Langdale CofE School

Inspection of a good school: Langdale CofE School Chapel Stile, Great Langdale, Ambleside, Cumbria LA22 9JE

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Outcome

Langdale CofE School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very proud of their school and they look forward to entering the building each day. Pupils explained that bullying is extremely rare. Some pupils said that sometimes, other pupils can be silly. However, they are confident that when behaviour is poor, teachers deal with it so that it does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Around the school, pupils typically behave well. They are clear about the routines for behaviour. This is because children are introduced to these routines in the Nursery class and they are reinforced by teachers as pupils progress through the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school because staff have forged positive relationships with them. Pupils look after each other. Older pupils take care of their younger classmates. Leaders have high expectations of pupils. Pupils try hard and do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils can make the most of the school’s unique geographical setting. All pupils engage in a wide range of outdoor learning opportunities that are carefully woven through the curriculum. Pupils learn how to look after their physical and mental health through a range of exciting outdoor activities. For example, they regularly engage in water sports, hill walking and orienteering.

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

Leaders have planned an exciting and sufficiently ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Leaders have successfully designed and adapted the curriculum to ensure that it suits the mixed-age classes and changing profile of the school. They have skilfully enhanced the curriculum with outdoor learning opportunities. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, flourish. Year 6 pupils leave school ready for the challenges of their secondary school education. 17 November 2021

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In many subjects, leaders have identified the knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn and when they will learn them. This means that teachers plan new learning that builds on what pupils already know. For example, in geography, pupils develop their knowledge of maps over time through well-planned activities, including fieldwork experiences. However, in some subjects, leaders are still in the process of identifying the knowledge that is essential for pupils’ future learning.

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Mostly, teachers use assessment information well to check that pupils’ earlier learning is secure and then to plan new learning based on what pupils know and can do. This supports pupils to achieve well. That said, in those subjects where leaders have not identified the knowledge that pupils will learn, teachers do not always use assessment as effectively to pick up on misconceptions or to design new learning. This prevents some pupils from building on their previous learning.

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Across the different classes, pupils of different ages work in harmony. Pupils listen to their teachers because they want to learn. Pupils can get on with their work without the worry of disruption.

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Leaders have made early reading a priority. Children in the early years and pupils in key stages 1 and 2 access a wide range of suitable reading resources. Children in the Nursery class listen attentively and enjoy listening to older pupils reading to them. Pupils are enthused by books and the joy that reading offers. Staff are highly skilled. They use their expertise to deliver phonics sessions effectively. Teachers ensure that pupils learn new sounds in a logical manner. Staff make regular checks so that any pupils who fall behind receive timely support to help them to catch up. Pupils, including children in the early years, read books at home that match the sounds that they have learned in school. They apply their phonics knowledge to help them read unfamiliar words. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 develop their confidence and fluency in reading.

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Leaders have robust systems to ensure that the needs of pupils with SEND are identified swiftly. This means that, from the moment that pupils join the school, including in the early years, staff provide appropriate support for this group of pupils. Leaders ensure that teaching assistants have the skills necessary to deliver focused interventions that support pupils’ individual needs.

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The promotion of pupils’ personal development is a key part of the curriculum. All pupils take part in a wide range of outdoor learning projects. Carefully chosen visits to major cities and towns ensure that pupils learn about life beyond their village. That said, some aspects of pupils’ personal development are not as well developed. For example, some pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to learn about faiths and cultures that differ to their own.

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Governors are supportive of school leaders. They provide an appropriate level of challenge about the curriculum. They ensure that pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils benefit from the same curriculum as their friends. 17 November 2021

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive in their support for school leaders. Leaders thoughtfully consider their workload and well-being. Staff said that they appreciate that leaders have made some changes to ensure that systems are more manageable.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure that safeguarding is a priority in the school. They have provided staff with relevant safeguarding training. This ensures that staff have the necessary skills to spot potential signs of neglect or abuse. Leaders keep detailed records of their work to safeguard pupils. Leaders work with local schools and external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families receive appropriate support.

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Safeguarding

Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, they learn how to stay safe when they are walking on country roads or by open water. Pupils learn about the potential dangers that they may face when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to acquire. This hinders teachers in using assessment well to plan learning that builds on what pupils know already. In these subjects, leaders should ensure that they identify the knowledge that pupils should know to support teachers to plan learning that builds on what pupils have been taught previously.  Some aspects of the school’s personal development curriculum are not as well developed as they should be. This means that some pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to learn about different cultures and faiths. Leaders should ensure that, through the personal development curriculum, pupils develop a greater awareness of faiths and cultures that are different to their own.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2012. 17 November 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

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 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 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. 17 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10204407 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 4 October 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a Church of England primary school. The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in 2016.  A new headteacher and a new chair of the governing body have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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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.  During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the lead practitioner and two members of the governing body, including the chair of the governors.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority. 17 November 2021

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 An inspector spoke to a representative of the Diocese of Carlisle on the telephone and spoke with parents and carers at the start of the school day.  Inspectors reviewed a range of safeguarding documentation. They scrutinised employment checks and spoke with staff about their safeguarding knowledge.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and geography. Inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, and spoke with teachers. Inspectors spoke with pupils about their learning and viewed examples of their work.  The lead inspector observed children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read to a trusted adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at play times and while they moved around the school. Inspectors spoke with members of staff about their workload and well-being.  Inspectors considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire,

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including the free-text comments. There were no responses to Ofsted’s staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

John Donald, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Julie Brown Ofsted Inspector 17 November 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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