Longmoor Community Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Longmoor are safe and well cared for. They develop positive attitudes to learning early in their school lives and behave exceptionally well.

They get on well with each other and the adults who teach them. Pupils learn about the different forms of bullying. They told us that it rarely happens and that adults sort any problems out quickly.

There is something for everybody at Longmoor. Pupils participate in many different sports and choose from a wide range of after-school clubs. Pupils also have the chance to represent their class on the school council, which helps them to develop an understanding of how democracy works.

Some pupils also told us how m...uch they have enjoyed performing in drama productions, including 'Oliver Twist' and 'Mary Poppins'.

Pupils' learning is enhanced by frequent educational trips and visits. All pupils, from Year 2 to Year 6, are given the opportunity to go on a residential visit.

Many other trips are organised to support pupils' learning across the curriculum, such as geography field trips and outdoor pursuits.

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

The school provides a good quality of education. Staff are experts in teaching reading, writing and mathematics.

They plan pupils' learning so that it builds effectively on what pupils already know. Pupils achieve extremely well in these subjects by the time they leave the school.

Teachers are not as highly skilled in teaching other subjects as they are in teaching reading, writing and mathematics.

Although there are clear and detailed plans in place for developing all subjects, there is more work to do. The positive impact of leaders' work can be seen in the recent improvements that have been made in the teaching of geography. However, improvements in other subjects need time to settle in.

This will help to ensure that pupils' learning across the curriculum builds effectively on what they already know. This includes helping pupils to know and remember more about the world's religions.

Pupils learn to read well at this school.

Teachers are well trained and are experts at teaching phonics. Pupils who struggle with this aspect of early reading get regular, high-quality support. Older pupils read widely and often, both at school and at home.

Pupils we met with told us about the wide range of books that they had read, including classics such as 'Wuthering Heights' and 'Silas Marner'. One pupil said that reading, 'helps your imagination to run wild'. Another pupil quoted from a book she had read recently, saying to an inspector, 'How do you spell “love”? You don't spell it, you feel it.'



Pupils behave extremely well during lessons and at playtimes. They are happy and are proud to attend this school. They participate in all activities with great enthusiasm and make a very strong contribution to school life.

Pupils learn about the world of work and the job opportunities that exist within and beyond the local community. Each year, staff organise a 'When I grow up week'. Pupils visit local firms and learn from visitors to the school who work in technology, science and engineering.

Last year, pupils also visited Aintree Hospital to learn, first hand, about careers in medicine. This highlights school leaders' commitment to raising expectations among the school community.

Pupils' personal development is a strength.

Pupils develop good citizenship skills and older pupils enjoy taking on roles such as 'playground buddies'. Parents are positive about how the school develops their children, both socially and academically.

Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive appropriate support that is focused on their individual needs.

Leaders check pupils' progress carefully to ensure that any support is helping these pupils to learn well.

Governors bring a wide range of skills to their role. They are fully involved in the life of the school and provide a good balance of challenge and support to school leaders.

Children get off to a good start in the early years. They quickly learn the school routines and develop good attitudes to learning. The classroom and outdoor area are well organised and staff provide stimulating and challenging activities for children each day.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective and the school's caring ethos helps to ensure that pupils thrive. Leaders carry out the necessary checks on all adults who work at the school. They also ensure that staff receive training and regular updates about how to keep pupils safe.

Pupils we spoke to had a good understanding of how to keep safe when using the internet or social media. The staff we met knew exactly what to do if they had any concerns about a pupil's welfare or well-being.

What does the school need to do to improve?

Leaders are in the process of implementing an ambitious and broad curriculum.

There are already many strengths, particularly in the core subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. Improvements have also been made to the geography curriculum. However, in other foundation subjects there is still work to be done to ensure that pupils' learning is sequenced effectively and helps pupils to build their learning on what they already know.

. The school makes good provision for pupils' personal development. However, more could be done to develop pupils' knowledge and understanding of the different religions that exist within and beyond their community.

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