Heanor Langley Infant School & Nursery

Heanor Langley Infant School and Nursery Laceyfields Road, Langley, Heanor, Derbyshire DE75 7HJ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school is improving but actions taken by leaders and the governing body have not yet resulted in pupils making consistently good progress.  The feedback that leaders give to staff is not precise enough to ensure that teaching is effective and speeds up the progress of all groups of pupils.  The leadership of English is not as well developed as it is for mathematics.  Leaders have not made enough improvements to the teaching of writing to ensure that pupils reach the standards of which they are capable.  Attendance is improving but the school has not yet successfully engaged with all parents.  In key stage 1, teachers do not motivate learning consistently well and build strongly upon what pupils already know and can do.  Teachers do not consistently expect enough of pupils. They do not promote good quality writing or insist that pupils spell accurately.  There are not enough opportunities for pupils,

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

particularly the most able, to develop greater depth in their writing by writing longer pieces more frequently.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, staff and governors are committed to improvement. They are building well upon the external support they have received.  The school is a happy place and relationships are good. Pupils behave well and say they feel safe.  Pupils’ personal development is good. It is well supported by good pastoral care.  The curriculum promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding effectively.  Children achieve well in the Nursery and Reception classes because teaching is consistently good.  The teaching of phonics and mathematics is improving. Pupils’ achievement is now better in these subjects than previously.  Links with parents are developing well.  Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds receive effective support that is helping them to make more rapid progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and accelerate pupils’ progress in key stage 1 by making sure that teachers consistently: – expect more from pupils during lessons so that all groups of pupils reach their full potential – encourage well-presented work – provide tasks that build effectively upon pupils’ knowledge and skills over time – motivate learning through interesting activities that are matched well to pupils’ abilities.  Raise standards in writing by : – raising the profile of writing across the school to show pupils that their efforts and good progress are valued – making sure that the teaching of handwriting and spelling leads to improved writing – providing more opportunities for pupils, especially the most able, to write at greater depth and to write at length more frequently.  Improve leadership and management by: – ensuring that the leadership of English develops strongly – maintaining a sharper focus on the learning of specific groups of pupils to enable

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

leaders to give teachers good guidance on how to accelerate progress – establishing more ways to help all parents to see the effect of poor attendance on their children’s learning.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Leaders’ actions have not yet led to consistently good teaching and good progress for pupils by the end of Year 2. Since the previous inspection, some plans for improvement have been slowed due to unavoidable staff absence and significant staff changes.  During this period of staffing uncertainty, the leadership of English was affected. As a result, not enough attention has been paid to improving pupils’ writing. Although the headteacher leads improvement, she has not delegated sufficiently well to make sure that the leadership of English is strong.  Leaders do not focus on the learning of specific groups of pupils, especially those who need to catch up, when they check the quality of teaching. This means that staff do not receive precise guidance on how to improve their teaching to help pupils to do better.  There is room for greater engagement with some parents to help them to see the importance of good attendance. The school’s efforts are leading to improvement and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

attendance is now much closer to national figures than previously.  The highly committed headteacher has successfully steered the school through a time of disruption, including unexpected school closure due to essential repairs to the building. She has created a leadership team whose skills are evolving well.  Within the school, there is an ethos of success where pupils’ good behaviour flourishes and staff feel valued, reflected in the very positive responses from questionnaires submitted by staff.  The headteacher has done much to improve communication with parents, which is valued. One parent wrote, ‘Communication is good and the head is a very visible leader. She is involved with the children’s learning and extra-curricular activities.’  Training for staff and a reorganised approach mean that the teaching of phonics is improving. A more consistent approach to the teaching of reading is leading to a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

greater development of pupils’ comprehension skills.  Effective support from the local authority has helped the leadership of mathematics to develop well. Leaders are improving pupils’ depth of understanding, which is leading to more rapid progress in the subject.  Good formal support from Ladycross Infant School has laid the foundations for improvement which school leaders are now building upon. The school is in a good position to continue to improve.  A review of the pupil premium spending has led to improved extra support which is now boosting disadvantaged pupils’ basic skills and speeding up their progress. Additional funding received for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used to provide adults and resources to support pupils’ learning.  The curriculum is broad. Subjects are linked together well in topics. Extra activities enhance pupils’ enjoyment and develop their confidence and social skills. Lessons and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

visits to outside locations aid pupils’ understanding of places and people. Pupils know about key British figures, such as the Queen, and learn about different faiths.  Leaders use the primary physical education and sport funding effectively. They ensure that it contributes to staff development and increases the participation of pupils in a range of sports activities.

