Crosscrake CofE Primary School

Crosscrake CofE Primary School Stainton, Kendal, Cumbria, LA8 0LB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils play and learn well together in this happy school. They are well looked after and feel safe.  Pupils make good progress and reach above average standards by the end of Year 6. They do very well in reading and mathematics.  Teaching is good and there is some that is outstanding. Lessons are full of interest and classrooms buzz with a joy of learning.  Pupils behave very well in classrooms and around the school. They are polite, respectful and always try their best.  The headteacher shows good leadership and gets everyone working together and expecting the very best from pupils. Teachers eagerly take on leadership roles and do this well.  The governing body knows the school well and shows a high level of commitment.  Everything needing improvement at the last inspection has been dealt with. Teaching is better and pupils are making more progress. There are good methods for checking on the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quality of teaching and pupils’ progress.  Many parents say that their children are well taught and make good progress.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding. Teachers’ questioning is not always clear enough. Pupils sometimes have too little chance to explain their ideas. There is too little opportunity for pupils to use computers to help them learn.  Standards in writing are not as strong as either reading or mathematics. Pupils do not use their abilities as well as they should when writing in other subjects and too few reach the higher levels.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in all classes and saw eight lessons. This included the headteacher conducting two joint observations with the inspector.  The inspector looked at work in pupils’ books to get a view of current achievement and progress. He spoke to groups of pupils to get their view of, among other things, how teaching helps them to learn, what they enjoy about school and what they think of the behaviour of pupils. He also observed two school assemblies.  The inspector took account of 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and spoke to a number of parents, for example as they brought their children to school.  Meetings were held with six members of the governing body, teaching and classroom support staff and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector looked at a number of documents including the school improvement plan, the school’s self-evaluation and its tracking of pupils’ progress.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector heard pupils read and looked at their reading records and homework books.

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Inspection team

David Law, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a smaller than averaged-sized primary school. There is a nursery class that provides for up to 12 children during the morning. Some of these children stay on to enter the Reception class and some move on to other schools.  All pupils are from White British backgrounds. Many travel to the school from outlying rural locations.  Staff have identified a larger than average proportion of pupils, at school action, who have a disability or who have special educational needs.  A larger than average proportion have a statement of special educational needs or have extra support because they have been identified at school action plus.  The government provides extra funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, who are looked after by the local authority or are children of families in the services. This funding is known as pupil premium. The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil

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Information about this school

premium is low.  The school meets the government’s current floor standard, which sets the minimum standard and rate of progress expected for primary age pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching by making sure that:  teachers provide questions that deepen pupils’ understanding and help them to explain their ideas  lessons enable pupils to use computers more often to extend their learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve standards in writing by:  helping all pupils to use their writing abilities well in different subjects  challenging higher-ability pupils to think for themselves about the quality of their work and what will improve it.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils start school with skills, knowledge and understanding broadly typical for their age. They make good progress in Nursery where they are happy and settled. Children enjoyed making seed cakes for the birds and were keen to go and hang them up in the ‘school forest’ so the birds could enjoy them too.  Good progress continues in Reception. Children gain confidence quickly and are eager to learn to read and write. They rapidly learnt how to write and order numbers when they went outside to build a line of teddy bears. By the time they start Year 1, most children possess above average skills for their age.  Good progress is maintained throughout Key Stage 1 and by the end of Year 2 reading and mathematics are above average. Pupils become keen readers and are skilled at using their knowledge of the sounds that letters make.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils are eager to learn about numbers. Year 2 pupils showed great

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The achievement of pupils is good

persistence in solving addition problems and could explain how they were working out their answers.  Good progress throughout Key Stage 2, which is particularly brisk in the last two years, enables standards in English to be above average by the end of Year 6. Pupils do exceptionally well in mathematics and reach standards that are well above average. In one lesson older pupils made quick progress when learning how to work out averages.  Throughout Key Stage 2, pupils are enthusiastic readers and by the end of Year 6 many reach the higher level. Pupils read a wide range of books and talk knowledgeably about what they have learnt. One pupil, who was reading a book by Roald Dahl, was keen to point out that it was intended as a ‘light read’ and she would be tackling Jane Austin’s Sense and Sensibility next.  At both Key Stage 1 and 2, pupils’ achievement in writing is not as strong as in either reading or

