Long Lee Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Long Lee Primary School Cherry Tree Rise, Long Lee, Keighley, West Yorkshire BD21 4RU

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Outcome

Long Lee Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Long Lee Primary School are polite and curious. They welcome visitors to school. Leaders promote the ‘4B’ values to ‘be kind, safe, respectful and inquisitive’. Pupils understand these values. They demonstrate how to ‘be the best they can be’ in lessons and around school, for example when working with their peers in lessons. They are proud of their achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations. They notice, and celebrate, when pupils do the right thing. Pupils behave well. Bullying is not tolerated. Pupils trust that adults will help them if they need support with friendships. Pupils can ask adults for help via the ‘buddy box’ or in person. Any falling out between pupils is quickly resolved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the awards that they can earn. They are proud of their work. During the inspection, a visitor brought different types of animals for them to see. Pupils were enthusiastic to learn how to handle them with care. Pupils are proud to take on leadership roles. These include school council members, librarians, eco-warriors and digital leaders. They take their responsibilities seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take part in a variety of clubs and activities to develop their interests and talents. Leaders organise competitions for different sports. Clubs include crafts; science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM); and debate club.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are determined to support all pupils to do well. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and pupils who access the resourced provision. As a result, pupils with SEND make progress in their learning and catch up with their peers. Parents and carers are complimentary of the way their child has benefited from the support they receive. They are positive about the communication system between school and home. 28 and 29 March 2023

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

Leaders ensure all pupils access a broad and balanced curriculum. Curriculum plans are carefully sequenced. This helps pupils learn important information. It is clear what pupils should learn, from early years to Year 6. Pupils from the resourced provision have the support they need to learn well. They access appropriate lessons in mainstream classes. Leaders have the expertise to provide key information about the individual needs of pupils with SEND and the strategies to help them learn. This means teachers can support pupils well.

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

Leaders have adopted a structured phonics programme. They provide training for all staff. Leaders check the quality of lessons to ensure the programme is well delivered. Children start to learn sounds right from Nursery. Children practise reading books matched to the sounds they know. Pupils who struggle catch up quickly and become confident readers. They learn to share stories with others. They enjoy the ‘books and biscuits’ sessions in school with their parents. Older pupils talk about the books they read together in class. They are excited about the class and school libraries, where they can choose books to read for pleasure. Pupils know it is important to read well.

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

The curriculum is well sequenced. It is designed to introduce pupils to important concepts. Children in early years start to learn important skills that prepare them for key stage 1. They do a variety of interesting activities to help them explore numbers. For example, they count out different objects in groups of 5 on a grid. From the strong start in early years, pupils develop their understanding.

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

Staff have strong subject knowledge. In most subjects, they give clear information which helps pupils to access their learning well. Misconceptions are addressed to ensure pupils keep up with their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils are confident in their learning. Pupils secure the mathematical vocabulary they need. They draw on prior knowledge when learning new things. Pupils are keen to be involved in the practical tasks linked to their learning. However, in some subjects, pupils are not secure in their understanding of some of the technical language. The strategies teachers use do not help them to know whether pupils’ knowledge is secure before moving on.

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

Leaders have developed a strong programme for personal, social and health education. Pupils value learning about positive relationships and how to keep themselves healthy. A recent topic, ‘healthy me,’ gave pupils an opportunity to try new activities, such as yoga and dance fitness. Pupils are taught about different cultures and beliefs. During the inspection, some pupils were fasting for Ramadan. They had the opportunity to teach their peers about why this is an important part of being a Muslim. Pupils were keen to support them. Pupils have a clear understanding of fundamental British values. They recognise the importance of being respectful and tolerant.

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

Leaders plan different experiences and visits as part of the curriculum. Pupils were excited to learn about World War Two. They dressed as evacuees, learned dances and had food from that era. It helped them to understand what it was like to live at that time in history. Pupils take part in these educational visits, including residential trips, to have new experiences and develop new skills. 28 and 29 March 2023

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Governors are passionate about supporting the school. They visit the school regularly. School leaders provide information to keep governors informed. However, the governing body members do not consistently use the full range of information available to them to guide their work. They sometimes miss opportunities to challenge leaders further to hold them to account.

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Staff are well supported by leaders. Leaders make sure that staff’s workload is manageable. They provide opportunities for professional development to all staff. Staff are happy to work in such a supportive team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding in this school. They ensure all staff and governors understand the wide range of risks that pupils may face. Staff know pupils well. As a result, staff notice any changes and report their concerns quickly. Leaders take swift action to ensure pupils are safe and get the help they need. Leaders work closely with external agencies, such as following up on referrals for additional help from children’s services.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure all statutory checks on staff and visitors are made.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils know to tell an adult if they have a worry. They know adults will listen to them.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge for pupils to remember. Teachers are unsure what to emphasise in lessons and what to assess. This means that pupils do not consistently secure the most important knowledge and skills. Leaders should make sure that the most important knowledge is identified so that teachers can emphasise it clearly and check whether pupils have learned it.  Governors do not use the full range of information available to them to guide their work. This means they miss opportunities to hold leaders to account. Governors should ensure they use the information they receive to provide rigorous challenge and support to school leaders. 28 and 29 March 2023

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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 school to be good in January 2018.

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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. 28 and 29 March 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 31 January and 1 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a resourced provision for pupils with social, emotional and mental health needs.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is well above the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above the national average.  There is a breakfast club.  There is an after-school club on site, run by an external provider.  The school does not use 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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders.  The inspector met with members of the governing body and had a phone call with the local authority representative. 28 and 29 March 2023

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 To inspect safeguarding, the inspector reviewed relevant documentation and checked the single central record.  Records for pupils’ behaviour and attendance were considered by the inspector.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed curriculum plans with the subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the day, including at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector talked to pupils about their school.  The inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, which included free-text comments.  The inspector met with staff who carried out different roles across the school and

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considered the responses received from Ofsted’s staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Louise Greatrex, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 March 2023

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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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