Langton Primary School

Inspection Report Langton Primary School

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121452 Unique Reference Number North Yorkshire Local Authority 292118 Inspection number 15 November 2006 Inspection date Linda Murphy 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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Langton School address Primary Type of school Malton Community School category North Yorkshire YO17 9QP 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01653 658236 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01653 658236 Fax number 107 Number on roll (school) Ms Dianne Brown Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Ms Anne Myers Headteacher 20 May 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 292118 15 November 2006 4 °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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The numbers on roll have increased since the last inspection. Just under half of the pupils attend this small school from outside the immediate area. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below average, as is the proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. However, there is great variation between year groups in the numbers of pupils with learning difficulties and the numbers who join the school throughout their primary education. The school achieved the Healthy Schools Award in 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a good education for its pupils. It is a happy and lively place to be where pupils form strong relationships, behave well and have great attitudes to learning. They are taught well how to lead a healthy lifestyle and how to keep safe. Pupils are good at taking initiative, helping others and asking for help as required because there is much trust between each other and with adults. As one pupil said, 'A problem shared is a problem halved'. Leadership and management, including governance, are good. The headteacher has a heavy workload, teaching for part of each week as well as having responsibility for such important aspects as assessment and the arrangements for pupils who need extra help. Nonetheless, systems are simple yet very effective and serve the school well. Self-evaluation is good and information from assessment is used well to make sure that all groups of pupils make good progress and achieve well. Children increasingly

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Grade: 2

enter the Reception year with standards below those typically expected for their age. They make fast progress and attain at an average level by the end of their first year. By the end of Year 6, pupils make good progress, including those with learning difficulties. As a result, by Year 6, standards are above average in mathematics and science. They are also above average in reading and speaking but only average in writing. 'Staff are always willing to go that extra mile - this makes a real difference to my child's school day'. This comment from a parent sums up the school's approach to its pupils. Staff know pupils really well and build on this to promote pupils' learning. The quality of teaching and learning is good. The mostly experienced staff intuitively know how to explain things and engage pupils in learning. Teachers have good subject knowledge and are adept at posing challenging questions to pupils and in giving clear explanations.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy an interesting and varied curriculum. However, the school is not fully exploiting opportunities to help pupils understand how learning in subjects is interrelated. Teachers do not plan in enough detail how to promote pupils' literacy and numeracy skills apart from in English and mathematics. A strength is in the use of visits and visitors and the extra-curricular opportunities given to the pupils. The Foundation Stage curriculum is practical and good use is made of the outside environment. As a result, children in the Reception class make good progress.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards in writing to an above average level. • Improve the curriculum so that pupils are aware of how subjects can link together creatively and so that they practise their skills in literacy and numeracy more in other subjects. 2 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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Grade: 2

Pupils' achievements are good and standards in Year 6 are above average. In 2006, the school's preliminary test results were broadly average because of a high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties. The school is accurate in identifying relative weaknesses in attainment and is effective in addressing them so that all pupils progress well, apart from in writing where progress is satisfactory. As a result, the school meets its challenging targets overall. Throughout the school, pupils' good attainment in speaking, reading and numeracy provides them with effective basic skills for the future. Standards in writing are average. Handwriting in Years 5 and 6 is not as good as in the rest of the school because these pupils have not benefited from improved methods of teaching this skill.

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Grade: 2

Pupils love school and their attendance is above average. They tackle work and play with equal gusto, are very tenacious and try hard to fulfil the school code to 'never, never, give up'. They behave well. Pupils concentrate hard and work independently and collaboratively with equal success. They practise the school motto: 'to have a friend you have to be a friend'. This starts very early on as Reception children are befriended by buddies from Year 6. The skills of socialising and working with others stand them in good stead for their future. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils become increasingly mature and are very tolerant of others. The family atmosphere, close links with the local community and growing links with schools nationally, all support pupils' understanding of how to work with others and to contribute to a flourishing school community. The recently achieved Healthy

