Langton Primary School

Langton Primary School Langton, Malton, North Yorkshire YO17 9QP

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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

 Langton Primary School is a rapidly improving school. Since the school was previously inspected, the leadership has become more stable and as a result the standards and progress that pupils currently achieve has improved.  The recently appointed headteacher has quickly settled into her role. Along with her senior leader and governors, she has started to build on the improvements in teaching and learning that have already been made at the school.  The leadership of English is a strength of the school. As a result, pupils across the school are making good progress in this subject.  By the time they leave Key Stage 1, pupils have made good progress and have reached standards that have been consistently higher than national averages in reading, writing and mathematics.  In Key Stage 2, most pupils in all classes are currently making good progress and are on track to reach the standards that are expected for their

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This is a good school

age.  Most teaching is good, especially in the early years and Key Stage 1. The school has undergone significant changes in staffing. Newly appointed teachers in Key Stage 2 are given good support from the school’s leadership and, as a result, are meeting the needs of pupils well.  Pupils behave well, are safe and have good attendance. They enjoy coming to school and have a positive attitude to learning.  Good provision in the early years ensures that children make good progress and are well prepared for learning in Year 1.  Governors support the school well and ensure that school leaders are held accountable. They have remained loyal to the school and provided good support through a period of instability, following the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 By the end of Key Stage 2, the achievement of pupils in mathematics is not as strong as in reading and writing. Pupils are sometimes not moved on to more demanding work when ready.  Changes in the leadership of mathematics mean the impact on pupils’ outcomes has been less marked than in English.  Just occasionally, pupils in Key Stage 2 are not clear about what they are learning, or given precise guidance on how to improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in Key Stage 2 so that pupils make rapid progress and achieve higher standards by: − moving pupils on to more demanding work when they are ready, especially in mathematics − ensuring that feedback from teachers is more focused on how pupils can improve their work, and that pupils are given opportunities to act upon it − ensuring pupils are clear about what they are learning and why, especially with their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in mathematics at the end Key Stage 2 by: enhancing the impact of the leadership of mathematics monitoring the quality of teaching in mathematics with the same rigour that is applied to English.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Although the school went through a short period of instability in leadership and staffing following its previous inspection, it is now in a secure position and making rapid progress. Over the past year the legacy of underachievement has been robustly tackled, which has driven improvements in teaching and learning, and raised the achievement of current pupils of all ages.  The recently appointed headteacher, a strong and supportive senior leader, and an effective governing body, have high aspirations for the school and the achievement of its pupils. They share a common goal to improve the school’s performance and have an accurate view of what is done well and what needs to be improved.  The subject leader for English has been very active in driving improvements in reading, writing and phonics, and the significant improving trend in these areas shows that this leadership has had a noticeable impact. Due to recent changes in staffing, the leadership of mathematics has not had time to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

have the same impact or check the quality of teaching with the same rigour.  The school has a broad and balanced curriculum which covers the National Curriculum through a range of topics and discretely taught subjects. The curriculum is enhanced by specialist teaching in music and physical education, school visits, such as one to a war museum that supported a topic on the Second World War, and visitors into school. There are strong links with a local secondary school, which is working with the school’s leadership on enhancing the curriculum through the planning of joint projects.  Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is effective. The curriculum promotes knowledge of different faiths, cultures and festivals, and house teams create healthy competition, responsibility, team work and collaboration. Pupils also understand the importance of democracy and free speech. For example, elections to the school council followed democratic procedures. Pupils argued for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and against legislation put forward by a fictional member of parliament in a persuasive writing project.  A strong feature of the school is the very caring and sensitive nature pupils have for each other. ‘Playground leaders’ and ‘buddies’ support younger pupils around the school. During the inspection, it was noticeable how these older pupils kept younger pupils occupied and safe on the playground and helped the younger pupils with such things as their coats and shoes during breaktimes. Pupils took part in a ‘bobble hat day’ to raise money for a children’s charity and a ‘skipathon’ for a medical charity.  The school promotes equality of opportunity successfully and reinforces core British values. Pupils are being well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Leaders meet the professional development needs of teachers, including those who have recently qualified, very effectively. Teachers share good practice within a cluster of local primary and secondary

