Langford Village Community Primary School

Langford Village Community Primary School Peregrine Way, Bicester , Oxfordshire, OX26 6SX

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Achievement is good. Children get off to a good start in the Nursery and Reception classes. Pupils achieved above average outcomes in the 2012 national tests for 11 year olds and are on track to do so again.  The large majority of teaching is good and this enables pupils to make good progress and enjoy learning.  The teaching of reading is particularly effective and pupils build on the good skills they develop in the Early Years Foundation Stage across other year groups.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They get on well together, have positive attitudes to their learning and are proud of their school.  Senior leaders, staff and governors have worked with determination to ensure that the school has improved since the last inspection. The newly appointed headteacher has quickly gained the confidence of pupils, parent, carers and staff.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 There is not enough outstanding teaching and there are a few lessons that require improvement.  Although the teaching of mental mathematics has improved since the last inspection it has still not ensured that all pupils in the current Year 6 are on track to achieve good progress, because a few have not yet made up for previous lost ground.  There are inconsistencies in the progress of those pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium; many of these pupils progress well but a few do not. The information to governors about how this group progresses is too general.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 22 lessons or part lessons. They talked to pupils about their work and listened to some pupils in Year 2 read. One of the lesson observations was carried out with the headteacher.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the two deputy headteachers, other staff with key leadership responsibilities and groups of pupils. The Chair of the Governing Body and two additional governors were interviewed. There was also a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, records of pupils’ progress, monitoring information and safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors took account of 62 responses to the online Parent View survey and the school’s recent survey of parents and carers. Inspectors also took account of 49 questionnaires returned

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Inspection team

David Bray, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Sheila Anne Boyle Additional Inspector Michael Lafford Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Langford is a large primary school serving the Langford Village estate on the outskirts of Bicester.  Most pupils are of White British heritage and there are a few from a range of other ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils identified as having a statement of special educational needs or at school action plus is close to the national average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well below average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (additional money provided by the government for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and those from service families) is well below average. There are no pupils from the latter two categories.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, nursery children are enrolled on a part-time basis and share a large unit with the two Reception classes.  The school provides a breakfast club and after-school care.

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Information about this school

 At the time of this inspection the headteacher had been in post for two months. Previous to that the two deputy headteachers shared the role of acting headteacher.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching further so that more is outstanding by:  ensuring that the actions taken to improve the teaching of mathematics, particularly mental mathematics, are sustained thereby enabling all pupils, especially in Year 6, to make accelerated progress and catch up if they have fallen behind  increasing the pace and challenge of learning in the small number of lessons where they are not high enough  ensuring that teaching assistants are always effective by having clear roles, especially at the start of lessons  improving further the quality of marking and feedback in line with the new policy and ensuring that pupils respond by improving or reviewing their work.  Continue to improve the progress of pupils eligible for the pupil premium so that their achievement catches up with others in the school by ensuring that:  teachers place a high priority on planning for these pupils to catch up  all leaders, including governors, closely monitor the support and progress of these pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement is good because children start school with skills and abilities that are average and make good progress in the early years. They continue to make good progress and achieve outcomes that are above average by the end of Year 2 and Year 6.  School data, lesson observations and pupils’ work show they are on track to achieve improved results this year and that the emphasis that leaders have placed on pupils’ achievement since the last inspection has led to continued improvement.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar progress to their peers as do pupils from minority ethnic groups.  Children get a good start to school in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They make good progress in developing their social skills and the teaching of reading is effective.  The teaching of phonics and reading across the school is very effective and this enables the pupils to read confidently and fluently.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in mathematics is improving because the school has prioritised the development of pupils’ mental mathematics skills. Measures taken to improve these skills have led to improvements and pupils benefit from regular mental mathematics exercises. However this is still a priority for further development because a few pupils, especially in Year 6, have still not caught up enough to ensure they make good progress.  Writing has also been a focus for improvement across the school. Pupils have good opportunities to develop their writing skills across subjects such as history and geography. Pupils write well and evidence in books shows that writing has improved over the course of this year. The school is aware that this is still a priority and has appointed a new member of staff to lead further developments from the autumn term onwards.  In the 2012 tests, the attainment of Year 6 pupils who benefited from the pupil premium was

