The Langley Academy

Inspection of The Langley Academy Langley Road, Langley, Slough, Berkshire SL3 7EF

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils well and have high expectations of them. Pupils benefit from clearly communicated learning routines that promote appropriate behaviour and conduct. As a result, pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning in lessons and achieve well in many subjects. During social times, pupils are polite and responsive to teachers’ instructions. They report that it is easy to be yourself within this inclusive culture with high levels of respect for diversity. Pupils are clear that discrimination in any form is not tolerated in their school. They delight in their embrace of organised school events, including ‘Our Cultural Heritage Day’. Furthermore, bullying is rare, and pupils have confidence in staff to address any concerns that they might have. Pupils feel safe, and they value the support they receive from a range of staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents appreciate the education provided at the academy. As one parent commented, ‘I know my child will do well, as they have very supportive teachers and the right guidance.’ A range of activities, trips and visitors to the school help to bring the curriculum to life. These are underpinned by ‘Museum Learning’. As well as subject-specific opportunities, there are bespoke programmes, including the ‘CARPE classics programme’, that provide pupils with opportunities that they might not ordinarily have.

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better?

Leaders are determined to ‘set no ceiling to what all pupils can achieve’ at the academy. They have designed an ambitious and broad curriculum that is designed to stretch and challenge all pupils. This includes recent changes to increase the proportion of pupils studying the English Baccalaureate. Leaders have also prioritised reading for all pupils. There is a clear system for identifying struggling readers in the academy. In key stage 3, pupils benefit from targeted support from well-informed staff.

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better?

In most subjects, the curriculum is well organised. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are accurately identified and provided with effective support to help them in lessons. Teachers use their expert subject knowledge to explain content clearly and provide appropriate activities for all pupils to learn. In English, for example, pupils are exposed to a range of modern and historical texts to develop their skills of critical analysis. A small number of subjects are in the earlier stages of developing and implementing a high-quality curriculum. In some subjects, what pupils are to be taught has not yet been precisely identified. This means that it is not yet clear what knowledge is being taught and assessed.

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better?

The curriculum offer in the sixth form is also ambitious. Leaders are taking effective action to develop positive learning habits in the sixth form. Many sixth-form students speak positively about the support that they receive in lessons. Most appreciate the feedback provided by teachers and understand how to use this to improve their 10 and 11 May 2023

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work. Leaders have prioritised further actions to improve attendance in the sixth form.

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Careers education is in place from Year 7. Pupils feel well supported to make choices about options and progression to the next stage of their learning. Pupils are also taught appropriate and engaging personal social health education lessons. As a result, pupils talk confidently about age-appropriate relationships and the importance of concepts, including consent and respect.

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The school is characterised by mutual respect and tolerance, with excellent relationships between individuals from across the school community. Leaders have developed clear systems and processes for managing behaviour and attendance. The majority of pupils meet leaders’ high expectations for behaviour. When incidents occur that fall short of leaders’ expectations, they are dealt with quickly and appropriately.

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There are a range of clubs and extra-curricular enrichment activities available for pupils to attend. These include the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme, sports, and ‘super-curricular’ clubs. Leaders have plans in place to increase pupil attendance at extra-curricular activities so that more pupils can benefit from the opportunities available to them.

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Staff, including early career teachers, are appreciative of the training that they receive. Subject-specific support and teaching support are readily accessible through structured time and professional development activities. Leaders take effective action to support staff to manage workload, and many staff feel well supported by leaders.

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Trustees and local governors are ambitious for all pupils. They are highly skilled and demonstrate an accurate and shared understanding of the school areas of strength and areas for further development. They are taking appropriate evidence-informed approaches to drive improvements and provide school leaders with effective support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are clear about their safeguarding responsibilities. They are kept up to date with regular training that provides up-to-date, contextually relevant information and purposeful reminders. Systems and processes are clear and responsive to the needs of the community. Record-keeping is comprehensive and actions taken by leaders are clear, concise and timely. Leaders work well with external agencies and organisations to support vulnerable pupils, and they have clear pathways for regular and appropriate information-sharing. Pupils benefit from a range of visitors to the school who deliver important age-appropriate assemblies about safety in the local area and beyond. 10 and 11 May 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are taking action to improve attendance in the sixth form. However, some students do not attend school often enough. This means that these students do not benefit well enough from the curriculum that is planned for them. Leaders need to ensure that the actions they are taking to improve attendance in the sixth form are carefully monitored and evaluated to make adjustments where actions are not leading to desired impacts.  In a small number of subjects, leaders have not been explicit about what knowledge and skills that they expect pupils to learn. This means that what pupils are taught in these subjects and, as a result, what they learn and remember is varied. Leaders must ensure that the knowledge pupils are to be taught is precisely identified and informs what is to be assessed.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 10 and 11 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256414 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1140

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sixth form

Date of previous inspection 28 November 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Arbib Education Trust.  The school currently uses two alternative providers.  The school has a specialist resource provision for pupils with a hearing impairment.  The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Year 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  Since the previous inspection, there have been some changes in leadership. These include a new chair of the local governing body and the assistant headteacher with responsibility for the sixth form. 10 and 11 May 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics, history, languages, science and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with the subject leader, observed pupils at work, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at a sample of pupils’ work. Inspectors also visited additional lessons in the sixth form.  Inspectors held meetings with a range of senior and middle leaders from within the school. The lead inspector also held meetings with members of the trust board and local governing body, including the school sponsor.  The inspection team reviewed a range of documentation and relevant school policies, including leaders’ own evaluation of the effectiveness of the school and

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Information about this inspection

their plans for further improvement.  Inspectors talked to a wide range of pupils and observed their behaviour in lessons and during social times.  Safeguarding records were scrutinised, including the single central record, records of referrals and evidence of leaders’ actions. Inspectors spoke to many staff and pupils about this area of the school’s work.  Inspectors considered 51 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including 30 free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of 80 responses to the staff survey and 117 responses to the pupil survey. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Hanna Miller, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Beverley Murtagh Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 May 2023

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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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