Langley Park Primary School

Inspection Report Langley Park Primary School

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114193 Unique Reference Number Durham Local Authority 289829 Inspection number 6 °7 February 2007 Inspection dates Alan Keenleyside Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Langley Park School address Primary Type of school Durham, County Durham Community School category DH7 9XN 3 °11 Age range of pupils 0191 3731398 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 0191 3737270 Fax number 240 Number on roll (school) Mr Tom Simms Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Miss Dorothy Brennan Headteacher 1 May 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 289829 6 °7 February 2007 3°11 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This average sized primary school, to the north west of Durham, is situated in a former mining village with a large private housing development near to the school. Nearly all pupils come from White British families, although a few pupils do not speak English as their first language. The attainment of pupils when they join the Nursery is typical for their age overall. The proportions of pupils entitled to free school meals and with learning difficulties and/or disabilities are above average. The school holds Healthy School accreditation and is linked to a community learning partnership with other schools in the area.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory school with strengths in pupils’ personal development and well-being. This is seen in their good spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. Behaviour is good, pupils enjoy learning and they form good relationships with others. Parents are supportive and appreciative of the school because it ensures the well-being of their children and provides them with a wide range of opportunities. Overall, pupils make good but uneven progress and this reflects some inconsistency in the quality of teaching. From an average starting point in the Nursery, good provision results in children exceeding the expectations for children of their age by the end of the Reception year. Test results in 2006 at the end of Key Stage 1 showed that standards in writing were above average while those in reading and mathematics were in line with national averages. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils attain standards that

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Grade: 3

are significantly above the national average in English and science and slightly above average in mathematics. The effective use of assessment in English and the successful implementation of strategies to improve pupils’ progress in writing have contributed to higher standards in this subject at the end of both key stages. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make satisfactory progress. The curriculum is satisfactory overall with some good features, for example, in the Foundation Stage. Throughout the school, pupils develop a good knowledge and understanding of how to live healthily and safely. Learning is enriched by a wide range of educational visits and effective links with the community extend learning experiences for pupils.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure all teaching throughout the school is good or better. • Have a tighter understanding of the progress that pupils make and use this information to maximise their learning. • Focus improvement plans on improving outcomes for pupils and ensure that the monitoring of progress and evaluation of outcomes is rigorous.

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Grade: 2

Achievement and standards are good. Pupils generally make good progress to leave the school with standards that are above average. Pupils enter the Nursery with attainment that is typical for their age. They make good progress in the Foundation Stage and they exceed the expectations for their age group by the time they leave the Reception class. Progress slows in Key Stage 1 and, in recent years, standards have been below average in reading and writing. However, standards rose significantly in 2006 so that they are now in line with national averages in reading and mathematics and above in writing. 2 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007 Pupils make uneven progress in Key Stage 2 but this accelerates in the last two years so that, by the age of 11, pupils reach standards that are significantly above average in English and science and slightly above average in mathematics.

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Grade: 2

The high standards achieved in English in the most recent tests reflect the significant work done by the school to improve the quality of writing. Pupils make better progress in English than they do in mathematics because assessment information is used effectively to set children challenging targets and to ensure that work both meets the learning needs of all pupils and provides interesting and meaningful work that captures their interest and enthusiasm. In mathematics, pupils are not always sufficiently clear about what they need to do next in order to improve. Most pupils, including the most able, make satisfactory progress but the work set for pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is not consistently effective in tackling gaps in their knowledge and understanding.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils have a good knowledge of their local heritage and benefit from a strong focus upon developing their broader cultural awareness; for example, through music and arts work at the Sage Centre in Gateshead, performing for a range of audiences. This rich range of experience is further enhanced, for example, through the work the school has done in helping to fund wells and sanitation for villages in Tanzania. These experiences help to develop pupils’ understanding of themselves and their place in the wider world. They understand the need to value people as individuals, celebrating similarities and differences. Most pupils attend school regularly. Behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. Pupils move through the building with a good understanding of the need for safety. They are friendly, well mannered and act responsibly. Some pupils willingly

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Grade: 2

take on responsibility for looking after others. For example, pupils take on the role of playground mentors and mediators to step in and support when disagreements occur. The school council is involved effectively in the school. Members of the council make suggestions for improvements and are keen to ensure that the views of all children are represented. Pupils concentrate well in classes and enjoy their lessons. They work productively together when undertaking investigations or paired discussions. These skills, together with the standards reached in English and mathematics, prepare pupils appropriately for their future economic well-being. Pupils have a good grasp of the impact of food and exercise on their health. They are keen to take part in the opportunities for physical activity and have a secure knowledge of the importance of healthy eating. 3 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 3

Teaching and learning are satisfactory overall. Some teaching is good but there is a small proportion that is inadequate. This variation contributes to the uneven progress made by pupils. Where teaching is good, in the Foundation Stage and in the upper years of Key Stage 2, pupils make good progress and reach high standards. In the Foundation Stage, activities are closely tailored to the children’s needs. A good balance is struck between practical, free choice activities and adult-led activities where teaching assistants provide effective support and children are well prepared for the next stage of their education. From the earliest age, they learn to be independent and they enjoy being challenged to think hard, and discuss their learning with a partner. In Key Stage 1, teaching is consistently satisfactory but in Key Stage 2 it ranges from inadequate to good. The most effective lessons are brisk, with well focused learning

