Langdon Park Community School

Langdon Park Community School

Address: Bright Street, Poplar, London, E14 0RZ Unique reference number (URN): 100966

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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 typically achieve well. Attainment in national examinations is broadly close to average when compared to national figures. Although some progress measures are below the national average, the impact of leaders' work to raise pupils' achievement, particularly for those with higher starting points, is having a positive impact. The school has significantly more disadvantaged pupils on roll than national averages. These pupils are particularly well supported, achieving results at the end of Year 11 that are above the national average when compared to their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically demonstrate secure knowledge and understanding across the curriculum. They clearly articulate their learning and demonstrate their retention of prior knowledge. This means that, over time, they largely build up their learning well. Pupils typically develop their foundational knowledge in literacy and numeracy effectively. For those who are working on securing this foundational knowledge, some strategies are not as precise as they could be in helping some of these pupils to catch up at pace. Nevertheless, this is not a barrier to them accessing the full curriculum. Across the school, pupils are well prepared for their next steps.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils attend school regularly. The attendance of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged is particularly positive and above national averages. Leaders have robust systems in place to monitor and check absences. They identify swiftly any pupils or groups who are increasingly absent. Timely support is put in place to ensure that these pupils attend more regularly. The school works closely with families and external organisations to ensure that barriers to attendance are removed.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have clear behaviour systems and procedures in place that are followed consistently by teachers. Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. They are positive role models and teach pupils how to behave and play a positive role in the culture of their school. Pupils are well behaved in lessons and around the school site. They typically have positive attitudes to learning and remain engaged throughout lessons. Pupils are confident to report instances of bullying or the use of discriminatory or derogatory language. Staff address these incidents swiftly and effectively if they occur. Leaders make well- considered adjustments to behaviour approaches for some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers. This supports these pupils to contribute positively to the school community.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is broad and ambitious. It is designed to build pupils' knowledge progressively over time. Leaders have a very secure understanding of the strengths and areas to work on further in curriculum and teaching. Key priorities have been clearly identified and improvement strategies are well focused on embedding consistency in quality across the school. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They deliver information clearly and largely design activities that support pupils to make effective progress through the curriculum. Teachers typically make effective adaptations for pupils with barriers to their learning to support them to access the curriculum successfully. Teaching also generally checks pupils' understanding and addresses misconceptions. However, these approaches are not as effective as they could be in some areas of the curriculum and teaching. This means that

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

pupils sometimes develop gaps in their knowledge.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders identify pupils who have not yet secured firm foundations in literacy and numeracy. Pupils are supported to secure this knowledge, including those pupils at the earlier stages of learning to read. Overall, this support is effective in ensuring that pupils are able to access the broader curriculum. Nevertheless, the school's work on this is relatively new and, occasionally, some additional support is not precisely matched to what pupils need to develop next in their learning. This means that a small number of pupils do not catch up as quickly as they could.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders identify any barriers that pupils have swiftly. They work closely with primary schools to understand the needs of pupils coming into the school. Systems are also clear for identifying and assessing emerging barriers that pupils may have. Staff are clear which pupils require additional support during lessons. They receive appropriate training to typically make effective adaptations to their teaching. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or other barriers successfully access the curriculum. Leaders monitor the impact of support regularly to ensure that these pupils make appropriate progress through the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupil premium funding is used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils. Funding is targeted to support these pupils academically and to ensure that they access the range of wider experiences available in the school. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well in national examinations and take advantage of the range of broader opportunities that the school offers.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school works closely with parents and carers and external organisations to ensure that support for pupils with barriers is well matched to their needs. Leaders have developed close links with those who support pupils that are known or previously known to social care. This helps the school to make sure that additional support for these pupils is adapted for their specific circumstances.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a deep understanding about the school's strengths and areas of priority. They have clear strategic plans in place to tackle any areas of inconsistency in the school's work. Governors provide a broad range of experience. They understand the school priorities well and ensure that the school is moving in the right direction. Governors hold leaders to account and provide support when required.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school provides staff with an appropriate professional development programme. This is closely linked to improvement priorities and designed to develop and enhance teachers' skills and expertise. Staff are positive about the opportunities that they have to develop their practice. Senior leaders monitor the impact of professional learning. However, some aspects of leaderships' oversight is still developing, specifically in relation to ensuring that staff training is being consistently put into practice and embedded across all areas of the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are typically positive about how effectively leaders support them with their wellbeing. Leaders have put several strategies in place to support staff and reduce workload. Staff typically appreciate the support that they receive from leaders.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have worked with determination to build and develop positive relationships with parents and carers and the local community. To support their actions to further improve the school, they also work effectively with the local professional community and regularly contribute to school development initiatives within the local authority.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have designed a personal development programme that prepares pupils for adulthood and ensures they receive a broad range of wider opportunities beyond the academic curriculum. Pupils learn how to stay healthy and safe, including online, through the personal, social, health and economic education programme. Pupils also gain an understanding of healthy relationships through the school's effective relationships education curriculum. They understand the importance of tolerance in their diverse local community and in wider modern Britain. Pupils enjoy contributing to their community through the broad range of social initiatives that they take part in.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral support is a strength in the school. Leaders know pupils' individual needs and contexts very well. Pupils are supported with their wellbeing through a range of strategies, including one-to-one support from pastoral leads, access to school counsellors and through a broad range of external organisations that the school has developed links with.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders closely track pupils' participation in the various clubs and educational trips that the school offers. These develop pupils' interests and provide them with new and unique experiences. Leaders' oversight ensures that pupils across the school, including the most disadvantaged pupils, access these opportunities regularly. There are also a range of leadership opportunities, including through the school's 'LPS student leadership programme'. This focuses on helping pupils to develop their skills in organisation and communication.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school has designed a well-considered careers programme. This ensures that pupils are aware of the broad range of careers opportunities available to them. They take part in work-related learning and all pupils access independent careers advice and guidance. The school also welcomes regular external speakers to talk to pupils about a range of topics, including careers, university and apprenticeships. Additionally, the school supports pupils to develop employability skills through a range of workshops, talks and trips.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

