead inspector observed learning in lessons with the headteacher.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the deputy safeguarding lead. In addition, meetings were held with the special educational needs coordinator and a number of other middle leaders, including the leader of the early years and the leader responsible for the sports premium.
• The lead inspector had discussions with pupils, representatives of the governing body and the school improvement partner.
• Inspectors spoke to parents before school.
• The lead inspector scrutinised a wide range of documentation. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school development plan, governing body minutes and progress information. In addition, records of the monitoring of teaching, attendance and behaviour information, and safeguarding records, were considered.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work from different year groups and observed pupils’ conduct at break and lunchtimes.

Inspection team

Steve Smith, lead inspector Paula Marsh Roberta Camble Wendy Hanrahan Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector