Langdale CofE School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 28–29 June 2012 Inspection number 378462 Unique Reference Number 112321 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 378462 Inspection dates 28–29 June 2012 Lead inspector Sue Sharkey

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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 Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 38 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ursula Leveaux Headteacher Mark Squires Date of previous school inspection 27 November 2008 School address Chapel Stile Great Langdale Ambleside LA22 9JE Telephone number 01539 437204 Fax number Email address admin@langdale.cumbria.sch.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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Introduction

The inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. The inspector observed three teachers and one teaching assistant while visiting six lessons. Discussions were held with the headteacher, school staff, pupils, parents and carers, and members of the governing body. The inspector observed pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and looked at a wide range of documentation including the school’s system for tracking pupils’ progress, documents regarding the safeguarding of pupils and key policies. Inspection questionnaires from 26 parents and carers were scrutinised and those from school staff and pupils were also taken into account.

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Information about the school

This is a much smaller than average-sized primary school. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils supported by school action plus is above average. There are no pupils with a statement of special educational needs currently on roll. Pupils are taught in two classes: Reception with Years 1 and 2 and Years 3, 4, 5 and 6 together. The number of pupils in each year group can be as few as one. The school meets the current floor standards, which set the government’s minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

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Information about the school

An after-school club and a weekly Parent and Toddler group operate under the management of the governing body. The school has gained the Go4it and Adventure Learning School awards for its work in adventurous learning. 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 where pupils make good progress in a stimulating, rich and adventurous environment. Overall effectiveness is not yet outstanding because attainment, whilst rising, is not above average in English and mathematics and pupils are not making outstanding progress overall.

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Key Findings

 Pupils achieve well from their starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage so that by the end of Year 6 their attainment is broadly average in English and mathematics. Staff have put in place a range of initiatives to improve pupils’ learning, especially in developing writing skills and these are resulting in raising attainment throughout the whole school.

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Key Findings

 The quality of teaching is good. Pupils work successfully in mixed-aged classes but there are occasions when assessment data is not used rigorously enough to ensure that work planned always matches all pupils’ needs. Adults do not always challenge pupils enough through extending questioning in order to deepen their thinking nor do they consistently provide clear feedback to pupils so that they know how to improve their work in mathematics.

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Key Findings

 The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding. They have very good attitudes to learning, are very proud of their school and their involvement in the community. They talk with enthusiasm about their rich outdoor area and have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves and each other safe.

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Key Findings

 The headteacher, staff and governing body have successfully created a well- balanced community with high levels of respect among pupils and staff. The school makes very good use of its outdoor environment to enrich pupils’ learning and extend their personal development, but there are missed opportunities to use it even more effectively and hence help raise pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics. Leaders check the quality of teaching, manage performance and tackle areas for improvement well.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further accelerate pupils’ progress in English and mathematics in order to raise attainment to above average by:  making better use of extended questioning to challenge pupils’ thinking  providing clearer feedback in mathematics so that pupils always know how to improve their work and what the next steps are in their learning  using progress data more rigorously to ensure that work always matches the needs of all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make greater use of the school’s immediate outdoor environment in order to help raise attainment further in English and mathematics.

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Achievement of pupils

All groups of pupils, including those supported by school action plus, make good progress and achieve well. Parents and carers rightly feel that their children make good progress. Due to very small numbers in each year group, children’s skills on entry to the Reception class can vary considerably from year to year, but knowledge of sounds and letters, writing and calculation are usually below age-related expectations. Children make good progress in their Reception Year as a result of effective teaching and exciting activities. For example, children thoroughly enjoyed working in their large outdoor tent where the teaching assistant had created a starry sky to help stimulate the children as they retold a recently read story. Children were keen to take turns as they discussed what happened. In choosing their next activity, based on the story, one child wrote what might happen next while others created

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Achievement of pupils

and built space rockets or explored numbers.

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Achievement of pupils

Good progress is maintained through Key Stages 1 and 2 for all groups of pupils so that when they leave at the end of Year 6 their attainment is broadly average. Due to well-planned support, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs also make good progress. This is because of well-targeted intervention support during lessons, which encourages independent learning and enables them to make good progress.

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Achievement of pupils

The school makes very good use of learning opportunities gained by exploring further afield beyond its own environment. For example, during a Key Stage 2 lesson pupils were using data from a recent river excursion. They worked out averages of river measurements, as well as estimating data relevant to measurements further down the river. They worked well in pairs and small groups talking animatedly and challenging each other’s thoughts.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils show a keen interest in reading. They are eager to learn how to read and say they enjoy reading at home as well as at school. This interest is nurtured well alongside the school’s regular teaching of letters and sounds resulting in average attainment in reading by the end of Year 2. Pupils in Key Stage 1 are keen to explore and have a go at new words. They are beginning to use punctuation well in their reading, pausing at full stops and making changes in their voices when they see speech marks. By the time pupils reach Year 6 they are fluent readers enjoying a wide range of reading material. They talk confidently about different authors and their personal preferences, not only for authors but also for different styles of books. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading is broadly average but rising rapidly.

