Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit

Inspection of a good school: Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit Fore Street, Langtree, Torrington, Devon EX38 8NF

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Outcome

Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Langtree are happy, friendly and welcoming. They enjoy playing in the large playing field at break and lunchtime. Pupils play football, run and play make-believe games in the den. Pupils play very well together. Pupils say that bullying does not happen at the school, but that if it did staff would resolve it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), enjoy learning a range of subjects. Pupils are motivated to learn and are respectful of their peers. Children in the early years learn to take turns and to communicate their understanding of the world very well. Children are well prepared for the next stage in their education. There is a calm, harmonious learning environment in lessons and around the school. Staff have very positive relationships with pupils, so they feel secure and cared for. Pupils enjoy reading and talking about their learning with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Through the curriculum, pupils develop a good understanding of the wider world. For example, Year 5 pupils visit London to learn about the history of the capital city. Pupils also gain strong knowledge of their local area, through visits to beaches and local show gardens. Pupils learn about democracy through voting for the school council.

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

Leaders and governors have worked tirelessly to strengthen the curriculum at the school. Staff feel very well supported and morale is high. They value the support and training provided by the federation. Leaders’ aspirations for all pupils to succeed academically and socially is high. The needs of pupils with SEND are well supported, so they learn the curriculum successfully. However, a sizeable minority of parents and carers are not positive about the changes that have been made. Leaders and governors have not ensured that all parents understand their vision and how this will improve their children’s experience at the school. 18 July 2023

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Reading is at the forefront of the curriculum. Leaders have revised the early reading programme to ensure that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 and beyond learn to read with fluency and understanding. Staff are knowledgeable about the early reading programme and make clear the links between letters and their corresponding sounds. A range of interesting texts underpin the English curriculum, which pupils enjoy reading. For example, pupils in Years 1 and Year 2 love reading ‘The Disgusting Sandwich’ by Gareth Edwards. Reading underpins pupils’ understanding of a range of subjects. Through their reading of a breadth of texts, pupils learn how to write about their own views of the world.

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Leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum in most subjects. Pupils learn increasingly more complex knowledge as they move through the school. Teachers check that pupils are secure in their understanding before moving on to more-challenging concepts. For example, pupils develop strong mathematical knowledge through the well- planned curriculum. However, this is not the case in a minority of subjects. In these subjects, staff do not teach the well-planned curriculum with fidelity. Additionally, leaders and staff do not routinely check that pupils have learned successfully what they intend.

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The school is orderly and calm. Pupils are polite and friendly towards each other and staff. Pupils learn to develop resilience. Staff help pupils to develop strong self-esteem and to be reflective. Records show that there are very few incidents of disruptive behaviour. Pupils are thus able to learn in a purposeful environment and attendance has improved.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn about the world around them. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about relationships and consent. They learn about the importance of freedom of speech, the rule of law and democracy. Through trips and visitors to the school, they learn about the rural, coastal and urban make-up of Britain.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff know pupils very well. They are vigilant and aware of pupils’ contextual vulnerabilities. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained in safeguarding and report their concerns swiftly. Leaders follow up concerns about pupils’ safety with tenacity and speed. They refer to external agencies appropriately and make sure that pupils and families receive the support they require. Statutory checks are carried out on all staff who work at the school.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe when online. They also know that they can talk to an adult if they have any concerns. 18 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not communicated with parents well enough about aspects of the school’s work. Consequently, some parents express negative views about how the changes that have been made have been communicated. Leaders should develop stronger links with parents to engage with them in a constructive way.  Leaders have not ensured that the well-planned curriculum in a minority of subjects is taught effectively. Therefore, pupils do not learn as well as they intend. Leaders should ensure that all staff understand the curriculum in all subjects and implement it with fidelity.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2012.

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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 July 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256755 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.langtree.devon.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Langtree Community School and Nursery Unit joined the Two Rivers Federation in 2022.  The school has a Nursery.  The school does not use any alternative provider.

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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 held discussions with the headteacher, members of the leadership team, the chair of the trust board and trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, early reading, mathematics and history. In each subject, inspectors met with senior and curriculum leaders, talked to pupils, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and looked at pupils’ books.  An inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read. 18 July 2023

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 An inspector met with the special educational needs coordinator to consider the quality of education for pupils with SEND.  Inspectors reviewed behaviour in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors met with staff to consider their views.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the views of parents who responded to the questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. They evaluated the views of staff and pupils from the Ofsted online questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon His Majesty’s Inspector 18 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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