Eastbourne primary school celebrates ‘good’ Ofsted rating

Schools are judged on five categories – the quality of education, behaviour and attitudes, personal development, leadership and management, and early years provision.

Langney Primary Academy in Chailey Close was inspected in September and the report has been released to the public this week (November 17). Formerly Langney Primary School, the site became part of the Swale Academy Trust in September 2018 and this is the first inspection since the conversion. When Langney Primary School was last inspected, it was judged to be good.

Staff and the curriculum are praised. The report says: “Leaders, including those responsible for governance, demonstrate a strong commitment to developing an environment for all pupils to flourish. The curriculum offer is broad, and the content pupils are taught is ambitious.

“Leaders have thought carefully about the important content to teach pupils. In some areas of the curriculum, subject-specialist teachers have been able to take pupils’ knowledge beyond national curriculum requirements. In some foundation subjects, leaders have successfully identified broad skills that they want pupils to develop. However, they have not yet identified the precise knowledge that pupils require to demonstrate some of those skills. Leaders acknowledge the importance of work to more clearly identify pupils’ strengths and specific gaps in knowledge.

“In some foundation subjects, leaders have not yet identified and agreed the precise knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember to meet their broad and ambitious end-of-year objectives. This means that some assessment approaches to check for pupils’ understanding are not yet providing detail about what pupils can and cannot yet do. Leaders must ensure that where they have identified broad skills for their pupils to develop, they have carefully considered the knowledge that is required to reach those goals.”

In the early years foundation stage (EYFS) the report says children respond well to instructions and positive interactions mean they develop their communication and language skills. This continues as they move through the school years through ‘strong behaviour routines’ resulting in pupils that are ‘kind and considerate to others’.

Pupils are taught ‘important age-appropriate knowledge’ through the personal, social and health education programme. This includes internet safety and healthy relationships. According to the report, this allows the students to embody the school motto - ‘active body, healthy mind’.

In terms of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), the report says they are ‘fully included in lessons’ and ‘supported by knowledgeable adults’.

Headteacher Benjamin Bowles said: "We feel that the inspection team captured our highly aspirational, caring and exceptional approach to learning. All leaders and staff love life at Langney, have the highest expectations for our children and this has actually been strengthened through the pandemic. We are thrilled that the Ofsted report reflects how we have very strong bonds with our families and community with a strong focus on wellbeing, enrichment and specialist teaching in key subjects. Langney is a fantastic place to learn and I am so proud of all the children, staff and families."

Langney Primary Academy website

Full report here

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