Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School

Cragside CofE Controlled Primary School Inspection report

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Age group 4–11 Inspection date(s) 22–23 May 2012 Inspection number 381685 Unique Reference Number 134473 Local authority Northumberland Inspection number 381685 Inspection dates 22–23 May 2012 Lead inspector Irene Cochrane

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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 346 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Allan Heslop Headteacher Janice Craven Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2010 School address Westloch Road Cramlington NE23 6DL Telephone number 01670 714200 Fax number N/A Email address admin@cragside.northumberland.sch.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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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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T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk

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Introduction

Irene Cochrane Anne Humble Additional inspector Additional inspector Peter Bannon Additional inspector

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Introduction

This inspection was carried out with two days' notice. Inspectors observed 21 lessons and parts of lessons taught by 16 teachers. Two of these were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors held discussions with pupils, members of the governing body, staff and parents and carers. Inspectors observed the school’s work and scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s information relating to achievement, monitoring and evaluating evidence, and information relating to safeguarding practices. They also observed a range of interventions and listened to pupils read. Inspectors took account of the questionnaires returned by 193 parents and carers as well as those completed by pupils and staff. Inspectors took account the responses to the on-line Parent View survey in planning the inspection.

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Information about the school

Cragside is much larger than the average-sized primary school. The number of pupils on roll has increased since the previous inspection. Nearly all pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or who have a statement of special educational needs is below average.

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Information about the school

The school meets the current floor standards, which relate to the government’s minimum expectations of pupils’ attainment and progress. Since the previous inspection, there has been a high level of mobility among staff. A private Early Years and Childcare setting operates from a building adjoining the school and is subject to a separate inspection. 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

 Cragside is a good school. It is a happy and welcoming school with a positive ethos. As one pupil said, ‘The teachers are fun and they cheer you up when you are sad.’ It is not yet outstanding because most teaching is good, rather than excellent, and outdoor provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage requires further improvement.

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Key Findings

 Achievement is good. Most children enter school in the Reception Year with skills that are below those expected for their age in their communication, language, and literacy, in problem solving and in personal skills. By the time they leave Year 6, their attainment is above average in English and average in mathematics. This represents good progress overall.

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Key Findings

 The quality of teaching is good overall, with some that is outstanding. Strengths in lessons include clear explanations and good relationships. Teaching is stronger in reading and writing than it is in mathematics, which is why progress is less rapid in this subject. At times the slower pace of lessons means that pupils only make satisfactory progress. There is inconsistency in the marking and feedback to pupils to help them improve their work and in ensuring that pupils are clear about the next steps in their learning.

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Key Findings

 Pupils’ behaviour is good and they have positive attitudes to learning. They are polite and courteous and say they feel safe in school. Attendance is above average.

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Key Findings

 The leadership of teaching and management of performance are good. The headteacher has continued to drive forward improvements in the quality of teaching and has secured an effective and enthusiastic team of middle leaders who share the same vision for continued school improvement. The role of the governing body has developed since the previous inspection and it is now more involved in the work of the school and knowledgeable about strengths and areas for development of the school. 

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, especially in mathematics, so that it is consistently at least good by:  increasing opportunities for pupils to develop their mental calculation skills, and provide more first-hand practical activities in mathematics  ensuring marking and feedback is effectively and consistently applied, and that pupils know clearly what to do to achieve the next steps in their learning  ensuring that all lessons inspire pupils to learn and proceed at a good pace.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop the provision in the Early Years Foundation Stage by increasing the opportunities children have to learn outdoors.

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Achievement of pupils

Overall, pupils learn well in lessons and respond readily to instructions. They generally show pride in their work and are motivated to do their best when stimulated by good or better teaching. They cooperate well together and enjoy working in pairs to extend and share their learning.