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Grade: 2

Schools Award highlights the importance the school places on successfully helping pupils to understand the importance of being safe and healthy.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching is good. Teachers are experienced and have good subject knowledge. This is why, despite their curriculum only being satisfactory, pupils learn at a good rate. Relationships are strong and this means that pupils are confident to contribute in lessons and to ask for help. As a result, they enjoy learning new things and are confident applying their skills in new situations. Learning is good because teachers closely match the tasks they set pupils to their needs. This includes those who need extra support. Teachers mostly have high expectations of their pupils and expect pupils to do their best and work hard. This successfully helps pupils to understand that they can take some responsibility for how and what they learn. There 3 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006 are plenty of opportunities for pupils to speak in lessons and in assemblies, for example, school councillors are confident to speak without notes or a script when they address

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Grade: 2

the whole school. The good quality of teachers' questions effectively deepens pupils' understanding and encourages discussion. Pace slows in writing when the tasks are not planned well enough. For example, when pupils spend time cutting out sentences to be re-ordered rather than writing the sentences themselves. At times, when the whole class copy the same writing, in science for example, pupils do not derive as much enjoyment or learning as when they are asked to write independently and to think for themselves.

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Grade: 3

The school organises and plans the basic curriculum soundly and caters satisfactorily for the needs of the mixed year group classes. Medium-term planning is clear, but short-term planning is of variable quality. Extra enjoyment and breadth are provided through a good selection of visits to places of interest and by visitors to the school. Special events such as Arts and 'Ascot weeks' bring many aspects of pupils' learning together and deepen their cultural understanding, for example, of national events and Indian and classical dance. The school rightly acknowledges that the curriculum needs to be reviewed to ensure that such enjoyable aspects are a regular part of the school's work and that pupils use their basic skills to support learning in all subjects. Extra- curricular activities help to promote a healthy lifestyle and contribute well to pupils' good relationships and their ability to work together harmoniously.

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Grade: 2

The arrangements for safeguarding pupils are good and clearly understood by staff and pupils. Guidance for pupils' academic progress is also good. Very effective use is made of information from assessment and analysis of data to set individual targets for pupils' progress. This helps pupils to make good gains in literacy and numeracy. 'Learn by heart' books for older pupils encourage homework and help parents understand what their children need to learn next. Pupils are well prepared for their further education. A parent commented that, 'The foundations given at Langton have done my child proud upon starting at secondary school.'

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Grade: 2

The school meets its aims well because pupils' well-being and equality of opportunity are at the heart of everything it does. It fulfils its mission statement of 'All learning together'. The arrangements for performance management support professional development well. For example, they have helped subject leaders to have a better oversight of their subjects. The headteacher has guided school improvement well since the last inspection. The school has a good capacity to improve and provides good value 4 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006 for money. Systems to check pupils' progress and the quality of teaching work well: good use is made of them to improve pupils' achievement. They provide teachers with the information that enables them to provide a good match of work to pupils' individual needs and to ensure equality of opportunity for all. Governors effectively support and check the school's progress. The fact that many parents choose to travel some distance

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Grade: 2

to enable their children to attend this village school illustrates their justified, high regard for its work. 5 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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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 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 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 2 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 2 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?

2 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. 7 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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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? 8 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for contributing to the inspection by being friendly and helpful. You and your parents think Langton Primary is a good school and I agree with you. • You behave well and are very kind to others - often offering a helping hand. • You attend school regularly and enjoy learning and playing together. • Children make good progress because the teaching is of a high quality. • Your headteacher leads the school well: staff and governors have good arrangements to make sure the school runs smoothly. • Teachers take good care of you and you know how to keep safe and healthy. So - how can things get even better? There are two aspects where improvements can be made. • Improve the curriculum to help you understand how subjects can link together creatively as happened in your 'Ascot week', and so that you have more opportunities to practise literacy and numeracy in other subjects. • the standards in writing can be improved so that they are better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You can help by always trying your best. 9 Inspection Report: Langton Primary School, 15 November 2006

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