Longsight Community Primary

Longsight Community Primary Farrer Road, Longsight, Manchester, M13 0QX

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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 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 There is a strong collective vision to provide a community school which is truly inclusive and meets the needs of all those who attend.  Communication with parents is a strength of the school. Any potential barriers have been swept aside by the combined efforts of all those linked to the school, who represent a diverse range of cultural backgrounds.  From low starting points, pupils make good progress overall. Some pupils make excellent progress. Children with very little English language are well supported and catch up with their peers quickly.  Standards across the school are improving rapidly. The majority of pupils are on track to meet the level expected for their age by the end of their key stage.  Teaching is strong. Pupils enjoy learning because of the enthusiasm, energy and teamwork of all adults in the school.  The school is led well by a Principal who is unrelenting in her drive to reach the point where all

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils achieve their full potential. She has put British values of care, tolerance and respect at the core of the school.  Pupils’ progress is tracked and evaluated frequently. Leaders act quickly, where necessary, so that additional support is effective in boosting learning.  Pupils behave well throughout the school day. Their enthusiasm to learn contributes strongly to their good progress and also to the good development of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness.  Systems put in place to keep children safe are effective. Parents feel their children are safe, make good progress and, above all, are happy.  Children in the early years progress well because teaching is this area is also strong. Children in the Reception class quickly gain in confidence as learners because they are cared for well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all teaching is as good as the very best in the school. Consequently, pupils do not always make the rapid progress which is required for them to reach the highest standards.  Teachers’ feedback in pupils’ work books is not always effective. Pupils are not always encouraged, nor given the opportunity, to respond to teachers’ comments and improve their work.  On occasions, learning activities do not challenge some groups of pupils, such as the most able and those in need of extra support.  Leaders’ evaluations are not yet sharp enough to pinpoint exactly the impact of all their actions on pupils’ outcomes. Consequently, opportunities to improve practice and, therefore, accelerate progress even further, are sometimes missed.  A few of the required information reports are not published on the school’s website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed a selection of lessons across the school, one of them jointly with the Principal. In addition, he listened to several pupils reading.  During visits to classrooms, the inspector looked at pupils’ work. He also scrutinised samples of pupils’ written work along with a selection of pupils’ learning journals.  The inspector observed behaviour around the school, including that of pupils at playtime, in the dining room, during the breakfast club and as they arrived and left school.  The inspector held meetings with several groups of pupils and also spoke to pupils informally at playtime, lunchtime and during lessons. Meetings were held with the Principal and the assistant Principal, other leaders, teachers, a small group of parents and the Chair of the Governing Body, along with the Chief Executive Officer of Big Life Group.  The inspector spoke with several parents during a ‘stay and play’ session held in the Reception class.

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Information about this inspection

 A wide range of the school’s documentation was examined, including: self-evaluation by leaders; the school’s development plan; information about pupils’ attendance; documents used to record behaviour incidents and safeguarding concerns; data relating to pupils’ progress; records of leaders’ monitoring of teaching and learning and of performance management; and minutes of meetings of the governing body.  The inspector took account of 54 responses to the school’s parental satisfaction survey, along with 10 questionnaires completed by staff during the inspection. There were insufficient responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, for these to be considered.

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Inspection team

Drew Crawshaw, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 Longsight Community Primary School opened as a free school in September 2013. The school was set up by the Big Life group of social businesses and charities which work together to provide people with opportunities to change their lives. The school is situated in the heart of Longsight and co-located with Longsight Children’s Centre.  The school is for children aged four to 11. It is currently smaller than other primary schools. At the time of the inspection there were 119 pupils on roll in four classes: Reception class and Years 1 to 3.  The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by pupil premium funding is high. Pupil premium is additional government funding to provide support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for those looked after by the local authority.  There are high proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and whose first language is not

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Information about this school

English.  There is a higher-than-average proportion of pupils who join or leave the school throughout the school year. Since the school first opened, well over half of all admissions have been international new arrivals to this country.  There are more boys than girls on roll.  The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is lower than average.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the impact of teaching on pupils’ achievement, so that the progress pupils make is outstanding by:  ensuring teachers use their frequent assessment of learning to plan activities which motivate and stretch pupils at every opportunity  ensuring pupils deepen their subject knowledge by giving them the opportunity to respond to teachers’ comments on how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management of the school by:  ensuring leaders evaluate their actions in terms of their impact on pupils’ outcomes, in order to pin- point precisely where further improvements need to be made  ensuring the school’s leaders adhere to the latest guidance as to what schools should publish on their websites.

