Longlands Primary School and Nursery

Age group 3–11 Inspection date(s) 23–24 January 2012 Inspection number 379394 Longlands Primary School and Nursery Inspection report

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Unique reference number 117326 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 379394 Inspection dates 23–24 January 2012 Lead inspector Michael Sutherland-Harper

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 195 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Orgar Headteacher Lee-Ann Britten Date of previous school inspection 20 January 2009 School address Nunsbury Drive Turnford Broxbourne EN10 6AG Telephone number 01992 460072 Fax number 01992 445537 Email address head@longlands.herts.sch.uk achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Michael Sutherland-Harper Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspection team observed 15 lessons taught by eight teachers and held meetings with members of the governing body, staff and groups of pupils. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, and looked at pupils’ books, the school’s improvement plan, assessment data, monitoring and evaluation records, arrangements for safeguarding, and a range of policies and procedures. Inspectors listened to pupils read. The inspection team analysed responses to questionnaires from pupils and staff and 68 parents and carers.

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Information about the school

Longlands Primary School and Nursery is smaller than the average-sized primary school. The large majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The school meets the government’s current floor standards for attainment at the end of Key Stage 2. The proportions of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, and of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are above the national average. The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds. Children of Nursery and Reception age are taught in an Early Years Foundation Stage unit. Nursery children attend during the mornings only. The governing body offers a before-school breakfast club for children attending the school. The school has recently been rebuilt. It has gained the ActiveMark award. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

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Information about the school

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

 This is a satisfactory school. Pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills are securely developed, including boys’ writing and the skills of pupils who are academically able. The curriculum engages pupils effectively with learning and offers further opportunities to improve skills.

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Key findings

 Pupils make satisfactory progress. Rates of progress in all key stages are improving, although staff use the Early Years Foundation Stage outdoor space inconsistently to promote learning. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to other pupils.

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Key findings

 Teaching is satisfactory overall. The proportion of good teaching is rising, helped by some sharing of best practice.

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Key findings

 Teachers’ marking is thorough. Assessment procedures have been developed but pupils do not always know their overall targets and what precisely is needed to move beyond their current level.

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Key findings

 Pupils are well behaved and get on well with each other and adults. Pupils have a keenly developed sense of what constitutes acceptable behaviour. They feel safe and parents and carers agree. Safeguarding procedures are effective and staff are appropriately trained. Good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school.

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Key findings

 Monitoring and evaluation procedures are based on increased analysis of data. The headteacher and senior team have strengthened provision to raise standards and know which areas require further improvement. The governing body supports the school’s work but the challenge it offers in monitoring and evaluation is at an early stage of development.

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Key findings

 The monitoring role of middle managers is being refined but the level of challenge they provide is inconsistent and not regularly enough reviewed to Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Key findings

Schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase rates of progress throughout the school to good or better by July 2012 by:  ensuring that 80% of teaching is good or better by July 2012  making sure pupils fully understand their targets and how to achieve them  further sharing of best practice in teaching  ensuring that the outdoor areas in the Early Years Foundation Stage are consistently used to reinforce the areas of learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the effectiveness of the school’s leaders by July 2012 by:  developing the roles of middle managers to increase the levels of challenge they provide to teachers when monitoring teaching and learning  ensuring that the governing body provides a higher level of challenge and regularly reviews the results of that challenge.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ attainment is broadly average but rising. Children enter the Nursery with knowledge and skills below those expected for their age, particularly in communication skills. They settle happily into school life and make satisfactory progress during the Early Years Foundation Stage. By the time they transfer to Year 1, their attainment is close to national expectations, especially in dispositions and attitudes. Skills in writing and calculation are weaker and are focus areas. Positive relationships aid pupils’ personal development here and across the school. The spacious, well-equipped outdoor area supports the growth of motor skills but is not fully used to support all areas of learning. Pupils consolidate their skills in Key Stage 1. Close tracking and careful planning contribute to satisfactory and rising rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics, with more practical tasks in mathematics. Boys’ writing has improved through more active learning based on

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Achievement of pupils

real-life experiences. Increasing numbers of more-able pupils are now reaching the higher levels. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their peers through careful intervention and support strategies. Reading skills are rising, secure by the end of Key Stage 1 and improving in Key Stage 2. Liaison with parents and carers over how to support their children’s reading is increasing. Pupils read capably, show secure comprehension skills and confidently discuss what they have read. They are beginning to use higher-order thinking skills by the time they leave the school. Progress through Key Stage 2 is accelerating in all subjects and is now more consistently good, although a little slower in the current Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Achievement of pupils

Year 6 where more pupils than usual have left or joined the year group. Any gaps in attainment for boys and girls are closing quickly because curriculum delivery ensures that work is more closely matched to pupils’ abilities and interests.

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Achievement of pupils

Learning in lessons is satisfactory and improving. Pupils enjoy school and are now more regularly challenged. Opportunities for independent work are increasing, but are sometimes limited when the teacher talks for too long and pupils do not have enough time to engage fully with topics. Pupils use information and communication technology regularly to develop practical skills and enhance their work. Most pupils know their overall targets but are less clear about their current levels of achievement and the next steps required to reach their targets. The very large majority of parents and carers feel that their child is making good progress and that the school helps them support their child’s learning. A similar proportion of pupils indicate that they learn a lot in lessons and that the school helps them to make progress.

