Longlevens Infant School

Inspection of a good school: Longlevens Infant School Paygrove Lane, Longlevens, Gloucester, Gloucestershire GL2 0AX

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Outcome

Longlevens Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto of ‘All of Us Together’ demonstrates the nature of this inclusive and friendly place to learn. Leaders have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Pupils rise to these. They have a strong desire to learn. This is reflected by how well pupils build their knowledge across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy at school. They have trusting relationships with adults. To support this, the school’s curriculum enables pupils to keep safe both online and in the wider world. Children in the early years settle quickly and make a strong start. Older pupils know the school rules of ‘Ready, respectful, safe’. This means they know what is expected of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers an array of opportunities to develop pupils’ interests. These include competitive sports, performances and clubs, such as roller-skating, science and art. Trips are carefully linked to the curriculum, including visits to the SS Great Britain, Weston- Super-Mare beach and an aerospace museum. The school has a sharp focus on pupils’ spoken language. Pupils take part in oracy competitions and a Shakespeare festival. As a result, pupils are articulate and develop in confidence.

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

The school has meticulously planned and sequenced the curriculum from Reception Year. In each subject, the precise knowledge the school intends pupils to learn is well-thought- out. The school has developed the curriculum to ensure it is relevant and that it considers the local context. Because of this, teachers are clear about what to teach pupils and by when.

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

Learning activities are matched well to this knowledge. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well through targets and provision that 5 and 7 March 2024

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matches their most pressing needs. As a result, they learn the full curriculum. Through the school’s ‘Learning Powers’, pupils learn attitudes and dispositions to help them with lifelong learning, such as showing a fascination for the world around them by being a ‘Curious cat’. Staff are quick to identify misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge and address these quickly. Consequently, pupils learn and achieve well.

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The school has developed the curriculum from Reception Year to Year 2, taking account of what pupils will learn beyond their time at infant school. This has been used to develop the curriculum enabling pupils’ readiness for their next stage. The school’s work to develop the curriculum within the pre-school is at an earlier stage. As a result, the knowledge children need to learn is not as clear as it is further up the school. This means activity choices do not always match well to the intended learning, as they do in Reception Year and beyond.

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Staff share the expectation that every child will leave as a reader. ‘Reading is a gateway to all learning’ is a sentiment that echoes throughout the school. As soon as children start in reception, they learn to read from the school’s phonics programme. There are clear systems in place so that any child who is falling behind is given swift support to keep up. Assessment is used to ensure pupils read books that are precisely matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to develop their knowledge securely. The school’s prioritisation of reading is demonstrated by regular author visits, reading buddies, book swaps and reading barns, which are a quiet space to share a book. There is also a ‘reading army’ of volunteers who support pupils with their reading. As a result, pupils learn to read with confidence and fluency. They love to read.

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Pupils’ broader development is central to the school’s culture. Pupils are enthusiastic about school. This is shown by their attendance. Leaders ensure that pupils have fair access to the many enrichment opportunities on offer. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of different relationships. They know how to be a good friend, the importance of sharing and of respecting other people’s views.

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The school has prioritised the development of leaders at all levels. They have been instrumental in developing the curriculum over time. Leaders know the strengths and next steps within their focus area. They provide feedback to staff on teaching, learning and assessment. This further enhances the curriculum and enables pupils to learn the curriculum well.

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Governors are knowledgeable about the school. They hold leaders to account effectively. Governors have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas to develop. They share the school’s aspirational vision for all pupils to have an ‘enriching, child- centred and community-focused’ educational experience at Longlevens Infant School.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 7 March 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Within the pre-school, the curriculum is in its early stages of development. This means that, on occasion, activity choices are not precisely selected to prepare children fully for future learning in the Reception Year. The school needs to ensure that the pre-school children are prepared for their Reception Year.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2018.

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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). 5 and 7 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Kerry Cunningham (Executive Headteacher), Scott Wellington (Head of School) Website www.longlevensinfantschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 February 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In March 2023, the school formed a federation with Longlevens Junior School. The executive headteacher leads both schools.  The school includes pre-school provision for two-, three- and four-year-olds. 25 children currently attend the pre-school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  There is a before- and an after-school club for pupils who attend the school.

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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 has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school. 5 and 7 March 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, school staff, parents, pupils and governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to a known adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors met with pupils formally and

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informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to the pupil survey and responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Donna Briggs His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 7 March 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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