Langold Dyscarr Community School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 12 September 2023

Pupils, parents, carers and staff are proud of their school. They say that it has improved significantly over the last few years. The school has high expectations of pupils' behaviour and achievement. Pupils live up to these. In lessons and around school, pupils typically behave well. They understand the school's 10 'BEE values'. They understand 'The Langold Way'. They know why 'wonderful walking, super sitting and lovely listening' are important. They do their best to model these behaviours. Pupils are motivated by the wide range of rewards and incentives on offer. 'BEE awards', integrity awards, reward points, trophies and spending time with Nala, the school dog, are all highly prized. Pupils enjoy working with the local community. Their nationally recognised community allotment is a great source of pride. The allotment's produce is used and shared widely. Older pupils are proud of the roles and responsibilities that they take on. The school leadership team and school council help leaders to make important decisions about the school. The 'respect ambassadors' are always on the lookout for those who demonstrate the school's values.

What the school should improve

• In a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not fully planned and sequenced. This means that the school cannot be sure that content is being taught in the best or most logical order. The school should ensure that the curriculum, across all subjects, is fully planned and sequenced.
• Staff in the early years do not check closely enough on how children engage with activities outdoors. This means that leaders cannot be sure that children are accessing the full breadth of the curriculum. The school should ensure that assessment arrangements take account of what children learn outdoors.
• Sometimes, leaders do not understand how their subject begins in the early years. This means that they cannot be sure that children are fully prepared for what they will go on to learn in key stage 1 and beyond. The school should ensure that all leaders have a consistent understanding of the early years curriculum and pedagogy.
• Occasionally, pupils use derogatory, homophobic language. Pupils say that leaders do not always know when this happens. As a result, some cases go unchallenged. The school should ensure that all instances of derogatory, homophobic behaviour are identified and addressed.

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