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The leadership and management are good

 The Principal’s vision to provide a school for the community, which is truly inclusive and meets the needs of all pupils, shines through. Leaders have set high expectations from the school’s inception. The Principal makes no compromises in her drive to ensure that all pupils receive high quality education. By involving parents from the outset in the life of the school, leaders have laid the foundation stones on which to build high quality provision to serve the specific needs of the Longsight community.  Under the Principal’s guidance, leaders at all levels, including middle leaders, are growing in their effectiveness. As a result, the rate at which pupils make progress is increasing rapidly across the school. Furthermore, the standards reached by pupils are also rising. The school’s own data show that the proportion of pupils who reach the levels expected for their age is increasing.  Leaders’ self-evaluation of the school’s performance is accurate and realistic. The school development plan

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The leadership and management are good

maps clearly the areas for improvement and the actions to tackle them. In a few instances, leaders have not been precise enough in identifying what impact their actions are intended to have on pupils’ outcomes. Consequently, their evaluations are not always sharp enough, so previous good work is occasionally not enhanced. For example, pupils across the school have been encouraged to read frequently either in school or at home. However, the success of this initiative has not been built on because leaders have not ensured that pupils are immersed in a wide variety of texts throughout the school.  The leadership of teaching is good. Leaders have taken swift action to eradicate weak teaching. Training for teachers, including through strong links with other local schools, has contributed effectively to improvements in teaching and, in turn, the raising of standards across the school. Leaders’ records of

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The leadership and management are good

lesson observations indicate a lack of precision in the quality of feedback provided to teachers. For example, leaders do not always focus in sufficient depth on the impact that teaching has on pupils’ learning when they report to teachers following observations of their lessons. Consequently, not enough teaching is of a high enough quality to result in pupils’ outstanding progress overall.  The curriculum is well balanced and provides an appropriate variety of subjects, often through a topic- based approach. The emphasis on the core skills of literacy, numeracy and communication is appropriate. Pupil premium funds are used well to provide support where it is needed most. Specific interventions, such as the employment of a reading specialist along with a learning mentor are effective in ensuring pupils, often with little or no English language, are quickly able to benefit from all of their lessons. Consequently,

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The leadership and management are good

the school’s efforts to ensure every pupil has an equal opportunity to succeed are effective.  Primary sports funding is used effectively to ensure each pupil enjoys a rich variety of sporting opportunities. For example, pupils were observed taking part in cricket, football, skipping, netball and a vast range of other activities organised by sports coaches and lunchtime supervisors. Pupils enjoy their learning from the time they arrive at school to the time they leave. In responding to the questionnaire, one parent wrote: ‘My son loves school and is so excited to come every day’.  Parents are kept well informed about every aspect of their child’s life at school. Parents who spoke to the inspector feel that communication between the school and home is a real strength. They could not emphasise enough the value they placed on the accessibility of leaders and staff every day, along with staff’s willingness to offer support to families in need.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has established a robust system of performance management. All teachers have been set targets that relate closely to the key priorities of the school action plan. The school’s records show that teachers’ pay and progression is linked well to their success in ensuring pupils make swift progress.  Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Leaders lead by example in promoting the fundamental British values of tolerance and acceptance. Pupils are encouraged to make choices in their learning and have experienced democracy in action when voting for representatives on the school council. During an assembly visited by the inspector, pupils from all year groups were observed discussing honesty and inspiration, along with what it means to value the differences between people. The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is central to the school’s ethos.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils meet statutory requirements. Staff and governors receive suitable safeguarding training and robust systems are in place to record and report any safeguarding concerns.  The governance of the school:  Governance is strong. Governors know the school well because they visit it frequently. For example, one governor volunteers every Friday morning to support the teaching of mathematics in the school. Other governors have taken part in lesson observations and in the scrutinising of pupils’ work. Governors frequently meet pupils and also consider the views of parents routinely. As a result, they are well placed to verify for themselves the school’s performance data.  Governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching and are able to pinpoint the school’s strengths and weakness. They use their knowledge of the school well to ensure that promotions and

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The leadership and management are good

pay awards link closely to teachers’ success and they set appropriate performance targets for the Principal.  Governors have used their collective strengths, along with their experience in other schools and links with the Big Life group, to guide the school through its early stages of development successfully. Their expert financial understanding has ensured the school’s budget has been spent wisely and in the best interests of the pupils. Records of governing body meetings show that their focus is shifting steadily from the strategic demands of building a new school to holding leaders to account about pupils’ progress.  The governors have not yet ensured that the school’s website is fully compliant. A small number of reports are not available on the school’s website. These include the school’s evaluation of the impact of government funding for disadvantaged pupils (pupil premium), and the special educational needs

