Cranford Park Church of England Primary School

Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 10–11 May 2012 Inspection number 381949 Cranford Park Primary School Inspection report

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Unique reference number 135885 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 381949 Inspection dates 10–11 May 2012 Lead inspector Gavin Jones

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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 Controlled Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 154 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair John Divall Headteacher David Collins Date of previous school inspection N/a School address Cranford Park Drive Yateley GU46 6LB Telephone number 01252870536 Fax number 01252878427 Email address adminoffice@cranfordpark.hants.sch.uk 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

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after children, safeguarding and child protection. 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 . 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 information 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’.

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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when.

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You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days’ notice. Inspectors observed 16 lessons, of which two were observed jointly with senior leaders. All seven teachers were seen during the observations. Meetings were held with groups of pupils, governors and staff. Inspectors took account of the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection. They observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of pupils’ books, listened to pupils read, checked attendance figures, examined monitoring files and scrutinised the school’s procedures for safeguarding. Inspectors analysed questionnaires from 46 parents and carers, 18 staff and 72 pupils.

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Information about the school

This school is smaller than the average-sized primary school, but is growing steadily. It was created by the amalgamation of two local schools in September 2010 and this is its first inspection following amalgamation. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than average, while the proportion of pupils from ethnic minority groups is lower than average. A very small proportion speaks English as an additional language. The proportion of pupils with a statement of special educational needs or supported at school action plus is above average, but varies greatly from class to class. Most of these pupils have moderate learning difficulties. A pre-school setting uses a building within the school grounds, but this is not managed by the governing body. The school has an Eco-school award and an International School Foundation Level award. The school meets the government floor

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Information about the school

standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress. 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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Key findings

 This is a good school. It is not yet outstanding because there are some inconsistencies in the quality of teaching which lead to some minor differences in attainment and progress between classes. Pupils learn well in a cohesive community where pupils work and play together harmoniously. Staff, pupils and the governing body are proud of the successful start they have made as a new school and have secure plans for further improvement. ‘My child has had the best possible start to his education,’ said one mother.  Pupils reach above-average levels in reading, writing and mathematics and achieve well. All groups of pupils make good progress, although rates of progress vary very slightly from class to class.  Teachers have high expectations and good subject knowledge. Tasks are generally matched well to the needs of different abilities of learners. There are some inconsistencies in the quality of marking, in teachers’ use of questions

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Key findings

and in the way pupils’ targets are set. Teaching gives good support to pupils’ personal development.  Behaviour and attitudes in lessons are good, and sometimes exemplary. Pupils say that bullying very rarely occurs, and if it does, school staff are very quick to deal with it. The very large majority of pupils say they feel safe in school. Relationships at all levels are excellent. Over time, pupils develop qualities that will support them well as they move to the next stage of education and help them to become good citizens.  The new headteacher, ably supported by the senior leadership team, provides strong leadership and vision. A number of significant initiatives have been put in place and outcomes are already positive. Data about pupils’ performance are analysed well and effective monitoring of teaching and performance management are ensuring that teaching is improving.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by:  sharing the best features of teaching seen in the school with all teachers 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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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 improving questioning during lessons so that teachers can assess the progress of all groups and use the information to re-shape the learning activities  ensuring that marking in all classes gives consistent advice on how pupils can improve their work  checking that pupils’ targets for learning evolve systematically from work they have completed.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enter the school with skills similar to those of other children of this age, although their writing and creative skills are low. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage, so that by the time they move into Year 1, their personal, social and communication have developed well and aspects of their understanding of number are good. Writing skills have improved and are average. Further good progress is made in Key Stage 1 and 2, so that by the end of Year 6, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is above the national average. Minor gaps between the rates of progress made by pupils in different classes are closing rapidly and checked carefully in termly pupil progress meetings.

