Longwood Primary School

Longwood Primary School Alton Avenue, Mile Oak, Tamworth, Staffordshire B78 3NH

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, together with governors and other leaders in school, has established a clear and ambitious vision of excellence in all areas of school life. As a result, pupils thrive in Longwood Primary School.  Pupils make good progress across the school in reading, writing and mathematics due to teaching that is now consistently good. By the time they leave in Year 6, they are well prepared for their next stage of education.  Pupils are well-behaved, polite and get on well with each other. They have a very good understanding of British values of tolerance and respect and demonstrate this through the consideration they show for each other.  Pupils feel extremely safe in school. This is a result of the robust measures that school leaders have put in place to ensure pupils’ safety and well- being and to support their emotional well-being.  Children settle quickly and happily when they first start at school. This is due to strong and effective

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This is a good school

leadership of the early years and teaching that is well-matched to children’s needs. As a result, they make good progress across all areas of learning.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is highly effective. As a result, pupils make good progress in reading and develop a love of books that is sustained across the school.  Disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as their classmates. This is due to the high expectations that teachers have of these pupils and the carefully planned support that matches each individual pupil’s needs.  Parents are now highly supportive of the school. They recognise and appreciate the improvements that have taken place within the school and the positive impact that these have had for their children.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers do not ensure that the tasks for the most-able pupils in writing are sufficiently challenging.  The presentation of pupils’ written and mathematical work is too often untidy.  A small minority of pupils do not attend school regularly.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to further improve teaching and improve outcomes for pupils, particularly in writing by: providing the most-able pupils with more work that is sufficiently challenging ensuring that the presentation of written and mathematical work is of a sufficiently high standard.  Improve pupils’ attendance by working closely with parents to ensure that they are aware of the importance to their children’s education of regular and consistent attendance.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher has, since the last inspection, brought about improvements in all areas of school life. She has high expectations for the pupils and has ensured that these are shared by all members of staff. She has established clear policies and guidance for teaching, learning and pupils’ well-being and behaviour. The headteacher has taken strong action to bring about improvements in teaching and has successfully tackled any teaching that was less than good. As a result, pupils are now well taught in all lessons. Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and demonstrate high standards of behaviour.  Leadership has improved across the school. The headteacher is well supported by the senior teacher and middle leaders, who share her drive to allow all pupils to achieve highly. Middle leaders are now involved in monitoring and evaluating teaching and learning within their areas of responsibility and have developed

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

a much clearer understanding of what needs to be improved. This has led to improvements in the teaching of reading and mathematics, and for learning and provision for children in the early years.  School leaders are accurate in developing and implementing improvement plans. The outcomes of the detailed and thorough monitoring and evaluation that take place in school are used to set challenging targets for improvement. These targets are based on accurate assessments of where the work of the school can be further developed. For example, school leaders rightly identified that the teaching of writing was not as effective as that in reading and mathematics, and this led to actions that have improved how this aspect of English is now being taught.  The headteacher has developed a system of assessment that allows for accurate tracking of pupils’ progress. Teachers meet regularly with school leaders to review progress, to identify any pupils who are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

not making expected progress, and to plan and implement any additional support that is required.  Teachers and other staff, including those who are relatively new to teaching, have benefited from good professional development opportunities both within school and through shared training with other schools in the Tame Valley Learning Trust. This has led to improvements in the teaching of science, and participation in a research project with Edge Hill University involving the effective use of mobile devices in pupils’ learning.  Strong and clear links are in place between the effectiveness of teaching and teachers’ pay progression. Regular meetings are held to review progress against the targets that are set for each teacher. Staff are highly supportive of the changes that have taken place since the last inspection and recognise the improvements in outcomes for pupils.  The school has developed a curriculum that is broad and balanced and is well matched to the needs of its

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

pupils. Pupils have been involved in the planning of the themes that support learning across a wide range of subjects such as geography and technology. They are encouraged at the start of each unit of work to identify questions about what they want to learn. Good use is made of visits to the local area, including trips to Shugborough Hall and nearby canals. Pupils are provided with good opportunities to apply their skills in reading, writing, mathematics and computing across other subjects, including science and history. Pupils’ learning is enhanced through access to a good range of extra-curricular activities, including film and Lego clubs, after-school football and cross-country teams.  School leaders have ensured that the pupil premium funding is used extremely effectively to meet the individual needs of disadvantaged pupils. One-to-one support, small-group work and opportunities to develop thinking skills are provided for disadvantaged pupils. These strategies have helped to ensure that