The leadership team has a very firm understanding of the strengths and priorities for development in the sixth form. They have put in place a large number of changes that have improved attendance, curriculum and teaching and the overall culture in the sixth form. Students' outcomes in vocational subjects are well above the national average. Outcomes in some A-level subjects have been below the national average in previous years. Leaders' positive changes to the sixth form have secured clear improvements in achievement, albeit this is not currently reflected in students' A-level outcomes.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students in both vocational and A-level subjects demonstrate a very secure understanding of the curriculum and produce high-quality work. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and typically check for understanding and address misconceptions swiftly. Students articulate their learning very clearly. They confidently use subject-specific vocabulary and apply their learning fluently.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students access a range of wider opportunities that help to ensure they are ready for the next stage of their education or training. The careers programme helps students to be confident about the range of future options available to them. Leaders ensure that there is high-quality support in place for students with their applications for their post-18 pathways.

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

Pupils enjoy coming to this school. Leaders ensure that pupils quickly develop a sense of belonging. This starts with the extended transition programme for new Year 7 pupils. This especially helps pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those with other barriers to quickly settle into the school. Pupils have positive relationships with staff. They have someone to talk to if they have any worries. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

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

Pupils enjoy their learning. Staff are aware of the needs of pupils with SEND and those with other barriers. They make sure that these pupils receive extra support during lessons when needed. For example, staff typically make appropriate adaptations to teaching to ensure these pupils access the curriculum effectively. Pupils' achievement in examinations is broadly close to national figures. They are well prepared for their next steps in education or training. Pupils with SEND and those with other barriers make positive progress through the curriculum from their starting points.

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

Pupils attend school regularly. Their behaviour during lessons is very positive. Low-level disruption is rare and pupils follow instructions from staff straight away. Pupils move around the school site calmly and manage their behaviour well at break times. When rare instances of bullying occur, staff address these effectively.

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

There are a broad range of wider opportunities for pupils to take part in. Pupils access a range of visits that are designed to extend their cultural experiences. These include visits to museums, galleries and London landmarks, for example. The school also offers a broad range of clubs. Many pupils take part and this supports and extends their talents and interests. Pupils are also all expected to make a commitment to completing a set amount of community engagement work each year. This contribution to the local community helps to develop pupils' sense of civic duty.

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Team inspectors:

Luisa Vittoria Bonelli, Ofsted Inspector Rebecca Drysdale, Ofsted Inspector Michelle Bernard, Ofsted Inspector Kelly Hart, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff consistently check pupils' understanding and address any misconceptions to ensure gaps in pupils' learning do not develop or persist. Leaders should continue to embed and refine the strategies in place to support pupils who have not yet secured firm foundations in literacy and numeracy, ensuring that these pupils catch up as quickly as possible. The school should develop leadership at all levels to ensure that whole-school development priorities and staff training are consistently applied and embedded across the school.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Helen Witty.

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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 (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, a range of senior leaders, staff and pupils, school governors and representatives from the local authority during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 currently makes use of one registered 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.

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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: 28.9%

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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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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 46.1% 45.4% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 46.3% 45.3% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 43.5 46.1 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 44.0 45.9 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 49.2 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.13 -0.03 Close to average

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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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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.44 -0.57 Close to average

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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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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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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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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 7.9% 8.4% Close to average

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Persistent absence

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

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 23.5% 23.4% Close to average

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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

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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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