Longsands Community Primary School

Longsands Community Primary School

Address: Longsands Lane, PR2 9PS Unique reference number (URN): 130261

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders prioritise pupils' attendance and punctuality. Robust processes in place quickly identify if pupils' absence rates increase. Leaders act swiftly on this. Staff and leaders understand the barriers to attendance that pupils and their families may face. They provide support to address these. These actions are leading to improvements in attendance for individuals and a reduction in the number of pupils regarded as persistent absentees.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders, staff and pupils all contribute to maintaining the school’s respectful, supportive and positive learning environment. Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour. They ensure that staff understand these expectations and that they implement the behaviour policy consistently. Bullying, or discrimination of any kind, is not tolerated. Any concerns raised by pupils, parents and carers or staff are taken seriously and resolved quickly.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders ensure that staff have the expertise to manage pupils' behaviour. Staff provide nurturing support and use practical resources to help those pupils who may struggle to regulate their emotions.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils typically have positive attitudes to their learning and behave well in lessons. They get along well at social times and demonstrate resilience and cooperation when playing team games. Pupils are well mannered. They politely greet staff and visitors as they move around the school.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive culture that permeates through all aspects of the school’s work. Leaders are astutely aware of the changing context of the school community and the challenges that some pupils may face. This includes barriers to learning for those who are disadvantaged. Leaders put pupils' needs at the heart of their decision-making. This includes their decisions on the use of the pupil premium funding. Leaders ensure personalised, effective support is in place.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have improved the school’s processes for identifying the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Well-considered adaptations and adjustments are enacted in the classroom and around the school. Pupils with SEND are supported to succeed. Leaders work in partnership with pupils’ families and with a range of specialist professionals to support this process.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure they develop staff expertise. External specialist teachers model techniques and deliver focused training. Staff use this knowledge to effectively adapt strategies to align to pupils changing needs. The quality of support that pupils with specific needs receive from staff is a strength of the school. The school reviews the impact of support it provides to pupils. Leaders check that interventions are delivered consistently and are making a positive difference to pupils’ wellbeing and learning.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including governors, are ambitious for the school. They ensure that there is a clear, shared vision that has the best interests of all pupils at its heart. There have been significant changes to the school’s leadership and staffing since the last inspection. Changes are being made to the curriculum and to the school's systems and processes across many aspects of its work. These changes have had a positive impact on pupils’ experiences at the school and their achievements, both academic and personal.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have an acute understanding of what is working well in the school and what needs to be further developed. They use this knowledge to precisely identify and prioritise the actions that are needed to bring about improvement. Leaders carefully check that these actions are having the desired impact. They fully consider the impact of any changes on staff’s wellbeing and workload. Leaders ensure that all staff have access to a wealth of high- quality, focused professional learning. This is supporting staff to build their expertise.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors have a clear understanding of their role and responsibilities. They ensure that they have the expertise to carry these out effectively. Governors are knowledgeable about the school’s improvement priorities. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders. This includes checking the leaders' management of resources and gaining assurances of the impact of leaders' actions to improve the school’s provision.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s rich personal development programme promotes pupils’ broader knowledge. For example, pupils learn how to maintain their physical and mental health. They understand the importance of healthy relationships and what these should look like. Pupils confidently talk about how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Part of the school’s wider offer is a focus on developing pupils’ resilience. Pupils are encouraged not to give up through a culture of you ‘cannot do it yet’. Opportunities to develop their social skills and perseverance through outdoor learning activities, such as den building and team games, are effective at building this culture among pupils. The school ensures equal access for all pupils to these opportunities. This offer is particularly successful for pupils who may otherwise not challenge themselves to develop these important character traits.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from extensive opportunities to be active and to develop their talents and interests in sport. Pupils take part in a range of sporting clubs, including football, gymnastics, netball and dodgeball. They are proud to represent the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders support pupils to become active citizens. Pupils take on responsibilities that help to have a positive impact on the school and the wider community. For example, pupils are proud to attend the school’s ‘eco club’, where they take part in litter picking and design

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Needs attention

posters for school about saving energy. Pupils maturely reflect on how these actions contribute to tackling wider environmental issues in the wider world.

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Needs attention

Pupils learn about other cultures and religions. They benefit from meeting different faith leaders and expanding their cultural awareness through trips. Pupils typically have a secure understanding of fundamental British values. They articulate how these are lived out at school and in the wider community. For example, through voting for pupil leadership roles. These opportunities broaden their understanding of the diverse world in which we live and prepare them well for life in modern Britain.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils typically achieve in line with national outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the time they leave the school in Year 6. Despite this, across the school, pupils do not secure their basic foundational knowledge well enough or as swiftly as they should. This is particularly the case for handwriting and spelling, as well as phonics for some groups of pupils. This leads to considerable gaps in knowledge as pupils move through their primary education. For many pupils, these gaps persist, and pupils do not achieve as well as they could. It also hinders pupils’ learning across other subjects. This means that some pupils are not as well prepared for their future education as they should be.