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Achievement of pupils

It is evident, not only in the school’s data but also through classroom observations, that all groups, including those who are disabled or who have special educational needs, make similar good progress because teachers plan well for their needs and use additional support well. Pupils’ attainment in reading is above average and results from a cohesive plan for teaching phonics (the links between sounds and letters), together with regular use of group-focused reading activities. All parents and carers who answered the questionnaire feel that their children make good progress and that their particular needs are met. Most pupils say that they learn a lot in lessons.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils work well collaboratively and their learning is reinforced through the use of good first-hand examples. In a Key Stage 1 mathematics lesson, pupils made good progress in understanding the idea of an equation, as a result of good provision of resources to help pupils match the two sides of the equation. In a lower Key Stage 2 lesson, where pupils were gathering words to help them write a poem, learning was brisk because pupils listened carefully to instructions. By the end of the lesson, a majority of pupils were able to understand such terms as onomatopoeia and alliteration in their search for words.

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Achievement of pupils

Pupils enjoy reading and have developed the necessary skills to read accurately and with understanding. By the time pupils leave, standards of reading are above average. Pupils use their phonic skills well as a first strategy for word recognition. They put their writing skills to good use in communicating their ideas across a range of subjects, including geography and history. Standards in art and design are 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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Achievement of pupils

especially high, with excellent examples of painting using textured paints and portrait painting in Key Stage 1.

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Quality of teaching

Typically in lessons, teachers model learning and tasks effectively. Teaching is well prepared and structured, taking full account of previous assessments in preparing a variety of activities to challenge the range of abilities within the class. In a Key Stage 2 lesson, where pupils were writing the final part of a story ready to send to an author of children’s books, the teacher had prepared challenging work for five different groups of pupils. The additional adults supported the activity well, so that all groups were making good progress. This was particularly the case for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, who, as a result, make good progress in their learning. Parents, carers and pupils agree that teaching is good.

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Quality of teaching

In English, the best marking clearly indicates what pupils need to do to improve their work. However, it is not consistently seen across all classes. Targets set for pupils sometimes do not arise directly enough from classwork; as a result their relevance is not always clear to pupils.

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Quality of teaching

Some outstanding teaching was seen during the inspection, where teachers inspired pupils through their enthusiasm and skilled questioning. Questioning was used exceptionally well to explore the levels of progress being made by the different groups in the class. This form of questioning was not always used well in less successful lessons. Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is good. Teaching captures the balance between allowing children to initiate their own activities and ensuring that basic skills, such as phonics, are taught well.

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Quality of teaching

Teachers are putting into effect a curriculum which, although under development, is already presenting a much more relevant set of topics to pupils. Links between subjects are improving, and the school has appropriate plans to extend these further and to add even more first-hand experiences. Teachers pay good attention to promoting pupils’ personal development, particularly in lessons based on ‘Rights, respect and responsibilities’. However, occasionally opportunities are missed to capitalise on this as they arise during other lessons.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

During the inspection, behaviour was never less than good and sometimes exemplary. Inspection evidence shows that this is typically the case over time. Most pupils, as noted in the pupils’ questionnaires, agree that behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. In the large majority of classes, behaviour for learning is good and this contributes significantly to the progress pupils make in their learning. Pupils listen attentively, ask sensible questions, show good attitudes to their work and try hard to complete work given to them. Behaviour at play and at lunchtime is equally good. Parents and carers are similarly positive, although a small minority had concerns about behaviour concerning a single incident, dealt with by the school 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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Behaviour and safety of pupils

earlier this year. Pupils are typically courteous and respectful of their peers, staff and visitors. The very large majority say they feel safe in school. Pupils understand the various forms of bullying but, with very few exceptions, for example in name-calling, they report a lack of bullying of any type in the school. Attendance is average.

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Leadership and management

The leadership team, under the strong guidance of the headteacher, is successfully driving improvements. The new headteacher has, in a short timescale, joined the two sets of staff together as a collegiate unit, determined to work towards becoming outstanding. Staff questionnaires reflect a high degree of commitment to this. Leaders and managers at all levels, including the governing body, are contributing to improving pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching. Evidence from the school’s own monitoring of teaching shows that the latter has moved from satisfactory to good overall in just over a year by regular observations, support and performance management. The governing body is well led and meets all its statutory duties in relation to safeguarding, which is thorough and well set out. Child protection procedures are of good quality and well managed. Many adults have first aid training and risk assessments are carried out carefully. Governors have taken on

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Leadership and management

training themselves and are now in a good position to give more specific support and challenge the school more accurately through their regular monitoring work.