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

schools, and attend relevant professional development courses.  The primary physical education and sport premium is used well and pupils have a wide range of opportunities to participate in after-school clubs, sporting events and tournaments, and have access to specialist coaching. Sport has a high profile at the school and participation by pupils is very good. As a result, pupils are developing healthier lifestyle habits .  The needs of a small number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are well supported, both in the classroom and through targeted one-to-one support. As a result, these pupils make good progress.  The small amount of pupil premium funding the school receives is spent effectively. The funding is used to employ an additional higher level teaching assistant who supports pupils well. As a result, the small number of disadvantaged pupils in the school are making good progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The school’s website provides relevant and mostly up-to-date information. The school also keeps parents and carers informed through regular newsletters.  The school has developing links with a local alliance of schools. Expertise from a nearby secondary school is being used to good effect and there is positive collaboration with other primary schools. The local authority has provided good challenge and support to the school in its quest for improvement. This has been done in a number of ways through direct support and support brokered from other schools.  The governance of the school has a clear understanding of its role in supporting school improvement; governors are well informed about the school’s strengths, including the quality of teaching and its impact on achievement, and areas where the school needs to improve understands the links between teachers’ performance and pay decisions, and ensures that the system

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

is fair ensures that finances are well managed and that governors have a clear understanding of how funding, such as the pupil premium and the primary physical education and sport grant are spent to improve provision and achievement is involved in life at the school and meets regularly with senior leaders whom they challenge and support in equal measure. Governors also involve parents and carers in decisions that affect the school. Forums are used to consult parents and carers such as one that discussed the future leadership of the school.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective because there are good systems and procedures in place that are implemented correctly.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching in Key Stage 1 has been very effective in maintaining the consistently high standards attained by pupils in reading, writing and mathematics. Teachers plan lessons very well so that they meet pupils’ needs successfully. During lesson observations and a scrutiny of pupils’ work it was apparent that teachers challenge and encourage pupils to achieve well.  Reading is taught effectively. The teaching of phonics (matching letters to sounds) is particularly impressive. Each morning several small groups of pupils from early years, Year 1 and Year 2 are taught phonic skills by the teacher and all support staff from across the school. This intense and very focused approach has had a noticeable impact on standards.  The quality of writing in pupils’ books, and on display, shows that the school has made a concerted effort to improve how this subject is taught and assessed. As a result, teaching over time has had a positive

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

impact on writing standards, which improved significantly in 2015.  Just occasionally, writing activities sometimes lack a clear focus on what pupils are learning and how they will contribute to the quality of pupils’ written work.  Support staff play a highly effective role in the school. They are well deployed and offer timely support to groups and individuals in lessons. As a result, pupils working with them make good progress.  Occasionally pupils in Key Stage 2 are not moved onto more demanding work when they are ready. This is especially the case in mathematics when sometimes pupils have to complete numerous similar calculations which are not always sufficiently challenging.  The school has assessment procedures in place that records each half term how well pupils are doing and their depth of learning for reading, writing and mathematics. These procedures allow teachers to identify where gaps in learning occur and how far pupils are on track to achieve end-of-year expectations.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Pupils’ work is marked regularly and there are examples of good practice. However, at times, pupils do not receive the precise guidance they need to help them improve their work, and do not have enough opportunity to act upon it.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupil’s personal development and welfare is good  Pupils say they feel very safe and secure because staff are there to help them. They know that there is always someone who will listen, should they have concerns.  Pupils show a good awareness of bullying and the different forms it can take. They know how to keep themselves safe from harm, which is reinforced by visitors to the school from a child protection charity and road safety officers.  Pupils’ physical and emotional well-being are supported well through the school’s curriculum and a range of after-school activities. Personal, social and health education lessons have themes such as ‘similarities and differences’ and pupils have opportunities to participate in a range of sports clubs and events beyond the school day.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Most pupils are keen to do well. They are attentive and well behaved during lessons. Just occasionally, a few pupils become restless and lose concentration so that their learning slows.  Pupils behave well outside the classroom and on the playground. They are polite and courteous to each other and adults. Older pupils are keen to become ‘playground leaders’ and ‘buddies’, who support younger children around the school.  Incidents of difficult behaviour are very rare, but when they occur they are dealt with effectively by school staff.  Pupils’ overall attendance is good and currently above national averages; the numbers of pupils who are persistently absent are low in comparison to national averages.  All parents spoken to, and parents who responded to Parent View, are very happy with the behaviour of children in the school and feel that their children are well cared for and safe. Parents overwhelmingly say