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Quality of teaching

The very large majority of parents and carers believe that their children are well taught. Teaching is satisfactory with a rising proportion of good teaching. In a good lesson in the Early Years Foundation Stage, phonics activities were closely matched to pupils’ abilities and ensured good progress towards the development of boys’ and girls’ writing and spelling skills. Where teaching is good, challenge is a regular feature of learning. In these lessons, pace is maintained throughout because activities are closely timed with plenty of opportunities for independent pupil work. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and increasingly use new technology to deliver lessons. Relationships between adults and pupils are good. The use of ‘talk partners’ also encourages good pupil relationships through the development of speaking and listening skills. Topics covered in the curriculum, such as work in a Year 3 lesson on words to describe Theseus’ trip into the Minotaur’s cave, serve to

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Quality of teaching

develop a sense of wonder and enhance good spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills. Detailed planning has resulted in an increased match of work to pupils’ abilities. A careful balance of support and expectations of independence from teachers and teaching assistants ensures that all groups of pupils, including those who are more able and those with special educational needs or who are disabled, make similar progress. Questioning is increasingly well used to consolidate pupils’ understanding but sharing of best practice in teaching to enhance provision is at an early stage.

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Quality of teaching

Assessment procedures are well developed following whole-school work in this area. Marking is thorough with regular use of encouraging comments and clear indications of how to improve that particular piece of work. It does not always provide pupils with a clear enough indication of how to take their work to the next levels and thereby achieve their long-term targets more quickly.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are well behaved. The school takes pride in welcoming all pupils into an Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

inclusive community and has taken a high-profile approach to the promotion of anti- bullying strategies and the importance of good behaviour. As a result, pupils have a keenly developed sense of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour. Teachers manage behaviour well. The school has a systematic approach which ensures that all pupils have equal opportunities to learn. Support staff are swiftly involved so that behavioural issues do not disrupt any lessons. The very large majority of parents believe behaviour is good at the school. The large majority believe that behaviour in lessons is good and that the school deals effectively with all types of bullying. Pupils have positive attitudes. Older pupils relish the opportunity to help younger pupils and ensure their safety. The school council is similarly committed to maintaining safety and behaviour. Pupils have been involved in writing the school behaviour plan and

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

determining rewards and sanctions. Relationships between pupils and with adults are good. Whenever a problem occurs, pupils are confident that there is someone to turn to so that the problem will be quickly resolved. Attendance is average but improving. Pupils arrive punctually at school and to lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Parents and carers unanimously agree that pupils feel safe. Pupils understand how good behaviour, healthy eating, internet safety procedures and the activities through sport and clubs, including the before-school breakfast club, enable them to stay safe and keep fit. The curriculum includes regular opportunities to learn about safety and staying safe. Pupils understand the school’s clear procedures. Secure arrangements are in place to meet the needs of pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.

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Leadership and management

The school motto, ‘onwards and upwards’, reflects the determination of the headteacher and staff that every child should develop a love of learning and be well equipped for the next stage of education. The school is rigorous in ensuring that all pupils are treated equally without discrimination of any kind. The shared vision also emphasises that good behaviour and a sense of responsibility should make every child a model citizen. The school improvement plan is regularly reviewed with staff and the governing body. These reviews are parallel to half-termly pupil progress reviews. More rigorous monitoring and evaluation procedures are beginning to have an impact on the quality of teaching and are reflected in rising attainment. However, the role of middle managers in challenging staff performance and reviewing progress is at an early stage of development following coaching and joint work with senior leaders. The school’s capacity to improve is satisfactory but increasing because of

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Leadership and management

the clearer focus on progress, attainment and expectations of staff. The headteacher, senior leaders and governing body have implemented rigorous procedures and clear policies to ensure that safeguarding procedures are good. The governing body is committed to supporting the school and raising attainment. Governors bring a range of skills to their role. Challenge and reviews of progress are less well developed but the governing body has increasing access to data and tracking information. Policies are regularly reviewed and governors have been trained in safeguarding and safer recruitment. Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Leadership and management

The school provides a broad, balanced curriculum. A hands-on approach to learning and activities increasingly engages learners. Cross-curricular links are reflected in topic coverage and display around the school. The school has formed effective partnerships with extended services and local schools to reinforce learning. Transition arrangements into and out of the school are effective. Lessons offer many opportunities for reflection, as in a Year 5 history lesson about which historical figures pupils would like to meet. The school has developed an ethos in which pupils have a well-developed sense of right and wrong, and social relationships are good. The aspects of culture they consider, from world religions through to dressing up for international days, all help to make spiritual, moral, social and cultural development a strength of the school. A good variety of visits and the recent list of visitors to the

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Leadership and management

school, including the local police, fire service, doctors and nurses, reinforce this area of the school’s work.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Nursery schools 46 46 8 0 Primary schools 8 47 40 5 Secondary schools 14 38 40 8 Special schools 28 48 20 4 Pupil referral units 15 50 29 5 All schools 11 46 38 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2010 to 31 August 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils’ work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school’s overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils’ attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted’s

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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6AG

I am writing to thank you for welcoming us and to tell you the result of your school’s inspection. Thank you also for talking to us and for filling in your questionnaires.

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6AG

Longlands Primary School and Nursery provides you with a satisfactory education. Here are some of the things your school does well.

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6AG

 You help and listen to each other and work well together as talk partners.  Your learning is improving because the teaching is getting better.  You answer the questions teachers write in your exercise books.  You feel safe in your school and know that any issues will be quickly sorted out because there is always someone to whom you can talk.

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6AG

The headteacher, staff and governing body want the school to do well. To help them do this, we have asked them to make a few improvements:

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6AG

 make teaching good or better to help you make faster progress and have teachers share their best methods to help you learn  ensure that all the adults make sure you are always challenged to do better in your learning  check that you all know your targets and how the next things you do will help you to reach them  make sure that activities in the outdoor area of the Early Years Foundation Stage help the youngest pupils to learn even better.

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6AG

The inspectors believe that your eagerness to learn and care for each other will help the school improve. You can help by telling teachers when you are not sure what to do next to improve.

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6AG

Michael Sutherland-Harper Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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