Longney CE Primary Academy

A Message from Lord Pickles and Lord Blunkett, followed by Longney CE Primary Academy's best practice article

The ability to listen and learn from one another has always been vital in parliament, in business and in most aspects of daily life. But at this particular moment in time, as national and global events continue to reiterate, it is uncommonly crucial that we forge new channels of communication and reinforce existing ones. The following article from Longney CE Primary Academy is an attempt to do just that. We would welcome your thoughts on this or any other Parliamentary Review article.

Rt Hon The Lord David Blunkett

Rt Hon The Lord Eric Pickles

www.longney.gloucs.sch.uk/

1LONGNEY CE PRIMARY ACADEMY |

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

Headteacher Penny Howard

Community is at the

heart of all we do

Located just outside Gloucester and close to the River Severn,

Longney CE Primary Academy is a small rural primary

school with 100 pupils on its roll. First opened in 1853, it

has provided education for children from the local Severnside

villages and wider community ever since. Although the number

of staff is small, the team is extremely committed to the work

of the school and to the pastoral support of pupils and families.

Headteacher Penny Howard tells

The Parliamentary Review

more.

“Building Community, Enriching Lives” is the vision statement behind everything

our stakeholders strive to achieve. We are a church school and our values are

central to our ethos. We teach our children that perseverance, respect, courage

and friendship, our core values, can shape how they move through their lives. Since

many of our pupils come from outside our immediate catchment area, we work

hard to ensure that community is at the heart of all we do.

All stakeholders have high expectations for our pupils; however, this extends

beyond purely academic achievement. Research shows that when you can engage

a pupil through a subject area they enjoy, success will follow. The second part

of our vision statement, “Enriching Lives”, ensures that our broad and balanced

curriculum is what drives us, from PE and outdoor learning to wider experiences,

including music and drama. The four pillars that underpin our curriculum are:

initiative, creative arts, environment and spirituality.

Enriching lives

Given our rural location and our focus on wellbeing, we attach great importance

to learning outdoors and have been working with the Outdoor Play and Learning

REPORT CARD

LONGNEY CE PRIMARY

ACADEMY

»Headteacher: Penny Howard

»Established in 1853

»Based in Longney,

Gloucestershire

»Type of school: Church of

England primary

»Pupils: 100

»Ofsted: “Good”

»www.longney.gloutcs.sch.uk

Longney CE Primary

Academy

THE PARLIAMENTARY REVIEW

Highlighting best practice

2| LONGNEY CE PRIMARY ACADEMY

(OPAL) programme since 2016. All our

pupils spend one morning a month at

our Forest School, which is situated

in local woodland a 20-minute walk

from the school, and which gives the

children the opportunity to connect

with the local area. This learning is

applied to the rest of the curriculum,

including creative writing, science or

geography, for example.

Physical education is also a key element

of our school curriculum. The whole

school takes part in the daily mile, and

our pupils have many opportunities

to compete in a wide range of sports

events, representing the school and

county, including indoor rowing,

archery and New Age Kurling. We

achieved our second School Games

Gold Mark last summer.

Music is also a significant aspect of

school life, with singing at the heart

of this. The majority of our Key Stage

2 pupils participate in the Young

Voices concert and sing at Gloucester

Cathedral. These wider opportunities

help the pupils develop enthusiasm,

self-discipline and collaborative and

listening skills, all of which transfer to

the academic subjects.

Moving forward

Developing and supporting our staff

has always been a priority for me as

the headteacher. I am fully aware

that in a small school, there is a risk

that staff may not have the usual

opportunities to progress, as there are

no head of year or key stage roles to

aim for or any team from the same

year groups to plan with. Therefore,

staff training has to be carefully

constructed to ensure staff have an

opportunity to lead projects and work

with colleagues teaching in other

schools, in order that they can keep

motivated and moving forward with

their careers.

Action research projects have changed

the way we have approached staff

professional development. Encouraging

staff to read the latest research and to

work collaboratively with colleagues on

projects that are based on their own

teaching practice has had a greater

impact on teaching and learning than

we would have seen had teachers

simply attended courses. They feel a

sense of ownership about developing

their own expertise and view the

projects as relevant to their teaching

in the classroom. This can be seen in

our maths curriculum; our mastery

approach means teaching starts at a

point where all pupils are equal, and

we do not limit our expectations.

