Langdale CofE School

Langdale CofE School

Address: Chapel Stile, Great Langdale, Ambleside, Cumbria, LA22 9JE Unique reference number (URN): 112321

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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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This school requires significant improvement

His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, regardless of their background or needs. They identify pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) quickly and accurately, including those that emerge or change over time. Leaders work closely with parents and carers to understand each pupil's needs. Consequently, leaders know each pupil well and match resources to help them overcome barriers to learning. They seek advice from specialists, including speech therapists and educational psychologists. Staff generally use this information to put the right strategies in place. This ensures that pupils get the help they need quickly.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff benefit from regular training to deepen their knowledge of specific needs, such as social, emotional and mental health difficulties. This helps them to adapt their teaching so that pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers. Pupil premium funding and targeted activities, such as bushcraft and gardening, give disadvantaged pupils and those with more complex needs access to the extra help that they need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders check the support that pupils receive. They make timely adjustments when something is not working well. Most pupils with additional needs learn well alongside their peers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils develop a clear sense of right and wrong. They learn to respect the views and beliefs of others, including those from different backgrounds and cultures. Pupils have opportunities to reflect on their own beliefs and experiences. Links with schools in other countries help to broaden pupils' understanding of the world. This helps them to appreciate and celebrate difference. Pupils develop their understanding of fundamental British values. For example, they vote for school representatives and learn about the contribution they can make to the school community. Pupils take on a range of leadership roles in the school. These experiences develop their sense of responsibility.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal, social, health and economic education programme is carefully tailored to meet pupils' needs. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including online. Pupils benefit from relationships and health education that is appropriate to their age and stage. It complies with statutory guidance. Leaders work closely with specialist partners to ensure that the programme equips pupils with the knowledge that they need for life beyond school. Pupils who need additional support receive timely and sensitive care. Leaders ensure that

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Needs attention

disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access the full personal development programme. They benefit from this provision.

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Needs attention

Pupils have access to a broad and carefully designed enrichment offer, including arts, sport, science and outdoor activities. Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, can participate in trips and residential visits. They use additional funding so that no pupil misses out. Leaders check participation in clubs and activities. They use this information to encourage pupils who are not taking part. By the end of key stage 2, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Achievement Needs attention

Some pupils are not as well prepared for their next stage of education as they should be. Published data shows the variability of the successive small Year 6 cohorts in reaching the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This pattern is reflected in the uneven progress that many pupils currently at the school make through the curriculum. Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged make smoother progress due to the additional support that they receive.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not gain a secure enough body of knowledge over time. They often find it difficult to recall prior learning. Some pupils have gaps in their handwriting skills and their knowledge of spelling, grammar and number. These gaps do not close quickly enough over time. This limits their ability to tackle more challenging concepts.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils typically learn to read well. They gain the phonics knowledge that they need to succeed as early readers.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Some pupils do not meet leaders' expectations for their behaviour. This is because staff do not implement those expectations consistently well. As a result, pupils' behaviour is variable across lessons and when moving between activities. Some pupils lose focus and become distracted. This is particularly evident at breaktimes and lunchtimes. When staff make appropriate adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, these pupils are generally able to meet the school's behaviour expectations. Pupils feel safe in school. They generally treat each other with respect. Pupils say that bullying is rare. When it does occur, staff deal with it effectively.

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Attendance and behaviour Needs attention

Leaders have high expectations for pupils' attendance. They check pupils' attendance carefully. They work closely with families when attendance falls below expectations. Leaders' actions have started to reduce rates of persistent absence. However, their plans to support those pupils who miss too much school are not followed consistently well. Overall attendance rates are below the national average. However, this does not account for those pupils who follow a flexi-school arrangement.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers do not design activities that help pupils connect new knowledge to prior learning. Pupils recall recent work but do not build on what they have learned before. This limits their ability to develop their understanding over time. In some subjects, leaders have not ensured that staff have the expertise needed to teach the curriculum effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There is not a consistent approach to identifying gaps in pupils' learning. Teachers do not spot when pupils are struggling with their handwriting, spelling, grammar and number. As a result, these persistent issues are not routinely addressed or successfully resolved. This is particularly true for pupils who join the school at different points in their education.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The curriculum is broad, balanced and meets the ambition of the national curriculum. Leaders have identified what pupils should learn across subjects, including the key vocabulary that they should use to explain their ideas. The early reading curriculum is taught well. Most pupils develop as confident readers. Teachers make suitable adaptations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. This helps them to access the curriculum alongside their peers. Leaders have taken some initial steps to address weaknesses in teaching that were identified at the previous inspection. These actions have not brought about enough positive changes.

