Loughton School

Inspection of Loughton School Bradwell Road, Loughton, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK5 8DN

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good

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The headteacher of this school is Rebekah Green. This school is a single academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kirstin Pryor. 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and enjoy their learning at Loughton School. They behave well, enjoy their lessons and feel safe at school. There are high expectations for pupils to achieve well, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils understand these expectations. They know they have trusted adults that they can talk to about worries or concerns.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The atmosphere around the school is calm and purposeful. Pupils understand and uphold the school’s values. Pupils are polite and respectful towards each other, school staff and visitors. Pupils behave extremely well throughout the school, responding well to clear routines and the expectations of staff. Staff deal with any concerns rapidly and to the satisfaction of pupils and their parents or carers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to enrich their wider personal development. Educational visits and trips promote pupils’ independence and provide them with a valuable insight into the wider world beyond their locality. These trips enhance the curriculum and bring it to life for pupils. They speak positively about the leadership roles they can take on, such as becoming sports ambassadors or library assistants. Pupils are very well prepared for their later life.

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

The school has developed a curriculum that is well constructed, broad, ambitious and engaging. It outlines the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn and when. Pupils’ learning across all subjects has been clearly sequenced and is carefully planned. Pupils build their knowledge well over time. Lessons follow a clear and consistent structure in which teachers ensure previous learning is revisited and consolidated. Teachers are well trained and have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. This helps pupils to build their knowledge well.

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

In many subjects, teachers use their ongoing checks to find out what pupils know and remember. For example, teachers use retrieval tasks in mathematics to help pupils recall their recent learning. However, the school does not routinely check pupils’ learning and recall in some of the wider curriculum subjects. This affects how well some pupils secure and deepen their knowledge over time.

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

The school prioritises teaching pupils to read well. Pupils enjoy reading. Staff have the knowledge and skills to teach phonics effectively. Phonics sessions ensure that pupils continue to systematically learn and practise the sounds that letters make and become increasingly fluent readers. Those that struggle are supported well to keep up. Older pupils enjoy reading, and they do so with growing expression and confidence.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately and quickly. Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Their needs are largely met well through adaptations to the curriculum and support from trained staff. Pupils receive a range of personalised interventions to help narrow any gaps. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Pupils move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. Pupils report that everyone is treated fairly. In lessons, pupils show positive attitudes to learning. They are attentive and make confident contributions. Through the reward system, pupils find genuine joy in being rewarded house tokens. The school has effective systems in place to promote attendance. The school remains relentless in improving attendance for pupils where it is low. Consequently, pupils attend school regularly and on time.

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The school made the deliberate decision to develop a broader curriculum rooted in high- quality texts. This enables pupils to explore key themes about the wider world and their roles within it. Visitors include parents, dance specialists and sports people. Through the curriculum for personal, social and health education, pupils frequently discuss and debate important subjects such as healthy relationships and personal safety. Pupils celebrate different cultures and faiths. Pupils have strong inclusive values.

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Staff report how happy they are to work at the school. Leaders ensure staff receive regular professional development. They are mindful of staff well-being and workload. The school benefits from a strong culture of support and collaboration. Parents and carers are supportive of the school. The vast majority hold the school in high regard.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, checks on pupils’ understanding are not systematic, and the information gathered is sometimes not used well to inform further teaching. This also means that teaching does not consistently build on what pupils know and identify misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not build or deepen knowledge, skills and vocabulary as securely as they could. This hinders them from moving on to more complex learning. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to check and inform what teachers plan and pupils learn.

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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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Website www.loughton.milton-keynes.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 12 and 13 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses one registered alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science, history and physical education. 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. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other leaders within the school. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of governors.  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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self-

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evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and behaviour incident logs.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View, and inspectors also spoke with parents during the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits and group discussions as well as at playtime and lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Phil Garnham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lorraine Greco Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 March 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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