Langley Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Langley Primary School Titford Road, Oldbury, West Midlands B69 4QB

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 October 2022

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Outcome

Langley Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this truly inclusive school. There is a strong sense of community. Parents and carers value the support that they and their children receive from staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a carefully planned curriculum. They enjoy their learning and know more because teachers make it interesting. Pupils look forward to new learning and tackle it with confidence. The well-planned curriculum and effective teaching enable pupils to make good progress.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand the school rules. Leaders’ expectations are high, and this is reflected in pupils’ behaviour. Pupils are kind to each other. They say that staff teach them to treat others with respect. Pupils recognise when their friends display one of the Langley values, such as responsibility. They celebrate these occasions in assemblies. Pupils say that ‘everyone will clap and be proud of them’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Leaders work closely with pupils to resolve any concerns. Pupils trust staff to listen if they have worries. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn valuable life skills through opportunities such as the ‘Langley challenge’. For example, they achieve first aid qualifications or complete environmental projects. Pupils become leaders by taking on responsibilities, such as play leaders, milk monitors and forest guardians.

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

Leaders have planned a broad curriculum that meets the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum identifies what pupils need to know. Leaders have carefully structured the curriculum so that it is well sequenced. This helps pupils to apply what they already know when they are learning something new. Pupils achieve well over time. 11 and 12 October 2022

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Leaders prioritise early reading. Children enjoy stories, songs and rhymes in Nursery. They start learning letter sounds from their first days in Reception. Teachers have received the training they need to teach the new phonics scheme well. This helps pupils to become confident readers. Staff check pupils’ reading progress carefully. Pupils at risk of falling behind receive extra help so that they catch up quickly. Teachers give pupils reading books that match the sounds they know. The books that teachers read to pupils each day are carefully chosen.

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Children benefit from a lively learning environment in Nursery and Reception. Activities are thoughtfully designed to support their learning. This means these classrooms are always a hive of purposeful activity. Staff focus on developing the children’s language skills. Staff play alongside children to ensure that the children hear and use rich vocabulary. Children are well prepared for Year 1.

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Teachers use quizzes and questions to help pupils remember facts. Staff regularly check what pupils know and remember. Teachers use the information from these checks to change future planning if needed to close any gaps in pupils’ learning. Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly. Staff provide support that meets their needs. This means they make the best possible progress while learning alongside their peers.

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The school is right to be proud of its music provision. All pupils have the chance to learn to play musical instruments. Many pupils take advantage of the instrumental lessons with a specialist teacher. They learn to play instruments such as the cello. The school choir performs in the local community and at wider events. Pupils sing tunefully and with gusto in assembly.

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Leaders carefully consider how to shape pupils’ character. They focus on ensuring that pupils are confident and ready for secondary school when they leave Year 6. Pupils can explain what fundamental British values are and understand what it is like to grow up in modern Britain. They learn to respect the views and beliefs of others. Pupils also learn to celebrate the similarities and differences of others. For example, all the older pupils have been taught a basic understanding of dementia. Pupils attend sessions at a local dementia centre and engage with the residents. Pupils value these experiences.

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Leaders have provided staff with training in many areas of the curriculum and school life. However, a number of staff have recently taken on new roles and responsibilities. While these staff have quickly developed their skills in these roles, they are yet to complete their full training to become experts in their field.

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The school is well led. Leaders put pupils, families and the community at the centre of everything they do. Governors know the school community well. They fulfil their statutory duties and support and challenge leaders when needed. There is a real team spirit in school. Staff feel supported and are proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 October 2022

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There is a robust culture of safeguarding throughout the school. Leaders are determined that the well-being of pupils and families is prioritised. Staff receive regular training so that they know how to recognise and respond quickly to potential signs of abuse. They know the procedures for reporting concerns. Safeguarding records are detailed and well maintained. Leaders work closely with external agencies to provide support to pupils and their families. Staff are not afraid to insist on more help if needed. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. This includes when they are online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff have recently changed roles and responsibilities. This means that they are still developing their expertise in their new roles. Leaders should continue to provide training and support in order to develop staff’s expertise in their relevant roles.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the 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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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. 11 and 12 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10226936 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 1 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not make use of 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 leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector met with governors. She also spoke to a representative of the local authority.  The inspector met with the designated leader for safeguarding to discuss the actions taken to keep pupils safe. The lead inspector reviewed a range of documents, including the checks made on staff.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For the deep dives, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 11 and 12 October 2022

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 The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read and also met with groups of pupils from across the school.  The inspector spoke with groups of staff and took account of views shared through the staff survey.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. The inspector spoke informally with parents collecting their children from school.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 11 and 12 October 2022

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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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