Longford Park Primary School

Longford Park Primary School Windmill Road, Coventry, CV6 7AT

p.1

Overall effectiveness

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

p.1

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

 Despite recent improvements, senior leaders and the governing body have not secured enough consistent gains in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement. Governors have not held senior leaders to account sufficiently for the school’s fluctuating performance.  Checks made by leaders and governors do not focus enough on the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress and achievement.  Pupils’ progress has not been consistently strong for their achievement to be good. Standards have fluctuated, but remain broadly average. Progress in writing lags behind the other subjects.  Teaching requires improvement. At times, teachers do not make it clear what precisely pupils should be learning. Their checks on pupils’ understanding in lessons do not always help pupils to do better, particularly some of the disadvantaged pupils.  The guidance given by teachers through their marking does not always lead to improvement in

p.1

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

pupils’ subsequent work.  Not enough attention is paid to helping pupils’ use their calculation skills in solving mathematical problems or to increasing fluency in their spoken language. In writing, pupils’ progress slows when they do not have enough opportunities to practise it widely.

p.1

The school has the following strengths

 Children achieve well in Nursery and Reception.  Consistently good teaching in Year 6 helps pupils to make faster progress. As a result, the current Year 6 pupils are on track to leave well prepared for their next school.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language are well catered for. As a result, most of them, including those who join the school with little or no knowledge of English, make good progress.  Pupils are keen to learn. They take pride in presenting their work. Behaviour is good.  The school keeps pupils safe at school.  Leaders have ensured that the school’s curriculum meets new national requirements. It is sufficiently broad and promotes mutual respect and tolerance of different faiths and cultures represented in the school.  Most parents are satisfied with what the school provides for their children.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 15 lessons or parts of lessons, including four lessons observed jointly with senior leaders. Four intervention sessions were also visited. Additionally, inspectors reviewed a small sample of previous and current written work to check the quality of teaching in the school.  Meetings were held with a randomly selected group of pupils and with senior and middle leaders. The inspectors met the Chair of the Governing Body, the vice-chair and another governor, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents, including the school’s records of current pupils’ progress, a summary of the school’s self-evaluation of its strengths and weaknesses, planning and monitoring documentation, records of behaviour and safeguarding procedures.  Inspectors took into account the school’s last survey of parents’ opinions and informal conversations with

p.2

Information about this inspection

a small number of parents during their visit to the Early Years Foundation Stage. The response to the online Parent View questionnaire was too small to consider.  Inspectors considered 12 questionnaires returned by staff.

p.2

Inspection team

Krishan Sharma, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

p.2

Inspection team

Joanne Sanchez-Thompson Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. There is part-time provision for children of Nursery age and full-time provision for Reception age children.  Just over four in ten pupils are White British, a smaller proportion than average. The remaining pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups, of whom those of Indian background are the largest group. A much higher than average proportion of pupils speaks English as an additional language, some joining the school with little or no knowledge of English.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the additional funding known as the pupil premium, at four in ten pupils, is above average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is above average and totals about a third of the pupils.  The school uses its local authority’s alternative provision (Woodfield School) for a very small number of

p.3

Information about this school

pupils.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in Year 6.  An above-average proportion of pupils joins and leaves the school at other than normal times during the school year.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching so that pupils make consistently good progress in all lessons and over time by making sure that teachers:  make it clear what they expect pupils to learn  check pupils progress closely, particularly that of the disadvantaged pupils who still have more catching up to do  mark pupils’ written work to show precisely what they have to do to do improve their work.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve pupils’ achievement in English and mathematics by giving them more opportunities to:  develop their spoken language so that they are able to express their ideas more fluently  to write more often and for an increasing range of purposes  use their growing strength in calculation skills in a wider range of tasks and apply these skills more widely.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen the effectiveness of leaders and managers at all levels, and that of the governing body, by:  making sharper checks on the impact of teaching on the progress different groups of pupils make in lessons and in their written work  ensuring that all teachers and teaching assistants teach phonics (the sounds that letters make) skills consistently and promote their use in improving fluency in reading and writing  governors effectively challenging senior leaders to improve teaching and achievement.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