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

disadvantaged pupils make the same good progress as others in school and that there are no gaps in their attainment.  School leaders have made good use of the PE and sport premium funding. They have employed external coaches to work alongside teachers to develop their skills in teaching this area of the curriculum. This has proved to be very successful and staff now confidently lead all aspects of PE and games provision so the additional specialist support is no longer required. A wider range of activities have been introduced for pupils, including archery and boxing. Improved swimming opportunities have been provided to help ensure that all pupils can achieve the expected standard by the time they leave the school.  Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain and have a good understanding of key values such as respect and tolerance. This is reflected in the good interpersonal skills that they display and through their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

understanding of the principles of democracy. They know that they have rights and responsibilities and are involved in supporting charities both locally and in wider society. These aspects of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are particularly strong.  Parents are extremely supportive of the school. The very large majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, or who inspectors spoke to during the inspection, expressed great satisfaction and confidence about all aspects of the work of the school. They recognised and appreciated the improvements that have taken place since the last inspection, and feel that the school effectively communicates with them and keeps them informed about their children’s progress.  The governance of the school Governors have, since the last inspection, developed and improved the ways that they support and challenge the work of the school and fulfil their statutory duties. They commissioned an external

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

review of governance from the local authority and have reorganised their sub-committee structure. A number of new members have joined the governing body, bringing with them expertise and knowledge that has helped in evaluating and monitoring provision within the school. As a result, the governing body now provides good levels of support and challenge. Governors have a very good understanding of the assessment information that is available to them and use this to understand how well groups of pupils are making progress. They ask searching and challenging questions of school leaders. They use the information they gather to understand the effectiveness of teaching and its impact on pupils’ progress. Governors manage carefully the finance and resources that are available to the school, including the pupil premium, and measure the impact of spending on pupils’ achievement. They have a clear understanding of how teachers’ performance is managed and the links between this and their pay

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progression.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. School leaders place a very high priority on ensuring that all safeguarding policies and procedures are robustly in place. All staff and governors are well trained in understanding and fulfilling their responsibilities in safeguarding, and make good use of external support when it is required.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now consistently good across the school. Strong measures have been taken to remove less effective teaching and a number of teachers have left the school.  All teachers now have high expectations of their pupils and plan and teach lessons that are well matched to their interests and abilities and that allow them to apply previously learned skills and knowledge. For example, in a Year 3 history lesson, pupils worked in ability groups to identify how Stonehenge could have been built and the problems that the people at the time faced. They used information from the internet to inform their discussions and wrote well-reasoned pieces of work that showed their depth of understanding.  Teachers use questioning effectively to probe pupils’ understanding and match the questions accurately to the abilities of the pupils. Pupils are encouraged to ask questions when they are unsure of any aspect

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

of their learning. They work well with each other and discuss in depth what they are doing.  Assessment is thorough and frequent and is used effectively to check how well pupils are learning. The school has developed its own system of assessing pupils’ progress against age-related expectations and sets challenging targets for pupils’ progress. Teachers compare assessment information with each other to ensure that it is accurate and there is a common agreement on what is appropriate for pupils of different ages. Subject leaders meet with staff from other schools within the learning trust to validate the accuracy of the assessments.  There is a whole-school marking policy that is followed by all staff. Teachers’ marking provides an appropriate balance of praise and indications of how work can be extended or improved. Pupils respond well to the marking and make corrections as required.  Teaching assistants provide valuable support to pupils. They work effectively alongside teachers and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

make a valuable contribution to pupils’ learning, particularly with disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs or a disability. They have a good understanding of how to break tasks down into small steps if this is required.  The development of the teaching of reading has been a priority for the school and is now a strength. Children in Reception are taught phonics (the sounds letters make in words) from when they first arrive in school and quickly develop the skills needed to blend these sounds to make words.  As pupils move through the school, a whole-school approach to reading continues and this helps them to make rapid progress and to develop a deep interest in reading. Pupils are involved in choosing books and now benefit from a well-resourced library that provides an attractive and stimulating space in which to read.  The teaching of mathematics is good. Pupils are taught key number skills and are then required to apply

