Cranham Church of England Primary School

Cranham Church of England Primary School Inspection report

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Unique Reference Number 115682 Local Authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 357797 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2011 Reporting inspector David Carrington

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 60 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Bloomfield Headteacher Paul Lailey Date of previous school inspection 18 March 2008 School address Cranham Gloucestershire GL4 8HS Telephone number 01452812660 Fax number 01452 812660 Email address admin@cranham.gloucs.sch.uk

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Age group 4–11 Inspection dates 17–18 January 2011 Inspection number 357797 achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the documentation in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to 'Subscribe'. Royal Exchange Buildings St Ann's Square Manchester M2 7LA T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors. They observed ten lessons led by three teachers. Meetings were held with the headteacher, whole staff and the governors. The inspectors observed the school's work, and looked at school planning, assessment data, records of children's work, the school's checks on the quality of teaching and a number of policy documents. The team received 50 questionnaires from parents and carers and also evaluated those from school staff. The inspection team reviewed many aspects of the school's work. It looked in detail at a number of key areas.  Improvements this year to progress in English, specifically writing.  The effectiveness of the new systems for tracking progress and use of assessment to support learning in leading to increased progress.  The ways the school promotes positive links with other communities in the United Kingdom.

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Information about the school

Cranham CofE Primary is a small rural school which serves the village and surrounding area. The proportion of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals is very low. Most of the pupils come from White British backgrounds and all speak English as their main language. A small proportion of pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities, although more have statements of special educational needs than average. In most cases the needs relate to some form of learning difficulty. Although most staff have worked for a considerable time in school, there has been a recent reorganisation of staffing to include job-share arrangements and more part-time working. The headteacher is the only full-time member of staff and has been in school for two years. All pupils are taught in mixed-age groups. There are three of these in the morning and two in the afternoon. The school has been awarded Eco School and Healthy School Plus status.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Main findings

Cranham CofE Primary provides a satisfactory education for its pupils. It has made good improvement at a time of unavoidable major changes to staff working patterns. Members of the governing body and the staff have good expectations, work successfully to make things better, have a very realistic understanding of school strengths and weaknesses and set well judged priorities; this demonstrates the school's good capacity to maintain its improvement. All adults in school are focused on the best interests of the pupils. They are also determined to improve provision further to ensure pupils' progress is maximised. The school has successfully improved provision and pupils' progress in mathematics. It is doing the same for writing, although attainment in writing is not as high as in mathematics. At present, the development of writing skills is not supported fully by work in other subjects and not all handwriting is neat enough. Overall attainment is average,

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Main findings

although for pupils up to Year 3 it is above average. The school's current priority to improve the satisfactory progress pupils make in Years 4 to 6, and hence raise attainment levels, is appropriate. There have also been improvements in achievement in information and communication technology (ICT) because of increased availability of computers, especially the laptops, greater staff expertise and more widespread use of ICT to support learning across the curriculum. Teaching is satisfactory overall; however, this masks the fact that there is already a considerable amount of good teaching in school and that the proportion of good lessons are rising steadily. Provision for children in Reception is a case in point. Good improvement to the tracking of pupils' progress and the way the resulting information is used to assist planning is a significant factor in the development of more effective teaching. There remain some inconsistencies in the use of assessment to support learning,

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Main findings

especially in the amount of time for pupils to assess their own work in lessons and in the way marking of pupils' work highlights the progress being made towards individual targets. The school has much success in promoting pupils' personal development. The care, guidance and support provided are good and enable pupils with any form of barrier to learning make similar progress to other pupils. This is apparent for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils with statements of special educational needs are provided with appropriate individual support that helps them learn successfully. Behaviour is good, with very few exceptions, and relationships are friendly and collaborative. The development of pupils' independence and self-management of learning are features that have yet to be encouraged fully throughout the school. There is some good provision in these respects, especially for younger pupils, but in some lessons the

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Main findings

older pupils are too dependent on the close step-by-step guidance from staff.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

While the promotion of community cohesion is good, especially in relation to local and global communities, the governing body is building stronger links with other communities in the United Kingdom and this is already moving pupils' awareness and understanding to the next level. Pupils' involvement with individuals and groups in other countries is particularly effective in ensuring their spiritual, moral, social and cultural education is good. About 40% of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged to be satisfactory may receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen pupils' attainment and progress in writing by: developing greater use of work in other subjects to help pupils consolidate and extend their writing skills improving handwriting and neatness of presentation.  Give pupils more opportunities to manage their own learning and to work independently by: allowing ample time for pupils to complete the tasks themselves, rather than spending too much time listening, while making sure pupils have opportunities to discuss and plan how they will approach the work using pupils' own ideas about how to solve problems, investigate and research more frequently.  Bring greater consistency to the use of assessment to support learning by ensuring there is always a very clear focus on what is going to be learned and that teachers' expectations of the rate of progress at the start of lessons are clear allowing pupils to self-assess their own progress more frequently in lessons

