Langley Park Primary School

Langley Park Primary School Hawksbrook Lane, South Eden Park Road, Beckenham, Kent BR3 3BE

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Leaders have established a nurturing learning environment. The school community has pulled together to ensure that pupils’ education and well-being are at the forefront of its work.  New leaders have created a clear vision and direction for the school. They have worked hard to develop a solid foundation for the school. Parents and carers are highly positive about the school’s work.  Members of staff share leaders’ ambitions for the school. There is a clear sense of teamwork and staff morale is high.  The governing body has undergone many changes. Governors know the school well and provide good support. However, they do not hold leaders sufficiently to account for additional funding. New governors need further training to carry out their responsibilities more effectively.  Teaching is good. This is a result of high- quality training and ongoing professional development. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and plan challenging activities.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils make good progress across a range of subjects. This is particularly evident in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils enjoy their lessons and want to learn.  The good teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) develops pupils’ early reading successfully. The vast majority of pupils reach the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check.  Pupils feel safe and secure in school. They are very well cared for by staff. Bullying of any kind is rare, and the school is a calm and orderly environment.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive good support generally. Teachers do not always use support staff and additional resources effectively in lessons, which can hinder pupils’ progress.  Children in early years make good progress. The provision is well resourced and children like the purposeful activities on offer. However, the quality of provision varies, at times.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Provide new governors with the training and skills they need to be fully effective in their roles, particularly in holding leaders sufficiently to account for additional funding.  Ensure that teachers are confident in how to use additional staff and resources so that pupils’ needs continue to be well met.  Ensure that provision in early years is consistently strong across all classes.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The school has had several changes in senior leadership since it opened. Leaders and the trust have ensured that pupils’ education and experiences in school have not been affected by this.  The new headteacher leads with determination and vision. She has set out very clearly how she wants the school to be and is not deterred by the challenges of building up a school from scratch. Staff, parents and governors support her wholeheartedly.  Leaders have a very detailed overview of the school’s effectiveness. They have created an open culture where areas for improvement are identified, discussed and acted upon promptly. All members of staff are involved in key decisions and they form a close-knit team. They have a sense of ownership and are proud of the school’s success.  Staff morale is very high. The school is small and has limited leadership roles. Leaders and staff take on additional responsibilities without hesitation. All teachers have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

responsibility for a subject area, for example, and have gained useful experience from this. They are aspiring leaders and committed to developing the school further as it grows.  School leaders monitor the quality of teaching and learning across the school meticulously. They are highly accurate in their evaluations. Staff training is informed by regular lesson observations, work scrutinies and discussions with teachers. Teachers have personalised targets to develop their practice. Leaders review these regularly and check that training has had the required impact.  Ongoing professional development is of a high quality. Leaders ensure that teachers and support staff receive the necessary training and resources to be effective in their roles. Links with other schools in the trust help to develop teachers’ subject knowledge and serve as a useful opportunity to share good practice.  The provision for pupils with SEND is good. Leaders are knowledgeable and have

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

identified pupils’ needs accurately. They ensure that pupils receive the right support from specialists, such as speech and language therapists and educational psychologists. Leaders also ensure that pupils’ emotional needs are well looked after through a range of nurture groups.  The curriculum is suitably broad and balanced. Reading texts are exploited fully to teach pupils about different subject areas, such as history, geography, art and science. These are often linked to topical and cultural events to give pupils a good understanding of the world around them. Proposals for the key stage 2 curriculum show that leaders have considered carefully how to build on pupils’ learning and extend their knowledge in individual subjects.  Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well across the curriculum and in the day-to-day life of the school. Pupils know about different

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

religions and cultures. For example, Year 2 pupils learned about the differences and similarities between home life in the United Kingdom and in Zimbabwe. The school teaches pupils clearly about the dangers of stereotypes and prejudice.  Leaders use and review pupil premium funding effectively. They have identified individual barriers to achievement and put in place personalised support for each pupil. This consists mainly of additional support in lessons and specific resources to assist pupils in their learning. Disadvantaged pupils make good progress as a result. Leaders also use the funding to give pupils equal access to extra-curricular activities and trips.  The sport premium funding helps to promote active and healthy lifestyles to all pupils. A specialist sports coach helps staff to deliver quality physical education lessons, and pupils enjoy completing the ‘daily mile’. New playground equipment has also been part-