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school’s records show that pupils’ attendance has improved this year and is now in line with that of similar schools.  Pupils arrive each morning eager to learn. Their attitudes to learning are excellent and contribute to the good progress they make from the outset.  The school’s approach to behaviour management centres around rewarding positive behaviour. This is particularly effective with the high proportion of vulnerable pupils, such as those who have not experienced formal education or who have little or no English language. The school’s own records show that serious incidents, including those of bullying of any type, are very rare. Any unacceptable behaviour is dealt with quickly, appropriately and sensitively by well-trained adults. Consequently, very little learning time is lost because of poor behaviour during lessons.  Cooperation, tolerance and respect are values that permeate the school. This positive attitude can be seen

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Behaviour

frequently at playtime and lunchtime. Pupils of all ages play and get on well together. They participate enthusiastically in games and activities organised by adults and by themselves. Pupils with high levels of skill were observed being patient with pupils who were less skilful than themselves. For example in a ball game, one girl continued to encourage her partner, even though she was taking longer than expected with her goal shooting.  The parents who spoke to the inspector and who responded to the school’s own survey feel that behaviour in school is good. All of the parents spoken to said that they had seen their children grow in confidence since joining the school. One parent said that this is ‘because every child is made to feel that they are the most important’. In discussions, for example at lunchtime, pupils were eager to talk about what makes the school good. These children spoke with enthusiasm but waited their turn showing

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Behaviour

courtesy and respect both to the inspector and to one another.  On a very few occasions, pupils’ work rate drops below the high standards expected of them. This is because they become bored if the work set for them is not sufficiently well matched to their specific needs.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Systems to check the suitability of all adults who work at the school are robust. A range of well-thought- out school policies are up to date and made available on the school’s web-site. These include for example, policies for first aid, health and safety, prevention of bullying, safeguarding and child protection and safer recruitment. The school’s records show that all staff and governors have received an appropriate range of training in the safeguarding of children.  Leaders give appropriate consideration to the age and level of understanding of the pupils currently attending the school, when planning activities designed to help pupils keep themselves safe. For example, training has been given to parents in how to keep their children safe at home. This training included the safe use of the internet by children. Assemblies are used frequently to discuss the values of trust and

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Safety

honesty. Adults were observed encouraging pupils to talk openly about their concerns and feelings.  Pupils, along with their parents, feel they are safe in school. The willingness of all adults in school to listen to and take action on parents concerns, contributes significantly to the well-being of pupils beyond the school gates. The school’s links with the Big Life group enables leaders to give informed advice and support to children and families in need.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy their learning because of the passion, energy and seamless teamwork of leaders, teachers and teaching assistants. Adults build excellent relationships with all pupils. Teachers and teaching assistants know all the pupils extremely well and motivate them to do their best in lessons. They have high expectations and pupils respond enthusiastically.  Pupils make good progress because of teachers’ good use of assessment which they utilise to set tasks and activities which meet the specific needs of pupils well. Teachers and other adults show no hesitation in modifying their plans if a pupil or group of pupils is not progressing rapidly enough. For example, in the Reception class, a child-led learning activity was concluded early so that the time could be spent more productively on an adult-led activity. On this occasion, adults’ swift action resulted in these children bolstering their reading skills by matching letters and sounds.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make effective use of pupils’ infectious enthusiasm to bring the classroom to life. Pupils respond quickly to their teacher’s instructions and, on the whole, work productively as individuals, in pairs and in groups. They ask each other questions and support one another by sharing ideas; this ensures that they are engaged in their learning and make good progress in the lesson.  Leaders and teachers promote mastery of the core skills of reading, writing and mathematics as the key to preparing pupils for their next steps in education. Additional support given to a good proportion of pupils, for example in reading booster classes, contributes well to the good progress made in literacy and numeracy skills overall. On a few occasions, however, teachers miss opportunities either to test or reinforce a pupil’s learning and, therefore, move them on to the highest standards. Teachers follow the

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The quality of teaching is good

school’s marking policy closely. However, pupils do not systematically improve their work by completing corrections or answering additional challenging questions set by the teacher.  Strong communication, between school and parents, is used effectively to ensure pupils’ transition into school, and from one year group to the next, is managed well by teachers. Robust links between school and home are used effectively by teachers to gather information about each child’s learning before he or she starts at the school. In turn, teachers use this information well to plan lessons which meet pupils’ needs from day one.  Teachers in the Reception class and Key Stages 1 and 2 frequently share information about pupils’ learning and also spend time getting to know their next class early in the school year. This ensures that no time is wasted at the start of the year because pupils settle quickly in their new class. Consequently, the

