Langtons Junior Academy

Inspection of a good school: Langtons Junior Academy Westland Avenue, Hornchurch, Essex RM11 3SD

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Outcome

Langtons Junior Academy continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Anna Thorpe. This school is part of REAch2 Academy Trust , which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Cathie Paine, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Gavin Robert.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of this school because teachers help them to learn and because they have kind friends to play with. Pupils feel safe here. Pupils are confident that if they have a concern, staff will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get off to a positive start each morning because staff greet them with a smile and take the time to ask how they are. Pupils behave well here. Behaviour in lessons and during social times is calm and orderly. Therefore, pupils feel happy. The school prioritises attendance. Leaders take effective action to support pupils and their families so that attendance remains high.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a range of opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. For example, ‘Eco Warriors’ wanted to help their local community. They worked with leaders so that they could ‘litter pick’ in their local park. ‘Eco Warriors’ are proud to care for their community and describe themselves as ‘role-models’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk positively about the enrichment activities on offer, such as boxing boot-camp, gymnastics and athletics club. Activities broaden pupils’ experiences. For example, pupils learn French and visit France so they can practise French and learn about a different culture. These opportunities help pupils to develop their talents and pursue their interests. 27 and 28 February 2024

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

The curriculum here is designed well. Leaders have thought carefully about what pupils need to learn year-on-year. Teachers have secure subject knowledge, and this means the curriculum is taught effectively. Teachers ask effective questions and explain concepts clearly. For example, pupils in Year 6 know how to convert fractions to decimals. They do this accurately because they are able to recall multiplication facts quickly. In Year 4 pupils enthusiastically recalled a science investigation on melting. They confidently explained which variables need to stay the same to make the test fair.

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

The school wants pupils to learn ambitious vocabulary across the curriculum. However, sometimes teachers do not check pupils’ understanding of key vocabulary and subject content that pupils are expected to know and remember. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their learning and have misconceptions about key knowledge.

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

Reading is given the highest priority across the school. Pupils regularly visit the school library and are read aloud to daily. Pupils read widely and often and discuss their favourite books with enthusiasm. These experiences develop a love for reading.

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

The school wants all pupils to read fluently across the curriculum. Teachers and other adults have been trained well in reading. Reading is taught consistently and effectively. The reading programme is well-sequenced. Pupils read books matched to their knowledge of phonics. Therefore, pupils read with developing accuracy and confidence. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who need help to catch-up are identified swiftly and given the help they need.

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

Pupils with SEND are identified quickly and effectively. Leaders work with external professionals such as educational psychologists and speech and language therapists. These experts deliver training to teachers and teaching assistants so that pupils with SEND can access learning alongside their peers. Pupils with SEND are included in all aspects of school life and achieve well here.

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

Classrooms are purposeful learning environments. Pupils show positive attitudes towards their learning because teachers expect pupils to work hard and because pupils want their efforts to be celebrated in the ‘time to shine’ assembly. This means that the curriculum can be taught without any interruption.

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

The wider curriculum is carefully structured so that pupils develop responsibility, respect and resilience. Pupils are taught about healthy and unhealthy relationships and consent in an age-appropriate manner. They are also taught about democracy which pupils practise by voting for their classmates to be school councillors.

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

Staff are proud to be part of the school community. They value the support they are given to develop their practice and manage their workload. The trust effectively monitors the school’s work so that pupils achieve well. 27 and 28 February 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, pupils’ understanding is not checked as sharply as it should be. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions and gaps in their learning. The school needs to make sure that pupils’ learning is checked accurately and any misconceptions are identified and corrected quickly.

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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 January 2015.

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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, 27 and 28 February 2024

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 November 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Langtons Junior Academy is part of Reach2 Academy trust which consists of 60 schools.  The school does not make use of 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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the senior leadership team to discuss school development.  The inspector met with representatives of the board of trustees, the local governing body and the education director for the trust. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to pupils’ personal development and behaviour and attendance. The inspector also met with groups of staff and pupils to discuss these aspects of the school’s work.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.

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 The views of parents and staff were also considered, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 27 and 28 February 2024

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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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