Cranham Church of England Primary School

School report Cranham Church of England Primary School Cranham, Gloucestershire, GL4 8HS

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 Teaching is not consistently good in Years 3 to 6. Although there have been improvements recently these are yet to have a full impact on pupils’ achievement.  Pupils in Key Stage 2 do not consistently make the progress in English and mathematics that assessments at the end of Year 2 indicate they are capable of.  Some more-able pupils do not routinely reach high enough standards at the end of Year 6. Despite current improvements, this is likely to be the case in 2013.  Some aspects of leadership and management are not consistently good. Coordination of support for those with special educational needs has not been good enough. Pastoral care for such pupils is very good and they are very well cared for, but plans which would help them to make rapid academic progress are not sharp enough.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The school has the strong support of parents and carers who are rightfully confident that their children’s personal development is particularly well provided for.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Courtesy, consideration and positive attitudes are common to all classes.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding.  Children get off to a good start in Reception because teaching and support are very effective. This good achievement continues to the end of Year 2 where standards are consistently above average.  Recent improvements to teaching and support for pupils in Years 5 and 6 are raising standards and driving up progress rates.  Governors have acted swiftly, decisively and effectively to address pupils’ underachievement in Key Stage 2.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed ten lessons or parts of lessons taught by four teachers and a variety of teaching assistants. One lesson observation was carried out jointly with the headteacher.  He met with groups of pupils, the Chair of the Governing Body, members of staff and a representative of the local authority.  He looked at pupils’ work and heard a sample of pupils read.  The inspector took account of the 13 responses to the online Parent View survey and held informal discussions with parents and carers before school.  He observed the school’s work and looked at school documentation, including data on pupils’ progress, evidence of self-evaluation and monitoring records.  The inspector analysed the four questionnaire responses from staff.

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Inspection team

Michael Burghart, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a much smaller school that the average-sized primary school, serving a rural area.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. No pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and in receipt of extra support provided by additional government funding, known as the pupil premium, is very low. No such pupil was in Year 6 either last year or this year.  The proportions of pupils who are supported by school action, school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are below average, but vary widely across small year groups; for example, in one year group of six pupils, four have special educational needs.  The school does not manage any alternative provision for its pupils.  The school meets the government floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection the school federated in what was known as ‘a collaborative partnership’ with another small local primary school, with the headteacher taking the executive lead of both schools. After a term this was brought to a close when this arrangement was found not to be as beneficial to either school as was at first anticipated.  One of the part-time teachers responsible for teaching Years 5 and 6 is on extended sick leave. Her timetable is being covered by a supply teacher who regularly works at the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the overall profile of teaching so that it is consistently at least good by:  building on the good practice and initiatives already evident in Key Stage 1 and Reception  ensuring that all staff appreciate that good progress means that pupils are making better than nationally expected progress.  Improve the rates of progress made by pupils, especially the more able, in writing and mathematics in Years 3 to 6, so that pupils’ achievement matches the potential indicated by the results of national assessments made in Year 2.  Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by:  ensuring that the management of provision for special educational needs is effective in setting clear individual targets for pupils and staff to aspire to so that such progress justifies the extra investment in support  further improving the effectiveness of teachers’ involvement in the management of the school,

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

capitalising on the success already evident in mathematics, clarifying responsibilities, and identifying more clearly how success will be achieved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Over time, pupils have not made the progress they are capable of in Key Stage 2. This is particularly the case in Years 5 and 6.  Despite improvements this term, pupils in the current Year 6 are still not achieving as well as they should do because of gaps in their learning in previous terms when the expectations of some staff were too low. Predictions show that standards are likely to be above average in 2013. Pupils’ progress rates have been increased, but attainment is not as high as assessments in Year 2 indicate it should be. This is especially the case for more-able pupils in writing and mathematics.  Children’s attainment is broadly as expected at the start of Reception. There are considerable variations between year groups; for example, the profile of those who entered the school in September 2012 is slightly below expectations. Children make good progress overall in Reception, but their progress in personal, social and emotional development is outstanding.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Pupils make consistently good progress in Years 1 and 2. They love reading and this is reflected in standards being above average.  By the time pupils enter Year 3 they are above, and sometimes well above, average in reading, writing and mathematics. They respond very well to the themed approach of the curriculum on offer. For example, role play, creative writing and problem solving about castles have captured pupils’ imagination and stimulated their learning.  Progress in Years 3 to 6 is, at best, what is basically expected. Work in pupils’ books and school records indicate that until recently pupils made less progress in Years 5 and 6. Nevertheless, pupils do show a healthy interest in topic work and are clearly enthralled by their study of the Tudors, with beneficial effects on their research and deduction skills.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make the same progress, or lack of

