Langtons Junior Academy

Langtons Junior Academy Westland Avenue, Hornchurch, RM11 3SD Inspection dates 8–9 January 2015

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress in the school. Disabled pupils and those who are disadvantaged are well supported so gaps are narrowing between these groups and others.  Teaching is good and occasionally outstanding. Teachers promote positive relationships with pupils and pupils work well in lessons. Classrooms are bright and colourful and pupils’ work is displayed effectively to celebrate success.  Other adults make an effective contribution to pupils’ learning in lessons.  Pupils behave well around the school, at break and lunchtime and in their lessons. They are helpful to each other. Pupils who were spoken to told inspectors that they think that behaviour is good and that they feel safe in school.  The school has developed a culture of care and respect between pupils and staff. Pupils are supportive of each other and interested in each other’s views.  Pupils enjoy their learning as evidenced by their above average attendance rates. They enjoy the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

special days at the beginning of new topics which interest them in their learning.  Leaders, managers and governors have ensured that teaching and achievement have improved since the academy opened and that they are good.  The headteacher, well supported by her deputy headteacher, has set high standards and ensured that plans for improvement have accurate priorities and that these are effective.  Governors have a good knowledge of the school and provide effective support and challenge to leaders.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching and teachers do not always have high enough expectations for the most able pupils to make rapid progress.  Teachers do not always give pupils clear feedback about how to improve their work and make sure that pupils act on this.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed 15 lessons across all year groups. Two observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher and three with the executive principal.  The inspection team looked at pupils’ work in lessons and at the work pupils had completed over time in their books. Inspectors also attended two assemblies and listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with governors, the executive principal from the Trust, the headteacher, senior staff and teachers with responsibility for subjects or areas of the school.  Inspectors scrutinised the 30 responses to the online Parent View survey along with those from the school’s own survey. They also spoke with parents informally before school and considered correspondence from parents.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation including the school’s own review of how well it is doing and its plans for the future, records for how the school manages the performance of staff, information on

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Information about this inspection

how well pupils are doing, minutes of meetings of the governing body, and attendance, behaviour and safeguarding records.

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Information about this school

 Langtons Junior Academy converted to become an academy school in April 2013. When its predecessor school, Langtons Junior School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  It is sponsored by Reach2Essex Academy Trust.  This junior school is larger than the national average for primary schools.  Most pupils are White British with others from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds although there is no other significant group.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for pupil premium funding is below average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be entitled to free school meals or in the care of the local authority.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which give the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching further through teachers:  having higher expectations of the achievement of the most able pupils  consistently providing pupils with clear feedback about how to improve their work and ensuring that they act on this.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher and deputy headteacher promote high standards and a culture of sustained development within the school. This has been successful in improving teaching and pupils’ achievement. All staff who completed the questionnaires were positive about the leadership and management of the school.  The school’s own view of its work is accurate and robust. Senior leaders and other middle leaders with responsibility for subjects or other areas are aware of what the school does well and the steps needed for improvement. Subsequently, plans for improvement have accurate priorities with clear outcomes. For instance the school is aware through checks that the most able pupils are not consistently challenged to achieve even higher and plans are developed to address this.  Leaders in different areas of responsibility have been well supported to develop in their roles. They are actively involved in the monitoring of the school’s work. They have worked closely to develop the subjects

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The leadership and management are good

that pupils study and to improve the quality of teaching. They check carefully how well pupils are doing and monitor their progress regularly. As a result, the quality of teaching and the pupils’ achievement is improving rapidly.  Systems for the management of the performance of staff are strong and there are clear targets set for teachers linked to expectations of pupils achieving well. Staff taking on the leadership of subjects and new staff are supported effectively by more experienced colleagues.  The curriculum is broad and balanced while giving priority to the development of English and mathematics. Most subjects are taught through themes that are linked with a text and this is used to extend learning across different subject areas. This term these include Street Child, Macbeth, How to Train a Dragon and The Plot on the Pyramid. Pupils find the ‘hook’ days at the start of the topics interesting and

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The leadership and management are good

enjoyable.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is well promoted through assemblies and their topic work, for example pupils learn about ethical trade and their planet. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain from lessons where they learn about other people’s points of view and topics. For example, in ‘Crime and Punishment’ they learnt about the criminal justice system and civil responsibilities. The school fosters good relationships and ensures there is no discrimination.  The additional funding for sport is used well to broaden the range of activities on offer and to develop the skills of staff in delivering high quality lessons. The school buys into the local school sports partnership which gives pupils opportunities for inter-school sports competitions. Local secondary students do peer mentoring and coaching to develop pupils’ skills. Other activities have been introduced to broaden pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

experience of sports including a cheer leading coach working with Year 5 pupils which due to its success is now a Year 6 after-school club.  The school uses pupil premium funding effectively. Extra help in classes and small groups is given to disadvantaged pupils and this is monitored three times each half term to make sure it is making a difference. This group of pupils also receive help to support attendance at activities and trips to enrich their experience of school. The school effectively promotes equality of opportunity and provides appropriate support so that pupils who are disadvantaged and others who are not disadvantaged do not fall behind.  The academy trust provides extensive support and professional development opportunities for senior leaders and other staff within the school. The executive principal is the link between the academy trust and the school and provides effective support for school leaders. The local authority monitors the school’s