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

p.3

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Since the previous inspection, leaders and governors have not been able to secure consistently good teaching and achievement. Despite some notable success, such as the strong showing by pupils who speak English as an additional language and for children who attend the Nursery and Reception classes, inconsistencies persist in both areas.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Checks made by leaders on teaching, during lessons and in their reviews of pupils’ written work, are not focused enough on the progress and achievement of different groups. This means that senior leaders and the governing body do not always have a complete view of the impact of teaching in order to eliminate its weaknesses.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The use of the pupil premium has not proven consistently effective because the eligible pupils still lag behind others in the school and other pupils nationally. Senior leaders and governors recognise that the school has more work to do. Narrowing the gap between these groups is now an urgent priority for them.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Subject and other leaders maintain a secure understanding of strengths and weakness in their areas of responsibility. They have identified accurately areas where staff do not always apply consistently the school’s agreed policies, such as, the teaching of phonics skills and their use in improving reading and writing. Their current plans include appropriate actions, including staff training to remedy the situation.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The school has been working with other schools before finalising its assessment arrangements for the new curriculum. Currently, regular assessment made by teachers and tests sorts out pupils who make the expected, less than or better than expected progress. This information is used effectively to identify vulnerable pupils who need extra help with their specific needs and ensures that they receive equal opportunities to succeed and are not discriminated against.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The taught subjects and activities cover a good range taking into account the new national curriculum requirements. It is suitably focused on developing pupils’ academic skills and promoting their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The curriculum is regularly enriched with a good range of extra activities. The school takes pride in promoting a set of beliefs, such as respect for cultural and religious diversity, thus preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Arrangements for managing teachers’ performance make clear links between decisions on any pay increases and the effectiveness of their performance in the classroom. Staff training takes into account teachers’ individual goals as well as whole-school priorities for improvement.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The use of the primary school PE and Sport Premium funding has increased pupils’ participation in a wider range of physical activities and heightened their awareness of the need to keep healthy and fit. External coaches work with teachers to strengthen their skills. Pupils enjoy participating in physical activities and try their skills out in competitions.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Parents are satisfied with their links with the school. They feel that the school keeps them well informed about their children’s performance at school and is open to any approach from them.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The local authority has maintained regular contacts with the school. The school is currently using the services of an independent consultant to strengthen its leadership and management. The impact of this continuing support is yet to be fully felt.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 Woodfield School, when used, provides effectively in support of pupils’ specific needs.

p.4

The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The governing body is adequately informed about the school’s performance data and the quality of teaching. Governors’ awareness of the school’s strengths is, however, much greater than their knowledge of the detail of its weaknesses. As a result, they have not been in a strong position to support and challenge the school for the inconsistencies in its performance, including the impact of the spending of the pupil premium.  Governors fully understand and support the idea of linking decisions on teachers pay to their effectiveness in the classroom in enabling pupils to make progress.  Governors ensure that safeguarding arrangements meet current requirements.

p.4

Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Parents, staff and pupils rightly believe that this is typically the case. The management of the challenging behaviour of a few pupils is increasingly effective.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils take pride in the presentation of their work. They take good care of the building and outdoor facilities. Litter is extremely rare.

p.5

Behaviour

 Relationships are good. Pupils from different backgrounds get on well with each other. This includes children in the early years. They are polite and courteous towards each other and adults in the school. Pupils make good progress in their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

p.5

Behaviour

 Attendance continues to improve due to the effective steps taken by senior leaders and fully supported by the governing body. It is now slightly above the national average. Punctuality is regularly checked and rewarded, and is good.

p.5

Behaviour

 Pupils are eager to learn and show commitment to their work. Only rarely do a few lose concentration when teaching fails to maintain their interest. Pupils are always willing to help each other and adults within classrooms and in the playground. They understand that the school rules are there to make the school a better place for them to come and to learn

p.5

Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. All the required checks on the suitability of staff, voluntary helpers and others who work in the school are diligently made. Potential risks, for example during trips and visits, are carefully assessed. Pupils also have an acute awareness of keeping themselves and others safe.

p.5

Safety

 Pupils understand the different forms that bullying can take, such as name calling and the misuse of the internet or that which is prejudice-based. Most parents and pupils agree that bullying is rare and is dealt with effectively if it does occur. School records confirm that view.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Not all teachers make it clear what precisely they expect pupils to achieve in a lesson. As a result, even though pupils have positive attitudes to learning, they do not always make the best possible progress. In general, the most able pupils are quick to make sense of the lesson and get on with their work at the rate expected of them.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Routine monitoring of pupils’ understanding and progress in lessons is not always rigorous. When this is the case, teachers are not able make an accurate view of pupils’ gains. This means, some pupils who have more to do to catch up with others, such as the disadvantaged pupils, do not get enough timely attention. As a result, they do not achieve as much as they could have.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 At its best, teachers’ marking is helpful in indicating clearly what pupils have done well and what specifically they need to do next to improve their work. This is not a consistent picture across the school, however.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is variable across the school and requires improvement. The teaching of phonics has some inconsistencies. Across the school, opportunities for pupils to write widely vary. The teaching of calculations is effective, but not enough attention is given to promoting their use in solving mathematical problems in a range of subjects.

