Langshott Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school School leaders and governors have worked exceptionally hard over recent years to create a school with highly motivated staff who strive to provide a high quality of education for all pupils. Leaders have ensured teaching is consistently good in both key stage 1 and key stage 2.

It is outstanding in the early years. Pupils achieve well across the school. Standards have risen at the end of key stage 1 and are above average in reading, writing and mathematics.

Work in pupils' books shows that they make good progress throughout key stage 2. Children get off to an exceptional start in the early years. Within a safe and stimulating environment,... they make outstanding progress in their personal and academic development.

Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and consequently their behaviour in class and when moving around the school is outstanding. Pupils get on very well together regardless of background. They say that all pupils are treated equally and fairly, and that discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.

Staff provide a very high quality of care to pupils and as a result, pupils feel safe in school. They are confident that adults listen to them and take their concerns seriously. The curriculum is rich and stimulating and provides pupils with exciting activities that inspire them to learn.

There is a very broad range of additional activities that add to pupils' enjoyment of school. Subject leaders have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They have been very well trained and so provide valuable support to their colleagues.

School leaders are reflective and constantly seek new ways of improving on what they already do very well. They act decisively to tackle weaknesses and so the quality of education is not compromised for pupils. Governors provide a high level of support and challenge to school leaders.

They know the school well and they visit frequently. They hold all leaders strictly to account. Staff do not make effective use of all available information to plan work that builds on and extends what pupils can already do.

The most able pupils are not always provided with work that is hard enough. The pace of learning slows in some classes because all pupils have the same work to complete. Teachers do not routinely show pupils how to improve their writing.

They do not provide enough examples of written texts to help pupils to make more rapid progress.

information about the school's performance. This enables governors to ask pertinent

questions that enable them to fully understand how well pupils are learning.

Governors are very well organised and ensure that all statutory policies and procedures are reviewed and evaluated at the right time. They keep a close track of finances and other aspects of the school's work. Safeguarding The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Safeguarding pupils is given very high priority by staff and by governors. All staff have received comprehensive training that prepares them to identify when a child may be at risk from harm. All policies and procedures are completely up to date and are reviewed regularly.

All adults who visit the school are carefully checked and governors have been trained to ensure that as new staff are appointed, the appropriate checks on their suitability to work with children have been made. Adults take pupils' concerns seriously and consequently pupils trust adults to look after them and so they feel safe in school. Leaders work very effectively with outside agencies to ensure that those pupils who are at risk from harm receive appropriate support in a timely way.

Staff are very aware of the potential dangers associated with modern technology and have taught pupils about the need to be cautious when using tablets, smart phones and computers. Leaders have created a culture within school that ensures that all staff are highly diligent and understand their moral as well as legal role to keep pupils safe. Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good and enables most pupils to achieve well across the school.

One of the strengths of teaching is the warm relationships that have already been established in classrooms. Pupils respect their teachers and are keen to contribute in class. Pupils listen carefully to each other and to teachers and so there is a very positive climate for learning.

Pupils are confident in sharing their thoughts and ideas and enjoy responding to teachers' challenging questions. Teachers plan imaginative activities that inspire pupils and help them to learn. For example, in Year 6 pupils had visited a pill box and followed up this visit with a role play activity in which they acted out being home guards in the Second World War.

This was especially effective in stimulating pupils' imaginations in preparation for writing, as well as helping them to gain insight into different aspects of life during wartime in Britain. Teachers are particularly skilled in asking questions that make pupils think. They probe pupils' understanding and so deepen their learning.

Teachers also ask questions that explore pupils' misunderstandings and so help them to progress. Teaching is carefully adapted to meet the needs of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. These pupils usually receive additional help from skilled teaching assistants who break the activities into smaller steps.

Consequently, these pupils achieve particularly well. Staff provide high-quality support for disadvantaged pupils and those who are vulnerable. These pupils have individual learning plans that identify their specific difficulties.

Actions are then taken to address their needs, sometimes with the help of external professionals. Trained teaching assistants provide support for disadvantaged pupils in classrooms. This helps to build their confidence and learn equally as well as other pupils.

There are times when the work provided for pupils, particularly those who are most able, is too easy. This is because teachers do not make enough use of all available information when pupils change year groups. In some classes, pupils completed work that they had already done in their previous year group.

The pace of learning is sometimes too slow. This is because teachers do not routinely plan work that meets the needs of the different groups of pupils. This is most noticeable during the introduction to the lesson when all pupils have to listen to the teacher.

Consequently, the most able pupils find the activities too easy and the least able pupils find the work is too hard. Although some teachers make creative use of resources to stimulate pupils' imaginations, this does not happen consistently across the school. In some classes, teachers do not provide pupils with enough help and support to help them to construct their writing.

Consequently, pupils do not have a clear enough idea of how to write their sentences using correct spelling, grammar and punctuation. Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding Personal development and welfare The school's work to promote pupils' personal development and welfare is outstanding. Pupils are provided with a very high quality of care and support and consequently they feel very safe in school.

They say that staff listen to them and take their concerns seriously. Pupils feel very confident that adults in school have their best interests at heart. Pupils are happy and enjoy school.

They are very proud of their school and take on an increasing range of responsibilities as they get older. Year 6 pupils are particularly pleased to be the school's first cohort in this year group, and know that the expectations for their attitudes and behaviour are high. The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral, cultural and social development very effectively.

