Langford Village Academy

Inspection of a good school: Langford Village Academy Church Street, Langford, Biggleswade, Bedfordshire SG18 9QA

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Inspection dates: 22 and 23 November 2022

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Langford Village Academy are sensible and generally well behaved. They are confident to express how they feel and are happy in school. Some pupils are absent too often and so miss out on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe and know who to speak to in school if they have worries. They enjoy playtime and lunchtime and use the equipment on offer. Pupils say that adults are caring. Pupils feel safe in school. Pupils learn about bullying and know how to report it. They say that bullying sometimes happens at their school, but it is usually dealt with well. Pupils enjoy taking part in an expanding range of extra-curricular activities. These enable pupils to try new things.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are not consistently supported to achieve as well as they could. Teachers sometimes give pupils work that is too easy or too hard. Most pupils read well and enjoy reading, but a small number do not.

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

Leaders have identified what they want pupils to learn in each year group. They have organised the curriculum in a way that builds on what pupils should already know. However, teachers do not always implement the curriculum as leaders intend. Some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are not given the same opportunities within lessons as their peers. Pupils with SEND, supported by adults, access a modified curriculum. In some cases, this does not allow pupils to show what they have learned or what they can do. Staff in the early years plan activities, so that children can explore new concepts and revisit what they have learned. 22 and 23 November 2022

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Leaders carry out checks on what pupils are learning, but these checks are not regular enough. Staff check what pupils have learned by revisiting previous learning within lessons. When most pupils have a misconception, staff revisit this. However, teachers do not spot some pupils who are not secure in their understanding and gaps in learning grow. Pupils with low attendance miss important learning and staff are not ensuring they all catch up.

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Leaders have set out what they want pupils to learn in phonics, however, some pupils learning to read are not well supported. Phonics is not regularly and consistently taught across the week as leaders intend. Some pupils do not get enough time to practise what they have learned. Leaders are not quickly identifying pupils who are not keeping up with their peers. Pupils’ reading books do not always match the sounds that they know. Some pupils are not fluent readers. Pupils in the older years are more confident readers but some do not feel ready for large complex texts. Children in the early years struggle to recall what they have learned and are not fluent with their sounds. As a result, some children are not well prepared for the key stage 1 curriculum.

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Most pupils are attentive in lessons. However, some pupils do not concentrate and, as a result, are not confident to apply their learning. Some pupils’ behaviour distracts other pupils from listening in lessons. Staff do not spot these behaviours quickly and do not use the school’s behaviour policy consistently. Pupils across the school know routines well and are encouraged to be independent with self-care.

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Pupils enjoy taking part in creative clubs, such as piano and drama, as well as taking part in a range of sports clubs. Pupils take part in community events and perform at large venues. Pupils take part in sports festivals. They feel well prepared for secondary school.

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Pupils learn about being unique and talk about their learning from the personal, social and health education curriculum. Pupils benefit from visitors to the school and links with other local schools and schools within the trust. They learn about charities and represent their school at events. Pupils have opportunities to be a school council representative and lunch monitors, through this they contribute to the school community.

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Trust leaders support staff to develop their subject knowledge. Leaders are supported in curriculum development. Governors work with the trust to ensure that the school has clear areas for development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have clear systems in place to identify safeguarding concerns. Leaders are quick to get support for pupils. They make timely, appropriate referrals to external agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe. Staff spot changes in pupils' behaviour that may indicate they are at risk and report concerns. Staff receive regular training to ensure that they keep up to date with safeguarding changes. Some behaviour and attendance records are not clear. Leaders cannot find information quickly. This means leaders do not follow up 22 and 23 November 2022

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some early indicators as quickly as they could. These weaknesses do not place pupils at risk.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils in the younger years are not being taught phonics regularly enough. Some pupils do not have a strong grasp of phonics and are struggling to recall and decode. Books across the school are not closely matched to pupils reading stage. Leaders must further develop the teaching of phonics to ensure that all pupils can recall and apply the sounds taught. Leaders must ensure that books are closely matched to the sounds that pupils know, so that pupils become fluent and confident readers.  Some pupils with SEND are not given the same opportunities as their peers within lessons. This means pupils are not always accessing the same curriculum. Leaders must ensure that work is closely matched, so that pupils can apply what they know and can do with increasing fluency.  Behaviour expectations for all pupils are not clear. Some behaviour is disrupting pupils’ learning in lessons. Leaders must ensure that behaviour expectations are clear for

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

pupils and staff. Leaders must ensure that behaviour records are clear, so that they can put support in place when needed.  Some pupils are absent too frequently. They are not in school to learn and so fall behind. Leaders need to establish effective ways to support pupils and their families to improve attendance.

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Background

When we have judged 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 school to be good in 3–4 May 2017. 22 and 23 November 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. 22 and 23 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10241652 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.langfordvillageacademy.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 and 4 May 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this school

 There have been some governor appointments since the previous inspection.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the principal, assistant principal, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The inspector met with the director of English and the director of mathematics for the trust.  The inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body and the trust chief executive officer.  The inspector spoke to staff to discuss workload, well-being and safeguarding. 22 and 23 November 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leader, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Documentation relating to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance were scrutinised by the inspector.  The inspector took account of the 59 responses to Ofsted Parent view, including the free-text comments.  There were no staff surveys completed. To gather their views, the inspector spoke to teachers and support staff over the course of the inspection.  There were no responses to the pupil survey. The inspector spoke to pupils when visiting lessons and in the playground over the course of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Nerrissa Bear, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 22 and 23 November 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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