p.5

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The teaching assistants and other adults, including speakers of other languages, such as Romanian, add considerably to the learning and progress of the pupils they work with. Additional support provided for pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those with Indian backgrounds, is effective and helps most of them to achieve well.

p.6

The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Typically, teachers expect, and gain, pupils’ commitment to their work and neat presentation. In a small number of lessons teaching is engaging and enables pupils to achieve their best. Adults in the early years are good at helping children to be independent.

p.6

requires improvement

 Achievement requires improvement because progress made by different groups of pupils and year groups over time varies too much for it to be considered good.

p.6

requires improvement

 Although pupils reach average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 2, their progress from the end of Key Stage 1 is not strong. From their starting points in Year 1, progress made by pupils by the end of Key Stage 1 is not consistently good, especially in writing. In 2014, this led to a dip in standards.

p.6

requires improvement

 In 2014, the Year 6 national results show that the attainment of disadvantaged pupils in reading, writing and mathematics was lower than that of others in the school and other pupils nationally. They were about two terms behind in reading, writing and mathematics. They made less progress than others in the school in reading and mathematics, but it was better than the others in writing. Across the school, an increasing number of disadvantaged pupils are beginning to catch up with others.

p.6

requires improvement

 Progress in writing is variable across the school and requires improvement. Most pupils can organise their ideas and can write sentences that make sense. Improving writing is a priority and the subject leader has already recognised the need to increase opportunities for writing for a wider range of purposes.

p.6

requires improvement

 Children’s spoken language skills get off to a good start in the early years. In the rest of the school, it is improving. Most pupils can talk with confidence but not always fluently. The provision of allowing pupils to talk with their ‘talk partners’ is not working to good effect, because time given is often too short for any meaningful discussion.

p.6

requires improvement

 Reading is improving but not in all aspects. Pupils are keen to read. Their enjoyment and pride is visible when they can make out unfamiliar words and understand the text they are reading. However, pupils’ phonic skills are variable and mirror the inconsistencies in teaching.

p.6

requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress in mathematics, particularly in making accurate calculations, is getting stronger across the school. Pupils enjoy calculating mentally. The use of their growing competence is, however, not tested as often as it should be in solving mathematical problems.

p.6

requires improvement

 At the end of Year 2 and Year 6, the proportion of the most able pupils achieving the higher levels of attainment has been below the national picture. However, current evidence shows improvement. For example, in 2014, the proportion of pupils gaining the highest National Curriculum Level 6 in mathematics was in line with the national average. Most of the most able pupils currently in the school are achieving what they are capable of.

p.6

requires improvement

 The progress made by disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is generally good. Most make the progress they should from their starting points towards their identified individual goals.

p.6

requires improvement

 Most pupils who speak English as an additional language, including those who join the school with little or no English, make rapid progress as their command of English grows. Those with Indian backgrounds achieve well.

p.6

The early years provision is good

 Children make a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage. They start Nursery with levels that are below those typical for their age, but their skills in early literacy and mathematics are further behind. Most children, from all ability groups and backgrounds, including those who speak English as an additional language or who have no English on entry, make good progress in all areas of learning. By the end Reception, they are ready for their entry into Year 1.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Adults plan an interesting set of activities covering all areas of children’s learning, including the use of outdoors. Children have numerous opportunities to work on their own and with others. Regular teaching of phonics and counting give children a good start with their reading and numeracy. However, their skills in teaching phonics vary. Adults are highly skilled in observing and assessing children, which they carefully record and use for planning the next steps in their learning.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 Children work in a safe and secure environment. They behave well. They enjoy warm relationships with their peers and adults. Children conduct themselves responsibly and take turns when working with others in a group.

p.7

The early years provision is good

 The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led and managed. Staff welcome parents’ contribution to their children’s learning. Parents feel consulted and well informed about their children’s progress.

p.7

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 failing

p.8

Grade Judgement Description

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.

p.8

School details

Unique reference number 103648 Local authority Coventry Inspection number 443896

p.9

School details

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

p.9

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 246 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Walford Headteacher Mandy Walker Date of previous school inspection 18 January 2011 Telephone number 024 76687688 Fax number 024 76581334 Email address headteacher@longfordpark.coventry.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 .

p.9

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.

p.10

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

p.10

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 and 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

p.10

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’.

p.10

School details

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

p.10