Longtown Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Longtown Primary School Mary Street, Longtown, Carlisle, Cumbria CA6 5UG

p.1

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.

p.1

Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Anna Carroll. This school is part of Cumbria Education 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), Lorrayne Hughes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by George Beveridge. There is also an executive headteacher, Jemma Nicholson, who is responsible for this school and one other.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this happy and vibrant school. Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong and nurturing. Pupils are proud of their harmonious school. The environment is welcoming to all. Staff develop pupils’ individual talents well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for pupils to succeed, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to these expectations and are keen learners. They have a strong appetite to improve their knowledge. Pupils achieve very well and are thoroughly prepared for the next stage of their learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave extremely well. In the early years, children settle quickly into school routines. Older pupils serve as excellent role models. They enjoy working with and reading to younger pupils. Classrooms are calm and purposeful. Pupils quickly learn to be respectful, confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and views.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from impressive and wide-ranging experiences that enrich their personal development. They take great pride in their responsibilities, for example, as school leaders on environmental issues and supporting the local community. A rich variety of visits and after-school activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum. Pupils’ 11 and 12 March 2025

p.1

2

well-developed understanding of equality and diversity ensures that they value the rights of others within and beyond their locality.

p.2

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

The trust and members of the local governing body know the school extremely well. They are well informed about pupils’ achievements. The school builds highly positive relationships with parents and carers from the start of their children’s learning journey. This helps children, including those with SEND, to get off to a flying start in the early years.

p.2

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils very well. The curriculum precisely sets out the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn across all year groups. The school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity. Staff check carefully that appropriate support is in place for these pupils throughout the school. Pupils with SEND participate in all aspects of school life and achieve well.

p.2

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

The curriculum is delivered skilfully by teachers who have deep subject knowledge. The methods that they use help pupils to secure and recall their learning effectively. Teachers regularly revisit pupils’ prior learning. This helps pupils to build a secure understanding of new concepts and to make links across and within subjects.

p.2

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

Pupils’ knowledge and understanding are checked before they move on to new curriculum content. Misconceptions are identified swiftly and addressed successfully. This helps pupils to develop deeper and richer knowledge over time, for example explaining in detail the differences and similarities of communities over periods of time. As a result, pupils achieve very well across the curriculum. However, this is not fully reflected in the 2024 published outcomes. At the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. The school’s quick actions in response to these outcomes have been successful. For example, in mathematics, current pupils build securely on their prior knowledge and can solve problems, with increasing complexity.

p.2

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

Learning to read and write is a priority. Children develop their love of reading from the start of Nursery Year through songs, stories and rhymes. Staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read books that include the sounds that they know. Teachers are quick to spot and support any pupils who are not keeping up with the programme, to prevent them falling behind. As a result, most pupils in Year 1 met the expected standard in the phonics screening check in 2024. Pupils apply their phonics knowledge accurately in their reading and writing across the curriculum.

p.2

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

Pupils are highly respectful, determined and focused in lessons. The school has developed clear procedures to manage pupils’ attendance and punctuality. As a result, most pupils attend school regularly and on time. The school works well with those pupils and their families when absence rates become a concern. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.2

3

The school has thought carefully about the qualities and values that it wants to instil into pupils. It ensures that pupils develop into caring individuals, with a strong sense of moral and social purpose. Pupils visit different places and locations, for example cities such as Carlisle and London and other schools within the trust. Pupils value the wide range of leadership opportunities available to them, including ‘pupil voice’, eco leaders and reading buddies. Pupils develop a deep understanding of healthy lifestyles and online safety. Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school.

p.3

3

The school has created a culture of ambition and continuous improvement for staff and pupils alike. Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They value the strong relationships that they forge across the school and wider community. The school considers staff’s workload very carefully to help them to fulfil their responsibilities effectively.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 May 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. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.3

4

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

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). 11 and 12 March 2025

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The Board of trustees

p.5

School details

Website www.longtownprimary.cumbria.sch.uk

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is a member of Cumbria Education Trust.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not make use of alternate 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.  The inspector met with the CEO, trustees, members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors, the headteacher, other leaders and staff. 11 and 12 March 2025

p.5

6

 The inspector carried out discussions with subject leaders, visited some lessons and reviewed 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 responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. He also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil and staff surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Keith Wright, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 March 2025

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 looked-after children, 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