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

these skills in solving increasingly complex problems using reasoning. There is a daily focus on practising and applying mathematical knowledge, using hand-held computers, with tasks that become increasingly difficult and are matched accurately to the abilities of the pupils.  Classrooms are attractive and stimulating places with pupils’ work displayed and celebrated. Good use is made of information technology, both to record work and through the use of interactive whiteboards.  Homework is used effectively with parents involved through regular ‘family fun’ activities that build on what pupils are learning in school.  The teaching of writing has improved and pupils now have good opportunities to write extended pieces of work across a range of subjects. Teachers accurately identify errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar and pupils are required to correct their mistakes. Pupils’ responses to the tasks that they are set are

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

good. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils worked enthusiastically to redraft a piece of work based on the ‘Iron Man’ and used complex vocabulary within their writing. While the tasks are generally accurately matched to the abilities of the pupils, there is not consistent challenge for the most-able pupils and this can slow their pace of learning.  Pupils are taught to develop a joined-up style of writing as they move through the school and this leads to standards of presentation in handwriting that are good by the time they leave in Year 6. However, some teachers do not ensure that written and mathematical work is well presented and, as a result, some pupils do not take enough care with letter and number formation.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are well cared for and staff have a very good understanding of the individual needs of each pupil.  Pupils are polite and show consideration for each other. They feel confident in approaching any members of staff if they have a concern.  The school places a high priority on ensuring that pupils are safe in school. The school site is secure with robust arrangements in place to check visitors’ identities and to restrict access if required. All staff are trained in identifying and combating extremism if it were to occur.  Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that they are supported well in keeping themselves safe in a variety of situations. They have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet, know about road and fire safety and understand about the potential threats from ‘stranger

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Personal development and welfare

danger’.  Pupils enjoy attending the before- and after-school clubs that are provided for them. They also speak enthusiastically about the hot snacks, including toast, that are available at breaktime and recognise that eating healthily supports their well-being and learning. A very high proportion of pupils enjoy the hot school meals that are served at the school.  Pupils have a very good understanding of the different types of bullying and know about the impact that bullying can have on people. They are confident that bullying does not happen in the school and that it would not be tolerated if it were to occur.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Behaviour has improved since the last inspection and, as a result, pupils’ learning is not disrupted in lessons. The school has good procedures in place to monitor behaviour and school records indicate that incidents of inappropriate behaviour are very rare.  Pupils display positive attitudes to learning and are proud of their school. They respond well to instructions from teachers and other staff and understand that their behaviour can have an impact on others. They listen to what each other is saying, do not interrupt and know that they need to take turns.  Pupils are confident that behaviour is good in school. A Year 4 pupil commented that ‘We’re all a big family at Longwood and we all get along.’  Pupils’ behaviour in the classrooms, when moving around the school and on the playground is good. Older and younger pupils play together at breaktimes and lunchtime and Year 6 pupils act responsibly as

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Behaviour

monitors to ensure that everyone is in the right place, doing the right thing. Staff are diligent in their supervision and interact well with pupils, providing support when it is needed.  Attendance has improved over the past two years. Punctuality has also improved and the overwhelming majority of pupils now arrive at school on time and ready to learn. The school has stringent measures in place to encourage good attendance and has used the services of the local authority’s education welfare officers to address low attendance when it has occurred. Leaders recognise the need to continue to challenge and support the small minority of parents who do not ensure that their children attend regularly and consistently.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Outcomes for pupils have improved since the last inspection and are now good in all year groups.  In 2015, pupils in Year 2 attained standards in reading, writing and mathematics that were at least in line with national averages. This showed good progress from their starting points in school where the majority had skills and knowledge that were below those that were typical for their age. National assessment information from 2015 shows that pupils’ attainment at the expected levels in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 6 is at least in line with national outcomes.  The progress that pupils make as they move through the school has improved and is now good. In 2015, the proportion of pupils in Year 6 making at least expected progress from Key Stage 1 was better than the national average in reading, writing and mathematics with all pupils making the expected progress. The proportion that made better than expected progress was also above the national average in both

