Long Mountain CofE Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 10 July 2024

This is a very happy school. Children and pupils feel safe and cared for. They are kind to each other, polite, articulate and confident. On the playground, older pupils take care of younger children as a matter of course. The school's motto of 'let your light shine' is evident, and pupils here celebrate the successes of others as well as their own. This year, expectations of what all pupils can achieve have been raised significantly, and there are early signs that these are beginning to bear fruit. Pupils enjoy their learning, particularly in those subjects where they are supported to build on what they already know to develop the skills and knowledge they need over time. However, pupils do not make the progress they should in too many other subjects because the learning is not delivered as leaders intend. Pupils are appreciative of the range of clubs that have been introduced this year to help them develop their interests. They talk excitedly of the activities and visits that they are now able to take part in.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, teachers are not delivering the curriculum as leaders intend. This means sequences of learning are disjointed, so that pupils do not learn as much as they could. The school should ensure that teachers follow the intended curriculum so that learning is carefully sequenced to support pupils to make the progress they should.
• For a small number of pupils who struggle with reading, additional support lacks attention to comprehension. This means that sometimes pupils can sound out a series of words but they do not understand the meaning of what they have read. The school should ensure that routines include checks for understanding.
• Poor handwriting and spelling are having a detrimental effect on pupils' ability to use and understand subject vocabulary and to present their ideas and opinions with clarity in writing. The school should ensure that these are specifically taught, and that assessment identifies next steps for improvement where necessary.
• Some aspects of personal development are not delivered well enough or frequently enough. In these cases, pupils are not being prepared as well as they should be for their next steps. Leaders should ensure that there is a clear process for monitoring what is taught and when.

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