Langney Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Langney Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 22 May 2018, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in July 2013. This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

Your determination to ensure that Langney Primary provides a high standard of education shines through in all that you do. You evaluate carefully what the school does well, which enables you to accurately identify what could be even better. You l...eave no stone unturned in developing successful strategies to improve pupils' outcomes across the curriculum.

Importantly, you are supported by able senior leaders who fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively. The strong collaboration across your leadership team and the dedication of your teaching and support staff have ensured that Langney Primary goes from strength to strength. Many parents and carers acknowledge this and, as a result, the majority would recommend the school to other parents.

One parent's comment, typical of many, stated: 'It's a fabulous school! The staff are really compassionate and treat every pupil like they are special. The care the leaders and staff provide is amazing.' Pupils told me they love their school.'

We really value what we have here,' remarked one pupil, adding, 'The run track, the trim trail, and all the clubs make school really great.' Pupils typically try their best in lessons and demonstrate their pride in their work. They listen attentively to teachers and contribute enthusiastically in discussions.

They also develop positive attitudes to equality and demonstrate tolerance and respect towards their peers and others. Your work to promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development ensures that they are ready for life in modern Britain. Your vibrant curriculum is a strength of the school.

For example, impressive opportunities to develop pupils' computing skills help them to learn successfully about digital technologies. Historical investigations, such as the recent learning about two local First World War soldiers, help pupils understand the emotional impact of war on families. You have successfully tackled the areas for improvement identified at the last inspection.

The marking and feedback policy has been revamped and staff apply it consistently throughout the school. This ensures that pupils know what they need to do to improve their work. Learning is planned effectively and ensures that pupils have appropriate time to complete set tasks.

You are successfully ensuring that pupils' outcomes continue to improve. In 2017, in the key stage 2 national assessments, Year 6 pupils' achievement in reading was particularly strong. Most current pupils are achieving well in reading, writing and mathematics.

However, a larger proportion of the most able pupils could achieve the higher standard. Safeguarding is effective. The school's systems for keeping pupils safe are robust.

For example, when recruiting new staff you ensure that all appropriate employment checks are made. Your single central record of these checks is detailed and accurate. Staff know what actions to take to protect pupils from harm.

They report swiftly and accurately any concerns they have about potentially vulnerable pupils to senior leaders. You and your designated safeguarding leader manage all concerns well and, where appropriate, you involve child-protection officers from the local authority. The level of care provided to any pupil at risk is of a high standard.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe. They have a firm understanding of the potential risks presented by the internet, online gaming and social media. Pupils stated, rightly, that they must not share their personal information online.

They know that people online may not be who they say they are. Pupils stated that if they ever felt at risk or discovered a friend was putting themselves at risk of harm they would report this immediately to a parent or trusted adult. Inspection findings ? During the inspection, we focused on how pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities are supported to achieve highly from their starting points.

We also explored how well disadvantaged children achieve in early years. Lastly, we scrutinised leaders' work in ensuring that the most able pupils achieve at the higher standards, particularly in mathematics and writing. ? Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive strong support.

For example, teachers and your special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) work together effectively to plan appropriate teaching in the classroom. Learning is adapted well to meet the needs of these pupils and ensure that they make good progress from their starting points. ? Extra support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is effective.

For instance, in a small support group, good-quality teaching and well-planned resources helped pupils deepen their mathematical knowledge of 'greater than' and 'less than'. In addition, the teaching assistant's careful explanations and well-thought-out questioning helped this group of pupils better understand their mathematical learning. ? Disadvantaged children achieve well in early years.

Staff are careful to understand the barriers to learning some children face. They use this information to plan highly successful interventions that provide disadvantaged children with the extra help they need to learn well. ? Leaders have accurately identified that some disadvantaged children's language and communication skills are underdeveloped.

Staff monitor the progress of these children closely and ensure that learning opportunities are planned to help them catch up. All staff demonstrate the aspiration for this group of early years children to achieve highly. ? You have ensured that teaching is beginning to address the needs of the most able pupils more closely.

For example, the 'stretch and fix' lessons throughout the school provide pupils with opportunities to deepen their mathematical knowledge and problem-solving abilities. Pupils in Year 4 were working diligently to complete more complex multiplication sums. Effective teaching helped them to understand the different methods they could use to find the answers.

• Some most-able pupils are beginning to write at the higher standard. For example, while writing a narrative, one Year 6 pupil wrote the dramatic phrase: 'My mind was blank. My senses were dead.

My hands were shaking. I wanted to quit but I couldn't.' ? However, too few key stage 2 pupils, particularly those who are the most able, are achieving at the higher standards across the school.

You have taken action to address this but the impact of your work is not yet evident in consistent, higher attainment for this group of pupils. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? more key stage 2 pupils, especially those who are the most able, achieve the higher standards, particularly in writing and mathematics. I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for East Sussex.

This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Dom Cook Her Majesty's Inspector Information about the inspection Together with you and other senior leaders, I observed learning across the school. I spoke to pupils and examined their work and progress in their books.

Meetings were held with you, the assistant headteacher for teaching and learning, and the SENCo. A meeting was also held with the designated safeguarding lead/assistant headteacher in charge of pastoral care. I met with three members of the governing body including the chair of governors.

I took into account the views of 116 parents including their free-text comments in response to Ofsted's questionnaire, Parent View. I also analysed 33 responses to Ofsted's staff survey. A range of documents was reviewed, including: the school's development plan; leaders' evaluation of the school's effectiveness; the school's single central record of recruitment checks; records of pupils' behaviour and attendance; the files of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities; minutes of the governing body's meetings; and records of the local authority's visits.

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