Longsight Community Primary

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Longsight Community Primary Farrer Road, Longsight, Manchester, Lancashire M13 0QX

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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Outcome

Longsight Community Primary has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Rukhsana Ahmed. This school is part of The Big Life Schools Trust which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Keith Smith, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Emma Perry.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They champion difference and celebrate the diversity that exists within their school and wider community. Everyone’s uniqueness is fostered, and everyone is welcomed. Relationships between staff and pupils are highly respectful. Behaviour in lessons and around school is positive. Pupils are keen to learn, and they are happy to play together and eager to please.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s aspirations for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are high. Care is taken to remove any potential barrier to enable pupils to be in school, to learn and ultimately achieve well. By the time that pupils leave Year 6, they are confident, articulate learners who are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a voice and are listened to in school. The ‘LCP way’ runs through each pupil like a stick of rock. They are ‘loud, clear and proud’. The school’s work to develop pupils’ communication skills results in self-assured pupils who can discuss and debate topics with other pupils. An extension of this work was the recent Year 6 mock court case that was linked to cyber-bullying where each pupil took on a role to persuade or defend. 26 and 27 November 2024

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

The school has developed an ambitious learning journey, which broadens pupils’ horizons and expands their minds. This starts from the moment that children join the early years until they leave the school at the end of Year 6. The key knowledge that pupils will learn is clearly identified. This includes the development of pupils’ vocabulary across the curriculum. Pupils learn new content in a logical way that enables them to build firm foundations for future learning.

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

Staff receive well-tailored and purposeful training to deliver the curriculum with expertise and enthusiasm. They address any gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge as they arise. Pupils develop a detailed knowledge across most areas of the curriculum. Their ability to discuss their learning with confidence is impressive. However, in some subjects, pupils do not connect their new learning with what they have been taught before. This means that, sometimes, their knowledge is not as secure as it could be.

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

The school has successfully focused on improving the teaching of reading. Staff deliver the phonics curriculum with fidelity. They make sure that the books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. This helps pupils to gain the secure phonics knowledge that they need to be successful readers. Pupils who need additional support are given prompt help by well-trained staff. This helps these pupils to catch up quickly.

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

Staff act as reading role models. They share books during daily story time, which pupils thoroughly enjoy. Pupils are confident that through reading a wide range of books, this enhances their creativity and enjoyment of writing. Reading ambassadors have been fundamental in redesigning and developing the new school library. Over time, pupils develop into confident and highly competent readers. This helps them to access the full curriculum.

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

Equality of opportunity is at the core of the school’s work. Pupils’ needs are quickly and accurately identified. The school responds promptly to the complex needs of children in the early years and pupils across school. Staff adapt the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers. Consequently, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning and appreciate the education that they receive. They are eager to learn, engage well in lesson and remain on task. There is an air of positivity in lessons and around school. Pupils are eager to be in school, and this is shown in the significant improvement in the number of pupils attending school each day. The school, with the support of the local governing body, ensures that families receive the support that they need to reduce absence levels.

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

Pupils are well prepared for the next steps of their education. They learn about what constitutes a healthy relationship, how to maintain a positive mental attitude and understand how to keep themselves safe online. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs on offer, including gardening, choir and multi-sports. Pupils learn about different careers and have 26 and 27 November 2024

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the chance to think about what they may wish for their futures. Pupils take on board many roles in school, such as ‘change makers’ and Reception buddies.

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Staff are highly positive about the support and prioritisation that leaders and local governors place on their workload and well-being. They feel listened to and appreciated. Staff value the coaching and termly supervision that they receive to develop themselves as both professionals and people.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, teachers do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to revisit the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they have been taught previously. On occasion, this prevents some pupils from having sufficiently secure foundations on which to build new learning. The school should develop a consistent strategy across subjects to ensure that pupils embed knowledge successfully into their long-term memory.

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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 good for its overall effectiveness.

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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.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015. 26 and 27 November 2024

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Longsight Community Primary School opened as a free school in September 2013. The school was set up by the Big Life group of social businesses and charities. The school is situated in the heart of Longsight and co-located with Longsight Children’s Centre.  The school runs a breakfast club for pupils.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision for pupils.

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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. 26 and 27 November 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector listened to pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 read.  The inspector spoke with members of the local governing body, trustees from the Big Life Trust, a representative from the local authority, the executive headteacher, the head of school, and members of staff.  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 reviewed a range of documents, including records of local governing body meetings, the school’s evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.

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 The inspector met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and observed their behaviour at lunchtime. She considered the views of pupils that were shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She considered the views of staff that were shared through Ofsted’s online survey.  The inspector met with parents and carers at the start of the school day. They took account of the responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Sue Dymond, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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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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