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

making more widespread the already good practice in marking pupils' work against their targets found in some classes.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Each year group is small; as a result, just one pupil not reaching the learning targets significantly affects the overall picture of attainment and progress. However, school systems to record and track attainment and progress are well geared to evaluate individual and group progress and to focus subsequent support. It is for this reason that pupils' progress is improving in school. In a mixed age Year 2 and 3 lesson about rounding numbers, pupils' progress was boosted well by the teacher's challenging questions. These were well chosen for individual pupils of different abilities. The pupils enjoyed answering questions like, 'Give me a number that will round to 2520', and left the lesson wanting to return for more. Children start Reception with the expected range of skills and knowledge for their age and make good progress in their first class. This is due to well-chosen tasks that help them build confidence and self-esteem and which encourage an inquisitiveness about learning.

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Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils 3

Good progress is maintained in Years 1, 2 and 3. In some sessions for older pupils,

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

progress is less brisk due to learning being too adult directed. Thus, over their time in school pupils make satisfactory rather than good progress from their different starting points. Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep healthy and safe. Some spoke well about the need for all staff to have training in child protection and also about the reason the internet was filtered for their safe use. Enjoyment of school is widespread and attendance levels are constantly above average. The pupils are proud of their own achievements and of those of others, which cements a strong community ethos in school.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for pupils' outcomes

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

Taking into account: Pupils' attainment¹

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of pupils' learning and their progress 3

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Pupils' achievement and the extent to which they enjoy their learning 3

The quality of learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and their progress

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3

Taking into account: Pupils' attendance¹

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The extent of pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2

1 The grades for attainment and attendance are: 1 is high; 2 is above average; 3 is broadly average; and 4

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How effective is the provision?

Lesson observations and the study of pupils' work show that the quality of teaching is improving well. The staff team knows fully the areas that remain for improvement and are working well together to make sure the proportion of good teaching increases across all year groups. In most lessons the pace of learning is good, although in a few it could be boosted by allowing the pupils more time for individual or group work rather than lengthy explanations by the teacher. Lesson planning is usually well focused on pupils' individual needs and, in most lessons, this extends to the provision of different tasks for each year group within the same topic. Thus, in a Reception and Year 1 lesson on the recognition and use of different coins, all pupils completed the same introductory activity but then worked in separate age groups for most of the time. The Year 1 pupils showed increasing

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

understanding of the money system as they attempted to categorise coins into even and odd values and by relating the different metals to coin value. The curriculum has been well designed to promote pupils' personal, social and health education. Additionally, the recent introduction of cross-curricular themes has enthused the pupils. Pupils' creativity is being expanded by their enjoyment of themes such as 'Journey into the Jurassic' and 'On the move'. The mixed Years 2 and 3 class managed their own question and answer session about racing cars and became adept at interpreting the clues in photographs of Formula 2 cars to identify the driver. ICT has a central role in the development of basic literacy and numeracy skills, although work in other subjects to consolidate and extend writing skills is not consistent.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for the quality of provision

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The quality of teaching 3

Taking into account: The use of assessment to support learning

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How effective are leadership and management?

The effectiveness of leadership and management has been demonstrated by the way the staff and the governing body worked together to adapt terms of employment in the face of a falling budget. The transition has been well managed, especially by the headteacher, and has strengthened the team spirit among all adults. During this period school leaders have also managed the improvement of school administration well. This has led to much- strengthened provision to safeguard pupils. Adults are alert to the risks to pupils that may arise and have reliable policies and procedures to eliminate them. As a result, the pupils stress just how safe and secure they feel in school. The governing body is steadfast in its supportive probing of school performance. There are good opportunities for its members to observe and evaluate the school at work and the new committee structure has been well developed to put attainment and progress at

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How effective are leadership and management?

the heart of school self-evaluation. The promotion of community cohesion is a significant success for this small school. It draws successfully on good partnerships with parents, carers and others, and plans for its extension to other communities within the United Kingdom are advancing briskly. Due to the inconsistent progress made by pupils across the school, particularly in writing, the promotion of equality of opportunity is satisfactory rather than good. However, the headteacher successfully ensures that everyone upholds the school's Church of England heritage by eliminating all forms of discrimination and intolerance and by working together in harmony. Cranham CofE Primary School is a happy community.

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

These are the grades for leadership and management

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2

Taking into account: The leadership and management of teaching and learning

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Early Years Foundation Stage

The school has improved provision and outcomes in the Early Years Foundation Stage well. The new outdoor facilities are an asset and are used imaginatively to help children discover more about the world around them and each other. The children are intrigued by the fresh contents of the 'Discovery Box' each day and, on the first morning of the inspection, enjoyed using the roadways they found in it to build routes for their toy vehicles. They talked enthusiastically about the spatial arrangement of the kit and how their vehicles moved. Teaching is good and the assessment of children's progress is detailed and well considered. The leadership of the phase is in expert hands. Priorities for further improvement relate to even more effective use of the outside space and its extension to enable children to have ample enough experience of handling large wheeled toys and challenging climbing apparatus. The thoughtfulness of staff in providing good

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Early Years Foundation Stage

opportunities for learning in all six areas of experience is shown in the above average skills and knowledge the children have when they finish their Reception year.