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Governance of the school

 The trust board has delegated key responsibilities to the governing body to oversee the effectiveness of the school. The governing body has undergone frequent changes since the school opened. Governors acknowledge that governance has not been as effective as it could have been, in the past.  With the support of the trust, the governing body has recruited new governors, including a new chair of governors. The governing body is now made up of governors with relevant skills and experience who are committed to their roles. However, governors need further training, particularly to ensure that they hold leaders stringently to account for additional funding, such as the pupil premium and sport premium.  Governors visit the school regularly and read information provided to them to learn about various aspects of the school. Governors and trustees have ensured that the school’s performance is scrutinised by external consultants regularly. This means that

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Governance of the school

they have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. Governors have had suitable training, for example in safer recruitment, to ensure that mandatory safeguarding requirements are met.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The school has a safeguarding team comprising school leaders and members of the trust. They have the necessary expertise to ensure that pupils are safe and well cared for at school.  Staff understand and follow the clear procedures for recording concerns about pupils. Leaders ensure that all staff receive training on current safeguarding practice and have weekly updates on appropriate matters. The single central record meets requirements and leaders follow safer recruitment protocols.  Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They understand what do in the event of a fire alarm and know who to go to if they need help. Events such as ‘internet safety week’ teach pupils how to stay safe online. The roads around the school are busy, and leaders ensure that pupils have a good understanding of road safety. Parents have no concerns about the safety of their children at school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Teaching and learning are of a high standard across the school. Teachers engage very positively with the ongoing professional development provided by leaders and the trust. They give clear examples of how this has improved their practice.  Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge across the curriculum. They use this to question pupils skilfully, making pupils think and deepening their understanding.  Teachers model activities well. They provide clear explanations so that pupils know what to do and the purpose behind tasks. Teachers build on pupils’ prior knowledge effectively.  Teachers plan lessons together in year teams. This helps to ensure consistency between different classes. They use a range of strategies to interest pupils and hold their attention. Pupils are motivated to learn as a result.  Teachers manage behaviour well and have established classroom routines. Classrooms are calm and rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Relationships between pupils and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

staff are strong.  Teachers provide valuable feedback to pupils. Pupils are aware of how to improve their work and are encouraged by the positive comments from staff.  The school has a robust assessment system. It uses a range of sources and strategies to gather information about pupils’ progress to ensure that assessment is accurate. Leaders and staff together review pupils’ progress regularly. They take appropriate and effective action if specific interventions or strategies are not having the desired impact  Support staff provide good-quality provision for pupils with SEND. They support individual pupils well. However, teachers are not always confident in how to deploy support staff and use additional resources to the best effect. This means that pupils, at times, cannot move on quickly in their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Parents are extremely positive about the care and support from staff. Pupils’ well- being, physically and emotionally, is at the heart of the school’s work.  Pupils feel safe in school. Those who spoke to inspectors all said that there was someone they could talk to at school. Posters around school remind them of key staff to go to if they have any worries. Pupils know about bullying but say that it doesn’t really happen.  Pupils know the school values very well. They understand the importance of respect and empathy towards others. Pupils recognise that there are differences between people but, as one pupil said: ‘We treat everyone the same as the people we love and care for.’  Personal, social, health and education (PSHE) lessons teach pupils key skills and knowledge to help them be safe and good citizens. In ‘debate assemblies’, pupils learn