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Grade: 3

objectives and questioning that provides a high level of challenge for the pupils. Most pupils know where lessons are heading and understand what they must do to achieve well. Teachers’ expectations for work and behaviour are high. In the less effective lessons, pupils are not always sufficiently clear on what they need to do next and, as a result, their learning slows. This is often the case in the lower Key Stage 2 classes where progress is not as good. Relationships between the children and the staff are positive and most pupils enjoy their lessons. Teaching assistants provide satisfactory support to pupils in class. Pupils’ work is marked regularly but opportunities are sometimes missed to encourage pupils to build on previous work and learn from their mistakes. Although pupils are set targets in writing throughout the school to good effect, they are not used to help improve standards in other subjects such as mathematics. Systems for monitoring and checking

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Grade: 3

the progress of individual pupils are at the early stages of development. The school has an overall picture of the progress pupils make, but inconsistencies in progress are not being picked up and tackled early enough.

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Grade: 3

The curriculum is satisfactory with some good features. The school gives appropriate emphasis to developing pupils’ skills in literacy and mathematics and creates good opportunities for children to use and apply these skills through other subjects. The curriculum is enriched with a broad range of good and interesting experiences such as the ‘Chinese day’ observed during the inspection. Extensive use is made of educational visits to enhance pupils’ knowledge and to provide a focus for learning. Such experiences are popular with pupils and give meaning to the work that they do. The Foundation Stage curriculum is well planned to meet the needs of the young children, so that they have plenty of opportunities to learn through practical experiences and play. Curriculum provision for low attaining pupils and those with 4 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007 learning difficulties and/or disabilities is satisfactory overall. Intervention programmes

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Grade: 3

are planned to support their learning needs but these are not always well used or appropriate in tackling the gaps in knowledge that some pupils have.

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Grade: 3

Care, guidance and support are satisfactory. Staff are caring and sensitive to the pupils’ needs. The school has an appropriate system of checks and staff training to ensure that pupils remain safe and secure. The school works well in partnership with parents and other agencies to support pupils, especially those who need extra help. Teachers’ use of marking to set challenging targets for individual pupils is good in writing. Pupils have a good knowledge of what they need to do in order to improve. However, this is not the case in reading or in mathematics where they are too often unsure of what they need to do to make better progress. Expectations of behaviour and attitudes are communicated clearly and well understood. An appropriate range of rewards and sanctions are in place and ensure that pupils work together in a learning environment that is calm and well ordered.

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Grade: 3

The leadership and management of the school are satisfactory. A good ethos of care exists across the school, which contributes to the good personal development of the pupils and satisfactory inclusion for everyone. Recent initiatives to improve pupils’ progress in writing have been successful and standards have risen at the end of both key stages. The headteacher provides satisfactory leadership but the role of the senior management team and curriculum leaders is under-developed. The Foundation Stage is well led and this is reflected in the recent changes to the curriculum and the assessment of pupils. Plans are in place to bring about further improvements to the school but they do not focus enough on how outcomes for pupils will change and place too much emphasis on what will be provided. Arrangements for monitoring and evaluating the effectiveness of these plans are not sufficiently detailed. For example, the school cannot measure

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Grade: 3

accurately the amount of progress made by groups of pupils who are involved in intervention strategies or specialised programmes of support. Monitoring of the quality of teaching has been variable in approach and quality. There is a planned programme of monitoring involving the headteacher and a range of managers but there is no agreed format or focus. Governance is satisfactory. Governors have developed awareness of their role through their own development plan. They have effective ways of finding out how well the school is doing and they are beginning to raise relevant challenging questions. Some have undertaken training to develop their role. Governors and the headteacher work in partnership and share a determination to improve the school. The school runs smoothly on a day-to-day basis, and statutory requirements are met. The school 5 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Grade: 3

manages its finances well to provide a good staffing ratio to get the best from the budget. The school has a satisfactory capacity for improvement. 6 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007 .

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Grade: 3

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The behaviour of learners 3 The attendance of learners 2 How well learners enjoy their education 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

To the pupils of Langley Park Primary School Langley Park Durham County Durham DH7 9XN 6 February 2007 Dear Children We very much enjoyed our visit when we recently visited your school. Thank you for making us so welcome. We really enjoyed talking to you and finding out about what you enjoyed doing. I enjoyed my meal with you on your Chinese day. Some of the good things we saw were your good behaviour and enjoyment of learning. You seem to care very much for others, especially older pupils who take responsibility for younger children in the school. We were pleased with the good standards you achieve in the Foundation Stage and in Years 5 and 6. Your teachers are caring and children in the Foundation Stage get a really good start to school life. You realise how important it is to eat healthily, have lots of exercise to keep fit and how we should all live together happily no matter what culture we belong to.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked Miss Brennan and all the staff to think about a couple of things to help your school become even better. Firstly, they are going to keep a check on well you are learning as you move up the school. Then they will know if everyone is doing as well as they can. Secondly, the staff are going to improve the teaching so all your lessons are good or better. Lastly, the adults who work in the school are going to make sure all plans for improvement focus on your learning. I hope that you continue to work hard. Good luck for the future. Yours sincerely Alan Keenleyside Lead Inspector 10 Inspection Report: Langley Park Primary School, 6 °7 February 2007

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