Langdon Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school Leaders have improved the school since the time of the previous inspection.

As a result, the school provides its pupils with a good education. Teaching is good overall. In the secondary phase, it is highly effective as teaching and assessment sharply meet pupils' needs.

In the primary phase, however, there is variability. Work is not routinely challenging enough, and the teaching of reading comprehension in key stage 2 is less effective than in other subjects. Pupils make good progress overall.

In many subjects in the secondary phase, pupils make substantial progress to reach standards that are above the national average. This is... because : of high-quality teaching and subject leadership. Pupils in the specialist autism resource base in the primary phase benefit from a focused and personalised curriculum and support package.

They make very strong personal and academic progress. In the secondary phase, however, pupils do not routinely make the full academic progress of which they are capable. Other pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make similar strong progress as their peers.

This is because they receive well-tailored support. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They work hard in lessons and are keen to succeed.

Pupils feel safe and have a good understanding of how to avoid risks. The curriculum and enrichment activities make a sound contribution to pupils' personal development and welfare. They prepare them well for the next stages of their lives.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. Leaders ensure that teaching is good and that children have access to a range of exciting and stimulating learning experiences. Staff take good care of children's welfare.

Children make good progress in their academic and social development. Members of the local governing body (LGB) give leaders strong support and challenge them rigorously to improve the school. They have made a marked contribution to securing the many improvements since the previous inspection.

Information about this school

The school became an academy on 1 January 2014. It is part of the Brampton Manor Trust. Academy trustees have overall responsibility for governance.

They delegate day-to-day responsibilities around leadership, standards, teaching, and pupils' behaviour and attendance to the LGB. The current chair of the LGB took up his post in February 2017. There is specialist resource provision for up to 17 pupils with autism spectrum disorder in the primary school and for up to 20 pupils in the secondary school.

There are currently 16 pupils in the primary provision and 23 in the secondary provision. A small number of pupils attend Eleanor Smith School, Newham, either part-time or full-time. Some others attend the local pupil referral unit, Tunmarsh School.

There have been several changes to senior leadership this year. The principal, formerly head of the secondary school, took up his substantive post from September 2018. A part-time acting executive headteacher of the primary phase joined in February 2019.