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Personal development and welfare

how to listen carefully to someone else’s point of view and to respect different opinions. Pupils know their responsibilities as global citizens through whole-school projects on environmental protection, ably supported by the pupil eco-committee.  Leaders listen to pupils and take their views seriously. The school council takes suggestions from fellow pupils and decides on ways to improve the school. Pupils enjoy taking on different responsibilities in class, such as collecting house points, and around the school.  The school supports pupils well with social and emotional difficulties. ‘The Rainbow Club’, for example, runs at lunchtimes for pupils who may be feeling anxious or need extra support.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils conduct themselves well in classrooms and around the school building. They know what is expected of them through set routines, such as: ‘When we walk, we don’t talk.’ There is a harmonious atmosphere.  Pupils react promptly to teachers’ instructions. They are polite and courteous to staff and visitors. Pupils play well together in the large and well-supervised playground.  The school’s behaviour logs and observations in lessons show that staff deal well with a small number of pupils who present challenging behaviour at times.  Attendance is broadly in line with the national average. Leaders monitor attendance closely and have measures in place to follow up persistent absence. Punctuality rates are high.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current assessment information indicates that pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Work in pupils’ books and observations in lesson confirm this.  In subjects other than English and mathematics, pupils cover a range of topics within each subject area. They learn appropriate skills and knowledge to prepare them for key stage 2.  Early reading is well taught. In 2018, 90% of pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. Pupils can work out difficult and new words by applying their phonics skills. This helps them to be confident readers.  Teachers spoke passionately about promoting a love of reading to their pupils. They have done this successfully. Pupils enjoy reading. They have access to a wide range of books in the library and in classrooms. Pupils develop good comprehension skills through well-organised daily reading lessons.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Written work in English and across the curriculum shows that pupils use a wide range of sentence structures and increasingly complex vocabulary. They demonstrate a secure understanding of basic spelling and grammar. Pupils generally take pride in their work and presentation is good.  Pupils are enthusiastic about their learning in mathematics. Lessons are carefully sequenced to build up pupils’ numeracy skills. The most able pupils are suitably challenged. Pupils like being able to choose to do more difficult tasks when they are confident in basic concepts.

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Early years provision Good

 The early years classrooms and outside area are well-resourced and rich learning environments. Clear instructions and labelling of equipment show the purpose of activities. Teachers and support staff provide good opportunities for children to play and learn across all areas of learning.  Children join Reception with levels of development that are broadly in line with those typical for their age. By the end of the year, they are well prepared for Year 1 and have made good progress in all areas of learning. In the last two years, the proportions of children who achieve a good level of development have been above the national average.  The arrangements for safeguarding in early years are effective. Members of staff are trained in paediatric first aid and they follow statutory safeguarding procedures. Children are taught how to use equipment, such as scissors, safely. Staff are vigilant and ensure that children are supervised at all times.

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Early years provision Good

 Adults use resources effectively to help children learn. For example, children learning to halve numbers divided up numbers between two play figures and used cubes to help them if they became stuck. Staff show good questioning skills and take opportunities to develop children’s language and communication well.  The early years team knows individual children and their needs very well. Staff do home visits for all children before they enter Reception and establish strong links with parents. ‘Wow’ moments record children’s learning at home. Learning journeys and workbooks provide a comprehensive record of progress for each child. Transition into Year 1 is well managed.  While the quality of teaching and learning across the provision is good, there are some inconsistencies between classes. This is particularly evident in the organisation and delivery of activities. Learning is not always well matched to children’s needs, as a

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address office@langley-primary.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Langley Park Primary is part of the Langley Park Learning Trust. The school is on the same site as the Langley Park secondary schools. The trust has devolved governance for the school to a local governing body.  The school opened in September 2016 with two Reception classes, and is increasing in size by two classes each year. There are currently pupils aged four to seven at the school.  The current headteacher took up post in September 2018.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with SEND.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning across all classes and in a range of subjects. Senior leaders accompanied inspectors on lesson visits.  Discussions were held with the senior leadership team, members of staff and pupils.  Inspectors also met with three members of the governing body and the chief executive officer of the trust.  The inspection team examined a wide range of documentation presented by the school, including information on safeguarding, attendance and behaviour records, pupil assessment information, reports on the quality of teaching, governors’ minutes and the school development plan.  Inspectors listened to pupils and reviewed work in their books.  Inspectors took account of the 71 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, as well as speaking to parents at the start of the school day. Inspectors considered the seven responses to the staff survey and the 60 pupil survey responses.

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Inspection team

Jude Wilson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Davies 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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