Langenhoe Community Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 30 April–1 May 2012 Inspection number 378916 Langenhoe Community Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 114729 Local authority Essex Inspection number 378916 Inspection dates 30 April–1 May 2012 Lead inspector Jackie Cousins

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 138 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Rodney Ellis Headteacher Jacqueline Martin Date of previous school inspection 10 December 2007 School address Bracken Way Abberton Colchester CO5 7PG Telephone number 01206 735267 Fax number 01206 735056 Email address admin@langenhoe.essex.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

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. The inspector visited 10 lessons or part lessons and observed all five teachers who were teaching during the inspection. They met with parents and carers, staff, groups of pupils and members of the governing body. Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at school development plans, records of pupils’ progress, policies, minutes of meetings and the school’s self-evaluation documents. They received and analysed questionnaires from 48 parents and carers, as well as surveys from pupils and staff.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The percentage of disabled pupils and pupils who have special educational needs, or those who are supported by school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs, is below average. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below average, and very few speak English as an additional language. The school meets the government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

The new headteacher was appointed in January 2012 and an acting deputy headteacher is currently in post. 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

 This is a good school. It is not yet outstanding because of inconsistencies in the rates of pupils’ progress and the quality of teaching.

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Key findings

 The key to the school’s success is the way that it promotes pupils’ self-esteem and personal development. As a result, their behaviour, safety and attitudes to learning are good and attendance is above average. Pupils from all backgrounds and abilities are integrated well into school life because of good leadership and care from staff.

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Key findings

 Pupils achieve well from their starting points and attainment in Year 6 is above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Over the last three years, pupils’ attainment in Year 2 has been above average. Occasionally, targets in individual education plans are rather broad and so a few pupils with disabilities and those who have special educational needs are not clear about how their success will be measured in key areas of learning.

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Key findings

 The majority of pupils make good progress because teaching is good. The leadership of teaching is good and so teachers use a creative curriculum well to develop pupils’ basic skills and involve them in exciting topics. Occasionally, pupils are not totally clear about which learning objective in lessons will enable them to attain a higher level of skill. Marking does not always refer to how successful they have been in meeting their personal targets.

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Key findings

 The leadership of the headteacher is dynamic and she is well supported by a dedicated senior leadership team and staff. Pupils’ attainment is carefully monitored by the governing body and senior leaders. Meetings to discuss pupils’ progress are held regularly but records of these meetings are rather brief. A good partnership has been established between the school and parents and carers. The very large majority of them, who responded to the questionnaire, said they would recommend this school. 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop pupils’ achievement to even higher levels by:  recording meetings about pupils’ progress in detail each term so that uneven achievement is reduced  making sure individual education plans for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs contain more specific and measureable targets.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning by:  ensuring learning objectives, which are shared with pupils, make it clear which one will enable them to reach the next level of skill  making sure marking always explains to pupils how successfully they have met their personal targets.

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Achievement of pupils

The very large majority of parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire said their children are making good progress. Pupils achieve well from their starting points which are in line with expectations and so attainment is above average in Year 6. Occasionally, a few pupils do not make expected progress over a year.

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Achievement of pupils

Children make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and so attainment is slightly above average in language, literacy and communication. This is because teaching instils a love of learning in children and motivates them to do their best. In a good lesson observed in Reception, pupils learned to sort different types of vehicles because of the teacher’s high expectations and enthusiasm.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils’ achieve well in reading throughout the school. The use of letters and their sounds are promoted effectively from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Year 6. In 2011 attainment in reading in Year 2 was above average and it is significantly above average in the present Year 6. For example, currently 75% of Year 6 pupils are working at above expected levels of skill in reading.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils, including those who are more able, achieve well in learning to write and communicate orally. Work in books demonstrates that pupils in Year 6 use adventurous vocabulary successfully, for example, when they write about a trip to a television production centre. In a lesson observed, older pupils effectively formulated and asked questions to gather information from a celebrity.

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Achievement of pupils

Boys’ and girls’ achievement in mathematics is good. In a lesson seen in Year 5 and 6, they learned to use and apply their mathematical skills when they were challenged successfully to create nets of complex shapes such as a dodecahedron. Work in 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

pupils’ books in Year 4 and 5 demonstrates that they develop numeracy skills well where they learn their times tables and so their basic skills are promoted efficiently. This means that, for example, these pupils are quickly and accurately able to determine how many factors various square numbers have.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils who are disabled and those who have special educational needs make similarly good progress. This is because individual and small-group intervention programmes allow pupils to improve their key skills successfully. Individual education plans are used thoughtfully to support pupils’ learning but targets are, on occasion, a little non- specific. The school works well with other agencies to support pupils with additional needs. Transfer to secondary school is managed carefully because staff share important information.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers use questioning imaginatively and so pupils think deeply about what they have learnt. For example, a teacher’s effective use of questioning in a science lesson in Year 1 and 2 allowed pupils to consider how they could improve their investigation into floating and sinking. Teachers capture pupils’ interest because technology is used to bring learning to life. For example, they use films to make learning more vivid. This was seen when a Year 4 and 5 class learned to describe a scene after they watched a clip where characters waded through a swamp. Teachers use paired discussion time successfully and this means, for example, pupils in Year 2 learned to explain effectively what makes instructional text easy to follow. Occasionally, one or two pupils are not fully aware of the ways that they can show that they are working at a higher level of attainment. The teaching of reading is good and so pupils’

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Quality of teaching

progress in comprehension skills is effective. The very large majority of parents and carers who sent in a questionnaire said that their children are well taught.

