Long Mead Community Primary School

Inspection of Long Mead Community Primary School Waveney Road, Tonbridge, Kent TN10 3JU

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 17–18 September 2019

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils like attending this school. They are happy and say that their teachers are kind and patient. In lessons, pupils work hard because staff have high expectations of them. Pupils say that, very rarely, some pupils get a little noisy in lessons. However, they also say that teachers are quick to deal with this so that it does not disturb their learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are especially proud of their new library. They are delighted to take home the recently purchased books, to share with their families.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well with each other. They appreciate the many things that they can do at playtime and lunchtime. They particularly like it when adults lead games for them to play, such as football or basketball. Pupils said that they do not worry about being bullied. All the pupils we spoke to said that they feel safe in school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the opportunities they have to learn outside the classroom. We saw pupils investigating their science topic outdoors, finding leaves and describing their features. Younger children went on a hunt to find objects beginning with the letter sounds they were learning.

p.2

better?

The school provides a good quality of education. Leaders are ambitious and want all pupils to do as well as they can. They know that they need to make sure that teachers are clear what pupils need to learn in each subject, so that pupils develop and deepen their knowledge and skills over time.

p.2

better?

Leaders and teachers have planned a detailed and exciting curriculum. This meets the needs of all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Most subjects are planned well, providing a clear sequence of learning. This helps teachers understand what pupils need to learn before they move on. In some subjects, this is very successful, for example in science, where Year 6 pupils used their knowledge about how light travels to design an experiment to test and prove their thinking. In some subjects, there is more to do. It is clear from what they have done so far that leaders have this work in hand. Guidance for teachers has recently been updated so that they know what to teach and when.

p.2

better?

Pupils behave well most of the time. Most work hard in lessons and cooperate well with adults and classmates. At times, some pupils lose concentration in lessons, although teachers’ high expectations for behaviour mean that this happens less and less. On the rare occasions when pupils do misbehave in class, teachers deal with this quickly and effectively.

p.2

better?

Teachers are trained to help pupils learn phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) quickly. Leaders check pupils’ progress in phonics regularly. This ensures 17–18 September 2019

p.2

3

that all pupils do well, and none fall behind. As soon as pupils learn new sounds, teachers help them to read them straight away. Pupils use their phonic knowledge well to sound words out accurately. This is because teachers ensure that pupils’ books match the sounds that they are learning. As pupils move through the school, they get better at reading fluently and understanding what they are reading.

p.3

3

Teachers plan lots of opportunities for pupils to develop their emotional and social skills. Pupils talk about their feelings and learn to understand the feelings of others. They are helped to understand right and wrong and how their actions can make others feel. This helps pupils to treat each other kindly.

p.3

3

Children are safe and well looked after in the early years. They play happily together and enjoy exploring the many activities that teachers plan for them. This includes opportunities for children to speak, read and write. Staff in in the pre-school lay the foundations for phonics, encouraging children’s listening skills through singing and rhyming. Staff also ensure that children learn to recognise numbers and begin to count on and back quickly. Teachers make sure that there are lots of things in the classroom to help children with this, for example beads and cubes to count.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training to help keep pupils safe. This informs staff about the warning signs of abuse or neglect, for instance, as well as about the school’s policy for dealing with safeguarding concerns. Consequently, staff know what to do if they think a pupil may be at risk of harm.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders act quickly when concerns are reported to them. They work closely with the local authority and other agencies to make sure that pupils and families get the help that they need.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is focused on what pupils need to learn and when. Leaders should ensure that recently enhanced subject plans are implemented so that pupils develop their learning equally well across the curriculum. Leaders should keep a check that the guidance provided for staff helps improve pupils’ learning as intended.  Pupils mostly concentrate and work hard in class. Leaders should continue to focus on the good work already started to eradicate any low-level disruption during teaching. 17–18 September 2019

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you're not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

Further information

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. 17–18 September 2019

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10111121 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Headteacher Jon Barker (executive headteacher) Elizabeth Alexander (headteacher) Website www.long-mead.kent.sch.uk/

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 16–17 May 2017

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of the Tonbridge Federation, a partnership between Hugh Christie Technology College, Long Mead Community Primary School and Little Foxes Children’s Centre. An executive headteacher leads the federation, with a head of school in each of the two schools and a manager in the Children’s Centre.

p.5

Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and a representative from the local authority.  Phonics and reading, mathematics, science and personal, social and health education (PSHE) were considered in depth as part of this inspection. Inspectors gathered evidence from talking to senior leaders, curriculum leaders and pupils. Jointly with senior leaders, inspectors visited lessons, observed ‘story time’ and looked at pupils’ work. Some pupils also read to inspectors.  The inspection team evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding through reviewing the school’s recruitment procedures and checks on the suitability of 17–18 September 2019

p.5

6

staff to work in the school. A wide range of documentation relating to the safeguarding of pupils was also scrutinised.  The inspection team evaluated leadership and management through discussions with senior leaders and curriculum leaders, along with scrutiny of a range of policies and procedures. Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes were evaluated through lesson visits, observations during breaktime and lunchtime, talking to pupils and reviewing the school’s documentation on behaviour and incidents of bullying. Inspectors found out about the school’s programme for pupils’ personal development through discussions with pupils and meetings with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) and the family support worker.

p.6

Inspection team

Luisa Gould, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Lesley Fisher-Pink Ofsted Inspector 17–18 September 2019

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7