Crowthorne Church of England Primary School

Crowthorne Church of England Primary School Duke's Ride, Crowthorne, Berkshire, RG45 6ND

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  School leaders and governors have high expectations for staff and pupils and consequently all pupils achieve exceptionally well across the school.  Pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is significantly above average by the end of Year 6 and has been for several years.  Teaching assistants are highly trained and provide excellent support for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Consequently they achieve as well as their classmates.  Teaching over time is outstanding. Teachers are particularly skilled in judging how well pupils are learning and how to move them on quickly so they make excellent progress.  Work in pupils’ books is of high quality in all subjects. It is very well presented and reflects pupils’ care and pride in their work.  Pupils feel safe in school. They enjoy learning and playing together and know that caring adults are always on hand.

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They have excellent attitudes to learning and they behave exceptionally well in classrooms, when moving around the school and at playtimes.  The curriculum is very well planned with a variety of enriching activities that encourage pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. Music and art are of very high quality.  School leaders and governors are highly ambitious and successfully secure the highest possible standards of teaching. They have created a strong team who are all working towards the same purpose.  The senior team and all leaders have an excellent understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses and have the right plans in place to make the school even better. They have addressed the issues from the previous inspection, clearly demonstrating that they can improve further.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons or parts of lessons. They scrutinised work in pupils’ books and they listened to pupils in Year 2 and Year 6 read. They also observed small teaching groups led by teaching assistants and attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with school leaders, three governors, groups of pupils and three teaching assistants. A telephone meeting took place with a representative from the local authority.  Among the documents scrutinised were plans for school development, minutes from governors’ meetings, information regarding the quality of teaching, and pupils’ assessment and tracking information. Documents showing how the school keeps staff and pupils safe were also seen.  The views of parents were considered by analysing 72 responses to the online survey Parent View and by holding informal discussions with parents at the start of the school day. The views of staff were considered through the 23 responses to the staff survey.

p.2

Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Deirdre Crutchley Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupils are taught in single age classes and there is provision for children in the Early Years Foundation Stage in the Reception Class.  Most pupils are of White British origin.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium funding is much smaller than usual. This is additional funding provided by the government to support pupils who, in this school, are known to be eligible for free school meals or who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is much lower than usual. The proportion who are supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

p.3

Information about this school

 There have been significant changes to the teaching and leadership team since the previous inspection.

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that higher attaining pupils make as much progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 All groups of pupils, including the most able, achieve well across the school. They work exceptionally hard and reach standards that are consistently well above average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Pupils respond to teachers’ high expectations by producing work that is always their best. Consequently they make progress that is usually outstanding and never less than good.  Pupils’ progress in writing, although still outstanding, is slower than in other subjects because a small number of higher attaining pupils do not always reach the higher levels of which they are capable. Actions to improve pupils’ rates of progress have been highly successful. For example, teachers now consistently correct pupils’ writing in all subjects, including history and geography, and so reinforce pupils’ skills.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent progress from

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

their starting points. This is because staff provide work at different levels so all pupils make rapid progress. Highly skilled teaching assistants support them in class or provide specialist one- to-one tuition.  Pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding achieve well, often attaining higher standards than their classmates. This is because some of the additional funding is used to employ teaching assistants who help them with their work. The cost of school visits, music lessons and after school clubs is also subsidised so these pupils do not miss out, reflecting the school’s commitment to equality of opportunity.  Children in the Reception Class start school with skills that are broadly in line with those expected for their age. They make good and sometimes outstanding progress to prepare them well for Year 1. They use letters and sounds (phonics) to read and write simple sentences and

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

they confidently count and add together numbers to ten and beyond. By the time they move to Year 1, they read simple books and write short stories and carry out calculations with numbers to 20.  In mathematics, pupils have an excellent understanding of number and calculation strategies and practise their mathematical skills when learning other subjects. For example, in geography, they confidently draw graphs recording the temperature changes across the months of the year to reinforce and extend their learning.  Pupils thoroughly enjoy writing. Their handwriting is neat and spelling and punctuation are accurate. They use a wide vocabulary and construct sentences to create characters and atmosphere when writing stories. They write extensively in other subjects such as history, to describe events in past times and so strengthen their writing skills.  Pupils love reading. By the end of Year 2, they read fluently and confidently and talk about the

p.4

The achievement of pupils is outstanding

stories they read. By the end of Year 6, pupils read widely for pleasure and to find information. One pupil said he enjoyed reading because, ‘its like being in a bubble, in your own little world.’

