Long Lane Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Long Lane Primary School Long Lane, Tilehurst, Reading, Berkshire RG31 6YG

p.1

Inspection dates: 12 and 13 November 2024

p.1

Outcome

Long Lane Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Long Lane meets the needs of the pupils successfully. Parents and carers are very supportive of how and why the school focuses on the development of the whole child, encouraging both academic and personal success. One parent’s comments are reflective of many, ‘The school has a real family and community feel and strives at every opportunity to be inclusive and understanding.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy learning. Playtimes are a joy. Pupils can take part in a wide range of activities. These enable pupils to challenge themselves, learn to take risks or just blow off steam. They return to their lessons ready to learn.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in Reception settle quickly as a result of clear expectations and consistently applied routines. As they get older, pupils build on this, meeting their teachers’ high expectations consistently. Pupils are taught to take responsibility for their own behaviour from an early age. As a result, pupils have very positive attitudes to learning, and relationships at all levels are strong. Pupils feel safe because they trust the adults who look after them. Adults listen to pupils and they are taught to speak out if they have a worry or a concern.

p.1

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

The school has an ambitious, unique curriculum, reflecting their core value of ‘No learner left behind.’ The school wants to make sure pupils of all abilities achieve. Improvements in reading and mathematics across the school are testimony to how the school is making this a reality. The curriculum’s intent is clear. Where the school has looked at the order and sequence that pupils learn concepts carefully, pupils’ learning is effective. In a few subjects, the school recognises that this needs to be more precise. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.1

2

The youngest children get off to a good start in English and mathematics. Skilled teachers and teaching assistants deliver consistent and well-structured phonics lessons. As a result, pupils learn to read well. Pupils who struggle to read are identified and receive extra help to keep up. Children in Reception learn to read and write letters accurately. They apply their phonics knowledge to sound out words and then write them. Older pupils successfully build on these basic skills and write in sentences.

p.2

2

Mathematics is well taught. The mathematics curriculum has a sharp focus on number. Pupils recall number facts and can apply these in calculation very well. However, the school’s work to ensure that pupils are adept in applying their mathematical knowledge to problem-solve and reason is relatively new. Pupils are beginning to deepen their understanding, building on what they already know. The school recognises the importance of maintaining this focus moving forward.

p.2

2

Teachers have good subject knowledge and high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and learning. They check pupils’ understanding of their learning consistently and take swift action to remedy any misconceptions. Teachers quickly identify pupils who need extra help. The school provides high levels of individual emotional support for those pupils who find learning more difficult. In doing so, they ensure that all pupils achieve well, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

p.2

2

The provision to support pupils’ personal development is woven across the curriculum. Pupils develop character, confidence and resilience. For example, in physical education in Year 5, the curriculum develops the skills pupils will need when they take on roles of responsibility in Year 6. Pupils work hard and take responsibility for their own actions. They are tolerant, accepting and celebrate the opportunities that diversity brings. One pupil summed this up by saying, ‘Everybody needs a break and everybody has something to offer. That’s why we have no outsiders, all welcome, all different.’ Pupils undertake roles such as sports ambassadors. They also prepare and lead whole-school assemblies.

p.2

2

Pupils behave well because they understand that, if they don’t, it not only affects their own learning but that of others. As a result, low-level disruption is rare. This is highly effective in preparing pupils for their next steps in education.

p.2

2

Staff have high levels of trust in school leaders. They feel leaders listen to them and take into account their points of view. Staff rightly say that leaders, including governors, are sensitive to issues of workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the opportunities available to them to develop professionally.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s work to refine the mathematics curriculum is not yet complete. A minority of pupils do not apply their mathematical knowledge to problem-solving and reasoning sufficiently well. The school should make sure that it continues these refinements to ensure that all pupils build on their knowledge and skills to commit learning to their long-term memory.  In a few subjects in the wider curriculum, the knowledge that pupils need to learn is not identified precisely enough. As a result, some pupils are unable to build on what they already know and understand. The school should clearly define the order and precise knowledge pupils need to know in these subjects so that pupils can achieve more.

p.3

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

p.3

Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2019.

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school. 12 and 13 November 2024

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 12 and 13 November 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Jennifer Folliard

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 13 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new headteacher and a new deputy headteacher.  The school has a pre-school, before- and after-school childcare provision on site managed by an independent provider.  The school currently does not use any alternative provision.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the lead inspector met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and the special educational needs coordinator. He also met local 12 and 13 November 2024

p.5

6

governors including the chair of the local governing body. He had a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 considered the views of parents submitted via Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s surveys for school staff and pupils. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

p.6

Inspection team

Bill James, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 November 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7