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Early Years Foundation Stage

These are the grades for the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

Taking into account: Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The quality of provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

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Overall effectiveness of the Early Years Foundation Stage 2

The effectiveness of leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation 2

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Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory, and 4 is inadequate

Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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Views of parents and carers

There was a high return rate of questionnaires and it is evident that parents and carers have very favourable impressions of the school. One or two wrote their concerns about the progress of their children, although the vast majority find progress to be appropriate. The inspection judges it could be brisker but also that staff have the means to achieve this because teaching quality is improving. Central to parents' and carers' positive views are the small size of the school and its family-based, caring, sharing ethos.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

Ofsted invited all the registered parents and carers of pupils registered at Cranham CofE Primary School to complete a questionnaire about their views of the school. In the questionnaire, parents and carers were asked to record how strongly they agreed with 13 statements about the school.

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Responses from parents and carers to Ofsted's questionnaire

The inspection team received 50 completed questionnaires by the end of the on-site inspection. In total, there are 60 pupils registered at the school.

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child enjoys school 29 58 20 40 1 2 0 0 The school keeps my child safe 39 78 11 22 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My school informs me about my child's progress 22 44 27 54 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

My child is making enough progress at this school 22 44 22 44 3 6 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The teaching is good at this school 26 52 24 48 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps me to support my child's learning 23 46 23 46 4 8 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school helps my child to have a healthy lifestyle 42 84 8 16 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school makes sure that my child is well prepared for the future (for example changing year group, changing school, and for children who are finishing school, entering further or higher education, or entering employment) 21 42 24 48 2 4 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school meets my child's particular needs 29 58 18 36 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school deals effectively with unacceptable behaviour 18 36 27 54 2 4 1 2

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school takes account of my suggestions and concerns 24 48 22 44 1 2 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The school is led and managed effectively 28 56 18 36 2 4 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

Overall, I am happy with my child's experience at this school 28 56 22 44 0 0 0 0

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Total % Total % Total % Total %

The table above summarises the responses that parents and carers made to each statement. The percentages indicate the proportion of parents and carers giving that response out of the total number of completed questionnaires. Where one or more parents and carers chose not to answer a particular question, the percentages will not add up to 100%.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding These features are highly effective. An outstanding school provides exceptionally well for all its pupils' needs.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 4 Inadequate These features are not of an acceptable standard. An inadequate school needs to make significant improvement in order to meet the needs of its pupils. Ofsted inspectors will make further visits until it improves.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements were introduced on 1 September 2009. This means that inspectors now make some additional judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September 2009 to 31 August 2010 and are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspec tion outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2009/10 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100. Sixth form figures reflect the judgements made for the overall effectiveness of the sixth form in secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning, development or training.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Attainment: the standard of the pupils' work shown by test and examination results and in lessons.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving. Inspectors base this judgement on what the school has accomplished so far and on the quality of its systems to maintain improvement.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the headteacher, to identifying priorities, directing and motivating staff and running the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Learning: how well pupils acquire knowledge, develop their understanding, learn and practise skills and are developing their competence as learners.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Overall effectiveness: inspectors form a judgement on a school's overall effectiveness based on the findings from their inspection of the school. The following judgements, in particular, influence what the overall effectiveness judgement will be.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

 The school's capacity for sustained improvement.  Outcomes for individuals and groups of pupils.  The quality of teaching.  The extent to which the curriculum meets pupils' needs, including, where relevant, through partnerships.  The effectiveness of care, guidance and support.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Progress: the rate at which pupils are learning in lessons and over longer periods of time. It is often measured by comparing the pupils' attainment at the end of a key stage with their attainment when they started.

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carers to share with their children. It describes Ofsted's

main findings from the inspection of their school.

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Inspection of Cranham CofE Primary School, Gloucester GL4 8HS

Thank you for the welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently. You were very helpful and the ideas you shared with us gave us more idea about the things that work well in school and those that can be improved. We judge that your school gives you a satisfactory education and that your teachers are working hard to improve what they do for you. These are some of the things that we found about your school:  you make satisfactory progress and reach the expected levels in your work  children in Reception make a good start to their education  you are well behaved, work and play happily together and enjoy school  you are taught satisfactorily and in some lessons your learning is good  all the staff in school look after and care for you well  your school is improving steadily because all the adults work well together and know what has to be done to make things better. We have identified three things for improvement. We want those who work with you to:

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Inspection of Cranham CofE Primary School, Gloucester GL4 8HS

 increase the progress you make in your writing  make sure your ideas about how to learn are used in lessons  give you more information and time to talk about how well you are learning. We know you will help your teachers make these improvements. To start, you can make sure your handwriting is always as neat as possible. We hope you continue to enjoy your time in school and that you make even better progress in the future.

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www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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