Longshaw Infant School

Longshaw Infant School

Address: Crosby Road, Blackburn, Lancashire, BB2 3NF Unique reference number (URN): 119125

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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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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders and staff know pupils extremely well. A high proportion of pupils at the school experience a range of disadvantages. This includes economic disadvantage and disruptions to family life. Many receive support from social care services. Regardless of these barriers, leaders are extremely ambitious for these pupils to succeed and thrive, and they do.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders take meticulous care to ensure that disadvantaged pupils keep up with their learning. For example, their careful use of the pupil premium funding ensures that these pupils receive additional support to catch up on any missed learning. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils typically achieve as well as other pupils in school.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are quickly identified. Staff receive high-quality training to enable them to meet pupils’ needs. For instance, they make well-judged adjustments to teaching so that these pupils can learn the curriculum. Should pupils need additional help, leaders and staff communicate promptly with professionals to secure this. Parents and carers are fully involved. Pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum from their very varied starting points.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders leave no stone unturned to find ways of ensuring that disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND benefit from the school’s personal development programme. This helps to ensure that they feel a sense of belonging and play a full part in school life.

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Achievement Expected standard

Many children have already experienced a range of disadvantages by the time that they join the Reception class. A number of pupils join the school part way through Years 1 or 2, and others come from homes where the main language is not English. Nonetheless, as they move through each year group, the majority of pupils make sound progress through the curriculum and achieve well. For instance, children in the Reception class make a quick start to the phonics programme. They build up secure knowledge of letters and sounds and apply this knowledge so they can read books and spell words successfully. By the end of Year 1, the number of pupils who reach the expected standard in the national phonics screening check is similar to the national average. Overall, pupils are well prepared for key stage 2 when the time comes. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the reasons for pupils’ absence from school. For instance, outbreaks of childhood illnesses, such as chicken pox, have prevented some younger children from attending school on occasions. However, some pupils are absent more persistently. Leaders have worked with vigour and success to reduce these absences. Their hard work is paying off. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is now similar to the national average. Persistent absence is reducing considerably over time, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Consequently, the majority of pupils attend school regularly. This impacts positively upon their learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils show respectful behaviour towards staff and towards each other. Leaders and staff work effectively to identify and address any bullying or discriminatory behaviour among pupils. Staff set clear behaviour expectations that pupils understand. For example, at social times, such as lunchtimes, pupils follow the school’s expectation to line up quietly in order to select and take their lunch. Pupils typically regulate their own behaviour well. Where necessary, staff provide pupils with additional, sensitive support to manage their emotions. This contributes effectively to the calm and purposeful atmosphere around school.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a broad, balanced and carefully ordered curriculum. This ambitious curriculum sets out the order in which pupils should learn important knowledge from the early years to Year 2. This helps pupils to build a solid body of knowledge in readiness for the next stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders gather information in a range of ways to understand the impact of the curriculum. This helps them to make further refinements and improvements to support pupils’ learning and achievement.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Staff receive training to ensure that they have the subject knowledge that they need to teach the curriculum. Staff typically design lessons that help pupils to learn the intended knowledge. On a very small number of occasions, lessons are not as carefully designed. When this happens, pupils find it more difficult to explain what they have learned.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

From the early years to Year 2, pupils develop the foundational knowledge that they need to read, write and use numbers. They typically apply this knowledge competently in the subjects that they study. Any pupils who need extra support, receive this promptly. For instance, children in the Reception class receive additional phonics teaching if they have missed any learning due to absence. This helps to ensure that pupils keep up with the curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years feel safe and secure as a result of the warm and supportive care that they receive from staff. Staff are knowledgeable about the ways in which young children learn. For example, they use language that helps to broaden the range of words that children understand. This supports children to develop a widening vocabulary.