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Quality of teaching

Good and sometimes outstanding teaching enables pupils of different abilities to make good progress. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well taught, often working with teaching assistants, and consequently also make good progress. All parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire agree that their children are taught well. Pupils say that teachers help them to learn and make lessons fun. Strengths in teaching include the relationships throughout the school which have a positive impact on pupils’ willingness to learn and the pace of lessons. All lessons observed displayed pupils’ high levels of concentration as well as excellent behaviour ensuring that lessons run smoothly. Teachers use their subject knowledge well to plan creative projects. Lessons cater effectively for the different ages in the class but assessment data is not always used rigorously enough to enable work to be

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Quality of teaching

tailored to pupil’s individual needs. Teachers monitor pupils’ work well and provide additional support when needed but feedback in mathematics does not always help pupils to know how to improve their work or provide guidance for their next steps in learning. Teachers use questioning skills effectively in lessons to help check on pupils’ understanding and tackle misunderstandings. However, questioning is not always rigorous enough to extend, develop and challenge pupils’ thinking skills. Well- trained teaching assistants play an important role in lessons, mostly through working with either a single year group, small groups or individual pupils. They have a positive impact on pupils’ learning.

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Quality of teaching

There is a good emphasis on promoting pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. A wide range of opportunities is provided for pupils to collaborate in small groups to deepen their understanding, share and challenge each other’s ideas, as well as cooperate and resolve conflicts effectively. For example, during a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson a group of pupils worked well together to solve number problems. They had to answer questions to find out about the multiples of different numbers and to explore whether there was a pattern. There was much discussion and debate but eventually the pupils agreed. At the same time another group was consolidating previous work and the teacher was reinforcing the use of bar charts when gathering data. Pupils responded well to each other, they listened carefully and respected each other’s input enabling good progress to be made.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils’ behaviour is typically outstanding over time, and during the inspection this was observed in lessons and around school. Pupils say they always feel safe and always play harmoniously at break times. The school’s outdoor environment provides pupils with a wide range of activities at break time from performing on the stage at the back of the wooden truck embedded in the ground to constructing models on the rocky playground. Pupils understand what constitute unsafe situations and are aware of how to keep themselves safe not only at school but also when they are out and about or when they are using the internet. Pupils confirm that there is no bullying in school. They say that sometimes there is falling out but say that this is dealt with swiftly by any adult in school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Pupils are extremely polite, considerate and enormously interested in all they do and what the school offers. They have a high respect for and value the opportunities the school provides for them not only a daily basis but also the many challenging activities in their outdoor curriculum. During the inspection they talked excitedly about the imminent whole-school camp and about the importance of caring for each other on such activities. Attendance is above average and this reflects pupils’ high level of enjoyment of school and learning. Parents and carers are unanimous in agreeing that their children are safe in school and that behaviour gives no cause for concern.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher provides a clear sense of direction for the school and the drive for improvement is shared by staff and the governing body. He has a very supportive approach and an open commitment to working as a team. The strong sense of teamwork among the staff enables responsibilities for leading different areas to be shared effectively. Accurate self-evaluation ensures that staff and the governing body are fully aware of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and this underpins the drive for improvement showing there is good capacity for securing improvement. For example, last year there was whole-school professional development to help raise pupils’ attainment in writing and this has already had a positive impact. Performance management is rigorous and includes regular monitoring of lessons as well as pupils’ books. Members of the governing body are actively involved in school. They are highly supportive and ensure that arrangements for safeguarding of pupils are robust

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Leadership and management

and effective and meet statutory requirements.

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Leadership and management

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school and its work; their partnership with the school is very strong. They value the care the school provides for their children both during the school day and in the well-managed and safe after school club. The weekly Parent and Toddler group which takes place in the tent is well supported and helps to provide a good transition for children starting school. The school ensures that every pupil has an equal chance to learn and tackles any discrimination rigorously. Activities are planned to ensure that all groups of pupils make overall good progress.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum includes excellent use of the outdoor environment, including local and residential visits and exploration beyond the school grounds, to enrich pupils’ personal development. However, there are missed opportunities to use the school’s own environment regularly in English and mathematics to help raise attainment further. Pupils are able to meet and work with their friends in a partner school in Manchester and enjoy the opportunity to explore different styles of art and music with them. Provision in music and the promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are promoted well by staff, who present very positive role models for pupils.

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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 t hat inspectors make judgements that were not made previously.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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 ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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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to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's main

findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Langdale CofE School, Ambleside, LA22 9JE

Thank you to all of you for making me feel so welcome when I visited your school recently. I thoroughly enjoyed talking with you and watching you learn in lessons. It was wonderful to learn that you feel very safe in school and I was very impressed with your outdoor areas when some of you kindly took me round at break time. I thought your behaviour was outstanding in lessons and outside. I was also impressed with the way you all meet with your headteacher and teacher to discuss school activities and any changes you would like to make. I enjoyed watching you learn in lessons and was pleased to see how well you work in groups as well as by yourself and how sensibly you talk with each other when you are sharing ideas and thinking through problems. Overall, I found that your school provides you with a good education and the progress you make is also good.

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Inspection of Langdale CofE School, Ambleside, LA22 9JE

There are four things that I have asked the school to do to help to make it even better: firstly, that teachers ask you more questions to challenge you even more; secondly, that teachers mark your work with a closer eye on adding comments to let you know what you need to learn next; thirdly, that teachers check information from all your assessments to make sure that all the work you do is always difficult enough; and lastly, that when planning English and mathematics lessons they make best use of your super outdoor areas.

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Inspection of Langdale CofE School, Ambleside, LA22 9JE

Congratulations on all you do to help your school. I was really delighted that you said that you enjoy coming to school. Remember always to do your best and help your teachers and each other. Thank you for helping me and for being so polite.

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Inspection of Langdale CofE School, Ambleside, LA22 9JE

Sue Sharkey 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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