Langley Mill Church of England Infant School and Nursery

and Nursery

Address: Sedgwick Street, NG16 4DT Unique reference number (URN): 112827

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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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Achievement Expected standard

From their different starting points, pupils generally achieve well during their time in key stage 1. This includes in English and mathematics. For example, in 2025, the proportion of pupils who successfully met the required standard in the phonics screening check was in line with the national average. This is a sharp improvement on previous years. However, some pupils have not built up the fluency and confidence in reading that they should.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across key stage 1, pupils' responses to questions in lessons, and the quality of work in their books, show that they know and remember much of what they learn. For example, Year 2 pupils have built up a secure understanding of topics, such as the ‘Great Fire of London’, that they had been taught in Year 1.

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Achievement Expected standard

Children in the early years are not, overall, well prepared for Year 1.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school’s curriculum for key stage 1 is well organised. In this key stage, teachers understand the important knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. Pupils learn content in a logical order that helps to build up their knowledge and skills over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders regularly check on the effectiveness of teaching. They know where teaching is effective and where improvements are needed. They use their knowledge to provide training to ensure that teachers know how best to teach the curriculum, including how to adapt their teaching to meet pupils' needs, for example for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school has recently revised its approach to teaching phonics. Its approach is working well. Pupils typically use their knowledge to decode words, including when they read new and more challenging words and texts. However, some pupils have not built up the reading fluency that they should.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders are typically quick to identify when pupils begin to fall behind in key stage 1. They go on to identify any gaps in pupils’ knowledge effectively and take action to help pupils catch up and keep up with their peers. The quality of the curriculum in the early years is not enabling children to learn well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school accurately identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The support for pupils with SEND takes account of the advice that other agencies provide. Information about pupils' needs and support is shared effectively with staff and parents. Staff have been suitably trained to provide the guidance and make the adaptations that will meet pupils' needs. The targets that are set for pupils generally help to support them with their learning. However, sometimes these targets are not as helpful as they should be. The school accurately identifies the barriers that disadvantaged pupils face. The school’s pupil premium strategy is well thought through. Generally, leaders' actions have a positive impact to reduce barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. In some aspects of the school's work, there is still more to do to reduce these barriers further, for example to improve the

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school checks closely on how well groups of pupils achieve. This helps the school to take appropriate action when it needs to, including for pupils who are known to, or have been previously known to social care.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders, including the governing body, have an accurate view of what is working well at the school and what needs to improve. They are determined that pupils, including those who face barriers, will achieve highly. They put pupils first when they make decisions. Leaders’ vision for pupils to ‘Aspire, Respect, Learn and Serve’ is commonly understood by all staff. Staff are typically proud to work at the school. They are positive about their workload and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have brought about clear improvements in how well pupils learn and achieve, especially in phonics. Leaders have created an inclusive school where pupils’ needs are identified, understood and catered for. They recognise that further work is needed to strengthen children's achievement in the early years.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have put the school at the heart of the community that it serves. Parents and carers hold the school in high regard. They value the support that they receive. One parent summed up the views of many when they said, ‘Staff are passionate about each and every one of the children.’

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The governing body carries out its duties effectively. It works hard to continue to raise the profile of the school in the local community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are prepared for life beyond the school. The school’s programme for personal, social and health education (PSHE) helps pupils to develop resilience, improve their social skills and improve their understanding of diversity. The PSHE curriculum is further enhanced by an established programme of activities and experiences. The school’s approach to pupils' personal development ensures that pupils' experiences connect well together, for example through different subjects and across year groups.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are taught to reflect on ethical issues and develop respect for difference. They have a secure understanding of what life in modern Britain is like. They can explain concepts such as democracy and respect, drawing on examples from their learning, including their reflections on historical figures such as Rosa Parks. They recognise the importance of treating everyone equally, regardless of their background.

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Needs attention

The school provides a wide range of opportunities beyond the classroom. These include the school allotment, where pupils grow, cook and sometimes sell produce. The school’s ‘Woodland Wellbeing’ programme helps promote outdoor learning and pupils' positive mental health. Pupils value initiatives such as the ‘Golden Table’ at lunchtimes, which celebrates their positive behaviour. Leadership roles, including 'playground pals' and collective worship monitors, all come together to help pupils who take up these roles to develop their confidence and sense of responsibility.

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Needs attention

Extra-curricular activities are popular and well attended. Leaders ensure that different groups of pupils benefit from being able to access these activities.

