Longsight Community Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. There is a strong collective vision to provide a community school which is truly inclusive and meets the needs of all those who attend. Communication with parents is a strength of the school.

Any potential barriers have been swept aside by the combined efforts of all those linked to the school, who represent a diverse range of cultural backgrounds. From low starting points, pupils make good progress overall. Some pupils make excellent progress.

Children with very little English language are well supported and catch up with their peers quickly. Standards across the school are improving rapidly. The majority of pupils are on track to meet ...the level expected for their age by the end of their key stage.

Teaching is strong. Pupils enjoy learning because : of the enthusiasm, energy and teamwork of all adults in the school. The school is led well by a Principal who is unrelenting in her drive to reach the point where all pupils achieve their full potential.

She has put British values of care, tolerance and respect at the core of the school. Pupils' progress is tracked and evaluated frequently. Leaders act quickly, where necessary, so that additional support is effective in boosting learning.

Pupils behave well throughout the school day. Their enthusiasm to learn contributes strongly to their good progress and also to the good development of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness. Systems put in place to keep children safe are effective.

Parents feel their children are safe, make good progress and, above all, are happy. Children in the early years progress well because : teaching is this area is also strong. Children in the Reception class quickly gain in confidence as learners because they are cared for well.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Not all teaching is as good as the very best in the school. Consequently, pupils do not always make the rapid progress which is required for them to reach the highest standards. Teachers' feedback in pupils' work books is not always effective.

Pupils are not always encouraged, nor given the opportunity, to respond to teachers' comments and improve their work. On occasions, learning activities do not challenge some groups of pupils, such as the most able and those in need of extra support. Leaders' evaluations are not yet sharp enough to pinpoint exactly the impact of all their actions on pupils' outcomes.

Consequently, opportunities to improve practice and, therefore, accelerate progress even further, are sometimes missed. A few of the required information reports are not published on the school's website.

Information about this school

Longsight Community Primary School opened as a free school in September 2013.

The school was set up by the Big Life group of social businesses and charities which work together to provide people with opportunities to change their lives. The school is situated in the heart of Longsight and co-located with Longsight Children's Centre. The school is for children aged four to 11.

It is currently smaller than other primary schools. At the time of the inspection there were 119 pupils on roll in four classes: Reception class and Years 1 to 3. The proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and supported by pupil premium funding is high.

Pupil premium is additional government funding to provide support for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for those looked after by the local authority. There are high proportions of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and whose first language is not English. There is a higher-than-average proportion of pupils who join or leave the school throughout the school year.

Since the school first opened, well over half of all admissions have been international new arrivals to this country. There are more boys than girls on roll. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is lower than average.

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