Music ensures

development of a wide

range of skills and

opportunities

Our pupils develop healthy

lifestyles, resilience,

teamwork andhave fun

Staff training

has to be

carefully

constructed to

ensure staff

have an

opportunity to

lead projects

“

3LONGNEY CE PRIMARY ACADEMY |

BEST PRACTICE SPONSOR 2020

Moving towards the future

In 2015 the educational landscape

was moving towards academisation as

a model for the future. Being a very

small rural school, we were aware

that we needed to be proactive and

outward looking to ensure that we

collaborated with colleagues from

other schools and agencies, so we did

not become isolated. With this at the

forefront of our minds, we decided

to become part of the Diocese of

Gloucester Academies Trust.

As a rural church school, our values

and vision are reflected in those of

the trust. We saw this approach as a

way of maintaining our identity while

being part of a larger organisation

that would help us drive school

improvement and provide further

opportunities for staff and indeed for

pupils. Staff come together across

the trust for network meetings and

to share good practice, while pupils

have taken part in workshops and

opportunities such as debating and a

Spirituality Conference.

Our biggest challenge to date is

funding. These problems have been

well documented, especially for

authorities such as Gloucestershire,

which is one of the lowest-funded

counties. However, funding for

building is causing us the most

concern. There is limited funding

for rebuilding schools, and these

restrictions have a real impact on

our environment. Only one class is

in the main building of the school,

with the three other classes housed in

temporary classrooms. These buildings

are upwards of 30 years old. We try to

keep them refurbished but the reality is

that they are not fit for purpose, with

lighting and temperature control just

being the start of the difficulties.

While the move to becoming an

academy has been a real benefit for

school improvement and access to

funding, allowing some maintenance

to be carried out, there does not seem

to be access to funding for replacing

buildings that have come to the end of

their life for a smaller academy trust.

Love of learning

Our academy provides an environment

in which all children are able to flourish

and grow in confidence. They have

the opportunity to experience learning

beyond the classroom and to connect

with the wider world. Our aim is to

ensure our pupils leave Longney with

a love of learning and a respect for the

wider world in which they live.

All pupils are

equal, and we

do not limit

our

expectations

“

Enjoying the benefits

of being outdoors

and learning how to

managerisk

“Building Community,

Enriching Lives”

www.longney.gloucs.sch.uk/

This article was sponsored by Longney CE Primary Academy. The Parliamentary Review is wholly funded by the representatives who write for it.

Rt Hon Michael Gove's Foreword For The Parliamentary Review

By Rt Hon Michael Gove

This year's Parliamentary Review comes at a momentous time for parliament, as we collectively determine the destiny of the United Kingdom.

On October 31, the UK will leave the European Union. The successful implementation of this process is this government's number-one priority.

Three years after a historic referendum vote, we will deliver on the decisive mandate from the British people. Trust in our democracy depends on it. Until that final hour, we will work determinedly and diligently to negotiate a deal, one that abolishes the backstop and upholds the warm and close relationship we share with our friends, allies and neighbours in the EU. But in the event that the EU refuses to meet us at the table, we must be prepared to leave without a deal.

As the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, it is my job to lead on this government's approach, should that scenario happen. Preparing for Brexit is my department's driving mission. But while I am leading this turbocharged effort, the whole of government is committed to this endeavour.

Ministers across Whitehall are working together to ensure that every possibility is considered, every plan is scrutinised and every provision is made. A daily drumbeat of meetings means that we are holding departments accountable, so that preparations are completed on time.

The chancellor has confirmed that all necessary funding will be made available. And we have mobilised thecivil service, assigning 15,000 of our most talented civil servants to manage our exit from the EU.

We will make sure that on November 1, there is as little disruption to national life as possible. Our trade relationships will continue to thrive, thanks to agreements with countries around the world worth £70 billion. Our country will remain secure, thanks to nearly 1,000 new officers posted at our borders. And the 3.2 million EU nationals now living and working among us can remain confident, with absolute certainty, of their right to remain in the UK.

Above all, our goal is to be transparent. Soon, we will launch a public information campaign so that citizens, communities and businesses are ready and reassured about what will happen in the event of “no deal”.

In my first few weeks in this role, I have travelled to ports and tarmacs, borders and bridges, all across the UK –from the seaside of Dover to the rolling green hills of County Armagh. I have heard from business owners and border officials, farmers and hauliers. They are ready to put an end to uncertainty. And they are ready to embrace the opportunities ahead.

Our departure from the EU will be a once in a lifetime chance to chart a new course for the United Kingdom. Preparing for that new course will be a herculean effort. But this country has made astounding efforts before. We can do it again.

Rt Hon Michael Gove
Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster