Langwith Bassett Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Langwith Bassett Junior Academy Bassett Hill, Upper Langwith, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG20 9RD

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Outcome

Langwith Bassett Junior Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this happy and caring school. They understand the importance of working to uphold the school’s RESPECT values (responsibility, enthusiasm, sense of pride, perseverance, empathy, curiosity and teamwork). Pupils demonstrate these values in different ways. Play leaders, house captains and members of the school council enjoy the responsibilities they are given. The ‘Bassett Business Kids’ recently raised money to donate to a memorial for local miners.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they feel safe at school. It is typically called a ‘family’ by pupils, parents and carers and staff. Pupils say bullying is very rare. They are confident that staff would sort out any occurrence quickly. Pupils know they can go to any adult in school if they have a concern or worry. They know that staff will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind and polite. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Relationships between staff and pupils are respectful and positive. Pupils hold their teachers in high regard.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of experiences while at school. The various clubs on offer, such as: newspaper, gymnastics, choir and Little Samurai are all very popular.

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

The school provides a good quality of education. Leaders have been developing the curriculum to make sure that it meets the needs of all pupils. Pupils learn in mixed-age classes. Most subjects are well thought out and carefully planned. In these subjects, teachers make sure that pupils understand what they are learning and how it builds on what they already know.

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

However, leaders have more work to do in a few subjects to make sure that pupils deepen their knowledge over time. In mathematics, for example, some pupils move on to new learning too quickly. As a result, they struggle to remember some of the key knowledge 18 October 2022

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they have been taught. Leaders are reviewing the system they use to check pupils’ learning.

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Pupils enjoy physical education (PE) and other opportunities to be active, such as cross- country events. When playing netball, pupils can explain how to chest pass or how to throw underarm and why these approaches are useful. Pupils know how to kick and trap a ball effectively. One pupil told inspectors, ‘You use the w-shape with your hands to catch and throw the ball successfully.' Another pupil said, 'We know about your arm not being too high. You have to 'tick tock like a clock.’’ Learning in PE is strong.

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Teachers use their good subject knowledge to explain new ideas to pupils clearly. They support pupils in lessons by modelling their high expectations and addressing pupils’ misconceptions. Pupils can usually explain their learning well using subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils used ‘quadrilateral’ and ‘right angle’ when discussing shapes in mathematics. Other pupils confidently explained how to identify 'faces, edges' and 'vertices’.

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Children get off to a good start in the Nursery. They begin to learn the sounds letters make early on. They recognise the total number of objects in a group, without counting them. Older children in the early years can represent numbers to five using diagrams.

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Leaders have made reading a high priority. Pupils enjoy reading. They are excited about story time at the end of each day. There is a consistent approach to the teaching of phonics. Staff have high expectations and are well trained. Pupils settle well into the routines of learning phonics and are keen to join in. Staff pay close attention to how well pupils know their sounds. They support pupils who begin to struggle straight away. The books given to pupils to help them learn to read are well matched to the sounds they know. Pupils are proud of the new library. Members of the school council are keen to extend the library into the outdoors as well.

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Teachers ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the full curriculum. Staff make effective use of resources to identify these pupils’ needs quickly and provide them with suitable support. Pupils with SEND receive the extra help they need, so that they can learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils have a clear view about equalities. However, they struggle to talk confidently about different world religions. They also have a fragile understanding of some of the fundamental British values, such as democracy and liberty and how these shape our lives.

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Governors visit the school regularly. They ensure that leaders keep them well informed. Staff are proud to work at the school. They say they feel valued by senior leaders. 18 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have developed trusting relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils and parents say that school is a safe place. Pupils know that adults in school really care about them and look after them well.

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Safeguarding

Staff teach pupils how to stay safe, both inside and outside school. Pupils learn how to stay safe, including when using the internet and social media.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that all staff have been well trained. As a result, staff know how to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not established consistent systems to identify gaps in pupils’ learning in some subjects. Where curriculum thinking is less clear, teachers do not check carefully enough whether pupils are successful at acquiring new knowledge and using it fluently. Leaders should ensure that checks on pupils’ learning help teachers determine precise next steps for pupils, without causing unnecessary burdens for staff or pupils.  Some pupils’ knowledge of British values and different faiths is fragile. Pupils know they should respect differences. However, some pupils are not as aware as they should be of what these differences may be. Leaders should ensure that pupils have the necessary knowledge and understanding of British values and different faiths.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Langwith Bassett Primary School to be good in November 2017. 18 October 2022

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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. 18 October 2022

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provision

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Langwith Bassett Junior Academy converted to become an academy school in June 2018. When its predecessor school, Langwith Bassett Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school does 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive principal, the principal and other leaders.  The lead inspector met with the acting chief executive officer for the trust. She met with four members of the local governing body, including the chair. 18 October 2022

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and PE. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with parents. Account was taken of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke to groups of pupils and staff.  The lead inspector met with leaders to discuss safeguarding. Inspectors met with staff to discuss their understanding of the safeguarding risks and reviewed the school’s procedures to keep pupils safe. Inspectors considered documentation relating to safeguarding, the school’s single central register and the system for undertaking checks on new staff.

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Inspection team

Heidi Malliff, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Damien Turrell His Majesty's Inspector 18 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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