Longlands Primary School

Inspection of Longlands Primary School Linden Way, Fairfields, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 1QU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 11 and 12 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and work hard at Longlands. They are proud of their school and strive to do well. Pupils are eager to learn and especially enjoy the opportunities provided to learn outside, such as in the school’s woodland area and farm. They enjoy selling the produce they grow and caring for the animals .

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and understand the school rules of, ‘be ready, be respectful, be safe’. They behave well in lessons and around the school. At breaktimes, pupils play cooperatively with a range of sports equipment. They understand what bullying is. Senior leaders act swiftly to resolve any issues that arise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are acutely aware of issues in the local area and make sure that pupils have high aspirations. They ensure that pupils achieve well and they look after pupils’ social development and emotional needs. They also provide pupils’ families with effective support. Many parents and carers are pleased with the support they have received from the school. They make comments such as, ‘I can’t tell you the difference this school has made to our life and world.’

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better?

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. They know the school well and have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. Leaders want the best for all staff and pupils.

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better?

Curriculum plans usually start in early years. Many are well ordered and allow pupils to build on what they already know and can do. However, in some subjects, pupils’ learning is not as clearly sequenced from early years. As a result, subject leaders cannot always be sure that the early years curriculum provides a firm foundation for what pupils learn in later years.

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better?

Children get a good start to school life. There is a strong focus on developing children’s language and communication skills. The addition of provision for two-year- olds is helping with this. As a result of the focus on language, children in the Reception class are able to use and explain the meaning of words such as ‘invertebrate’, ‘nectar’ and ‘exoskeleton’ when talking about minibeasts.

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better?

Leaders prioritise reading. Pupils read widely and often. They enjoy the books read to them by teachers and using the school and local library. Children in Nursery enjoy the rhymes they learn and learning about the sounds in words. Staff deliver a carefully sequenced phonics curriculum with confidence. They receive regular support and guidance to help them meet the needs of pupils. Teachers make regular checks on the sounds that pupils remember. They use this information to make adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum. If pupils fall behind, they are given effective support to catch up. As a result, pupils become confident readers who can access learning across the curriculum. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Leaders make sure that staff have the relevant expertise to deliver the subject curriculums. Teachers explain concepts clearly to pupils and revisit earlier learning. Teachers use assessment strategies effectively to identify and address pupils’ misconceptions quickly and ensure they learn well over time.

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Leaders work with teachers and parents and carers to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly. Teachers adapt the curriculum for pupils with SEND so they can learn. However, some of these adaptations do not meet the needs of some pupils with SEND, and this holds back their learning. That said, pupils with the most complex needs who access an individualised curriculum receive very specific support to ensure that they learn well.

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Staff apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently well. For example, they praise pupils who behave well. Pupils who struggle with their behaviour are particularly well supported. As a result, any disruption to learning is swiftly addressed.

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Leaders support pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn about tolerance and diversity. For example, they learn about the similarities and differences between world religions. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves healthy. Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Pupils can attend a range of sports and non-sports clubs. They enjoy representing the school and celebrating their achievements. For example, everyone is included at the annual school ‘Oscars’ event.

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Trustees, governors and leaders from the trust share a clear vision for continual improvement and have high ambition for the school. They know the school well. Staff are proud members of the school community. They feel that the trust and school leaders manage their workload and consider their well-being effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are very aware of the risks pupils face in the local area. This local knowledge helps leaders to keep pupils safe. Staff are well trained and act swiftly when they have a concern about a pupil. The leaders from the trust and governors regularly check that the processes to keep children safe are followed rigorously. Leaders engage with external agencies when required to help support pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to stay safe both in and out of school, as well as when they are online. They learn about staying safe by the local canals by following water safety awareness training. 11 and 12 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, pupils’ learning does not always build from early years. As a result, there is a lack of clarity about how pupils build on their previous learning. Leaders should ensure that all subject curriculum thinking fully considers what children learn in early years.  Teachers do not always adapt the way in which the curriculum is delivered well enough to meet the needs of some pupils with SEND. This means that occasionally, these pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that teaching is adapted appropriately for all pupils with SEND so that they receive the support they need to help them to learn well.

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Chair of governing body Kevin Lee and Linda Scott (Co-Chairs)

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School details

Website www.longlandsprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 and 18 October 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider.  The school has a breakfast- and after-school club.

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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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector held meetings with the headteacher. He also met two members of the governing body, including the chair of governors. He also met with the chair of the multi-academy trust.  The inspectors viewed a range of safeguarding documentation. They examined checks on safer recruitment and spoke with members of staff to check their safeguarding knowledge. 11 and 12 July 2023

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, geography and physical education. They met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils, and viewed examples of pupils’ work.  An inspector observed children in early years and pupils in key stage 1 reading to a trusted adult.  The inspectors spoke with members of staff about their workload and well-being.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school.  The inspectors considered the responses, including the free-text comments, to Ofsted Parent View. They also considered the responses to the staff and pupil surveys. An inspector also spoke to parents and carers at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included information about the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement priorities. They also looked at school policies, curriculum documents, SEND

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records, behaviour records, attendance records and minutes of meetings held by the governing body.

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Inspection team

Barry Yeardsley, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ben Cox Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 July 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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