Langley School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 March 2023

Staff and governors are committed to making Langley an inclusive, welcoming school. Many pupils spoke of the value of the diverse school community in helping them appreciate other religions and cultures. Pupils are encouraged to 'be the best we can be'. Pupils participate well in the school's broad offer of clubs, visits and residential trips. They feel valued and enjoy coming to school. Pupils behave well in lessons. They are respectful towards staff and each other. Some corridors and stairwells are narrow, but the great majority of pupils move around sensibly. Pupils feel safe. When bullying happens, the school has appropriate systems to deal with it. However, a few pupils are not confident that staff will deal effectively with the concerns that they raise. All staff have high expectations for pupils' achievement, including those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum has been carefully developed to meet pupils' needs. Teachers have good subject knowledge and explain new information clearly. As a result, most pupils make good progress with their learning. However, there is still work to do to make sure that all teachers check how well pupils have understood their work.

What the school should improve

• There are inconsistencies in the way that teachers check how well pupils are learning. This limits teachers' ability to adapt learning to meet the needs of pupils. It also means that pupils do not always know what they need to do to improve. Consequently, pupils do not consistently learn as well as they should. Senior leaders should develop their use of assessment so that all teachers systematically check for pupils' understanding.
• Leaders do not address identified weaknesses with enough urgency, for example the weaknesses in assessment practice or the delivery of the personal development programme. As a result, they do not put in place the timely changes that would ensure that the planned strategies have the intended impact on pupils. Leaders need to review their strategic approach to ensure that identified weaknesses are addressed in a timely way.
• Although inspectors were confident the school acts appropriately to deal with incidents of bullying, this is not the perception of all pupils. As a result, a few pupils lack confidence in the school's ability to deal with their concerns. Leaders need to improve their communication with pupils, so they clearly understand how bullying incidents are dealt with.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)