Longstone CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Longstone CofE Primary School The Cross, Main Street, Great Longstone, Derbyshire DE45 1TZ

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Outcome

Longstone CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this school. The school vision that all pupils will be nurtured, ignited by a love of learning and able to shine, is woven through the curriculum and school life. Pupils respond positively to this ethos. They said that they feel ‘inspired’ at this school, that they can express themselves and that the staff are ‘really nice and kind’. Most parents and carers who shared their views described the school using words such as ‘excellent’, ‘inclusive’ and ‘caring’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All staff have high expectations of what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Pupils achieve well. Most pupils enthusiastically join in with their lessons. They are keen to share their ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and children in the early years, behave calmly in their lessons. They are mature and independent during playtimes when they read, play board games and chat with one another.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities. They take part in football and tag rugby clubs. All pupils learn to play a musical instrument, such as the clarinet or the ukulele. Visitors come into the school to share their expertise and cultures and pupils learn about Chinese New Year, for example.

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

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and logically organised. It sets out the important knowledge that pupils should learn. The knowledge that pupils study becomes increasingly complex over time. The school’s writing curriculum has been developed. It now focuses clearly on the precise knowledge and skills that will help pupils to improve their writing. While this remains a priority for the school, pupils are improving the sophistication of their writing. 20 September 2023

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The early years curriculum covers the knowledge and skills that children will need when they start Year 1. Children want to learn. They proudly share their knowledge of number facts when lining up at the start of the day.

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Pupils enjoy their lessons. Teachers model thinking for pupils so that they can complete tasks and access the learning. Pupils build their knowledge over time. They can describe important knowledge from each of the subjects they study. Teachers check what pupils have understood of their learning in each lesson. However, teachers do not always precisely match the tasks they set, or the questions they ask, with pupils’ existing knowledge. Some pupils do not recall as much of their prior learning as they could. They cannot always connect their current and prior learning.

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The school’s reading curriculum makes clear exactly which sounds children will learn and when. Children in the early years begin to learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff regularly check children’s knowledge of sounds and their ability to read accurately. They provide extra support when necessary to ensure that all pupils become fluent readers. Children and pupils read a wide range of different texts, including poetry and non-fiction. Pupils say they love reading. Parents attend sessions at the school to learn about how they can support their children with learning to read at home.

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The school has effective systems in place to identify pupils with SEND. Staff work together to develop strategies to ensure that these pupils can access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff help pupils with SEND to develop their academic and social skills.

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Pupils are attentive in their lessons. They are proud of the work they produce. Children in the early years quickly settle into positive routines.

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The school’s personal, social and health education curriculum is well sequenced. Pupils learn about emotions, diversity and being healthy. Pupils consider important ideas during focused weeks, such as Mental Health Week, Anti-Bullying Week and Wild Week. They develop their understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including online. The school holds assemblies each day to focus on well-being and diversity, and to celebrate pupils’ achievements. Pupils gain citizenship awards for being kind and caring. Despite studying British values and religious education, not all pupils yet have a secure knowledge of these subjects.

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Priorities to improve the school are clearly identified and acted on. Subject leaders receive support to monitor their subjects effectively. There have been changes to curriculum planning to reduce staff workload. Governors know and fulfil their statutory duties. Most staff share positive examples of how their workload and well-being are catered for. There are systems in place to ensure that staff know who they can report concerns to, should they have any.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 20 September 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not precisely match the tasks they set, or the questions they ask, to pupils’ existing knowledge. As a result, pupils do not always remember as much important knowledge as they could or connect their learning over time. The school should ensure that staff have the strategies they need to match current learning precisely to what pupils already know.

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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 November 2013.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding ( this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 20 September 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 As the school is designated as having a religious character, it is inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, most recently in September 2016.  The executive headteacher is also headteacher of another school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, staff and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at 20 September 2023

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and met with the safeguarding team. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including free-text responses. They also considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Helen Atkins Ofsted Inspector 20 September 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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