Longmoor Primary School

Longmoor Primary School Newstead Road, Long Eaton, Nottingham, NG10 4JG

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Attainment at Key Stage 2 has not improved since the last inspection. It was average in 2013, as it was in 2012. The proportion of pupils who attained the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics was below average.  Year 6 pupils eligible for extra government funding underachieved in reading and writing in 2013.  Weaknesses in the teaching of writing hold back the development of pupils’ skills.  Teachers sometimes do not expect enough of more-able pupils.  Teachers often do not use marking or pupils’ targets well enough to help them to improve their work.  Some leadership roles are not fully developed. In particular, support programmes for pupils eligible for extra government funding have not yet been sharply reviewed to check their impact and to plan further improvements for these pupils.

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The school has the following strengths

 The headteacher, supported effectively by governors, leads the school well.  Leaders have made good new appointments and these teachers are helping to improve pupils’ rates of progress.  Pupils’ behaviour and their attitudes to learning are good. They have improved since the previous inspection. The school ensures that pupils are kept safe.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 19 lessons taught by 14 teachers. Two of these lessons were observed together with the headteacher or deputy headteacher.  Samples of pupils’ work in writing and mathematics were analysed. An inspector listened to a sample of Year 2 pupils reading.  Meetings were held with school staff, a group of pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 34 questionnaires completed by staff and the 31 responses by parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspection team also took into account the results of the school’s own recent surveys of parents’ and pupils’ views. Inspectors spoke informally to parents in the playground, after an assembly and during a lesson which parents attended.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the work in pupils’ books; monitoring records; consultants’ reports; the school improvement plan; the school’s own data on pupils’

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Information about this inspection

attainment and progress; and policies, procedures and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

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Inspection team

Derek Aitken, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Fiona Parr Additional Inspector Yvonne Watts Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most primary schools.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. Very few pupils are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is extra government funding for certain groups such as those known to be eligible for free school meals, is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average.  There have been significant changes in staffing at all levels in the last two years. A new deputy headteacher took up post in September 2013.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make teaching consistently good or better by ensuring that all teachers:  have high expectations for more-able pupils and consistently provide them with suitably challenging work  make better use of marking and pupils’ targets to accelerate pupils’ learning and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement in writing by ensuring that all teachers:  provide pupils with tasks of sufficient depth to enable them to develop their skills as far as they can  make good use of opportunities in other subjects to enable pupils to enlarge their vocabulary and to improve their command of a wide range of sentence constructions.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that support programmes for pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding are refined to ensure these pupils’ consistently good progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of the school’s use of the pupil premium should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Year 6 in 2013 was average, as it was in 2012. Rates of progress have slipped since the last inspection.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Although the proportion of Year 6 pupils who made expected progress in reading and mathematics in 2013 compared favourably with national averages, the proportion exceeding the expected progress was below average in these subjects and in writing.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 As a consequence, although standards in reading and mathematics in Key Stage 2 improved in 2013 at the nationally expected Level 4, standards at the higher Level 5 in these subjects, and in writing, were below average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Year 6 pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding in 2013, were, on average, two terms behind their classmates in reading and mathematics, but they were more than four terms behind in writing. Recent changes to support programmes have helped to reduce or close the gap in achievement for eligible pupils in Years 3 and 6. Across the school, these pupils are making similar progress to that of their classmates, but gaps in attainment in other year groups remain.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Children join the Nursery with levels of skills and aptitudes which are below those typically expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in Reception, and their attainment at the start of Year 1 is broadly average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Attainment at the end of Year 2 is average in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Early reading skills are taught well. Results in the Year 1 screening test for phonics (the sounds that letters make) improved considerably last year and matched the national average. Year 2 pupils read competently and use their skills properly to work out new or ‘difficult’ words.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 In mathematics, pupils build the secure knowledge of number sequences learned in Reception. Year 2 pupils solve word problems, exploring their understanding of lengths and weights correctly.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Effective teaching in short, carefully planned intervention programmes has helped most disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs to make similar progress to that of their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 The current picture in Key Stage 2 is now brighter. Variations in rates of progress between and within year groups have been largely eliminated. Recent improvements in teaching, coupled with pupils’ more positive attitudes to learning, are raising standards. In mathematics, for example, pupils recall tables accurately and their knowledge of different methods for multiplying large numbers encourages them to persevere if they encounter difficulties in their calculations. However, overall attainment in Year 6 remains average.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils are using the increased range of sports clubs to improve their levels of physical fitness. This was demonstrated in physical education lessons where pupils expertly carried out a series of fast-paced manoeuvres. These tested their agility and ability to respond quickly to instructions.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Since the last inspection and before, staffing discontinuity has affected the achievement of pupils, especially in upper Key Stage 2. As a consequence, some teachers’ planning is focused on plugging gaps in pupils’ basic skills or on correcting pupils’ misunderstandings rather than in extending their learning. In particular, more-able pupils are often not given tasks with sufficient scope or challenge to develop their reasoning skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers do not have consistently high expectations of pupils’ work, especially for the more able. For example, writing tasks in English and other subjects such as history often lack depth. This misses the opportunity for pupils to enrich their vocabulary and to use a wide variety of sentence constructions in their written accounts.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 While teachers regularly mark work to correct pupils’ mistakes, they do not usually provide useful comments and advice to prompt them to vary their ideas or to think hard about their writing. The targets set for pupils are often not precise enough or matched closely enough to their different abilities to help them to improve their work.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The inconsistent progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs results from the variability in quality of support, including how well teaching assistants are used in lessons to support their learning.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Since September 2013, changes to the teaching staff have helped to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ rates of progress. Outstanding teaching was seen, including in a Year 6 mathematics lesson, where the teacher quickly revised pupils’ recall of place value and skilfully helped them to apply their knowledge accurately to measures and conversions in a series of word problems.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers in Nursery and Reception make good use of assessment to develop children’s learning and provide a broad range of fun activities to help them consolidate their skills.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teachers question older pupils effectively to check their understanding. Their carefully timed mix of activities and suitably broad range of methods ensure that nearly all pupils concentrate well and participate fully in lessons, even when not directly supervised by staff.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Children settle well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They respond promptly to staff’s firm expectations and well-chosen techniques for ensuring their cooperation, good manners and close attention. They are encouraged to ‘have a go’ and most do so, and concentrate well on their activities even when staff are working with other groups.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils in all classes have positive attitudes to learning. Their work is usually well organised and neatly presented. On a very few occasions, this can vary between lessons if the topic or the teacher’s methods do not capture their interest or ensure that they work hard.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Relationships in and out of lessons are respectful and supportive. Since the previous inspection, teachers’ improved use of questioning and the use of ‘steps to success’ have provided pupils with better opportunities to take a more constructive part in lessons. Nearly all pupils respond quickly to the teachers’ questions, participate keenly in talking with their ‘paired-partner’ and listen carefully to each other’s answers.  Pupils behave sensibly in the corridors and in the dining hall. They are friendly to each other, trust the adults who look after them and are welcoming to visitors. They make good use of the playground area. Notably, their ball control skills are good enough to ensure that pupils who prefer to be less active can enjoy an undisturbed break-time with their friends!

