We are celebrating our recent ungraded Ofsted inspection, after the inspector concluded that “the school may have improved significantly across all areas.” Our last inspection in May 2019 rated the school as ‘Good’, therefore, based off the inspector’s comments, if we were to be fully inspected, it is likely each of our ‘Good’ ratings would be upgraded to ‘Outstanding’.
The Ofsted report was full of praise for the significant school improvement journey our school has been on since joining CET. This was reinforced by the inspectors, who stated “the school builds highly positive relationships with parents and carers from the start of their children’s learning journey. This helps children, including those with SEND, to get off to a flying start in the early years.”
Quality of Education
The inspectors noted how teaching and learning across the school is of the highest quality, stating, “the school has designed an ambitious curriculum that meets the needs of pupils very well” and “pupils achieve very well and are thoroughly prepared for the next stage of their learning.”
The inspectors recognised our school’s reading programme stating, “Learning to read and write is a priority”, noting how hard our staff work toward this, “staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme effectively.”
Behaviour and Attitudes
The report highlights several key strengths of our school. Inspectors praised the culture and learning environment, quoting “pupils delight in attending this happy and vibrant school. Relationships between staff and pupils are very strong and nurturing” and specifically mentioned behaviour, “pupils behave extremely well” and “pupils quickly learn to be respectful, confident and articulate when expressing their thoughts and views.”
The inspectors commented on our pupils at the school, “the school has thought carefully about the qualities and values that it wants to instil into pupils. It ensures that pupils develop into caring individuals, with a strong sense of moral and social purpose.”
Personal Development
Our children have a lot of exciting opportunities to grow and develop, as the report states, “pupils benefit from impressive and wide-ranging experiences that enrich their personal development”. They also commented, “A rich variety of visits and after-school activities enhance pupils’ learning across the curriculum.”
SEND
We work hard on our SEND provision, to ensure no pupil gets left behind. The inspector said, “the school quickly identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND at the earliest possible opportunity” and “pupils with SEND participate in all aspects of school life and achieve well.”
Anna Carroll, Headteacher, said, “Every member of staff has a tireless dedication and passion for what they do. I am so proud of our wonderful children, whose attitude and behaviour impressed inspectors throughout the visit. This is a proud moment for our school, and I am looking forward to building on this success.”
Lorrayne Hughes, Chief Executive of CET, added, “I am really proud of the upward trajectory Longtown has been on since joining CET. The leadership team and staff have made a significant collective impact on the school’s journey.”
There are many, many more comments within the report. Please take the time to read through them. We want to take this opportunity to thank every member of staff for their tireless dedication and passion for what they do. We would also like to recognise our wonderful children, whose attitude and behaviour impressed inspectors throughout the visit. And finally, thank you to you, our parents and carers, for your ongoing support – it truly makes a difference.
As we look to the future, we are more determined than ever to continue improving, ensuring that every child at Longtown Primary School thrives both academically and personally.
This is a proud moment for our school, and we look forward to building on this success together.
You can view the full report here: Longtown Primary School Ofsted Report – March 2025
