Longwell Green Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Longwell Green Primary School Ellacombe Road, Longwell Green, Bristol BS30 9BA

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Longwell Green Primary is a wonderful school. Pupils work hard and they play hard. Everyone has a chance to shine. The school’s vision of ‘inspiring learning’ is lived and breathed each day. Everyone is valued, included and cared for at this friendly school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff create positive and nurturing relationships with pupils. They make sure that learning activities match pupils’ learning needs. Pupils know that they are expected to try their best, and they do. As a result, pupils achieve well. The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During playtimes, pupils experience an exciting range of activities and resources outside. They learn to take risks and to have fun together. Pupils play sport, build dens and use their imagination to go on an adventure in a suitcase!

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What is it like to attend this school?

As a result of the high expectations, which are consistent across the school, pupils behave extremely well. They look after one another. They are kind, polite and courteous. They talk with enthusiasm about the school rules: to be ready, to respect and to care. Pupils are extremely proud to belong to Longwell Green Primary.

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

Since the previous inspection, Longwell Green Primary has gone from strength to strength. There is a clear and unfaltering ambition to take every possible action so that 11 and 12 February 2025

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pupils achieve well. Roles and responsibilities at all levels are crystal clear. Governors play a full part in the strategic direction of the school. Expectations are high in all aspects of the school’s work.

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A strength of this inclusive school is how well pupils’ individual needs are identified and understood. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The well-constructed, ambitious curriculum ensures that pupils’ knowledge builds securely over time. Teaching helps pupils to make links to previous learning and reinforces the key knowledge that pupils need to remember. Teachers are knowledgeable and highly skilled in bringing the content of the curriculum to life so that it is interesting and memorable. Pupils experience very clear explanations and examples. This enables them to complete their learning tasks successfully. Staff make sure that every pupil has the support needed to achieve well. As a result, pupils recall their learning successfully across the full range of subjects. They talk meaningfully and with deep understanding about what they have learned.

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Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Throughout the school, books are celebrated and valued. Pupils enjoy reading stories and information books alongside their teachers. Children in the Reception classes experience this from the very start. The youngest children make puppets and retell stories, such as ‘The Gingerbread Man’. Phonics learning is well organised and thoroughly assessed. Therefore, the youngest readers have the support they need to become fluent and confident readers. Older pupils use stories to expand their understanding of curriculum themes, such as learning about world wars.

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Pupils love coming to school. They are punctual and attend well. There is no complacency here. The school carefully and rigorously assesses attendance patterns. This information is used to support families as soon as any issues arise. Messages to parents and carers are consistent about ensuring that pupils attend school well.

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Pupils develop an understanding of important values in society. For example, in school assemblies, pupils explore important issues that develop their understanding of responsibility. Pupils learn about a range of beliefs and know the importance of being kind and caring. Their learning is reflected in how they help others, and in their positive relationships with their peers and staff.

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The school’s drive for continual improvement has a compassionate approach at its heart. Staff experience support and care for their well-being. Excellent training and guidance ensure that staff have the knowledge they need to improve every aspect of what they do. Consequently, staff are incredibly proud to work here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 February 2025

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

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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, 11 and 12 February 2025

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Phillippa Isbell

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School details

Website www.longwellgreenprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 24 and 25 September 2019 under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers before- and after-school provision.

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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 their evaluation of the school. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 The inspector had several meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and a range of staff. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority and the school’s challenge partner.  The inspector met with members of the governing body.  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 visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  A range of school documents were considered including attendance information and support plans for pupils with SEND.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and during lunchtimes break.  The responses from parents, including those provided on Ofsted Parent View were

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considered. The responses from staff to a staff survey were also taken into account.

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Inspection team

Tonwen Empson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 February 2025

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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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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 .

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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- 11 and 12 February 2025

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