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Exclusions are rare and pupils’ enjoyment of school life is shown by their attendance, which has risen this year. Pupils told inspectors how achieving a 100% attendance target and good behaviour had earned them a great trip to East Midlands airport.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. This is fully endorsed by parents and is shown in the school’s close liaison with other agencies to support pupils, including new arrivals, some of whom have had difficulty managing their behaviour in their previous schools. Staff keep careful logs of any minor incidents and accidents that occur, and ensure that these are quickly followed up.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils who have difficulty socialising with others are supported well through ‘playground pals’ and the school’s popular ‘behaviour club’ which provides them an interesting mix of drawing, construction and other activities to enjoy at lunchtimes within a welcoming environment.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils report no concerns about bullying and state that all pupils know the school rules and the clear consequences of breaking them, as well as the school’s expectations for the completion of homework.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils contribute well to assemblies and feel they have a voice in school affairs through the active school council. Some councillors visited London recently and interviewed an MP to find out more about the workings of the Houses of Parliament.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Substantial changes in the teaching staff, subject leaders and other staff with posts of additional responsibility have, until recently, reduced the capacity of senior leaders to tackle variations in pupils’ achievement and to raise the quality of teaching.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Wise decisions have been taken in the last six months to strengthen oversight of the progress of particular groups of pupils, including those eligible for the pupil premium. However, the impact of support programmes for these pupils has not yet been sharply assessed to decide what further improvements need to be made.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior and subject leaders have very accurate views of the school’s overall effectiveness. They have detailed, sharp plans for improving the school progressively as staff settle into their new responsibilities.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The headteacher, ably supported by the new deputy headteacher, leads the school well. Well- organised procedures provide clear guidance for staff. Robust action has been taken to tackle underperformance and good new appointments have been made to strengthen staffing and to raise expectations for pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils’ behaviour, attitudes to learning and attendance have all improved. Thoughtful steps have been taken to increase parents’ involvement in their children’s learning.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Senior leaders have demonstrated their capacity for securing improvement; for example, by training staff well and adapting the curriculum to improve pupils’ reading skills in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is fostered well in the curriculum and the wider life of the school. This was demonstrated, for example, by Year 3 pupils’ clear knowledge of Chinese customs and traditions associated with the Chinese New Year in their well-prepared assembly. Pupils engage in a wide range of fundraising activities for charities, including ‘Footprints’ orphanage in Kenya. They welcome visitors from different faiths into their school to lead assemblies and to take part in lessons.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has worked effectively with school leaders to check that their judgements on the quality of teaching and learning are accurate, that priorities for further action are very clear, and that the school knows how to go about achieving them.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The first instalment of the recent national sports funding for primary schools has been spent suitably; for example, for the training of staff by specialist sports coaches and for extending the range of competitions and clubs available to pupils. Pupils have been chosen as ‘young ambassadors’ to help influence the further development of sport in school, and sports mentors have been appointed to guide activities at lunchtimes.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  Governors’ effectiveness has improved steadily over the last few years. They have rearranged committees to help them review the school’s work more closely. They have taken sensible decisions recently over pupil premium funding, appointing a senior teacher to oversee this aspect of the school’s work and giving more time for the coordinator for special educational needs to monitor provision in this area.  Key governors who work in school and who have close links with staff and parents provide other members of the governing body with detailed, first-hand knowledge of daily life in school. They know how well actions taken are working and what aspects of pupils’ skills require further improvement.  Governors keep targets for the headteacher’s performance under regular review and make sure that suitable procedures are followed when decisions are taken about staff pay rises and

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The leadership and management requires improvement

promotion.  Governors make sure that the school’s systems for safeguarding are secure; for example through their annual audits and action plans. As a result, safeguarding arrangements meet current national requirements.

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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 112585 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 430692

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 328 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Linda Fitch Headteacher Joanne Menzies Date of previous school inspection 9 July 2012 Telephone number 0115 973 3368 Fax number 0115 946 1806 Email address info@longmoor.derbyshire.sch.uk 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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