Longridge High School

Inspection of Longridge High School Preston Road, Longridge, Preston, Lancashire PR3 3AR

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 21 and 22 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they enjoy coming to school. They said it is a happy and safe place to learn. Pupils value the positive relationships that they have with one another and with staff. Leaders care about all pupils and want the best for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and respect. They are accepting of each other’s differences. Pupils said that they feel confident to report any unkind or inappropriate comments or incidents. They told inspectors that bullying is rare. Staff resolve any bullying quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well during social times. Pupils concentrate on their work in lessons. They are keen to learn. Pupils have access to a wide range of activities to support their wider personal development, for example The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and teachers have high expectations of pupils. They want all pupils to achieve well in school and in their future lives. Pupils benefit from a better quality of education than they did in the past. However, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve consistently well across all subjects. This is because pupils do not have access to a consistently well-planned curriculum.

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better?

Leaders are determined that all pupils, including those with SEND, will experience a high-quality education. However, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum at key stage 3 is suitably ambitious across all subjects. At key stage 4, the uptake of the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects is low. Leaders are in the process of redefining what is taught across the curriculum, including the core knowledge that pupils must know and remember. However, as this work is still ongoing, it has not had enough impact on pupils’ achievement.

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better?

In those subjects where leaders have successfully reviewed the curriculum, pupils’ achievement is beginning to improve. Pupils remember more of the essential knowledge that they need. This is because subject leaders are clear about what they intend pupils to learn, including those with SEND. Teachers, in these subjects, check pupils’ knowledge and understanding effectively. They use assessment information well to address misconceptions and to help pupils move onto new learning. Pupils can build on what they already know.

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better?

Conversely, in several other subjects, curriculum planning lacks depth and ambition. Leaders have not identified the precise knowledge that pupils must know and remember. This means that, at times, teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to teach new knowledge. Consequently, not all pupils, including some with SEND and some who are disadvantaged, retain the essential knowledge that they should in these subjects. This is especially the case in key stage 3. Assessment systems in these subjects are not well developed because teachers have not 21 and 22 September 2021

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established the core knowledge for pupils to learn. These weaknesses hinder some pupils’ learning.

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Leaders have been more successful in supporting those pupils who lack the knowledge that they require to read fluently and accurately. Staff are quick to identify any pupils who fall behind with their reading. Leaders provide an appropriate catch-up reading curriculum for these pupils. Consequently, most pupils become confident readers, enabling them to access the wider curriculum.

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Leaders are effective at identifying the needs of pupils with SEND. Pupils, parents and carers value the support that leaders and teachers provide for pupils with SEND.

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Across the school, pupils engage well with their teachers, who have high expectations of their behaviour. Pupils attend regularly and they are punctual to school and lessons.

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Leaders provide a strong and effective personal development curriculum. Leaders and teachers are selecting the most important age-appropriate topics for pupils to learn. Leaders offer extra-curricular clubs and activities that inspire and interest every pupil. This includes sports and drama clubs.

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Leaders have appropriately adjusted the careers education, information, advice and guidance programme to reflect what pupils missed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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Governors are supporting leaders to improve the quality of education that pupils receive. However, governors have not challenged leaders sufficiently well about the ambitiousness of the key stage 3 curriculum.

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Staff appreciate how leaders and governors protect them from excessive workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders prioritise safeguarding effectively. Leaders ensure that staff are trained to spot the signs that pupils may be at risk of harm. This includes online risks. The positive relationship between pupils and staff enables adults to identify quickly if pupils require additional support from external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have recently raised pupils’ and staff’s awareness of the risks of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse, and sexual violence. This is a strength.

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Safeguarding

Pupils told inspectors that they are confident that they can report any worries and seek help from staff. Staff process this information in a timely manner. Leaders ensure that there are suitable checks in place when recruiting staff. 21 and 22 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders have not designed key stage 3 curriculums that are sufficiently ambitious for all pupils. They have not identified the core knowledge that pupils must know and remember. This means that some pupils, including those with SEND and/or those who are disadvantaged, do not make the progress that leaders intend. Subject leaders should ensure that they plan key stage 3 subject curriculums that enable all pupils to learn the essential knowledge that they need to be successful across the full range of subjects.  In some subjects, leaders have not designed assessment systems that check that pupils have learned the intended knowledge. Consequently, some teachers do not address pupils’ misconceptions or their missing knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers know exactly what knowledge pupils must learn and that assessments are designed to test that pupils have learned that essential

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

knowledge.  In some subjects, teachers do not choose the most appropriate activities to teach the knowledge that pupils should learn. This hinders pupils’ learning and progress across curriculums. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the training that they need to enable them to select the most appropriate activities to teach that knowledge.

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How can I feedback my views?

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

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How can I feedback my views?

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

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How can I feedback my views?

If you are the school and you are 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. 21 and 22 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200772 Type of school Secondary comprehensive

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 and 13 September 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at one alternative provider.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide students in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders and subject leaders. Inspectors spoke on the telephone with a representative of Lancashire County Council.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals to the local authority. Inspectors spoke with staff about how they keep pupils safe. 21 and 22 September 2021

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Inspectors also asked the pupils how they keep themselves safe, and what to do if they have concerns.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered the 49 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.  Inspectors spoke with pupils from all year groups and considered the 253 responses to Ofsted’s online pupil questionnaire.  Inspectors considered the views of the 75 parents who completed Parent View, Ofsted’s online parental survey. This included the 44 free-text responses. Inspectors also considered the views of the parents who contacted them during the inspection by email.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, French, history, mathematics and science. Inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum plans and spoke with leaders from some

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Inspection team

Stephen Ruddy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tuesday Humby Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2021

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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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