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The achievement of pupils is good

some 16 months behind other Year 6 pupils in mathematics and English. These pupils did less well than similar pupils nationally. Senior leaders are aware of this and have planned activities to ensure that this group makes better progress. Although they are starting to have an impact they have not yet led to all these pupils catching up with others in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most teaching is good and some teaching, particularly in phonics, is exemplary.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and positive relationships with pupils. This means that pupils are engaged and motivated in their learning. Pupils think that most lessons are fun and so have good attitudes to school. They especially enjoy learning when it is practical, such as in science, and feel this helps them to make good progress.  Most lessons are well planned. All groups, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are fully included and have equal access to the same learning and curriculum opportunities.  In the majority of lessons, teachers ensure learning progresses at a good pace and the teachers’ good questioning skills keep pupils on task and involved. Teachers focus well on developing pupils’ speaking and listening skills.  The teaching of reading is good. Extensive training and ongoing monitoring and evaluation have

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The quality of teaching is good

ensured that teachers and teaching assistants are skilled in teaching the school’s phonic programme and so pupils learn well and make good progress.  The school has focused on improving the teaching of mathematics, particularly pupils’ skills in mental mathematics. As a result the mathematics lessons seen were almost all effective and work in books shows that pupils are starting to make better progress.  There is a small amount of teaching that requires improvement because the pace of learning is too slow and some activities are not challenging enough for all pupils.  Teaching assistants often make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly in providing additional support for groups. In a few cases the teaching assistants are too passive and do not support learning effectively enough. This is particularly the case at the start of lessons.  Marking of pupils’ work is regular. It is now becoming more consistent and provides pupils with

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The quality of teaching is good

clear guidance on how to improve their work and reach their targets. However, the quality of marking and feedback is still not consistent enough to be very effective and there are too few occasions when pupils respond to marking by trying to improve by refining or adjusting their work as a result of the feedback they receive.  Children start school life in the Early Years Foundation Stage with a range of positive learning experiences. They enjoy a variety of engaging, stimulating play opportunities. Sessions led by adults are particularly effective. Children play together well, taking turns, sharing and working together as a team.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning and say they enjoy coming to school. They like the friendly and caring atmosphere where they feel safe and secure. Pupils are polite and friendly to each other and older pupils support the younger ones well.  Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school, such as at break and playtimes. The school’s records show that this is typical and pupils, staff and parents and carers all feel that behaviour is good.  In discussions, pupils say they are not aware of any bullying in school but would be confident to speak to adults if they had a problem. They have a good awareness that bullying can take different forms, including name calling, physical bullying, cyber-bullying and prejudiced-based bullying. They feel however that none of these are present in the school.  Pupils know how to keep themselves and others safe, for example when using computers to access the internet. Pupils from all backgrounds learn and play together well and show

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

consideration and care for each other. In lessons, they help each other out and respect and understand that different pupils may have different needs.  The breakfast and after-school clubs provide a good start and end to the day for those pupils who attend. This provision is managed well by the school.  Attendance at the school is average, when compared to national data. However the school is working hard to increase this figure.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has been in post for a short period of time but has gained the respect and confidence of staff, governors, pupils and parents and carers. She has started to make a strong impact on the ethos of the school.  Senior leaders regularly observe teachers’ work and make effective judgements about the quality of teaching and the progress pupils’ make. This information is used to set targets for teachers and to decide teachers’ pay and internal promotion within the school. The school has started to approach appraisal in an even more organised and effective way since the new headteacher took up post.  Self-evaluation is accurate and senior staff have supported others well to ensure that they have remained focused on improving the school further, even during a period where there was not a permanent headteacher in post. This has resulted in a strong staff team which has seen the quality of teaching improve with a clear focus on the achievement of pupils. Leaders have

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The leadership and management are good

demonstrated their capacity for further improvement because many of the issues identified in the last inspection have been addressed.  The range of subjects taught is well matched to the needs of the pupils, and there is a wide variety of extra activities available. In all classes, there is an appropriate focus on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well and contributes to the positive atmosphere within the school. Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and help to ensure that pupils feel safe in school.  The local authority has provided adequate support for the school by providing regular monitoring and review of the school’s improvements. It has also provided access to a range of professional development.  The governance of the school:  Governors know the school well and have a strong commitment to improving it further. They

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The leadership and management are good

have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and have focused their attention on the priorities identified in the last inspection report. Governors have a clear picture of the quality of teaching and how well pupils are achieving. The governing body knows what the school is doing to reward good teaching and how it tackles any underperformance. Some governors are regular visitors to the school. Governors do not yet have a clear understanding of how the pupil premium funding is spent and its impact on improving the attainment of these pupils. Governors attend training so they can fulfil their roles more effectively. They ensure that the school meets all statutory obligations, including those relating to safeguarding and the safe recruitment of staff.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 130962 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 406399

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 555 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Greenway Headteacher Maureen Thompson Date of previous school inspection 18–19 October 2010 Telephone number 01869 369021 Fax number 01869 369854 Email address office.2608@ocnmail.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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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School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

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School details

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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School details

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 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

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School details

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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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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