Long Furlong Primary School

Inspection of Long Furlong Primary School Boulter Drive, Abingdon, Oxfordshire OX14 1XP

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a true community school, where pupils and their families are at the heart of all that happens. Parents appreciate how well the school understands their child. Pupils’ wider development is well supported through a range of leadership opportunities. Whether as school or eco-councillors, house captains, or playground leaders, pupils learn what it means to be responsible members of a community. As one parent said, ‘It’s a great, friendly school that nourishes all aspects of a child’s development.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently demonstrate the school’s values of respect, compassion, responsibility, courage, and resilience. They feel safe, happy, and are proud to show kindness and respect towards their peers and adults. Positive, trusting relationships between pupils and staff are evident. Pupils are confident that adults will support and guide them when needed. The school sets high expectations for behaviour and achievement. Pupils understand these expectations and consistently meet them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Social times are positive and enjoyable, with pupils engaging in a range of activities. Pupils play cooperatively and share equipment. They model how to behave well and offer support and encouragement to each other. In doing so, pupils play an active role in creating a warm and welcoming atmosphere.

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

The school has a broad and ambitious curriculum in place. It is coherently sequenced from the early years through to Year 6. The curriculum clearly sets out the knowledge pupils are expected to learn and the order in which it will be taught. While some subject areas are well established, others have been more recently developed. In subjects that are securely embedded, teaching is strong and pupils achieve well. In these areas, staff consistently draw on their subject knowledge to plan and deliver effective learning activities. In newly developed subjects, although pupils learn well, they do not yet achieve as highly as they could. This is due to some inconsistency in how effectively staff check pupils’ understanding and use information from these checks to deepen knowledge.

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

The school’s provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is effective. Staff have a clear understanding of the needs of pupils with SEND and make well-judged adaptations to learning activities. This enables pupils with SEND to achieve the same ambitious outcomes as their peers.

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

Pupils learn to read well at this school. Staff are expert teachers of phonics and deliver lessons with fidelity to the school’s chosen scheme. They make regular, effective checks on how well pupils are learning to read. When they spot that a pupil is falling behind, they swiftly put in place activities to help them to keep up.

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

The early years curriculum is ambitious and well sequenced. Nursery provision is purposeful, with skilful adult interactions and well-planned activities that help children build on their learning. In Reception, teaching is strong and lays firm foundations for learning in Year 1. There are a range of activities for children to explore with a greater 24 and 25 June 2025

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level of independence. However, some of these lack clear purpose and do not align with the ambitious curriculum. As a result, children do not always learn as well as they could through the entire early years curriculum.

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Classrooms are calm and purposeful environments. Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They are proud of the high-quality work that they produce. Through the school, pupils’ conduct is excellent. Staff consistently apply the school’s behaviour management approach. They recognise that some pupils find it harder to manage their emotions. When this happens, staff skilfully support pupils, so they can re-engage in their learning.

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There is a broad range of extra-curricular activities available to pupils. Pupils value these and the school makes sure any barriers to attending clubs are removed. This means disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND can benefit from this extensive offer. The school makes sure that pupils learn about diversity and a range of cultures and traditions. Carefully chosen texts in English and artists in art support this. Pupils welcome and celebrate difference. They discuss and debate a range of topical issues, consider their views and learn to respect the views of others. In doing so, pupils are well prepared for modern British life.

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Leadership is effective. Governors challenge and support leaders effectively. Staff are proud to work at this school. They are motivated by the clear vision of school leaders. They feel valued and appreciate the extensive training and support they receive. This is a school with a strong moral purpose, high expectations and a united team. Together, school leaders, governors and staff ensure that pupils are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some areas of the curriculum, staff do not consistently identify misconceptions in pupils’ understanding. As a result, some pupils’ misconceptions persist and they are unable to build their knowledge as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the expertise to check pupils’ understanding carefully, so that pupils are supported to address misconceptions and deepen their understanding.  Some activities within the early years continuous provision lack a clear purpose. As a result, children do not consistently engage in meaningful play that deepens their understanding or builds on prior knowledge as effectively as it could. The school must ensure that the planned activities in the early years are closely aligned with the ambitious intended outcomes of the curriculum. 24 and 25 June 2025

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.longfurlongprimaryschool.org.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 March 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher has been in post since April 2024.  The school does not currently make use of any 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. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The lead inspector met with the chair and other members of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during play and lunchtimes.  The lead inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of

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the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from governors’ meetings.  Inspectors considered parents and carers responses to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Felix Rayner Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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