Longwill A Primary School for Deaf Children

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

At Longwill, being deaf is a reason to be proud.

Pupils thrive, surrounded by belief and pride. Inspirational deaf and hearing staff inspire pupils to believe they can achieve anything and give them the knowledge and skills they need to succeed. Consequently, pupils develop into proud deaf learners ready to take on the world.

Barriers encountered by being deaf are systematically broken down. From day one, all pupils are taught to be confident British Sign Language (BSL) users. Most leave with qualifications in BSL.

The way in which leaders identify and meet pupils' special educational needs and/or disabilities is exemplary.

Pupils' behaviour is exemp...lary in class and around the school. On the rare occasions when behaviour is challenging, caring staff act swiftly.

They find out why the behaviour has happened and put the right support in place. Throughout the school, there is a calm, purposeful and safe environment. Some pupils feel bullying never occurs, while others think it happens sometimes.

However, they all agree that if it does happen, staff deal with it.

Pupils are taught to understand their rights and feel confident to stand up for themselves. An impressive range of clubs, such as chess, eco-warriors and science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) club develop pupils' own interests and hobbies.

Carefully planned trips and residentials promote pupils' confidence, resilience and self-belief.

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

Since the last inspection, inspirational leaders have continued to drive improvements at the school. Leaders and staff, supported by a strong governing body, are rightly proud of their school.

Expectations are high for all pupils. Pupils work hard to achieve the ambition that leaders and staff have for them. The commitment to ensuring that every child is proud to be deaf lies at the core of this fantastic school.

Pupils have different types of hearing loss and deafness. In some cases, they have additional needs, such as autism spectrum conditions or medical needs. Highly skilled staff sign in every lesson to make sure that pupils understand their learning and make progress.

School staff work alongside specialists, such as speech and language therapists, occupational therapists, and health services, to put the right support in place.

Children get off to a great start in the early years. 'Stay and play' sessions, along with frequent meetings with parents and preschool services, ensure that the provision is produced with families and well planned.

High expectations from the start mean no moment is wasted in teaching reading or BSL. Consequently, children quickly learn the skills they need to access different subjects. Caring staff listen to the views and opinions of all children.

Children learn that their voice matters and there are people around them willing to listen.

As many pupils cannot hear or process sounds, leaders and teachers have created their own approach to teaching visual phonics for deaf children, 'Visual Phonics by Hand'. This impressive phonics scheme enables more and more pupils to quickly learn to read.

When pupils start in the nursery, they learn the signs for different phonics. Guided reading sessions and whole-class signed reading sessions inspire pupils to develop a love of reading. Staff training is regular, helping all staff to share the commitment that all pupils will become confident readers who love books.

Subject leaders continue to improve and refine their curriculum. They have clearly identified the vital knowledge that all pupils must learn. Lessons are well planned and build precisely on what pupils have learned in the past.

Teachers carefully assess how much pupils have learned and remembered from the past. Across all subjects, expectations and ambitions are equally high.

Sequences of lessons help to build pupils' knowledge around key concepts.

For example, in history the theme of invasion is covered by looking at civilisations across different centuries. In other subjects, such as relationships, personal, social, health and economic education, lessons build knowledge and the ability to problem-solve and develop independence. In computing, digital literacy knowledge is developed over several years so pupils can use various systems to communicate and engage with the wider world.

All leaders and staff are committed to preparing pupils for the world around them. Deaf studies are a real strength of the school. Staff teach about communication skills, assistive technology, and deaf community and cultural awareness.

The school's 'smILE' project provides opportunities for all pupils to practise their skills in the local community. Forest school, nurture groups, and garden festivals are just some of the many opportunities that enrich the pupils' experiences.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff have a strong understanding of the specific risks that a deaf child might encounter growing up in their local community. Staff are well trained and know what to do when they have concerns about a child. When these concerns arise, leaders act swiftly to address those concerns.

Lessons help the pupils know what to do to keep themselves safe. 'Helping hands' help pupils identify five people to ask for help. This means pupils know what to do if they feel unsafe and feel confident that staff will help them if needed.

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