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Outcomes for pupils are good

reading and mathematics. Current school information, and evidence gathered during the inspection, indicates that pupils currently in school in all year groups are making progress that is at least in line with, or better than, expected.  Disadvantaged pupils make at least the same good progress as their classmates in school in all subjects and their progress compares well against all pupils nationally. This is because the school has the same high expectations of what they can achieve and uses the additional pupil premium funding well to provide extra support and resources where they are needed.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress in all subjects. This is because effective leadership quickly identifies the specific needs of each pupil and provides effective interventions and teaching. As a result, by the end of Key Stage 2, their achievement is in line with national figures for pupils who have special educational needs or disability.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The proportion of pupils who achieved the expected level in the Year 1 phonics check rose significantly in 2015 and is now above the national average. This is as a result of the consistent, whole-school approach to the teaching of phonics that is now in place.  The most-able pupils in school make similar good progress to other pupils in school. Where the work is appropriately challenging, progress accelerates. This is not the case in writing where the tasks are sometimes not as well matched to their abilities.

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Early years provision is good

 The early years is very well led and managed. The early years leader has developed her understanding from visits to observe outstanding practice in other schools and has used the outcomes of what she has seen to adapt learning opportunities that result in the children now making very good progress. Other teachers from schools within the learning trust are now observing and learning from the good practice that exists within the Reception class in Longwood Primary School.  Teaching is consistently good and, as a result, children make rapid progress from their starting points in school. In 2015, the proportion of children who achieved a good level of development was above the national average. Children made particularly good progress in reading, writing and numbers. Their knowledge and understanding of the world was slightly lower than in other areas of learning. As a result of this, more activities have been introduced this year to narrow any gaps. Children leave Reception very

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Early years provision is good

well prepared for Year 1.  The majority of children in the Reception class have already attended the pre-school provision that operates on the school site and is managed by the governors and led by the school’s early years leader. Children in the pre-school provision experience a wide range of exciting and relevant learning activities that are taught by well-trained staff. As a result when they start in Reception they are already developing positive attitudes to learning and settle very quickly.  Teachers and other staff ensure that there is a very good balance of adult-led activities and tasks chosen by children within a carefully structured environment. For example, during the inspection, children were highly engaged by learning about ‘Chinese New Year’. They enthusiastically worked together to write captions, chopsticks’ challenge and designed their own Chinese New Year story. They applied writing and reading skills that were advanced for their age. Organisation and teaching within

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Early years provision is good

Reception is adapted and changed as the children progress through the year to meet their developing needs.  Children’s behaviour is good across early years. They develop good skills in cooperating with each other and play and learn together well. Staff skilfully encourage children to develop their spoken language and, as a result, they answer questions fluently and in depth. Arrangements for safeguarding and to ensure that children feel safe are good and as a result they are happy and have a highly positive first year in school.  Assessment is used well to measure children’s progress and to plan activities that are matched well to the different abilities within the class. Parents’ contributions to the initial assessments that are undertaken when the children start at school are valued and form an important part of getting to know what each child is capable of.  Parents are kept well informed about how their children are progressing and expressed high degrees of

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Early years provision is good

confidence in the work of the early years staff.

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School details

Unique reference number 124104 Local authority Staffordshire Inspection number 10002482 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Foundation Age range of pupils 4 – 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 143 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tricia Bunn Headteacher Pauline James Telephone number 01827 475030 Website www.longwood.staffs.sch.uk Email address office@longwood.staffs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 7–8 November 2013

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Information about this school

 Longwood Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Children in Reception attend full time.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils – those who are supported by the pupil premium funding – is above average. The pupil premium provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are looked after.  Most pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is below that in most schools.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is above the national average.  There is pre-school provision on the school site which is managed by the governors. The school also provides before- and after-school clubs for its pupils.  The school is part of the Tame Valley Learning Trust.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed pupils’ learning in eight lessons or parts of lessons. A number of lessons were observed jointly with the headteacher and senior teacher.  The inspector looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read. He met with a group of pupils to gain their views of the school. The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and at the end of the school day, as well as in lessons.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation, including assessments and records of pupils’ progress, the school’s checks and records relating to safeguarding, child protection and attendance, records of how teaching is managed and the school improvement plans.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the senior teacher and three middle leaders. The inspector met with three governors, including the Chair of the Governing Body. He met with a representative of the local authority

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took account of the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View and talked to parents at the beginning and end of the school day. He also looked at the 21 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Adam Hewett, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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