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The leadership and management are good

performance each year and the school uses its services to support governance with clerking and training.  Safeguarding meets current statutory requirements. Arrangements to keep pupils safe are robust.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effective in their role. They have a good knowledge of the published data on the school and of data on how well pupils in the school are doing. They take a clear responsibility for the safeguarding of the pupils. They challenge leaders appropriately to ensure improvements are made. They know how pupil premium funding is being spent and the difference that this is making. Governors carry out the performance management of the headteacher with the support of the executive principal and ensure challenging targets are set. These are based on priorities highlighted through the school’s rigorous review of its performance. Other staff have priorities based on these. Governors are aware of

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The leadership and management are good

where support is being provided to improve teaching and where underperformance is addressed. They ensure pay awards for teachers are linked clearly to pupils’ progress and attainment.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons, around the school, in corridors and in the playground. They behave particularly well in assembly and genuinely enjoy celebrating each other’s success, for instance in the ‘Time to Shine’ assembly where they hear about each other’s achievements. Parents are invited to celebrate with the pupils, receiving formal invitations, and the pupils’ names are recorded in the newsletter.  Pupils collaborate well with others in lessons and have an interest in each other’s views. They work well on their own and in groups and are happy to help each other with their work.  Pupils spoken to by inspectors were positive about pupils’ behaviour. Only a few pupils commented that some pupils could be silly occasionally. They were very positive about staff helping them if there was a problem. They knew about bullying and its different forms, including verbal and physical bullying, and did

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Behaviour

not think this was an issue in the school. There were a few concerns that sometimes pupils said unkind words but teachers swiftly sorted these out.  The behaviour log shows that there are few incidents over time and no recent exclusions. Incidents that do happen are thoroughly logged and mediation is carried out to resolve the problem. All staff who responded to the questionnaire said that pupils are well behaved in the school.  Pupils are respectful of their school and do not drop litter. They take pride in their school environment. Pupils’ successes are celebrated in displays on the walls. These are respected and looked after by the pupils.

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Safety

 The school’s procedures to keep pupils safe and secure are good. Pupils that inspectors spoke to said that they feel safe in the school. They are taught how to keep safe when, for example, crossing roads and from understanding how to access help from a national telephone service that provides advice to young people. They also know about keeping their personal information secure when using the internet.  Pupils are very positive about being able to go to adults if they have any concerns and that they will help them. All parents responding to the online survey said that their child was safe and happy in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good across a range of subjects including in reading, writing and mathematics. This supports pupils’ good progress. Pupils are engaged in learning and concentrate well. Transitions between activities are smooth so little time is lost when changing between activities in lessons or between different lessons.  Teachers ensure reading is taught well and books are at appropriate levels. Appropriate fiction books provide the focus of work, in topics, across subjects and this helps pupils to understand the text in more detail. Pupils have regular opportunities to develop their writing in English lessons and in other subjects. Mathematics skills are developed well across the school and pupils are given good opportunities to apply these skills in other subjects.  Teachers have created environments in their classrooms which are bright and colourful and support learning. Pupils’ work is displayed, which the pupils understand celebrates and values their work and adds

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The quality of teaching is good

to their motivation. Staff have developed classroom environments where relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves are strong. Teachers and other staff use appropriate questions and discussion to check on pupils’ learning and to adapt their teaching if necessary. Pupils help each other in lessons and value each other’s views and opinions, while listening attentively to each other.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported in classes so that they understand the work and can do well. The school also provides extra sessions to help these pupils catch up or to focus on a particular aspect of work which the pupils may find difficult. These are very effective at helping pupils to make faster progress and catch up with others.  Marking is carried out regularly and there are examples of teachers giving pupils written guidance on the next steps to improve their work. However, feedback about how pupils improve their work is not

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The quality of teaching is good

consistent across the school and teachers do not always make sure pupils act on advice given.  There are examples where teaching challenges all groups of pupils to achieve exceedingly well. However, although teaching ensures pupils make good progress, teachers do not generally have high enough expectations for the most able pupils to make the best progress of which they are capable.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress across the school. School data show that from their starting points on entry to the academy, progress for these pupils during their time in the academy has been rapid.  Reading and writing have improved and are now well developed with reading books which are linked to each topic. These help to motivate pupils in their reading and support learning in other subject areas. Mathematics skills are developed well and the school ensures pupils are able to develop their mathematics skills by using these skills to solve problems in other subjects.  The most able pupils are well supported across the school and make good progress. A higher than average proportion of pupils achieved the highest Level 6 in the national tests in 2014 in mathematics and in writing. However, expectations are not always high enough for these pupils to make even more rapid progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are well supported in classes so they are

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is good

able to contribute fully and make good progress in their learning. Some pupils also receive additional support in small groups and this is regularly monitored to ensure that it is appropriate and making a difference.  Pupil premium funding is well used to support disadvantaged pupils with extra help in classes or small groups. It is also used to support these pupils with other activities to enrich their time in school, for example in subsidising school trips. In the national tests in 2014 these pupils were approximately one year behind other pupils in the school in mathematics and writing and 10 months behind others in reading. In comparison to disadvantaged pupils nationally they were approximately two months ahead in mathematics, four months ahead in writing and similar in reading. Progress for most of these pupils is good across the school and this is helping them to catch up with others.

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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 failing

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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.

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School details

Unique reference number 139406 Local authority Havering Inspection number 449816

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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 Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 356 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Norman Headteacher Elaine Brook Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01708 442013 Fax number 01708 457053 Email address office@langtons-jun.havering.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 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

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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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