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Governance of the school

 Governors are building upon effective external support to develop their skills further. They gather first-hand information about the curriculum and ask relevant questions to hold school leaders to account.  Governors now monitor the effect of additional funding, for example the pupil premium, on pupils’ achievement more rigorously. Together with school leaders, they decide upon the most effective use of the money.  Governors are involved in setting key priorities and checking how well the school is progressing towards its aims. They carry out the performance management of the headteacher. Governors know how training is helping to improve the quality of teaching, for example in phonics.  Together with the headteacher, the governing body is improving communication with parents. Governors are actively involved in the school’s efforts to improve attendance.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school’s positive ethos, which promotes good relationships, helps pupils to feel secure. Teaching in lessons and assemblies informs pupils how to deal with bullying. Leaders pass useful information about internet safety on to parents. Visitors, such as fire officers, teach firework safety and pupils learn how to stay safe on the roads.  Leaders maintain detailed records about any child protection issues or concerns over children’s welfare. Leaders use the good links that they have with external agencies and parents well. They take prompt and effective action to reduce any risks to pupils.  The suitability of staff to work with children is checked thoroughly and vetting systems are robust. Leaders ensure that all staff receive regular training and understand the school’s procedures in order to keep pupils safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Teaching in key stage 1 is not of a consistently good standard to ensure that pupils reach the standards of which they are capable. Sometimes, teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils should achieve and how well they should present their work. There is not a consistent expectation of pupils’ handwriting.  The targets that teachers set and the work they provide in lessons do not build systematically upon pupils’ previous learning. This means that lower-ability pupils do not consolidate basic skills and the most able pupils are not sufficiently challenged to reach their full potential in a range of subjects.  Teachers do not always make the most of pupils’ eagerness to learn by providing interesting and engaging tasks. This sometimes means that pupils are not fully motivated and they make slower progress.  Teachers do not often expect pupils to write at length. This affects the development of

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

more in-depth writing skills. However, pupils do write for various purposes and in a range of subjects.  Teachers do not take every opportunity to show pupils that their work is valued and to celebrate pupils’ efforts. There are limited examples of good-quality writing on display.  Teachers do not use pupils’ learning about phonics consistently well to improve pupils’ spelling. However, the teaching of phonics is improving. Standards are rising, with a positive effect on pupils’ reading.  The teaching of mathematics is improving. Pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, are now doing better in this subject than previously. For example, pupils in Year 2 made good progress in understanding money values during the inspection. The task built well upon what pupils already knew. Staff extended the challenge for the most able pupils and helped the lower-ability pupils to grasp basic concepts.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 Staff, including teaching assistants, have good relationships with pupils. They encourage pupils to contribute and to share their ideas with each other. Staff ask relevant questions to check that pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, understand their learning. They provide oral and written feedback so that pupils know how well they are doing.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development is good. Pupils play their part in the school community well. They act as mini leaders and playground friends and help each other willingly. They like being school councillors and gaining the school’s awards, for example for being ‘Star of the Week’.  Those pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable receive a good level of emotional support and pastoral care. The school accommodates workshops run by the local authority to help parents to develop their skills.  Pupils know about key values because these are promoted well by the curriculum. They talk enthusiastically about being ‘Heanor Heroes’ and show a good understanding of important traits, such as resilience and helpfulness. They know about the importance of honesty and kindness.  Pupils say they feel safe and they know how the school helps them to stay secure. They know when to use sun cream and to wear sun hats. They show an understanding

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Personal development and welfare

of bullying appropriate to their age and talk about how the school helps them. They know who to speak to if they have any worries. As one pupil commented, ‘Don’t keep it inside.’