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Achievement of pupils

Outcomes for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have improved since the previous inspection and they are now good overall. Most children make good progress from their starting points in the Reception Year, to acquire expected skills. Some exceed this in all areas of their learning. Daily sessions teaching letters and the sounds they make are having a positive impact on improving children’s progress and confidence in writing. During the inspection, children were observed making good progress in reading and writing and were keen to share their skills with inspectors. For example, a child was keen to read her written list of vegetables grown in the role-play ‘allotment’ in the classroom. She demonstrated perseverance in reading all the words successfully utilising her word-building skills to good effect. Although the school makes best use of the quadrangle area outside one of the classrooms for children to learn outdoors, they cannot access it all at the same time.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment at the end of Year 2 has risen over the past three years and is typically above average. By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment is above average in English and average in mathematics. Although progress is good by the end of Key Stage 2, there are some variations. For example, progress in mathematics has been less secure than in English, but is improving as a result of focused interventions and training. The school is aware of the need to allocate additional time for pupils to develop their mental calculation skills, in order to further improve outcomes.

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Achievement of pupils

Attainment in reading by the end of Year 2 was above average in 2011. By the time pupils leave school in Year 6 attainment in reading is above average. This reflects the high priority the school places on developing pupils’ reading skills. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, make good progress because the school accurately identifies their needs and provides highly effective support. The vast majority of parents and carers who completed questionnaires appreciate the good progress their children make. Inspection findings are that pupils make good progress overall.

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Quality of teaching

The quality of teaching is good and improving as a result of rigorous monitoring and evaluation by the headteacher and middle leaders. It is never less than satisfactory and sometimes outstanding. In the best lessons observed, teachers had high expectations and engaged pupils through interesting well-matched activities. On occasions, teaching fails to proceed at a good pace and pupils’ eagerness to learn slackens. Relationships are strong and teachers and teaching assistants have a good knowledge of individual pupils and their needs. Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are taught well because their needs are clearly identified and interventions and small group support readily provided. In most lessons, teachers explain clearly what pupils will learn and use questions to check what pupils know and the progress they are making. As a result pupils understand what they have to do in lessons, but they are less secure in knowing what they need to do to

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Quality of teaching

achieve the next steps in their learning overall. Opportunities are made for pupils to work cooperatively together to share their learning. This helps to increase pupils’ confidence and enhance their contribution in lessons. Occasionally, the pace of learning slows when the teacher spends too long on one activity and expectations are not always high enough. Although marking of and feedback on pupils’ work has improved and is regularly carried out, inconsistencies remain in ensuring all pupils are given feedback on their work and guidance on how to improve. Teaching in mathematics lessons is effectively based on accurate assessments and enables pupils to record their work in a variety of ways. However, fewer opportunities are provided for pupils to have first-hand experiences in mental calculation and practical activities. This limits their progress in this subject to satisfactory rather than good.

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Quality of teaching

Good curriculum planning ensures that pupils progress well in their basic skills as they move through the school. Many cross-curricular opportunities promote pupils’ enjoyment and engagement. For example, during the inspection, an artist in school was working with Year 6 pupils to design a storyteller’s chair for the school library. Pupils showed sustained interest and enthusiasm in completing the task and subsequently independently took time to read the captions written by their peers. The teaching of reading has a high priority and has resulted in raised attainment. Teachers and assistants are successful in enabling pupils who need extra help to use and develop their literacy and mathematical skills through small group work and additional support in classrooms.

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Quality of teaching

Almost all parents and carers who responded to the questionnaire considered that their children are well taught. This correlates to the evidence found in inspection. Several comments were very positive about the dedication of the staff.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Behaviour observed in and around school is good. Well-established routines for behaviour and safety are embedded and, as a result, pupils have a clear sense of what is right and wrong and show respect towards each other. Typically, good behaviour contributes to an effective climate for learning. Inspectors concur with the view of most parents and carers responding to the inspection questionnaire that, overall, there is a typically good standard of behaviour at the school.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

A few parents and carers expressed concern over lessons being disrupted by bad behaviour and how bullying was managed at school. Most, however, think that poor behaviour does not routinely affect learning and is good in most lessons. During inspection, there was no evidence of disruption in classrooms. The inspectors analysed the school’s records of behaviour and talked to many pupils during lessons, at break times and more formally in group discussions. A number of parents, carers and governors were also consulted. Inspection findings are that the school manages behaviour and safety effectively.