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Achievement Needs attention

Teachers ensure that pupils progress well through wider curriculum subjects. They typically remember the important knowledge that they are taught. Overall, disadvantaged pupils make positive progress through the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported. Their needs are understood in order for them to achieve well from their starting points.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have accurately identified where the curriculum needs to improve. Actions taken are at the early stages of delivery. Inconsistencies in the quality of phonics teaching mean that pupils do not learn to read as fluently as they should. The school has recently adopted a new phonics programme, and staff are continuing to develop their expertise in teaching this.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Typically, teachers have a secure understanding of the subjects they teach and deliver the curriculum as intended. Staff receive training to improve and enhance their subject knowledge. However, at times, teaching is variable and does not consistently enable pupils to build on their learning or deepen their understanding. Checks on pupils’ learning in writing are not used effectively to inform teaching. Pupils do not gain the important foundational knowledge they need to improve their spelling and handwriting.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school’s new curriculum is designed to be broad, engaging and ambitious. Leaders have sequenced the knowledge and skills that pupils will learn. Developing pupils' language is at the heart of this. The curriculum extends pupils' vocabulary and promotes their confidence in spoken communication. In mathematics, the curriculum helps pupils to learn important number facts.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers ensure that the additional needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are met in lessons. For example, pupils benefit from having resources that reduce sensory barriers to their learning.

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Early years Needs attention

There is variability in the quality of teaching in the early years. Staff require further support to improve their subject knowledge, particularly in the teaching of phonics. During phonics sessions, sounds introduced to children are not consistently modelled accurately. Children’s misconceptions and gaps in phonic knowledge are not addressed swiftly. While early reading is a priority, children are not securing the basic foundations of reading as well as they could.

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Early years Needs attention

Interactions between staff and children, while warm and nurturing, do not consistently help children to deepen their understanding or extend their learning. This variability hinders children from securing a depth of knowledge across the areas of learning in readiness for the curriculum in Year 1.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders have taken appropriate action to make improvements in the early years. These are in the early stages of development and need more time to secure the intended impact.

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Early years Needs attention

Staff have positive relationships with children. They ensure that their personal needs are met and that children are well cared for. Children enjoy engaging in conversations with staff and each other. They are becoming confident communicators.

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Early years Needs attention

Staff work effectively with parents and carers and with the pre-school settings that children attend. This helps to ensure that children’s needs, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, are known when they start school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy at this warm, nurturing school. They have positive relationships with staff who know them well. Pupils are confident that staff will quickly resolve any worries they may have. This includes around bullying, should it occur. Pupils learn in a calm and purposeful environment. They enjoy school and behave well following ‘The Longsands Way’. Pupils value the friendships they make. They are respectful and caring towards each other. For example, pupils use the ‘buddy bench’ to ensure that their peers are included at social times. Pupils describe the school as a place where ‘no one feels invisible and where everyone matters'.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils typically achieve in line with national outcomes. Staff are vigilant in identifying barriers to pupils' learning. They use their knowledge of pupils’ needs to tailor the support they provide. This helps pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, to develop resilience and to access learning successfully.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

The depth of pupils' understanding across some subjects is variable. Important knowledge in phonics, spelling and handwriting is not consistently learned well by pupils. Leaders have taken action to improve this. However, changes are not embedded. Further inconsistencies in teaching mean that pupils’ misconceptions are not identified and addressed effectively, including in the early years.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders explicitly design opportunities that spark pupils’ talents and interests. For example, some pupils take part in debates, while others learn to play musical instruments. They benefit from a range of activities that promote their confidence and leadership skills. Pupils' voice is heard through the leadership opportunities available, such as school councillors, eco-councillors and play leaders. Pupils participate in a wide range of sports at school and through external competitions. Pupils are supported well to develop the wider skills they need for life beyond school.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that assessment is used effectively to identify and address gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge, particularly in writing, so they can improve their spelling and handwriting in a timely manner. • Leaders should ensure that staff develop the expertise they need to deliver the phonics programme consistently and effectively, including in the early years. • Leaders should ensure that teaching across subjects consistently enables pupils to build on their prior learning and deepen their understanding. • Leaders should support staff to strengthen the quality of their interactions with children in the early years so that these consistently build on children's knowledge and extend their learning.

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Team inspectors:

Kevin Simpson, Ofsted Inspector Mark Hazzard, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Mr Stephen Hall.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other leaders, governors and a representative from the local authority during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not make use of any alternative provisions.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. A new headteacher was appointed in April 2024, and a new deputy headteacher was appointed in January 2025.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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