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Quality of teaching

Assessment is used efficiently to plan lessons for different groups. This means that pupils, including those who are disabled and those who have special educational needs, are challenged successfully by teachers. Virtually all pupils who answered the questionnaire said the school staff help them to do well. Pupils are rigorously involved in self-assessment of their work. For example, they highlight a target when they think they have met it. Pupils do not always know if the teacher agrees that they have met their personal target because marking does not consistently refer to them.

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Quality of teaching

Pupils learn to be independent because of teachers’ high expectations. They learn the difference between right and wrong due to good levels of guidance. Their spiritual development is carefully supported by all staff. This ensures pupils learn to reflect on their feelings wisely. Their multi-cultural awareness is effectively established. For example, they learn about food from other countries and cultures when they study the Chinese New Year and harvests such as coco from Mexico. 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

Virtually all pupils, parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire agreed that behaviour is good and that children are safe in school. Pupils feel safe because staff manage occasional occurrences of inappropriate behaviour patiently and firmly. Pupils are very courteous and friendly to one another. The younger pupils value highly the way the older ones look after them and this promotes good behaviour and social development. In recent years, no pupils have been excluded. Pupils understand clearly the types of cyber-bullying and know, for instance, that they should not share their personal details with unknown people on the internet. Bullying incidents are very rare.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ attitudes to learning are good because the staff are keen to make learning fun and they challenge the pupils through interesting practical activities. For example, in one lesson in Early Years Foundation Stage, virtually all pupils keenly answered the teachers’ questions as they combined materials to make a model bus. Pupils’ views are shared successfully through the school council and so they were involved in the appointment of the new headteacher. Their attendance is above average and their punctuality is good because it is monitored thoroughly.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher, acting deputy headteacher and Early Years Foundation Stage leader’s work is tightly focused on the key areas for development. The Early Years Foundation Stage area both inside and outside has been improved considerably since the last inspection and so children make good progress in their language, literacy and communication skills as well as their physical development. The quality of teaching has been improved through astute use of continuous professional development and performance management. Staff and leaders at all levels make systematic use of self-evaluation. The school has a strong capacity to continue to improve.

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Leadership and management

The governing body has maintained its role successfully by carrying out thorough monitoring activities. This makes sure that school leaders are challenged regularly by perceptive questions about the quality of education. The governing body and senior leaders ensure that pupils are safeguarded well. For example, several staff have up- to-date first-aid qualifications for adults and young children, health and safety issues are followed up efficiently, all employment checks are carried out and recorded correctly for staff, and child-protection training is regularly updated.

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Leadership and management

The encouragement of equal opportunities is managed well and discrimination is not tolerated. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds are integrated effectively in all school activities. Those who speak English as an additional language make good progress. Pupils’ attainment is monitored carefully by all levels of leadership and staff. The records kept of meetings to discuss pupils’ progress are rather limited. 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

Pupils’ needs are met productively because the creative curriculum is well planned. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. For instance, pupils very much enjoyed a topic about explorers and adventurers because of the wide range of topics this project covered. Pupils say they like French lessons. The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development successfully. For example, it celebrates their achievements through displays which encourage the development of their writing skills such as when they create newspaper articles. Basic skills of communication, literacy, numeracy and science are promoted effectively and so pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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Leadership and management

The school’s leaders engage successfully with parents and carers. Nearly all those who responded to the questionnaire agreed that the school responds thoughtfully to their concerns. A few parents and carers said they did not feel well informed about their child’s progress and the school plans to adapt the interim report that they send to parents and carers so that it explains more effectively how well each pupil is attaining and making progress. One parent summed up their thoughts when they recorded, ‘My children are very happy and making great progress at Langenhoe. The teachers know my children individually and are meeting their needs. They are providing a strong foundation for learning and the school is managed very well by our new headteacher.’

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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 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 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 to 31 December 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

Floor standards: the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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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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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

Thank you for helping me to find out about your school. It was a real pleasure to speak to some of you and to hear your ideas and comments. Your school provides you with a good education. You told me that you enjoy school, where you all get on well together, and I agree. These are some of the best things about your school.

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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

 Your attainment by Year 6 is above average and you make good progress.  You behave well in school because staff guide you considerately.  You feel safe in school because staff treat you caringly.  You told me how much you enjoy the projects you study, such as one on explorers and adventurers, which taught you many skills at the same time.  You are taught well and staff work hard to make lessons exciting.  Nearly all of you told me in your answers on the questionnaire that teachers are interested in your ideas.  You told me how proud you are of the fact that staff ‘encourage us to do better in all ways’.  The school staff have established a strong partnership with your parents and carers.

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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

Your headteacher and senior teachers have good ideas about how to improve the school and so I have asked them to make things even better by:

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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

 raising your achievement to even higher levels by ensuring even more of you make the progress we expect every year  watching over the progress you make even more carefully each term  making sure your teachers highlight what the most important things are for you to do in each lesson so that you work at even higher levels of skill and explain in their marking if you have met your targets.

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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

Continue to listen carefully to your teachers’ comments, come to school every day and enjoy all the super things you are learning at Langenhoe Community Primary School.

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Inspection of Langenhoe Community Primary School, Colchester CO5 7PG

Jackie Cousins 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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