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Early years Expected standard

The school places a high priority on developing strong, positive relationships with parents and carers. For instance, staff encourage parents to share any questions or concerns that they may have about their child’s development. This helps the school to work effectively with parents to identify and address children's needs, including special educational needs and/or disabilities. Children are introduced to a wide range of exciting stories and books. Through the phonics programme, children build up their knowledge of letters and sounds every day. Children soon learn to apply their phonics knowledge in order to read and write successfully. The large majority are well prepared for key stage 1.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors use a range of information to evaluate the school’s strengths and to identify where it can improve further. For example, they gather information from teachers' checks on pupils' learning and from records of pupils' attendance. This helps leaders to decide appropriate priorities for further improvement work. Governors regularly consider leaders' progress with these improvement priorities, to ensure that the school continues to provide pupils with the high quality of education that they deserve.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors fulfil their statutory obligations effectively. For instance, they carry out a range of checks to ensure that the school continues to be a safe place for pupils. Governors ask leaders questions about their use of the pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils. This helps to reassure them that this funding is used effectively to improve outcomes for these pupils in relation to their wellbeing and achievement.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders provide staff with appropriate opportunities to develop their professional knowledge. For example, staff receive training to help them teach the curriculum, or to develop their own leadership knowledge. Teachers who are new to the profession receive an appropriate programme of induction and ongoing support to help them to hone their skills.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors and leaders take account of staff’s workload when considering changes or new initiatives. Staff appreciate leaders’ concern for their wellbeing, and say that they enjoy working at the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils are provided with age-appropriate opportunities to develop awareness of their own beliefs as well as those of others. For instance, they visit places of worship, such as a cathedral and a mosque. Pupils enjoy listening to visitors from a range of cultures, when they talk about special festivals. These experiences help pupils to recognise differences and similarities among people.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

From the early years upwards, pupils learn to care for their physical and mental health and to adopt healthy lifestyles. For instance, in the early years, children learn to wash their hands after using the toilet. Through the curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education, pupils begin to learn about friendships and relationships, and about how to keep themselves safe when working online.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school provides a range of activities to support pupils’ wider development. For example, pupils have swimming lessons, take part in a range of sports and engage in art and craft activities. Pupils enjoy lunchtime and after school clubs, including science and gardening, and take part in competitions with other local schools. Leaders ensure that all pupils are able to participate, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils experience values such as tolerance, the rule of law and democracy in ways that are appropriate for their age. For instance, pupils vote for members of the school council. They have opportunities to consider ways of improving the school further, for example, by discussing how to develop the school environment. On a few occasions, pupils struggle to contribute their thoughts and ideas to these discussions because adults do not allow enough

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

time for them to formulate what they would like to say. When this happens, it limits pupils’ ability to help shape decisions about school life.

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

Pupils settle into school quickly at the start of each day, full of enthusiasm for the day ahead. In the early years, children are reassured by the warm welcome that they receive from staff. There are very few tears as their parents leave. Older pupils look forward to breaktimes when they can play with their friends. Pupils of all ages thrive in the school’s caring, nurturing atmosphere.

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

Pupils behave well in school. They understand the rules and usually follow them successfully. For example, in the early years, children share resources and treat them with care. Pupils are confident that any bullying behaviour would be dealt with quickly by staff. Most pupils walk sensibly in the corridors. This appropriate behaviour ensures that the school is an orderly place.

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

Pupils develop positive attitudes to their learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, and disadvantaged pupils. Pupils enjoy their interesting lessons. They know where to find the resources that they need, and have the confidence to seek help if they need it.

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

Pupils' starting points are very varied. Some face many barriers to their learning. Regardless of these challenges, pupils know that staff expect them to work hard and to listen carefully. From the early years to the end of Year 2, pupils typically make positive gains in their learning. The majority are well prepared for junior school when the time comes.

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Next steps

• Leaders should ensure that all staff consistently select and design activities that help pupils to learn and remember intended knowledge securely. • Leaders should ensure that when pupils are asked for their views and opinions about school life, they have the time to think and reflect before responding, so that they can practise using their oracy skills to express their thoughts, ideas and feelings clearly.

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Team inspectors:

Julie Brown, Ofsted Inspector Gaynor Roberts, Ofsted 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

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 executive headteacher, other senior leaders, and with members of the governing body during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with some pupils and some staff, and with some parents at the start of the school day. The lead inspector spoke on the telephone with a representative of the local authority. Inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted's survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View and to the responses to Ofsted's survey for staff.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school has undergone a significant change since the last inspection. The school is currently led by an executive headteacher on a temporary basis, pending recruitment of a new, substantive headteacher.

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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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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. 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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