Longfields Primary and Nursery School

Longfields Primary and Nursery School

Address: Longfields, Bicester, Oxfordshire, OX26 6QL Unique reference number (URN): 123008

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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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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for attendance and behaviour. Attendance is rigorously monitored and this has resulted in further improvements in already positive attendance this year. Analysis identifies patterns and trends and leaders use this to support children and their families. Attendance of key groups, including those who are persistently absent, is improving due to the effective systems and processes in place. Staff are aware that attendance is a priority and their responsibilities include building relationships and addressing barriers where possible.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils create a friendly welcoming atmosphere throughout the school. Pupils are polite, well- mannered and caring towards one another. Leaders have strengthened behaviour systems significantly this year. They have introduced new clear, consistent routines and well structured approaches that staff apply with increasing confidence. This helps create calm and respectful environments across the school. Pupils with higher levels of need receive more bespoke support, which helps them regulate and re-engage with learning. Leaders respond quickly and firmly to any bullying, ensuring that such behaviour is not tolerated. Pupils typically have positive attitudes to their learning and say they feel safe at school. They know who to go to if they have any worries or concerns.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders prioritise inclusion and consequently it is clear that this is a school where all are welcomed. Staff get to know pupils well. There are robust processes in place to identify pupils’ needs, including through close partnership with parents and carers. In addition, the school works closely and draws on input and advice from a wide range of professionals.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have a secure understanding of pupils’ multiple vulnerabilities and have ensured that provision is in place to meet, not just academic needs, but also holistic and social needs as well. They understand the barriers pupils face to learning and ensure that provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities is continually reviewed and tailored.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school uses its funding, including pupil premium funding, to provide targeted support for disadvantaged pupils. This helps close gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding. Leaders provide additional support for young carers and pupils who speak English as an additional language. The school successfully runs its own provision for pupils with more complex needs. Leaders commission alternative provision and support when needed. For pupils who are looked after or previously looked after, the school works closely with the virtual school and other specialists to ensure that provision and support are aligned to needs

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Recent changes in leadership have made a notable and highly positive difference to the school. Leaders have worked resolutely to ensure that the school continues to go from strength to strength. They are tenacious in their pursuit of more positive outcomes. For example, leaders ensure that staff rightly focus on ways pupils develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills. Although early in the journey staff, pupils and parents and carers are full of praise for what the new headteacher is doing to improve the school. They recognise the journey the school has been on and the improvements being made.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders understand the school well. They know what is working and what needs to improve further. This clear view helps them set focused priorities that match the needs of the school community. Governors offer challenge and support in equal measure, while also fulfilling their statutory duties.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders routinely check how well their actions are working and make changes when needed. They plan professional development opportunities for staff carefully to address any needs. The well-considered staff training programme means that staff expertise is enhanced continually. For example, recent whole school training on phonics means there is now fidelity to the scheme across the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders think carefully about staff wellbeing. They consider workload when making decisions, and staff say they feel supported and positive about working at the school. This helps create a calm and committed working culture.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal development curriculum is well sequenced. It includes a relationships, sex and health education programme that is delivered in line with statutory requirements. Pupils learn about the importance of keeping safe and positive relationships. They demonstrate a clear understanding of keeping safe when online and they know how to look after their physical and mental health.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Respect, tolerance and equality run through the school’s curriculum. For example, most pupils speak confidently and with understanding about the school being inclusive and that this means all are welcome and that is never acceptable to discriminate. Pupils describe their school as one where everyone has a place in the community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The school encourages pupils to have a voice and develop their understanding of British values and citizenship including through taking up different leadership roles in the school. This includes serving on the school council or the eco-council. Pupils are encouraged to support the school community by participating in fundraising events in collaboration with the parent teacher association to fund new equipment for the school. They are also proud of their work to introduce a ‘buddy bench’ at social times to help other pupils make friends.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral care is woven through the day to day working practices of the school and is a strength. Staff have been trained in mental health to ensure that they understand signs and indications of concern and when support is needed. Staff provide targeted pastoral support for pupils who need additional help, including those facing emotional or social barriers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enjoy a wide range of enrichment opportunities that broaden their experiences. Leaders provide opportunities to develop pupils’ talents and interests, including, for example, through a range of performance and sporting opportunities. Leaders ensure that trips and residential activities provide memorable experiences for pupils.

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Achievement Needs attention

Previous weaknesses mean that too many pupils have not secured their reading, writing and mathematical knowledge sufficiently well by the end of Year 6. This means that achievement overtime is inconsistent when compared to national averages.

