Cradley CofE Primary School

Cradley CofE Primary School Church Road, Cradley, Halesowen, B63 2UL

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well. They make good progress and leave school with high levels of attainment.  Pupils with a statement of special educational needs receive excellent support and make outstanding progress.  Teaching is good. Some is outstanding. Staff provide challenging tasks that build well on what pupils already know, understand and can do.  Pupils behave well and feel safe in school. They concentrate and work hard in lessons.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. They have a deep pride in their school.  The school’s senior leaders have been very successful in tackling and eliminating weak teaching. Consequently, differences in the performance of groups of pupils have been considerably reduced.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The most able pupils sometimes make slower progress than others in lessons because they are not always given enough opportunities to learn independently.  Children’s progress in number work in the Early Years Foundation Stage is not as good as that in other areas of learning.  The attendance of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is low. Actions to improve it have not been sufficiently effective.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 21 lessons. In addition, the inspection team made a number of other short visits to lessons.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and staff, including senior and middle leaders.  Inspectors met with parents and carers. There were 40 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Inspectors also considerered the views expressed by parents and carers through the school’s own surveys.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress and attendance, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and documents relating to safeguarding.

p.2

Inspection team

David Driscoll, Lead inspector Additional inspector Jeremy Bird Additional inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is similar in size to most other primary schools.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is below average.  Few pupils are supported through school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and for whom the school receives additional income (the pupil premium) is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2010.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the progress of the most able pupils in all classes by ensuring that they:  start work as soon as they understand what they are to do  are provided with more opportunities to work independently.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 By July 2013, ensure all children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make good progress in their number work by:  allocating more time to teaching simple addition and subtraction  taking all opportunities to promote mathematical development.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium to at least the national average by July 2013 by:  raising concerns with parents and carers more quickly  taking stronger actions to encourage parents and carers to send their children to school  increasing the role played by members of the governing body in tackling poor attendance.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with the knowledge, skills and understanding that are expected for their age. They make good progress in most areas of learning and start Year 1 with attainment that is above average. Although satisfactory, progress in mathematics is slower than that in other areas of learning.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress as they move through Years 1 to 6. They leave with high levels of attainment and are very well prepared for secondary school.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment in reading is particularly high. Pupils read fluently and widely. Many are reading books designed for young adults, as well as newspapers and periodicals that keep them up to date with current affairs.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all pupils leave school having reached at least the expected levels for their age. The proportion reaching the highest levels is well above average. Almost all who left in 2012 made at least two levels progress.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Almost all groups of pupils make good progress. The gaps in performance between boys and girls evident in previous years have been eliminated. Well-targeted support for pupils eligible for the pupil premium has improved their progress. However, although average, their attainment still lags behind other pupils because they do not attend as frequently.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress. Teachers carefully assess these pupils’ progress each lesson and provide them with additional support in small groups whenever their pace of learning slows.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils with a statement of special educational needs receive intensive support from their assigned teaching assistants. The school’s records shows that each year they make outstanding progress as a result of the sensitive, probing questions that teaching assistants use to assess their understanding and the great encouragement they receive to ‘have a go’ for themselves.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils sometimes make slower progress than others in lessons because they have to wait while tasks are explained to others.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They make good use of information from assessments to set challenging tasks for pupils of all abilities. Pupils respond well to such activities; they are keen to do their very best.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use probing questions and make good use of mini whiteboards to assess pupils’ understanding in lessons. They quickly respond to any pupils who are struggling with the task by grouping them together and going over the explanations in smaller steps so that all pupils grasp the concepts being taught.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers use humour and encouragement well to create a positive climate for learning, so pupils are well-focused on their work. Lessons usually proceed at a good pace but are sometimes slowed by the teaching talking too much instead of letting pupils get on with their work.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 The most able pupils are allowed a free choice of books to read when they have completed the reading scheme. They find this motivating and are often totally engrossed in their chosen books. Opportunities for such independence are more limited in writing and mathematics where the most able are not always allowed to work on their own initiative.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark work frequently and accurately. Misconceptions are identified and quickly rectified. Pupils very much appreciate the helpful comments that explain what they need to do to improve.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Staff take every opportunity to promote children’s reading, writing and personal development in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Opportunities are sometimes missed to do the same for their mathematical skills.

p.5

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are often very well deployed to support individuals or small groups of pupils. They have received intensive training, paid for using the pupil premium. This has been highly successful in enabling underachieving pupils eligible for the pupil premium to make up the ground lost in the past and reach the levels expected for their age by the time they leave school.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well both in and out of lessons. Exclusions are very rare. Behaviour in formal situations, such as assemblies, is outstanding. Pupils have excellent manners towards adults and one another.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are polite, respectful, but relaxed with staff. Pupils in Year 6, for example, clearly enjoyed the opportunity to criticise their teacher’s writing and explain how they could improve it. They did so with good humour that never slipped into cheekiness.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils take great pride in their school. They are keen to explain to visitors how good it is, and what they do to ‘make it a special place’. Their explanations demonstrate a deep understanding of how the school’s values can be implemented in their daily lives.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have an excellent understanding of right and wrong. They are quick to challenge one another or tell an adult if they feel another pupil is not behaving as well, or as kindly, as they should. They show excellent empathy for the plight of others, such as through their sponsorship of an orphanage and hospital in Tanzania. They were visibly moved by the images of children wearing clothes they had donated.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Older pupils demonstrate a good ability to keep themselves and others safe on the playground. Play is sometimes a little too boisterous in the Early Years Foundation Stage.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is above average. However, the attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is low compared to the national average and they are much more likely than others to be persistently absent.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leaders make good use of performance management procedures. They have taken strong and successful action to eliminate weak teaching and improve pupils’ progress. This has largely eliminated any inequality in the progress made by different groups.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Checks on teaching accurately identify strengths and areas for improvement for individual teachers. Staff morale is high; all are keen to be observed so that they can improve their practice through the well-targeted training.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Good account is taken of the views of parents and carers when deciding which lessons to observe and drawing up plans for improvement. Concerns raised by parents and carers about teaching in a particular class, for example, were quickly followed up and the causes addressed.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum is good. It provides excellent opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, pupils include references to, and examples of, the school’s values in their writing.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Pupils are taught to respect differences between individuals. They have a good understanding of faiths and cultures that are different from their own.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage have excellent opportunities to choose their own activities and whether to work inside or out. However, insufficient time is allocated to teaching mathematics.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The school has made good progress since it was last inspected. It has not required support from the local authority.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 Actions to improve attendance have proved successful for most groups of pupils. However, actions to improve the attendance of pupils eligible for the pupil premium are not taken quickly enough and are not sufficiently firm. They involve only warning letters, with no requirement for an interview with senior leaders, for example.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  is good because members of the governing body play a pivotal role in improving teaching through observing lessons and dealing with weaknesses identified  plays a full part in deciding the school’s priorities and the governing body keeps a careful check on progress towards them  has not focused enough on the need to tackle avoidable absence.

p.6

Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

p.7

Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 103846 Local authority Dudley Inspection number 402927

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

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 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Neil Sheldon Headteacher Marcia Harris Date of previous school inspection 25 September 2007 Telephone number 01384 818230 Fax number 01384 818230 Email address info@cradley-p.dudley.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', 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 .

p.8

School details

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 and as part of the inspection.

p.9

School details

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

p.9

School details

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. 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,

p.9

School details

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’.

p.9

School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

p.9