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Behaviour and safety of pupils

Most pupils say that behaviour is typically good. Pupils say that any incidents of bullying or misconduct are dealt with swiftly, quietly and sensitively by staff. They are keenly aware of different types of bullying and have strategies to deal with any such occurrences. Pupils feel safe and know that an adult will sort out any problems. They take an active part in taking on additional responsibilities and looking after each other, for example, as school council members, buddies and looking after the library. Attendance has improved steadily over the last three years and is above average.

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Leadership and management

The headteacher continues to drive forward school improvement. Since the previous inspection, she has managed the unexpected mobility of staff well and ensured that effective support for all new members is in place to maintain and improve the quality of teaching. She is well supported by an enthusiastic and committed team of leaders who share the same vision for school improvement. As a result attainment has been raised over time in the Early Years Foundation Stage, in Key Stage 1 and in English at the end of Key Stage 2. The rigorous monitoring of lessons and tracking of pupils’ progress, is helping to improve the quality of teaching and to raise pupils’ attainment. An effective programme is in place for the professional development of staff, which involves sharing good practice from within the school and draws upon professional help from outside. The school is proud of its inclusive ethos and has effective systems for promoting equality of opportunity for all pupils

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Leadership and management

to be successful. It tackles discrimination effectively. For example, recently introduced assessment systems to monitor pupils’ progress are having a positive impact on sharpening the focus of achievement of all groups of pupils. Self-evaluation is accurate and this, together with the progress made in addressing the areas for improvement at the previous inspection, ensures the school has a clear capacity for further improvement.

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Leadership and management

Members of the governing body are highly supportive of the school. They have rapidly increased their involvement in the life of the school through regular visits, and have allocated responsibilities within structured committees. Consequently, they understand the strengths and areas for development and provide a good balance of support and challenge to ensure the school continues to improve. Members’ skills are utilised effectively. Together with other leaders they ensure that the systems for recording and checking safeguarding procedures are rigorous and fully meet requirements.

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Leadership and management

The curriculum has improved since the previous inspection. It is broad and varied and takes account of pupils’ needs and interests, with a clear focus on improving their basic skills. Teachers effectively promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development throughout the curriculum. This was observed during inspection during a themed French week when pupils worked diligently together to find out about other cultures and values.

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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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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 ).

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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.

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Type of school Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

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

findings from the inspection of their school.

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6DL

Thank you for the friendly welcome you gave us when we inspected your school. A particular thank you goes to those of you who filled in the questionnaires or met with us to talk about your school. You told us that you feel safe and enjoy your work, especially the interesting activities your teachers plan, such as the French week, and how much you enjoy the new library. We were impressed with your attendance and that it has continued to improve over time.

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6DL

You go to a good school, which continues to improve. Your headteacher, teachers and governors have worked hard to help you get better. We can see this from the improved outcomes at the end of Reception Year, Key Stage 1 and outcomes in English at Key Stage 2. You told us how much you enjoy reading and the wide choice of books to select from at school.

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6DL

We think you can still further improve and we have asked for some changes to help you learn more quickly. We have asked that more opportunities are given to use your mental calculation skills in mathematics and that you get time for practical mathematical activities. We have also asked the teachers to make sure that lessons always go along at a fast pace and that their marking always helps you to improve and that you are clear about the next steps you need to take to get to the next level in your work. We think children in Reception Year could have more opportunities to use the outdoor areas.

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6DL

You can all play your part by continuing to work as hard as you can and that you come to school regularly. I wish you every success for the future.

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6DL

Irene Cochrane Lead inspector procedures set out in the guidance 'Complaining about inspections', which is ava ilable 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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