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics because too few are challenged to reach the higher levels. Although punctuation and spelling are usually good when writing in English books, pupils are not as adept as they could be when using their writing skills in other subjects.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress because they get the right kind of help and some make outstanding progress. All such pupils have equal opportunity to learn because the school makes sure relations are good.  Governors and school leaders have made sure that the pupil premium is used to provide extra teaching support or resources for pupils who need help. Consequently, the pupils supported by this make good progress.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good throughout the school and in some lessons it is outstanding. Teachers make lessons lively and interesting and pupils respond with enthusiasm. Learning is often enjoyable. In one outstanding lesson the teacher dressed up as ‘Angela’ from Central Asia and pupils asked thoughtful questions about hunting the snow leopard.  Reading is taught well and generates a love of books. Pupils in Year 1 were enthralled to read about the ‘Lighthouse Keeper’s Cat’. The teacher brought the story to life by taking the role of Hamish the cat while pupils asked her questions about the time she got lost.  Teachers have strong subject knowledge in mathematics. In one lesson the teacher gave excellent explanations about how to add tens and units which deepened pupils’ understanding.  Relationships are extremely positive. Teachers expect pupils to try their very best and they respond well by showing their eagerness to learn. Behaviour is managed well and teachers

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The quality of teaching is good

handle any rare difficulty with sensitivity and skill.  Classrooms are well organised with vibrant displays of pupils’ work. Teachers are adept at planning for the mix of ages and abilities in their classes and are careful to make sure work is set at the right level. Teaching assistants are used well to support pupils with special educational needs.  Teachers’ comments in pupils’ books show them how to improve. They check how well pupils are doing and use this to plan further learning and provide the right level of challenge. Pupils are confident in talking about their personal targets. One said correctly that, ‘teachers know you as an individual.’  Teachers explain things well but sometimes questions are not clear enough and do not help pupils to develop their understanding or explain their ideas. The interactive whiteboard is used well but pupils have too little opportunity to use computers in the classroom to find things out

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The quality of teaching is good

for themselves.  Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good throughout the school. This has led to an improvement in achievement, particularly in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1. Pupils are excited about learning and enthusiastic about the many interesting things they do such as building dens in the wood or playing musical instruments.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school is a pleasant place for pupils and they all feel very safe. Everyone gets on well together. School records show that bullying is rare. Pupils have a good understanding of different types of bullying because the school has a good programme to teach them about this.  Pupils behave well in lessons, in the playground and in the dining hall, so the school is calm and orderly. In many lessons behaviour is excellent. Pupils know the rules and abide by them. They enjoy the rewards they get for good behaviour.  Pupils show good attitudes to learning. They cooperate well in lessons, work well on their own or in groups when they have to and always try their best. They say adults help them and look after them well. A typical comment was, ‘teachers are friendly and do their best to help.’  Pupils are keen to take responsibility and are polite and thoughtful towards others. They enjoy putting out the toys at playtime and tidy them away sensibly. They are eager to get back into

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

lessons because learning is fun.  Attendance is above average and pupils are keen to come to school.

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The leadership and management are good

 All staff work successfully together and support the clear vision of the headteacher. The headteacher checks the quality of teaching thoroughly and shows a strong drive for all pupils to achieve well. As a result, teaching and achievement have both improved since the last inspection.  All the teachers take responsibility for leading an aspect of the school’s work and do this well. They are all keen to learn and share their ideas with other staff. They look carefully at what works well and spread this good practice but are also quick to sort out anything that needs to improve.  Leaders and governors work out the priorities for improvement together and carefully plan how they will realise them. They manage improvements in teaching very well by making sure that relevant training and guidance is provided. Teachers know what they need to improve in their work and governors make sure progression up the pay scale is earned.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has established useful and workable ways to keep a check on the progress of pupils. The headteacher holds regular meetings with teachers and makes sure they act quickly to stop any pupil falling behind. For example, pupils did a lot better in Year 2 last year as a result of these actions.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is brought about in lessons when pupils have good opportunity to understand different opinions. For example, when they considered the moral arguments for and against hunting the snow leopard.  Leaders and governors are keen to learn from others and productive links have been established between local schools. Year 2 pupils arrived back from the local secondary school very excited about the, ‘moshi monster hunt’ they had just been on. The local authority provides helpful support, which governors and leaders value.  Leaders and governors show they are very capable of bringing about further improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

There is good evidence of better teaching since the last time the school was inspected.  The governance of the school:  The excellent governing body knows the school well because visits are regular. Governors look at what is going on in classrooms and talk to pupils to get their view. Governors value the views of parents and are always looking at how they can further improve links between home and school. They appreciate the information given by the headteacher but make sure to check it out and challenge it when they think they should. Where difficult decisions need to be made about staffing or budgets then they meet these head on. Governors make sure all safeguarding requirements are met and the school is a safe place for pupils.

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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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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.

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School details

Unique reference number 112316 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 405388

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 84 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Godfrey Owen Headteacher Linda Fletcher Date of previous school inspection 15 September 2010 Telephone number 01539 560410 Fax number 01539 560410 Email address admin@crosscrake.cumbria.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 .

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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.

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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

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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, please

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School details

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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School details

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

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