Pupils are thoughtful, have an excellent understanding of right and wrong and show respect and consideration for the thoughts, beliefs and ideas of others. Staff encourage pupils to reflect on their learning so they develop highly positive attitudes to learning. For example, pupils know they have to be reflective and resilient and that they do not always get it right first time.

Pupils know that everyone is different and enjoy the opportunities they have to work and play alongside those from backgrounds different to their own. They say that staff treat all pupils equally and that discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated. They appreciate the rich diversity of the school community.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe and have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe when using modern technology. They learn about dangers associated with tobacco and that some substances and non-medicinal drugs may be harmful. Pupils know about different forms of bullying but they are adamant that it rarely happens in school.

They have full confidence that staff will take immediate action should any incident arise. Parents who responded to the survey or who made free-text comments agreed that the school provides a high quality of care for pupils. One parent wrote: 'The school atmosphere is both lively and comfortable for the children who are encouraged to try new things.

The culture of respect and resilience builds character and habits that will serve them well throughout their lives.' Behaviour The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils conduct themselves exceptionally well both in class and when moving around the school.

As a result, the school provides a very calm and settled environment for learning. The breakfast club provides pupils with a healthy and nutritious start to the school day. Throughout the school, pupils' behaviour is impeccable.

They are friendly and polite to each other and to adults. They hold doors open and show good manners to each other, listening and taking turns in conversation. The school's records relating to behaviour show few serious incidents and all necessary steps being taken to resolve problems quickly.

There have been few exclusions in recent years. Lessons are rarely disrupted by poor behaviour. Staff have very high expectations for pupils' behaviour and all apply the school's behaviour policy consistently.

Consequently, pupils know and understand what is expected of them and behave accordingly. The large majority of parents who responded to the online survey agreed that pupils' behaviour was very well managed. Governors described pupils' behaviour as 'impeccable'.

Pupils' attendance is above average. School leaders have worked with pupils and parents to encourage good attendance. They have been particularly successful in improving rates of attendance for disadvantaged pupils so that it is now the same as the national average.

Outcomes for pupils Good Information provided by the school as well as work seen in pupils' books shows that pupils currently in school, including disadvantaged pupils, make good progress across a range of subjects. The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has increased year on year and is now above average. Disadvantaged pupils achieve equally as well as other pupils.

In the national assessments at the end of key stage 1 in 2016, the proportion of pupils reaching and exceeding the expected standard in reading and writing was above average. It was below average in mathematics. Owing to actions taken by school leaders, attainment in mathematics improved substantially in 2017, with 90% of pupils reaching or exceeding the expected standard.

Disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress in a range of subjects. Some, particularly those with low starting points, make rapid progress because extra help and support are targeted at their specific learning needs. The most able disadvantaged pupils achieve equally as well as other pupils.

Pupils make good progress in reading so that by the beginning of Year 6, they have developed positive attitudes and have a range of skills that they draw upon to read unfamiliar texts. They respond to questions about their books in a thoughtful and mature manner. One pupil said, 'I really love reading.'

The most able pupils do not always make as much progress as they could. This is because the work provided for them is sometimes too easy and does not offer enough challenge. Pupils' progress in writing is slower than in reading and mathematics.

This is because : they do not have enough practical help and support at an early enough stage. Some pupils still struggle with spelling and punctuation, and some teachers' expectations for what pupils can do are not high enough. Early years provision Outstanding At the time of the inspection, children had not yet started school owing to a delay in completing the building work.

Inspectors therefore spent time looking at children's books and learning journeys from the previous year and they held discussions with Reception staff. They also visited the learning environment that staff had set up in preparation for the children's arrival the following week. Inspectors took into account the assessment information recorded by the school.

Information from children's work and assessment information shows that children get off to an exceptional start in the Reception classes and are very well prepared for Year 1. They make outstanding progress so that they have skills that are beyond those typically found for children of their age. This is reflected in the high number of children who have reached a good level of development.

Leaders use part of the pupil premium funding to provide disadvantaged children with a high level of support when starting school. This helps them to settle quickly and become confident learners. As a result, disadvantaged children make strong progress and attain in line with their peers.

The rapid progress seen in children's books from the previous year points to outstanding teaching in the early years. Staff plan exciting activities in the delightful learning environment, which includes a woodland setting. The classrooms are bright, attractive and well furnished, with good-quality equipment, toys and books.

All areas, including the outdoor area and woodland area, are used extensively for children to learn and play. One of the strengths of the early years provision is the planned programme that takes place before children start school. Staff make home visits and they take photographs to help children to become familiar with and settle into their classrooms.

Children visit their new setting and meet staff. They start school in groups so their experience is not too overwhelming. Staff provide a very high quality of care to help children to feel safe and secure.

The success of the early years is largely due to the highly effective leader. He has an excellent understanding of how young children learn and develop, and he is passionate and enthusiastic. He leads a highly committed team of teachers and support staff who share his drive and ambition.

Staff work closely as a team and involve governors in their activities. Consequently, governors are very well informed about the quality of provision in the early years. School details Unique reference number 125104 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 10036929 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 403 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Claire Creed Headteacher Sarah Mackintosh Telephone number 01293 776341 Website www.langshott-surrey.co.

uk Email address [email protected].

uk Date of previous inspection 28 November 2011

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