Langstone Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Langstone Junior Academy Lakeside Avenue, Copnor, Portsmouth, Hampshire PO3 6EZ

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Outcome

Langstone Junior Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Langstone learners are taught to be thinkers, to be resilient and reflective. One parent, who responded to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, echoed the views of many, saying, ‘Langstone Junior Academy is inspirational. There is a strong ethos of empowering children to reach their full potential and to respect others. I cannot recommend this school highly enough. It is wonderful!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The headteacher and her committed team want the best for every pupil. They have high expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour. Aspiration is something staff try to instil in pupils. Pupils excitedly strive to become ‘master learners’. They achieve this by showing they have developed certain qualities. One ‘master learner’, proudly wearing his ‘master learner’ polo shirt, told the lead inspector, ‘It is about having integrity and being responsible for your learning.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Excellent staff-pupil relationships mean that staff know pupils very well. This leads to pupils wanting to do the right thing. As a result, pupils behave well in class and around school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils happily attend school and feel safe and well cared for. They get on well with each other and know that staff will help them if they have any problems, for example if they experience bullying.

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

Leaders have developed an ambitious and broad curriculum which means that pupils experience a wide range of subjects. Each of these subjects is planned well and helps pupils to become knowledgeable about many topics and concepts. Leaders have thought very carefully about what pupils should learn and when. This means that pupils make good progress as they move through the school.

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

In lessons, pupils are enthusiastic learners that take pride in their work. They discuss their learning, ask questions and debate. They respectfully challenge each other, sometimes 8 and 9 December 2021

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disagreeing and explaining their reasons. Staff encourage pupils to reflect and think about how they can improve their work. Teachers regularly check on pupils’ learning so that they can make appropriate changes to what they teach. Sometimes this means revisiting learning to make sure it sticks in pupils’ memories.

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Pupils are avid readers that relish every opportunity to immerse themselves in a book. One pupil said, ‘I like reading because it inspires me and sometimes it feels like I am in the book.’ A range of high-quality books, spanning many genres, provide the opportunity for pupils to read every day. They read fluently and confidently, drawing on their reading skills to understand what they read. However, some pupils, particularly the weakest readers, have gaps in their knowledge of phonics. As a result, they struggle to read age- appropriate books and texts. Leaders have already begun to make changes to the teaching of phonics to provide even more support for these pupils.

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There are high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). These pupils are supported well because of how well their needs are identified. The tasks they work on in lessons are carefully broken down with additional resources and one-to-one support as needed.

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Staff and leaders prepare pupils well for the future. A well-thought-out personal, social and health education programme means that pupils learn about health and well-being, relationships and living in the wider world. They learn about different cultures and faiths. Assemblies, events and trips provide exciting opportunities that are enriching for pupils. Celebration assemblies are a joy to watch, during which pupils proudly accept awards.

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A committed headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders have strengthened the curriculum over recent years, while carefully considering staff workload and well-being. Teaching and support staff feel well supported by leaders. Subject and year leaders relish the responsibilities they have. The school is well supported by other schools and leaders in the trust, but also has a prominent role in supporting other schools. Trustees and governors understand their roles and carry them out effectively, challenging and supporting leaders to always strive for more.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that staff working at the school have the right checks. Regular training for staff means that they swiftly and accurately identify concerns. The well-thought-out processes and accompanying guidance for staff means that they routinely record their concerns. Leaders’ record-keeping is thorough. Leaders work well with external agencies to ensure that pupils and families receive the support they need. Trustees and governors carefully monitor leaders’ work to safeguard pupils.

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Safeguarding

The school’s curriculum ensures that pupils learn about relationships, health and well- being and how to stay safe, including online. 8 and 9 December 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the school’s weakest readers have gaps in their knowledge of phonics. This makes it harder for them to read books and texts that are age-appropriate. Leaders should ensure that the weakest readers are further supported so that their knowledge of phonics improves.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Langstone Junior School, to be good in March 2013.

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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. 8 and 9 December 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10203145 Type of school Junior

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School details

Website https://langstone-jun.portsmouth.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The predecessor school, Langstone Junior School, converted to become the current academy in October 2017, when it joined the University of Chichester Academy Trust (UniCAT).  The school does not currently use any 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and French. He discussed the curriculum with leaders, staff and pupils, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and heard pupils read.  The inspector scrutinised curriculum planning for a range of other foundation subjects.  The inspector met with school leaders, staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the board of trustees and the chair of the local 8 and 9 December 2021

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governing body. He met with the chief executive officer of UniCAT and the academy improvement partner who is employed by the trust to work with the school.  The inspector observed the start and end of the school day and lunchtime.  The inspector scrutinised the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement planning. He scrutinised records of visits carried out by the academy improvement partner, as well as those carried out by governors.  The inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator and other leaders to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND.  The inspector considered the responses to the confidential staff survey. He took account of the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and comments made by those who responded. He spoke to parents at the end of the school day, during the inspection.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector looked at the school’s

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website and policies, met with designated safeguarding leads and spoke with pupils and staff. He scrutinised records of the safeguarding checks carried out on adults working at the school and spoke with trustees and governors. He scrutinised child protection records.

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Inspection team

Shaun Jarvis, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 December 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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