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Early years Needs attention

Some children are not supported to be as ready for Year 1 as they should be. The early years curriculum does not make clear the knowledge that children should learn. At times, staff do not design activities that build on what children already know. The checks that staff make on children's learning do not routinely identify what children need to learn next. This means that future learning is not designed well enough to resolve those areas that children find difficult. As a result, some children do not build the knowledge they need across all areas of their learning. These children sometimes develop gaps in their knowledge that persist over time.

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Early years Needs attention

Reading is prioritised from the start of the Reception Year. Children learn the sounds that they need to read words accurately. The early reading curriculum is taught well. Children who struggle to keep up with the phonics programme receive timely support so that they can catch up quickly.

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Early years Needs attention

Interactions between adults and children are warm and purposeful. Adults introduce new words carefully as children play. This helps children to use new words confidently.

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Early years Needs attention

Adults work closely with parents and carers as children join the school. This helps them to understand children's needs. This includes children with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Governors have overseen a decline in the quality of education offered by the school. They have not provided sufficient challenge on the quality of the curriculum or pupils' achievement. They do not pay enough attention to the academic success of different groups of pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Governors have failed to ensure that the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection have been addressed in full. As a result, the school's effectiveness has declined rather than improved over time.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Governors have not met their statutory duty to support the wellbeing and workload of leaders. They have not taken appropriate action when concerns about leaders' wellbeing have been raised. As a result, leaders have not been able to make decisions consistently in the best interests of pupils. Leaders and governors do not have the capacity to bring about the improvements to many aspects of the school's provision.

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Leadership and governance Urgent improvement

Staff morale is high. Leaders are considerate of staff's wellbeing and workload. Staff receive training to develop their knowledge and skills. However, this has not helped teachers to consistently improve their delivery of the curriculum so that pupils achieve well.

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

While many pupils enjoy learning, some do not achieve as well as they could. This is because governors have overseen a decline in the quality of education that pupils receive. Some pupils are not able to write clearly or work confidently with numbers. They often struggle to remember what they have learned previously. If they do recall this knowledge, they find it difficult to use it when faced with new learning. In the early years, children learn to read but do not build all of the knowledge that they need across their other areas of learning. Some children are not ready for Year 1.

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

Pupils generally behave well. However, some pupils do not follow the school's routines and expectations. This is because staff do not apply them consistently well. Many pupils attend school regularly.

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

Pupils arrive at school each morning happy and eager to learn. Staff get to know each pupil well and build warm and caring relationships with them. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries. This helps them to feel safe. Bullying is rare. When it does occur, staff deal with it effectively.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils receive effective and timely support. They access the curriculum alongside their peers. Leaders identify their needs quickly and put the right help in place.

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

Pupils enjoy a broad range of clubs, including football and art. They look forward to residential trips to cities such as Manchester and Edinburgh. Leaders ensure that all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, can take part in these experiences. Such opportunities develop pupils' confidence and resilience. As a result, they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Those responsible for governance should ensure that they fulfil their statutory duty to support leaders' wellbeing and workload while holding leaders to account so that the school has the capacity to bring about sustained improvement. Leaders should ensure that teachers design activities that help pupils to connect new knowledge to what they have learned previously, so that pupils build a secure body of knowledge across subjects over time that helps them to achieve well. Leaders should ensure that teachers identify and rectify the gaps and errors in pupils' handwriting, spelling, grammar and number knowledge. Leaders should refine the early years curriculum so that staff are clear on what children should learn in order to prepare them well for Year 1 and beyond. Leaders should ensure that staff apply the behaviour policy consistently well so that pupils meet the school's expectations for behaviour across all aspects of school life.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Anne Corrie.

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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 (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 and the assistant headteacher during the inspection. The lead inspector spoke to representatives of the governing body, including the chair of the governing body. Inspectors engaged with pupils throughout the inspection. They also spoke to some parents and carers. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s surveys and Ofsted Parent View.

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About this inspection

In accordance with section 44(2) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement because it is performing significantly less well than it might in all the circumstances reasonably be expected to perform.

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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 alternative provision.

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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. The school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is part of the Diocese of Carlisle. It received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in December 2023.

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What does this mean?

Headteacher: Rachel Underwood National average: 300

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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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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

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

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