Schools & FE · Report card

Longford Park Primary Academy

Inspected 10 Feb 2026 · published 20 Apr 2026 · URN 143655

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Summary

No overall grade in this frameworkSafeguarding met

Marie Thomas (lead), Heather Simpson, Hester Millsop

What we read, and from where

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Achievement verified
Expected standard
Attendance and behaviour verified
Expected standard
Curriculum and teaching verified
Expected standard
Early years verified
Expected standard
Inclusion verified
Expected standard
Leadership and governance verified
Expected standard
Personal development and wellbeing verified
Expected standard
Framework verified
Report card
Inspection datesingle source
10 Feb 2026
Inspectors verified
Heather Simpson, Hester Millsop, Marie Thomas
Postcode verified
GL2 9FP
Name on report verified
Longford Park Primary Academy
Safeguarding verified
Met
URN verified
143655

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Deep dive

What this report says

In plain English

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Grade profile

Each judgement on its scale, weakest to strongest.

AchievementExpected
Attendance and behaviourExpected
Curriculum and teachingExpected
Early yearsExpected
InclusionExpected
Leadership and governanceExpected
Personal development and wellbeingExpected

Tone of the report

How positive or critical the inspectors' language is, from the words they chose. No AI involved.

+86Very positivemore positive than 80% of reports of this type

In line with other reports of this type.

Praisepositiveeffectiveconsistentlyrespectfulwarmsecureclearpositively

Criticismconcernsinsufficientpersistent absenceabsencenot precise

How the report reads, start to finish

Every paragraph in order, sized by length. Tap one to see it on the page.

FindingsSafeguardingAbout the inspectionLeadershipWhat needs to improve positive critical

Findings1554w+86
Leadership198w+87
Safeguarding51w−11
What needs to improve33w+20

Strengths

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Concerns

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No strong criticism found.

Next steps

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What the report dwells on

Topics by how often they come up, coloured by how they are described. Open one for an example.

Anatomy of the report

How the report is built, against others of the same type and grade.

Pages: 15
Words of findings: 1,836; about usual (typical 1698)
Reading level: Hard; Flesch 34, typical 43
Average sentence: 15 words
Next steps: 2; typical 3
Hedged sentences: 8%; “some”, “not always”, “most”…

Where the words go

Findings 54%Leadership 7%Safeguarding 2%What needs to improve 1%About the inspection 36%

Full report text

Longford Park Primary Academy

Address: Clock Tower Road, Longford, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 9FP Unique reference number (URN): 143655

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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

Pupils’ achievement across the school's curriculum is broadly secure. A clear sequence of learning and consistent opportunities to revisit prior learning help pupils retain important knowledge. Pupils are increasingly well prepared for their next steps. However, insufficient opportunities and expectations for pupils to apply their knowledge within and across subjects sometimes limit the highest outcomes. More recently, there has been a sharp focus on ensuring that pupils secure their reading, writing and mathematical skills. The impact of this work is particularly evident in pupils' reading fluency and English grammar, punctuation and spelling. Leaders have correctly identified that teachers need to ensure that pupils improve their reading comprehension skills and knowledge in order to consistently work at the nationally expected standard in reading. By the end of key stage 2, most pupils achieve standards that are close to the national average.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders’ efforts to promote pupils' regular attendance have a positive impact. Morning routines are well established, enabling pupils to feel settled and ready to learn. Staff’s visible presence at classroom doors helps to strengthen working relationships with families and supports early identification of emerging concerns. Leaders’ relentless tracking and follow up of absence, including for disadvantaged pupils, and their effective engagement with families, contribute to a reduction in persistent absence and to improved attendance patterns over time.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

