Langley Mill Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school? '

I feel very lucky to come to this school,' sums up the views held by many pupils who attend Langley Mill Academy.

Most pupils demonstrate positive attitudes and understand the school's values of respect, confidence, aspiration, determination and kindness. However, some pupils' understanding of fundamental British values such as tolerance and democracy are less well developed. This includes some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils are polite, courteous and welcoming. Most pupils move around the school in a calm and purposeful manner. They understand the school rules and expectations well.

However, there are a small number ...of pupils who do not get the precise help they need to modify their own behaviour.

Pupils said that they feel safe in school. They know who they can go to should they have any concerns or worries.

They told inspectors that adults quickly resolve any issues, including any instances of alleged bullying.

All adults want the best for pupils in school. The school's curriculum has been revised recently to help pupils understand their community and the wider world.

However, some pupils cannot practise their reading in lessons because the texts they are given are too hard for them.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

There have been some significant changes in leadership recently. Leaders have ensured that the safeguarding of pupils has remained a priority during this period of change.

Leaders are refining the school's curriculum. They have prioritised pupils' vocabulary development and educational experiences. In subjects such as mathematics and history, leaders have carefully set out the curriculum.

Pupils can remember the important knowledge they have been taught. However, some subjects are still in the early stages of development. In these subjects, leaders have not precisely identified the important information that they want pupils to remember.

This hinders teachers' ability to know exactly what pupils have learned in the past. Teachers cannot revisit and deepen pupils' learning in these subjects. This means some pupils, including those with SEND, do not know and remember more over time.

Many subject leaders are in the early stages of checking how well their subject is taught.

All adults in school have received training to deliver the school's programme for early reading. Leaders are beginning to check that it is delivered consistently and accurately.

However, some pupils do not receive reading books that are well matched to their stage of reading development.

Leaders have ensured that pupils have access to a wide range of books in school. They have considered which books they would like all pupils to read before they leave school.

Sometimes in lessons, pupils who require additional support to read are given texts that are too difficult for them. This limits their ability to access some parts of the curriculum as well as they could.

Leaders have recently introduced a new approach to supporting pupils' behaviour.

Pupils, parents and carers recognise the recent improvements. Teachers typically manage pupils' behaviour well. Some pupils, including those with SEND, need bespoke support to regulate their behaviour.

However, leaders do not reliably identify the needs of some of these pupils. For some pupils, leaders have not provided the right support to ensure that their behaviour improves.

Pupils enjoy the wide range of clubs that the school has to offer.

Leaders help pupils to stay safe by helping them to understand local risks. For example, leaders arranged a visit from the fire service to help pupils understand water safety. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and the importance of a healthy diet and exercise.

However, some pupils' understanding of wider British values is less well developed.

Staff say that leaders' recent actions have supported their well-being. They enjoy working at the school.

The trust is ensuring that their work to improve the curriculum is reducing staff's workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have ensured that safeguarding is a high priority in school.

There are robust procedures in place to ensure that all adults are suitable to work in school. Leaders ensure that all staff have the expertise to identify and report various safeguarding concerns. Leaders ensure that the records and systems used in school help them to meet the holistic needs of pupils.

They ensure that they involve other agencies to help pupils and families who may need additional support.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils who are at the early stages of reading do not learn to read quickly and efficiently because they sometimes receive reading materials that are not well matched to their reading development. This slows down their ability to learn to read and hinders their ability to access the school's curriculum.

Leaders must ensure that all adults in school provide pupils with reading material that is well matched to pupils' early reading development. ? Some pupils with challenging behaviour do not receive the right support quickly enough. Leaders do not have clear and consistent systems and procedures to support these pupils' needs.

Leaders are unable to put the right support in place because they do not understand the scope and nature of all the issues that pupils face. Leaders must ensure that the systems they use help them to identify, manage and support the behaviour of pupils who need additional help to regulate their behaviour. ? In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is not well sequenced to ensure that pupils know and remember more of the school's curriculum over time.

This means that teachers are not clear about the knowledge pupils have and what they need to learn next. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the necessary knowledge and expertise to develop and implement the school's curriculum and have a secure overview of the impact of the curriculum on pupils' long-term memory. ? Some pupils do not have a secure understanding of British values, including respect, tolerance and democracy.

These pupils are often the most disadvantaged in school. Some pupils are not fully prepared for life in wider society. Leaders must ensure that all pupils receive a curriculum that prepares them well for life in a democratic, multicultural Britain.