Longhill Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Mark Batty Headteacher Longhill Primary School Shannon Road Longhill Estate Kingston-upon-Hull HU8 9RW

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 14 September 2016, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in April 2013. Since the last inspection the school has converted to an academy.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. Since your appointment as headteacher, shortly after the last inspection, you have been determined that the pupils in this challenging community should receive the best education you can provide. You have prioritised the development of senior and middle leaders to help you improve the school.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

An area for improvement identified at the last inspection was to strengthen outcomes in mathematics. Because of effective leadership and improved teaching, pupils have consistently made very strong progress in mathematics from low starting points. You and your team have improved a number of areas in addition to the aspects identified at the last inspection, including pupils’ early reading skills, outcomes in the early years, and pupils’ handwriting and presentation. All these successes demonstrate the school’s capacity to continue to improve.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

Inspectors also identified governance as an area for improvement. Members of the governing body have the skills and experience needed to challenge and support you and your team. Governors are highly organised and ensure that they fulfil their statutory duties, including their safeguarding duties and the proper financial management of the school. They check that decisions about staff pay are based on performance. Governors make frequent visits to the school to check for themselves that what you and other leaders say is accurate. They have undertaken training in how to interpret assessment information. Consequently, they have a good knowledge of the main strengths and weaknesses in the school’s performance. Governors have begun to offer greater challenge to school leaders. They recognise the need to be even stronger in their challenge, by focusing more regularly and sharply on the difference that leaders’ actions make to pupils’ outcomes. You and

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

the governing body are now consulting on becoming part of a multi-academy trust to increase the levels of external challenge and accountability you receive.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

You know your school well, recognising where things need to improve, including the need to continue to diminish the differences in attainment between boys and girls and between disadvantaged pupils and others. These have improved, but there is still further to go to eliminate these differences. You also recognise that, while more pupils are beginning to work above the expected standards, the need for more of the most able pupils to reach higher standards by the end of each key stage continues to be a priority for improvement.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

Pupils largely continue to behave well. They show respectful attitudes towards each other and have an understanding of what it means to show tolerance and respect. However, pupils do not have enough opportunities to develop their understanding of different faiths, cultures and ways of life in modern Britain.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

Adults are thorough in their safeguarding duties. The designated safeguarding lead is well trained and actively ensures that all other staff are also well trained and kept up to date on a regular basis. For example, all staff have recently undertaken ‘Prevent’ training so that they are able to recognise any pupil who may be at risk of radicalisation. Adults are trained in how to deal safely with pupils with particular behavioural needs. The safeguarding leader checks that adults understand their responsibilities by randomly quizzing them from time to time.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

Staff diligently report and record any concerns they may have about the safety or welfare of a child. The safeguarding leader makes referrals to the local authority social care service where there are concerns that a child may be in danger or at risk of harm, consulting with parents where appropriate.

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Short inspection of Longhill Primary School

You and the governors understand your responsibilities to carry out proper checks on potential employees during recruitment to make sure that these adults are suitable to work with children.

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Inspection findings

 You have shared responsibilities more widely among the staff, holding them to account for the work that they do. Leaders are vigorous in checking that teachers keep to the agreed methods and that teaching is having the necessary impact on pupils’ learning. You have high expectations of all staff and pupils. You set demanding targets for teachers and check progress towards achieving them.  Attainment in mathematics rose in the two years following the inspection, before slipping back to below average in 2015. Nevertheless, the 2015 Year 6 pupils made strong progress through key stage 2 from low starting points to achieve what they did. Pupils throughout the school are making good progress in mathematics. The current Year 6 pupils are on track to do well, which should bring attainment once again at least in line with the national average, despite most of these pupils entering school with skills, knowledge and understanding

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Inspection findings

some way below that which was typical for their age.  You have improved pupils’ early reading skills and increased the proportion of pupils meeting the required standard in phonics by the end of Year 1, to above the national average. Following a dip in achievement in reading across the school, effective leadership and teaching has turned this around. You have introduced successful ways of teaching so that pupils are giving much fuller answers to a range of carefully thought-out questions, improving their reading comprehension. Despite the recent disappointing test results of some Year 6 pupils, most pupils in the school are on target to reach age-related expectations or above in reading this school year.  The proportion of children achieving a good level of development by the time they leave the early years has risen to just above the national average because of strong leadership. From low starting points on entry, this represents strong

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Inspection findings

progress. The early years leaders know where the strengths are, as well as the areas for development, and take effective action to address the latter.  Across the school, girls’ attainment is above that of boys. However, because you have prioritised this, last year across the age range boys made more progress than girls did, diminishing, though by no means eliminating, the difference.  Effective use of the pupil premium funding means that an increasing number of disadvantaged pupils are making up ground. Disadvantaged pupils have begun to make better progress than others do, reducing the difference in attainment between the two groups.  An increasing number of pupils are beginning to work beyond the expected standard. An examination of the most able pupils’ workbooks shows that sometimes teachers do not demand enough of these pupils. You have prioritised this as an area to continue to develop.  Because of your determination and high expectations, an emphasis on improving

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Inspection findings

pupils’ handwriting and presentation over the last year is helping most pupils in school to produce their neatest work daily and to take pride in what they do.  Attendance dipped following the last inspection but improved last year due to the hard work and determination of the attendance team. Attendance is almost in line with the national average. Persistent absence has reduced substantially.  The curriculum is a particular strength. Teachers plan a range of interesting topics, giving pupils a broad and balanced experience. Pupils suggest what they would like to learn, which secures their interest in and commitment to learning. Opportunities to use the school’s TV and radio stations helps to develop pupils’ confidence and speaking skills. Frequent visits to places of interest such as Sherwood Forest and Harry Potter World, and regular visitors to school, including professional poets and musicians, stimulate enthusiasm, increase aspirations, and

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Inspection findings

broaden the pupils’ horizons.  Leaders are helping children prepare for life in modern Britain. Pupils learn about democracy as they elect school councillors. A recent partnership with a school in Sierra Leone is helping pupils to appreciate how others may live very different lives. Pupils need more frequent opportunities throughout the curriculum to study and debate current affairs and diversity in Britain and beyond.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the remaining differences between the attainment of boys and girls and between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and others are further diminished  more of the most able pupils reach above the expected standards at the end of each key stage  the curriculum more actively prepares pupils for life in modern Britain, by providing a wider range of opportunities for pupils to learn about other cultures, faiths, beliefs and ways of life.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Kingston-upon-Hull. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

Together we visited a number of classrooms to observe teaching and learning. I examined pupils’ current workbooks and a sample from the previous year and discussed the work with leaders. I questioned a number of pupils about what it is like to be a pupil at Longhill Primary and observed pupils at lunchtime, in the new dinner hall and on the expansive playing fields. I discussed aspects of the school’s work with you and other leaders. I met with six members of the governing body. I scrutinised a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation document, the school improvement plan, notes of governing body meetings and notes from external partner visits to the school. We discussed information about pupils’ achievement.

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