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Leadership and management

Middle leaders take on their roles with enthusiasm and contribute well through a range of monitoring activities which form the basis of an accurate action plan each year. The school, through its wide range of monitoring activities, evaluates itself accurately. Extra-curricular activities such as visits, visitors and clubs all add enrichment to the curriculum. The school’s current work in curriculum development is placing more emphasis on first-hand experiences and in the links between subjects. This is clearly illustrated by work on display for the design of Eco posters. Work in Year 1 links religious education with craft skills, as pupils make clay models of animals for their Creation story. The school demonstrates that it has the capacity to improve further.

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Leadership and management

Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well by the staff, who present very positive role models for pupils. This enables pupils whose circumstances have made them vulnerable to overcome their difficulties and make changes in their own attitudes and achieve well. The school ensures that every pupil has an equal chance to learn and rigorously tackles any discrimination. Actions taken by leaders ensure that all groups make similar good progress. One parent notes: ‘My son loves school and I like the way the school makes him feel equal to his peers.’

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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. Grade 2 Good These are very positive features of a school. A school that is good is serving its pupils well. Grade 3 Satisfactory These features are of reasonable quality. A satisfactory school is providing adequately for its pupils. 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

Nursery schools 54 42 2 2 Primary schools 14 49 32 6 Secondary schools 20 39 34 7 Special schools 33 45 20 3 Pupil referral units 9 55 28 8 All schools 16 47 31 6

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

New school inspection arrangements have been introduced from 1 January 2012. This means that inspectors make judgements that were not made previously. The data in the table above are for the period 1 September to 31 December 2011 and represent judgements that were made under the school inspection arrangements that were introduced on 1 September 2009. These data are consistent with the latest published official statistics about maintained school inspection outcomes (see www.ofsted.gov.uk ). The sample of schools inspected during 2010/11 was not representative of all schools nationally, as weaker schools are inspected more frequently than good or outstanding schools. Primary schools include primary academy converters. Secondary schools include secondary academy converters, sponsor-led academies and city technology colleges. Special schools include special academy converters and non-maintained special schools.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Percentages are rounded and do not always add exactly to 100.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Achievement: the progress and success of a pupil in their learning and development taking account of their attainment.

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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

Attendance the regular attendance of pupils at school and in lessons, taking into account the school’s efforts to encourage good attendance.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Behaviour how well pupils behave in lessons, with emphasis on their attitude to learning. Pupils’ punctuality to lessons and their conduct around the school.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Capacity to improve: the proven ability of the school to continue improving based on its self-evaluation and 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

Floor standards the national minimum expectation of attainment and progression measures.

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Common terminology used by inspectors

Leadership and management: the contribution of all the staff with responsibilities, not just the governors and 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.

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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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Common terminology used by inspectors

Safety how safe pupils are in school, including in lessons; and their understanding of risks. Pupils’ freedom from bullying and harassment. How well the school promotes safety, for example e-learning.

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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 Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley GU46 6LB

It was lovely to talk to so many of you when we visited your new school recently. We judged that your school is a good one. Nearly all of you agree and say that you are happy to come to school. You leave the school with standards that are above those of children nationally of your age in reading, writing and mathematics. You make good progress in your work and achieve well. This is mainly because of good teaching and your own good attitudes to work.

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Inspection of Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley GU46 6LB

Your views in the questionnaire show that almost all of you feel safe in school and get on well with each other. Behaviour is good and most of your parents and carers share this view. All staff are caring and take opportunities to help you to achieve well and develop as young citizens. This has all happened because of the good leadership of your headteacher and the senior team, who have well-prepared plans to make your school even better. We have asked them to do some important things to help with this improvement.

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Inspection of Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley GU46 6LB

 Improve teaching so that it becomes outstanding and, as a result, further improve your attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  Mark your work more accurately so that you know what your next steps in learning are; ask questions of all groups of learners in lessons so that teachers are very aware of any groups not making as much progress as they could.  Ensure that your own targets for learning link closely with your current work in class.

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Inspection of Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley GU46 6LB

All of you can help by keeping up your good attitudes to your work and attending regularly.

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Inspection of Cranford Park Primary School, Yateley GU46 6LB

Gavin Jones Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is available from Ofsted’s website: 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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