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When pupils enter the school, their prior attainment is low overall. In many instances, children begin school with little or no English language. Some pupils have only recently arrived in this country and some have never experienced formal education. From their various starting points, pupils across the school, including the most able, the disadvantaged, those with special educational needs, those from minority ethnic groups, or with a first language that is not English, make good progress overall.  The school’s own data show that the proportion of pupils progressing at the rate expected for their age is improving rapidly. For example, pupils in Year 2 are on track to make progress that is as good as that of their peers in other schools. The proportion of Year 2 pupils making better –than-expected progress for their age is high compared to their peers.  As a result of their good progress, most children in the Reception class are on track to reach the good

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The achievement of pupils is good

level of development expected for their age by the end of the academic year. This represents a significant improvement on achievement last year.  Standards across the school remain below average. However, the attainment of pupils in Years 1 to 3 is improving rapidly overall. The school’s own data show that the majority of pupils in Years 1 to 3 are on track to achieve the levels expected for their age by the end of the academic year in reading, writing and mathematics. This is a marked improvement on the previous year.  Leaders promote equal opportunities well. Overall, disadvantaged pupils progress and reach standards in line with their peers in school. Leaders’ analysis of whole-school data show that there are no discernible gaps, in terms of the achievement of pupils overall, between different groups in the school.  Pupils identified as the most able, although few in number, make strong progress and reach levels at least

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The achievement of pupils is good

in line with their peers in other schools. Likewise, pupils identified as requiring additional in-school support, improve their literacy and numeracy skills rapidly. As a result, pupils with special educational needs progress at the same rate as all other pupils at the school.  Evidence of pupils’ work, in their books and on display around the school, shows that pupils are also making good progress in a broad range of subjects, including religious education and humanities. In science, pupils in Year 2 have learnt about the life cycle of insects, such as a butterfly. In physical education, which is supported well through the use of the primary sports funding, specialist sports coaching is leading to the development of some talented athletes and sports people. One Year 1 boy was observed using a cricket bat skilfully to direct a cricket ball into the space between other pupils.  All of the parents who met the inspector, or responded to the school’s survey, feel that their child is

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The achievement of pupils is good

 From their various starting points, many of which are extremely low, children make rapid progress and achieve well throughout the year. They make a strong start in the Reception class because their self- confidence is bolstered quickly through the strong teamwork between the teacher, teaching assistants and parents.  The early years staff engage very well with parents. Each day parents take part in a short ‘stay and play’ session. From the moment they walk through the door, children are engaged in their learning. Parents support their children in a well-prepared activity which sets the tone for the rest of the day. The children settle well and, because they enjoy their learning, not a minute is wasted.  Children are safe and cared for well. The enclosed outdoor classroom is protected well from the elements so learning outdoors takes place irrespective of the weather. Photographs in children’s learning journeys

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The achievement of pupils is good

tell the story of how they were able to explore the different states of water when they collected hailstones following a sudden downpour. This is an example of the good leadership of the early years because no stone is left unturned in the pursuit of additional learning experiences for these children.  Behaviour is good. Children play and work well together. They respond to adults’ requests quickly and move from one activity to another with the minimum of fuss. For example, children playing together while role-playing the story of a dragon and princess quickly gathered their equipment and joined others in their class in an impromptu whole-group reading activity. Good behaviour in this instance contributed well to the children’s’ progress.  Teachers and other adults use their assessment of each child’s level of understanding effectively to determine precisely how well they are doing and where gaps in learning need to be plugged. In one

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The achievement of pupils is good

Reception class lesson, four children were applying their understanding of money to buy and sell items in a pet shop, while another group of children concentrated on honing their skills of estimating quantities. However, opportunities for children to write are sometimes not sufficiently overt. Consequently, some children do not benefit from practising their writing skills in a broad range of contexts.  Children in the Reception class are prepared well for their transition into Year 1. The Reception class teacher ensures that children in her class are given the opportunity to experience more formal methods of teaching with an increasing frequency as they progress through the year. The sharing of assessment information between the Reception class teacher and the Year 1 teacher ensures most pupils continue to make rapid progress as they move through the school.

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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 139790 Local authority Manchester Inspection number 450074

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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 free school Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 119 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Karina Carter Principal Rukhsana Ahmed Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0161 241 0530 Email address info@longsightcp.com 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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