Long Whatton Church of England Primary School and Community Centre

Inspection of Long Whatton Church of England Primary School and Community Centre The Green, Long Whatton, Loughborough, Leicestershire LE12 5DB

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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 Good 23–24 October 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They support each other well when they are learning. They get on well at social times and enjoy playing together on the ‘mound’. A group of pupils told an inspector: ‘We’re all part of the Whatton family. It doesn’t matter where you come from or what you believe, everyone is welcome here.’ Pupils are proud of the vegetables that they have grown as part of the school’s food for life project. They understand the importance of a healthy lifestyle that the school’s nutrition action group promotes. However, at lunchtimes, pupils who bring lunch from home do not sit at dining tables.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they feel safe in school and that there is no bullying. They are confident that staff would deal with bullying quickly, if it did happen.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils enjoy the school’s approach to learning outdoors. Younger pupils like putting on their wellington boots and getting messy, exploring the exciting outdoor areas. Older pupils say that they relish learning outside. They like being trusted to explore and try out new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that the school has improved over the last year.

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better?

The curriculum is well planned. It is clear what pupils are expected to know and remember in each subject. Some subjects, like music and history, are better developed than others. In these subjects, pupils can easily talk about what they have learned over a long period of time. This is because the school has been clear about what pupils should know for some time. In some subjects, including art, leaders have only recently set out what pupils should know and when. In these subjects teachers are at a much earlier stage of making sure that pupils can remember what they have learned over time.

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better?

Leaders have made sure that reading is valued and given lots of attention. The teaching of early reading is well structured. Pupils who begin to fall behind are quickly identified and supported to catch up. Pupils like the new school library and enjoy reading with volunteers. They achieve well in reading. The mathematics curriculum is planned well. Pupils revisit their learning so that they remember what they have learned. Pupils achieve well in mathematics.

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better?

Pupils are attentive and keen to do well. In a music lesson that an inspector visited, pupils listened carefully to what the teacher was telling them. Pupils worked well together to practise their part of a musical score. They worked out when it was their turn to play their instruments accurately. Pupils performed this new piece of music very successfully.

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better?

Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities 23–24 October 2019

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(SEND) do well. Leaders make sure that teachers know what support needs to be in place for these pupils and regularly check that it is working as it should. If pupils are not doing as well as they should, leaders and teachers make changes quickly to help them catch up.

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The school is well led and managed. The headteacher has made many improvements since she arrived at the school. She has made sure that everyone is clear about what the school wants for all pupils. ‘The Whatton way’ sets out the personal characteristics pupils should be encouraged to use and develop during their time at the school. The governing body understands its responsibilities and routinely challenges and supports school leaders. Governors regularly visit and check for themselves that what leaders tell them is accurate.

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Several staff are new to the school. They value the support that they receive and say that leaders think about their well-being and workload. Staff say that leaders have created a positive ethos in the school and that they feel valued. One member of staff said: ‘It’s a pleasure to come to work every morning.’ However, some new members of staff still need support to reach their full potential.

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Pupils in the early years achieve well. The early years leader makes sure that children are taught well. Adults regularly check on how children are getting on. Children enjoy putting on their overalls and wellington boots and playing in the outdoor area. The environment is rich and stimulating. Children in the early years are taught early reading as soon as they start in the Reception class. Leaders gather a wealth of information about how children are doing in school, but this is not shared with parents as often as it could be.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff and governors understand their safeguarding responsibilities. There is a clear process for recording and sharing any safeguarding concerns that arise. Leaders carry out checks to make sure that staff are suitable to work with children. Governors regularly check that the school is doing everything that it should to safeguard pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that they are safe in school and know who to talk to if they have a worry or concern. Pupils are taught how to stay safe online and know why it is important to not share personal information online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have a clear plan that sets out what pupils should learn and when. However, some of this is still very recent. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum for all subjects is embedded across the school.  There are many staff who are new to the school and some who are new to post. Leaders should ensure that these staff get the help they need to become experts in their role.  Leaders regularly assess how well children are achieving in the early years. The wealth of information that the school holds about how well children are doing needs to be shared more frequently with parents and carers.  Pupils who bring lunch from home are not able to use the same facilities as pupils who eat a school-provided lunch. Leaders should ensure that these pupils can eat at tables to have the same opportunities as those who have school lunches.

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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.

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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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How can I feed back my views?

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

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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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. 23–24 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110060 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June–1 July 2015

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Information about this school

 The school was last inspected in January 2019. Some priorities for improvement were identified and the school was advised that its next inspection would be a full section 5 inspection.  The headteacher has been in post since September 2018. There have been several staffing changes and some staff are new. Many governors are new to role.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team held meetings with senior and middle leaders. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  Reading, mathematics, music and art were considered in depth as part of this inspection. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and spoke with teachers. Inspectors spoke with pupils in lessons and met with a group of pupils. An inspector listened to pupils read. 23–24 October 2019

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 Inspectors looked at attendance and behaviour information provided by the school. They looked at records and documentation relating to safeguarding and governance. Inspectors considered the 49 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey. Inspectors considered the responses to the questionnaire for staff and an email from a member of staff.

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Dorothy Stenson Ofsted Inspector 23–24 October 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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