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Needs attention

The school has a systematic approach to managing pupils’ wellbeing. This includes help for staff to understand any emotional or social support that a pupil might need. Pupils, for example those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, benefit from bespoke sessions that are designed to meet their individual needs. The school checks that these sessions make the positive difference that they are expected to. Typically, they do.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The school has recently strengthened its approach to tackling pupils' absence. It has processes in place to identify and challenge poor attendance. It offers well-targeted support for families who need it. Pupils are motivated by the incentives that the school uses to reward attendance, especially the extended playtime for the class with the highest weekly attendance. However, the school’s work to improve attendance is at a relatively early stage of implementation. While there are some early signs of success, some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, still miss too much school.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

The school’s behaviour policy is implemented consistently, for example staff follow the school's approach to praise positive behaviour in public and tackle poor behaviour privately. Pupils are eager to earn the points linked to the school’s values. They look forward to sharing their achievements with their parents and carers in celebration assemblies. Any pupils who need help to meet the school's high expectations are supported effectively. Leaders ensure that these pupils' needs are fully understood and provided for. The school’s nurture group benefits from helpful adaptations and an effective pastoral offer that cater well for pupils’ emotional and mental health needs.

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Early years Needs attention

Typically, children enjoy their time in the early years. Overall, the curriculum sets out the important milestones that children are expected to reach. However, in some areas of learning, the curriculum does not make clear the content that children are expected to know and remember. Opportunities to identify and secure what is most important for children to learn are sometimes missed. Phonics is generally taught well. Staff skilfully help children to develop their knowledge of sounds, language and communication. This is further enhanced by a well-selected programme of books, stories and nursery rhymes.

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Early years Needs attention

On the whole, adult interactions with children are positive. However, too often, staff do not check closely enough how well children are learning. When this happens, staff do not go on to adapt their teaching when they should. Consequently, some children do not learn well.

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Early years Needs attention

The school quickly establishes positive relationships with parents and carers. However, the school’s arrangements to support children who are new to the provision, for example in Nursery, are not consistently implemented. This slows how quickly some children settle into life in the early years.

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

Everyone does their best to live up to the school's values of ‘Aspire, Respect, Learn and Serve’. Pupils strive to model these values day to day. As one pupil summed up, ‘They're what makes us special.’

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

Typically, pupils are happy in school and behave well. They are eager to earn the reward points on offer as part of the ‘Bucket Bonanza’. Other rewards, such as ‘Mouse of the Week’ and hot chocolate events with the headteacher, help motivate pupils to do well. Pupils say that bullying is rare. They are right to be confident that it would be dealt with quickly should it occur.

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

Pupils are well cared for. They want to work hard and enjoy learning, both in class and in the outside areas. They are proud of the school’s ‘Woodland’ area and are keen to make use of the trim trail and the birdwatching houses. Staff teach pupils how to cooperate with each other, for example when they play games. Pupils benefit from a suitable range of extra- curricular activities. They make positive use of them.

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

The school prioritises its approach to inclusion. Typically, any pupil who needs additional help is supported well. The recently introduced ‘Rainbow Room’ and ‘Mouse House’ include provision that helps provide pupils with the academic, social and emotional support that they might need. The school’s personal development offer ensures that pupils learn to respect others. Pupils have a detailed understanding of the values that underpin life in modern Britain. They can explain why these values matter.

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

Pupils in key stage 1 typically achieve well. However, due to inconsistencies in the quality of provision in the early years, some children do not achieve as well as they should. Although pupils' attendance is improving, some pupils miss too much school.

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Next steps

• Leaders should embed their work to ensure that pupils have high attendance, particularly disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), so that they do not miss out on their learning. • In the early years provision, leaders should improve the quality of staff interactions with children and ensure that the curriculum embeds the key knowledge that children need to learn to fully prepare them for key stage 1. • The school should further improve the implementation of the curriculum, with a particular focus on strengthening pupils' reading fluency and the quality of targets that are set for pupils with SEND, so that pupils make the progress of which they are capable.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors is Emily Wood.

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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

Inspection activities: Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, assistant headteachers, governors and representatives of the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Derby. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2023.

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About this inspection

The school uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone significant changes since the last inspection. These changes relate to staffing and leadership, for example a new headteacher and chair of the governing body have taken up their posts.

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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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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. National average: 26.3%

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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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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

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