A whole-school culture of consistently high expectations for pupils' behaviour underpins pupils’ typically calm, respectful and well-mannered behaviour. Pupils know and follow routines well and contribute positively to the school culture. The school's revised behaviour policy has a measurable impact. Staff teach pupils to recognise and respond appropriately to their feelings. Some pupils require additional support from skilled staff to manage their feelings and actions. This work is successful. As a result, the number of inappropriate behaviour incidents has significantly reduced, demonstrating leaders’ effective implementation and oversight of systems that support pupils in behaving well.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Staff know pupils well, care for them and respond supportively. Leaders’ no ‑ tolerance approach to bullying and discrimination is reflected in pupils’ respectful conduct and positive relationships.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The curriculum is broad and increasingly ambitious. There is a clear intent to strengthen pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical fluency from the early years upwards. Leaders prioritise early reading effectively. Teachers have a secure knowledge of how to teach pupils phonics. When needed, continued support into key stage 2 ensures that most pupils become secure readers and catch up quickly where needed. Accurate and regular checks of pupils' phonics knowledge, along with appropriate support, strengthen progress in this area of learning. Curriculum sequencing is generally well considered. For example, mathematics teaching follows a clear progression, enabling pupils to revisit important concepts and embed knowledge over time. For older pupils, structured learning sequences support accuracy. At times, this restricts pupils’ ability to apply skills and knowledge automatically and confidently across subjects.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Teachers typically use their subject knowledge and pupils' responses to secure pupils' understanding of the subject. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are typically well supported by appropriate curriculum and teaching changes to learn the important subject knowledge. Occasionally, these adaptations, including for higher ‑ attaining pupils, are not precise enough to ensure that pupils apply their knowledge and make links between important concepts.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum is coherently designed and implemented. It successfully builds children’s independence, confidence and early learning habits through warm relationships, clear routines and provision that typically meets needs. Staff interactions with children are purposeful. The development of children's communication and language is prioritised from Nursery onwards. Staff model clear language, check children's understanding and respond to children’s interests to extend vocabulary and engagement. Children in Nursery are calm and settled, benefiting from strong routines and early exposure to stories and rhymes, laying firm foundations before moving into the Reception Year. The revised Reception curriculum and provision develop children's early reading, writing and mathematical knowledge well. Staff have secure phonics knowledge. They check that children learn to read and write accurately.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years environment is well organised indoors and outdoors to promote exploration and opportunities for children to practise prior knowledge and skills. Specialist resources, thoughtful adaptations and inclusive practice typically ensure that children with special educational needs and/or disabilities access whole-class learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Partnership working between staff, parents and carers and other nurseries helps ensure that children's starting points, interests, and needs are well known by staff. More recently, leaders have ensured that teachers' checks of what children know and can do are used to support children's readiness for Year 1 and provide continuity to their learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school demonstrates a deep commitment to inclusion. Early identification of pupils' needs and thoughtful checks on their development are central to leaders' approach. Staff use professional insight and liaison with parents and carers to understand pupils’ barriers to learning and wellbeing. This helps to ensure that provision is generally well matched to need. For example, some pupils with education, health and care plans require bespoke curriculums and carefully considered adaptations to enable them to successfully learn and develop personally, socially and emotionally. Attentive and well-trained staff ensure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities participate meaningfully in school life. Pupils with barriers to learning are fully included in lessons. They receive specific support to help accelerate their progress and catch up with their peers, for example through a targeted

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Inclusion Expected standard

speech and language programme. Teaching and learning adaptations, such as in mathematics, are increasingly effective. Pupils who speak English as an additional language, though few, make rapid progress in phonics in line with their peers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders check that their efforts to make their school inclusive are effective. For example, they review the impact of additional funding for disadvantaged pupils. They are currently changing how class teachers work with parents to improve children's individual support plans.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leadership and governance are effective and increasingly influential in bringing about positive change and improvements for pupils. School and trust leaders have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. They use this insight to plan high-quality, bespoke staff professional development that is well matched to need. This ensures that staff typically have the secure subject knowledge required to teach effectively. Frequent reviews of the impact of leaders' work inform appropriate school improvement next steps. For example, leaders are in the process of considering how best to support and enhance the special educational needs coordinator's resourcing and impact.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders ensure that the school's work meets statutory duties, such as the care and consideration for children's welfare and safety in the early years. Their decision ‑ making consistently serves the best interests of pupils, as reflected in the positive culture and working relationships noted by parents and carers. During the inspection, parental responses highlight warm relationships and a positive culture. Staff feel well supported by leaders who listen, work alongside them and promote professional growth. Workload and wellbeing are managed effectively, contributing to a staff team that feels valued and proud to work at the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school's leaders and staff demonstrate a clear commitment to promoting pupils' personal development and wellbeing. Consistently warm relationships between staff and pupils help to strengthen pupils’ confidence, engagement and sense of safety. Staff know pupils and their families well. They ensure that pastoral support for pupils is timely and responsive to need. This support significantly improves pupils' learning and contributes to their positive conduct and pride in their school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of curricular and extra-curricular experiences that extend their interests and talents, particularly in sport. Disadvantaged pupils are supported to access all opportunities, including clubs and leadership roles. Leaders make sure all pupils have the same opportunities and work with the school parliament to increase participation in these activities. The school's outdoor learning programme adds further richness and enjoyment for pupils.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school’s personal, social, health and economic education curriculum is well structured and age ‑ appropriate. It helps pupils understand how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy and embed safeguarding messages across the curriculum. Pupils can recall the school values and increasingly use the school's 'dragons' to understand their feelings. Leaders have carefully planned meaningful opportunities for pupils to positively contribute to their local community. This strengthens pupils' knowledge of how they can make a difference to other people's lives. Pupils’ personal development and understanding of fundamental British values is further promoted through assemblies, visitors to the school and educational visits. For example, pupils visit places of worship and attend writing workshops with published authors. As a result, pupils appreciate cultural diversity, understand democratic principles and develop respectful attitudes towards others.

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