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Achievement Needs attention

Work to close gaps in pupils' phonetical and mathematical knowledge is more evident in key stage 1. This is helping pupils to make progress through some curriculum subjects. Pupils' reading is improving. Those pupils who previously struggled to read are beginning to catch up. These green shoots of improvement are helping to better prepare pupils for the next stage of their education.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils' work in books shows clear improvements in basic, essential knowledge. As these improvements are newly established, the full impact is not evidenced in statutory assessment tests. Leaders, however, are taking appropriate action. They understand the school’s context well and have clear strategies to continue to improve achievement over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The quality of teaching is variable. Where teaching is less effective, expectations of what pupils can achieve are not high enough. Whilst staff work well to remove barriers for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, they often do not ensure that scaffolds and adaptations are made available to other learners. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Teachers do not always challenge pupils working at greater sufficiently to further extend their learning. Leaders need to strengthen practice to ensure that all learners achieve in line with their high expectations.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have taken action to improve the quality of the curriculum in core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. Phonics is taught consistently and with fidelity to the programme. Staff are aware of the pupils who need additional intervention and this provision is reviewed regularly to ensure secure knowledge. The school has relaunched its approach to early writing and it is clear that improvements have been made. These improvements are relatively recent, however, and it is too soon to see the impact. Leaders have made similar changes to the wider curriculum. Pupils learn a broad and interesting curriculum. For example, learning about life in the desert and the effects of less water on an environment.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders have established a suitably sequenced curriculum. They have acted to address weaker aspects of provision in the early years, for example, through staff training on the phonics scheme. More time is needed for the impact of this work to be seen, however. Sometimes, staff do not make the most of the opportunities to develop children's learning effectively. For example, there is further work required to strengthen the early writing curriculum so that children are more ready for Year 1. Reading has been a focus. Staff develop children’s listening skills in the Nursery Year to prepare them for phonics. Phonics teaching is generally effective. Conversely, staff do not consistently ensure that children hold a pencil or form letters correctly before asking them to write sentences.

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Early years Needs attention

Positive warm and caring relationships between staff and children are seen across the setting. In nursery, positive relationships ensure that children make a good start to their school life. Leaders and staff quickly and accurately identify children who face barriers to their learning and wellbeing. They communicate effectively with parents and build constructive partnerships with them. This helps children to settle well and develop secure attachments. Staff prioritise children’s social and emotional development. Because of this, children work well together and focus on activities in the classroom.

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

Pupils enjoy attending and are proud of their school. Every morning staff greet pupils warmly. This is a friendly and happy school where pupils are well cared for, and as a result, typically feel safe. Pupils, parents and staff talk positively about the recent changes brought in by the new headteacher.

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

Routines are well established and pupils settle into their learning quickly. This demonstrates that they are keen to learn. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or those who are disadvantaged are well looked after through the school’s pastoral support and additional needs provision.

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

Pupils across the school typically behave well. They are kind and show polite manners to one another and greet visitors with a handshake and smile. Incidents of bullying are rare. When they do occur, pupils know that there are staff who will support them. Attendance is a priority. Where it falls short there is meaningful support to help pupils attend well.

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

The school has been through a period of instability. Over time, pupils have not achieved as well as they should and have not performed in line with national averages. The quality of teaching is variable and tasks that pupils are set, at times, lack ambition. New leaders have developed clear systems for monitoring progress effectively. Leaders are ambitious in their plans for improvement which are already showing more favourable outcomes for pupils. The youngest children are well supported and cared for when they start school.

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

Pupils appreciate the opportunities the school creates so that they develop their future interests and hobbies. For example, there are many sporting and musical activities available to them including learning to play the ukulele. One of the many highlights are the school productions that take place throughout the year.

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Lead inspector:

Simon Woodbridge, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Sue Cox, Ofsted Inspector Jude Scutt, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should improve the consistency in the approaches teachers take when making adaptions to learning to support all pupils in accessing the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teaching across the school helps all pupils secure their basic skills in reading, writing and mathematical knowledge from the early years to Year 6. Leaders should ensure that staff teach the youngest children to use the correct letter formation and pencil grip when writing.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Robert Envine.

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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

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, senior leaders and some staff. The lead inspector also met with the chair of governors and 3 governors during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke on the telephone with staff from the alternative provision and an officer from the local authority.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with pupils, staff, parents and carers. They considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the responses to the staff and pupil surveys.

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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 uses four unregistered alternative provisions. The school runs its own wrap around care.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Emma Goodes This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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About this inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 23 June 2026

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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 6 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 needs support 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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average

2024/25 (final) 69% 75% Close to average

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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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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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national average

2023/24 (final) 67% 62% Close to average

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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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average

2022/23 (final) 47% 58% Close to average

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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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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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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) 4.8% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.9% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.8% 5.9% 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) 13.1% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 17.1% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.5% 16.2% 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

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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