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

it, as others of the same age in the school. However, given the additional support available, outcomes in terms of the achievement of some pupils have not fully justified the extra investment. This is not due to any lack of commitment of staff but the result of insufficient rigour in the leadership and management of special educational needs with some targets insufficiently challenging and expectations not high enough.  With no pupils eligible for extra support from the pupil premium in Year 6 over the last two years, there are no data for any comparison of progress. The very few pupils in this group across the rest of the school are making good progress, becoming more confident as a result of close contact with staff and incisive target setting.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching over time in Key Stage 2 has not been consistently strong enough to enable pupils to make the most of their good start in Key Stage 1. Despite some recent improvements in teaching, too few pupils make better than the basic expected progress.  Weaknesses in teaching feature work that has not fully challenged more-able pupils, introductions that are sometimes overlong and some pupils allowed to be too passive. For example, in a physical education lesson, pupils spent too much time waiting and, although they did learn from watching each other, they were not extended enough physically by the activity.  Clear teaching strengths are in the way young children are stimulated to learn through play, better challenge for pupils of all abilities (most obvious in Years 1 and 2, but now more common across the school), the development of what the school calls ‘assessment for learning’ where pupils evaluate their own performance against their targets, and the strong

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

contribution to learning of teaching assistants and volunteers who bring valuable expertise and experience.  Good questioning was observed in all classes during the inspection. In a very successful mathematics lesson, reception children and pupils from Years 1 and 2 made good progress in identifying and naming different shapes and exploring the strength of structures. The pace of learning was crisp and the teacher’s questioning prompted pupils to explain their thinking.  Teaching for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is effective in improving pupils’ confidence. Small-group and individual work prepares pupils for class work. However, the lack of individual education planning, which would routinely set and revise targets for pupils and staff to use to measure improvement, restricts pupils’ progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well. Parents and carers, staff, governors and pupils vouch for the fact that that this has long been the case.  Good progress in learning to get on with others at work and play in Reception underpins the courtesy and consideration that runs throughout the school. The family atmosphere and the Christian ideals that are much valued by parents and carers are at the heart of the school’s happy ethos.  Pupils’ attitudes to work are good. Even on the occasions where activities are allowed to go on too long, although attention sometimes drops it does not result in disruptive behaviour.  Behaviour is not judged as outstanding over time because there is evidence of a slight dip in the attitudes of a small minority during the unsettled period in the school’s development. However, as a result of a concerted effort and good support and training for staff from the local authority, there is no longer a problem.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 A very small minority of parents and carers have had concerns about bullying. Pupils are convinced that historically there were a few problems. They report that, following staff training and the introduction of an anti-bullying programme as part of planning to support pupils’ personal development, incidents are extremely rare and swiftly and effectively dealt with.  Pupils feel safe in school and respond by readily taking responsibility, for example as worship monitors and playground monitors, and showing initiative as members of the school council.  Pupils say they feel valued and comment positively about the way they are cared for by staff who go out of their way to ensure everyone is treated fairly and without discrimination.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 As a result of the last inspection, changes were made and the school improved. However, during the unsettled period when the school trialled a collaborative partnership with another small primary school, leadership and management were less effective in making sure that staff expectations were high enough. As a consequence, some of the teaching was not good enough, some more-able pupils underachieved, leadership of special educational needs provision did not result in pupils making any better progress than their classmates, and progress rates in the upper part of Key Stage 2 stalled.  Recent improvements to the monitoring of teaching and learning across the school, and especially for those in Years 5 and 6, are beginning to make a difference and the school is being put back on the right track.  The headteacher and governors have revitalised the school’s vision. Staff morale is good and there is now a common commitment to ensuring pupils do as well as they are capable of.

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The leadership and management require improvement

However, initiatives such as the new approach to problem solving in mathematics, well managed by the subject leader, have yet to have full effect. They do, however, provide a good model for other less well coordinated subjects where responsibilities are indistinct and success criteria less clear.  Clearer identification of objectives, better planning for pupils’ needs and the sustained strengths in pupils’ personal development are good indicators that the school has the capacity to make further improvement.  Due to good and much improved planning, the curriculum is interesting, broad and balanced. It brings together subjects as topic work which pupils much enjoy. This is coupled with outstanding support for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which helps pupils to grow up as sensible, caring young people.  The school continues to take very good care of pupils. All safeguarding requirements are

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The leadership and management require improvement

effectively met.  Links with parents and carers are well managed. Parents and carers appreciate that staff are readily available and that their views are listened to.  The local authority provides good support for the school in the form of advice on leadership, curriculum expertise, training and self-evaluation.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very supportive of the school. As a result of a detailed analysis of data last year, governors became aware of the shortfall in pupils’ progress at Key Stage 2. They compared the school’s performance with primary schools nationally and evaluated pupils’ achievement in Key Stage 2 with the successes recorded when this group were in Key Stage 1. Governors invited the local authority in to lead a review of the effectiveness of teaching and provision. They have taken the on-going results of this to heart and use them as the basis for much improved challenge to hold the school to account. Decisions are evaluated in terms of

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The leadership and management require improvement

impact on pupils’ achievement, and the performance management of teachers links success in the classroom to salary progression. Governors welcome training opportunities to enhance their skills and understanding. They have established good procedures for monitoring what goes on in school for themselves and have an accurate view of strengths and weaknesses in teaching. They know how the pupil premium is spent on extra teaching assistant hours and one-to-one teaching and are reviewing the impact of new initiatives against improvements to pupils’ confidence and achievement.

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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 115682 Local authority Gloucestershire Inspection number 405596

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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 56 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Bloomfield Headteacher Paul Lailey Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2011 Telephone number 01452 812660 Fax number 01452 812660 Email address head@cranham.gloucs.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

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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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