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Behaviour

that the school is a very friendly, welcoming and safe environment.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The standards attained by pupils at the end of Year 2 have been consistently above national averages in reading, writing and mathematics. The performance information for 2015 shows that given their starting points, pupils have made good progress, and standards have improved further, especially at the higher levels.  Phonics skills are taught exceptionally well and as a result this has had a significant impact on the number of pupils reaching the expected standard in Year 1. Results for 2015 show that the number of pupils reaching the standard is now above national average.  The progress pupils made and the standards they attained by the end of Year 6 were below national averages for previous cohorts, especially in writing. Results for 2015 show a noticeable improvement in reading and writing and in particular the number of pupils attaining the higher Level 5. There was also significant improvement in the progress that pupils make during their time in Key Stage 2, with expected

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Outcomes for pupils are good

and better than expected progress for 2015, being above national averages.  Achievement for Year 6 pupils in mathematics in 2015 was not as strong as in reading and writing. Attainment and the progress pupils made were below average. This was because pupils had not made sufficient progress in previous years.  The school’s leadership has secure achievement information for current pupils. Analysis of this information during the inspection, and a scrutiny of pupils’ work in their books, is showing that progress in all year groups is good for reading, writing and mathematics.  Overall, the most able pupils are now attaining well. The number of pupils reaching the higher Level 3 at the end of Year 2 is above national averages for reading, writing and mathematics. Performance information for 2015 is also showing a significant increase in the number of pupils attaining a Level 5 in reading and writing which are now above national averages.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The number of disadvantaged pupils in the school, and in each year group, is very small. Comparisons with national averages will therefore have limited significance. As individuals, however, they are making good progress as they move through the school.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is also very small in each year group. Provision for these pupils is effective and they receive good support. As a result, they make good progress as they move through different year groups.

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Early years provision is good

 The unusually low number of Reception children at the school are within a mixed class, which also includes Year 1 and Year 2 pupils. The leadership of this area of the school is highly effective, and as a result Reception children make good progress and are ready for learning by the time they start Year 1.  Adults support children enthusiastically in their learning and use a wide range of resources. The teacher and support staff work well together and provide engaging activities which support children to make good progress.  The mixed-age class provides good opportunities for children to learn alongside other pupils, which the leader plans well. For example, the most able Reception children learn alongside older pupils during mathematics lessons.  Children behave well, can find things out for themselves, and have positive attitudes to learning and the ability to sustain attention.  Children are well looked after and procedures to keep them safe and secure are in place. Partnerships

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Early years provision is good

with parents and carers are strong and well developed.

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School details

Unique reference number 121452 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10002075

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School details

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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 70 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stuart Simpson Headteacher Rachel Ray Telephone number 01653 658236 Website www.langton.n-yorks.sch.uk Email address admin@langton.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17 September 2013

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Information about this school

 Langton Primary School is a much smaller than average-sized primary school.  Because of the very small numbers on roll, pupils are taught in one mixed-age class in Key Stage 1, which also includes Reception children, and two mixed-age classes in Key Stage 2.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  All pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils, who are known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium funding, is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding to support pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The school meets the government's current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils' attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The headteacher took up her post in September 2015.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning in all classes. One lesson was observed jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector scrutinised pupils' work with the headteacher.  The inspector listened to pupils read.  Meetings were held with pupils, the headteacher, other staff, members of the governing body, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed pupils moving around the school outside lessons, including on the playgrounds during breaks, and in the dining hall.  The inspector met with parents at the start of the school day.  The inspector analysed the 29 responses that had been submitted to the online questionnaire for parents (Parent View).  The inspector scrutinised a number of documents, including the school's view of its own performance, school improvement plans, attendance and safeguarding.  The inspector took account of the 10 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire, completed by members of

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Inspection team

Alan Chaffey, 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

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

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