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils listen well during lessons. They maintain the same level of good behaviour with a range of adults, including during activities led by visiting sports coaches.  Pupils know the school rules and sanctions because these are well promoted by adults. Pupils get on well together and respond positively to instructions. They take care when moving around the school premises and waste no time at the beginning of lessons.  Pupils say they like coming to school. The number of pupils who stay away frequently is reducing due to the school’s efforts to promote good attendance for all pupils.  Children’s good behaviour in the early years contributes strongly to the good progress they make. In key stage 1, pupils’ attitudes to learning remain positive but teachers do not always make the most of this to motivate pupils to make good progress.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 The good start children make in the early years is not built upon strongly enough so that all groups of pupils, including the most able, reach the standards of which they are capable by the end of Year 2.  In 2016, pupils reached below average standards in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 because they did not make good progress from their starting points. This was due to staff changes during their time in key stage 1.  The pupils who are currently in Year 2 are reaching standards closer to those expected for their age but not enough have made good progress throughout key stage 1 in order to do better.  In 2016, the most able pupils achieved well in reading but a below average proportion reached greater depth in writing and mathematics. The most able pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds did not do as well as other pupils nationally in reading, writing or mathematics.  Now, the most able pupils, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds, make

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

stronger gains in mathematics because they are being challenged to develop their thinking and use their skills more widely. The same depth of development is not yet apparent in their writing.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make the best progress when they work closely with adults and use suitable resources. Sometimes, tasks are not well enough matched to their ability to help them to make strong progress.  Standards in phonics are rising. More pupils in Year 1 now reach the expected standard than previously. This is an improvement on recent years when levels reached by pupils were below average.  Pupils from disadvantaged backgrounds are now making better progress than previously because of improved teaching and the extra support they receive. In some cases, they do better than their peers.

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Early years provision Good

 Good leadership and strong teamwork provides consistency across the Nursery and Reception classes. Staff use what they know about children’s learning to plan effectively for the next steps. They make frequent checks on how well children are doing and collect evidence of progress in well-maintained learning journals.  Leaders have good links with parents and help them to be involved in their children’s learning. Leaders use additional funding to diminish any differences in performance between children from disadvantaged backgrounds and their peers.  Good teaching motivates learning. For example, during the inspection, children in the Reception class engaged busily in writing, painting and number activities based on the topic of mini beasts. Children were fully engaged because the tasks, including those offered in the outdoor areas, were interesting and suitably challenging.  Staff provide a good balance of tasks that are led by adults and those that children

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Early years provision Good

choose for themselves. They make sure that children are actively involved and make good progress in their daily activities. Children are expected to make their own choices, with a positive effect on their personal development.  Children start in the early years with skills that are broadly typical for their age. However, many have less well developed speaking, reading and writing skills. They make good progress in these and other areas of learning because of good teaching. As a result, they are well prepared for their learning in Year 1.

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School details

Unique reference number 112557 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 10031160

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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 Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3 to 7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 170 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Claire Keyte Headteacher Carol Daly Telephone number 01773 712823 Website www.heanorlangley.derbyshire.sch.uk Email address info@heanorlangley.derbyshire.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 15–16 April 2015

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Information about this school

 The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.  The school is smaller than the average-size primary school.  The majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.  Children in the early years attend full time in a Reception class or a mixed-age class which comprises Reception-aged children and Year 1 pupils. There is also a Nursery which children attend for morning or afternoon sessions.  The school is part of the Derbyshire Partnership for Learning. The school received formal support from Ladycross Infant School up to July 2016.  Since the previous inspection, the school has experienced significant staff and leadership changes.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed learning in nine lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In all, seven members of staff were seen teaching.  Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work from all year groups. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their work during lessons and met with groups of pupils. They listened to pupils from Year 2 read.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and at playtimes and lunchtimes.  Inspectors held meetings with governors, school leaders and staff, and representatives of the local authority. An inspector also spoke with the headteacher of Ladycross Infant School.  Inspectors analysed 39 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and took account of parents’ written comments. An inspector spoke informally with some parents during the inspection.  Inspectors analysed the 22 responses to a questionnaire submitted by school staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors scrutinised the school’s systems and documentation relating to safeguarding. They looked at information about pupils’ attainment and progress, and about their attendance. Inspectors looked at school improvement plans and evidence of the school’s checks on the quality of teaching.

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Inspection team

Viv McTiffen, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Fiona Parr 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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