Longsight Community Primary

Inspection of a good school: Longsight Community Primary Farrer Road, Longsight, Manchester, Lancashire M13 0QX

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Outcome

Longsight Community Primary continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Longsight Community Primary is a school at the heart of its community. Leaders, staff, pupils and parents are all proud of the school. Pupils told me that their school is ‘incredible’. They are happy and feel safe because staff look after them and care about what they have to say. If they have any worries they know someone will help them. Pupils state that bullying is rare and if it did happen then adults would sort it out quickly. Parents agree that their children are safe and happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their lessons because teachers plan activities that they enjoy. They work hard in lessons and support each other well. New pupils to school settle quickly because of the way they are welcomed into the school’s family. Leaders value all pupils and meet their needs well. They have the highest expectations for all pupils and have planned a curriculum which enables them to be the best that they can be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the roles and responsibilities that they hold across the school, from prefects to Reception buddies. They say that these opportunities help them to make their school a better place. Pupils take part in a wide range of sporting activities and many represent their school in tournaments.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Longsight Community Primary is well led and managed. Leaders know their school well. They act quickly when there are weaknesses to make sure that they improve. Leaders are ambitious for all pupils and determined that they achieve their potential. Pupils rise to this challenge. Teachers, especially those new to teaching, are supported well and feel valued. They get many opportunities for training and development. Staff say that leaders care about their well-being.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have made sure that pupils receive a broad and interesting curriculum. The curriculum has been planned so that pupils can make links in their learning and build up their knowledge over time. Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities that prepare them 24–25 September 2019

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to be good citizens in the future. Pupils that spoke to me told me that they ‘want to make the world a better place’.

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Leaders have made reading a priority in the school. Pupils across the school make strong progress in reading by the end of Year 6. In every classroom there are well-resourced reading areas where pupils enjoy reading books. Pupils talk with excitement about a range of books that are their favourites.

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At the start of Reception children begin to learn phonics (letters and the sounds they represent). Leaders have made sure that staff know how phonics should be taught. Pupils’ progress in phonics is checked regularly and extra help is given to any pupils who need to catch up. Pupils achieve well in the Year 1 phonics screening check. There are occasions where younger pupils find reading too difficult. This is because the books that they read do not always match the sounds that they are learning.

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The teaching of mathematics is a strength and pupils achieve well. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and plan work which develops pupils’ knowledge and skills. There are many opportunities for pupils to practise what they already know before they learn new things. Pupils enjoy using the ‘chilli challenges’ and work hard to finish them all.

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The leader of physical education (PE) has planned the PE curriculum so that pupils’ skills develop well across the school. Teachers have improved the way that they check what pupils already know and can do. Leaders’ plans show how teachers will use this information to build on pupils’ knowledge and skills.

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Children quickly settle into Reception, make friends and enjoy their learning. The environment both inside and outside is well-resourced and organised. Children are well cared for and feel safe. Teachers make sure that they develop children’s early mathematics, language and communication skills. Children make strong progress and are prepared well for Year 1.

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In classes and around school, pupils are kind and considerate to others. Behaviour is good and there is little disruption to learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well and they make strong progress. They learn alongside their classmates and have full access to the wider curriculum. Pupils leave the school well prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that keeping children safe is a priority across the school. They know the local community well and understand the risks that their pupils may face. They use this information to provide training for staff and pupils. Staff are vigilant and know what to do if they think a pupil may be at risk. Arrangements for safeguarding are checked regularly by the school’s safeguarding governor.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with other agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe. They make 24–25 September 2019

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sure that vulnerable pupils and their families get the help that they need. Pupils spoken with during the inspection could explain how to keep themselves safe in the community and online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The changes that leaders have made to the way that foundation subjects are taught are very recent. Leaders need to embed these so that teachers build on what pupils already know and can do in the same logical way as in reading, writing and mathematics. Ofsted transition arrangements were applied for the foundation subjects during this inspection.  Some pupils guess words in the books that they are given to read. This is because the books are not always matched to their phonic knowledge. Leaders need to make sure that the books children read in school and take home enable them to practise the phonics they are learning in school. This will help to further develop pupils’ early reading skills.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged Longsight Community Primary to be good on 9 and 10 June 2015.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil 24–25 September 2019

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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. 24–25 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10087735 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9–10 June 2015

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Information about this school

 Longsight Community Primary School opened as a free school in September 2013. The school was set up by the Big Life group of social businesses and charities. The school is situated in the heart of Longsight and co-located with Longsight Children’s Centre.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, I spoke with pupils, both formally and informally, about their work and school life. I spoke with members of the local governing body, trustees from the Big Life Trust, a representative from the local authority, the executive headteacher, head of school, and members of staff.  I reviewed a range of documentation including documentation about attendance, safeguarding and checks undertaken on newly appointed staff.  I considered the 20 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, the 13 responses from the online staff survey and nine responses to the pupil survey.  I looked in depth at reading, mathematics and physical education. This entailed discussions with subject leaders; visits to lessons; looking at examples of children’s work; discussions with teachers; discussions with children and listening to children read. 24–25 September 2019

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Inspection team

Julie Barlow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 24–25 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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