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection and is outstanding. Results from national tests over the past three years, together with high quality work seen in pupils’ books, indicate that this is typical.  Teachers use assessment information methodically to plan work that is accurately matched to pupils’ needs and this enables all groups of pupils to make exceptional progress. Teachers routinely check pupils’ work and provide help when needed, give them ideas about how they can improve their work or set an extra challenge for those who need harder work.  Teachers have very high expectations for pupils and they endeavour to inspire pupils to work hard. For example, in Year 1 pupils used their knowledge of the alphabet to put a list of words, some beginning with the same two letters, in correct alphabetical order. Pupils thoroughly enjoyed this and made outstanding progress.

p.4

The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers’ explanations are clear and they use resources, including information and communication technology (ICT) very effectively so that pupils understand what they are expected to do. For example, in a Year 5 mathematics lesson, the teacher showed pupils how to translate a shape into a different position by using different colours to plot each of the vertices of a square onto a grid.  Children in the Reception Class learn well because adults plan an exciting range of activities that enable them to make at least good progress. For example, children used outdoor equipment to physically move ‘above’, ‘below’, ‘over’ and ‘under’ before more formal work on recognising mathematical position. The outdoor area has been redeveloped since the previous inspection and it provides a stimulating environment in which children can now play and work outside as well as indoors.  Teaching assistants work in close partnership with teachers so that the quality of support

p.5

The quality of teaching is outstanding

provided for pupils is high. Teaching assistants frequently lead small-group activities, such as phonics or additional reading tasks for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs enabling these pupils to progress as well as others.  The quality of marking in pupils’ books is thorough and helps pupils to understand what they have done well and what they need to do to further improve their work. Pupils respond to these comments and as a result do not repeat the same mistakes.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They love coming to school and this is reflected in their above average attendance. They are welcomed into a calm environment with stimulating displays of their work. Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning and take great delight in grasping new skills and knowledge. They say that lessons are never disrupted by poor behaviour.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding and so pupils feel completely safe in school. They understand different forms of bullying including cyber bullying but say that it never occurs. They say that on very rare occasions, if pupils fall out, there is always an adult on hand to help.  Pupils get on very well together. They are polite, friendly and helpful and show respect towards each other and adults. All pupils are equally valued and this fosters excellent relationships between adults and pupils. Discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are taught to be responsible citizens by reflecting on wider issues such as those raised in some of the books they read and this promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very effectively. They enjoy taking on responsibilities such as planning and presenting assemblies to other pupils.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe outside school. They know about the dangers associated with roads and railways as well as the dangers of tobacco and some drugs.  The vast majority of parents, staff and governors who responded to surveys strongly agreed that pupils’ behaviour is good and that their children are happy and enjoy school.

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The school’s motto, ‘Aspire to Achieve’ underpins all aspects of the school’s work. Strong teamwork contributes to the success of the school because staff, parents and governors share the same ambition. All staff are involved in school improvement planning and benefit from opportunities to develop their leadership skills.  Middle leaders are highly effective and play a significant role in raising pupils’ achievement. They check the work of other staff and provide feedback to improve provision. They ensure that all staff implement school policies consistently so that expectations for pupils’ work and behaviour are clear.  There are rigorous systems in place to check on how well teachers are performing. Both teaching assistants and teachers appreciate the level of professional support and training they receive. Leaders identify what teachers need to do to improve their practice and set clear targets

p.5

The leadership and management are outstanding

for improvement so that their skills are constantly developing to support pupils’ outstanding achievement.  The curriculum is carefully planned to ensure that pupils make excellent progress in preparation for the next stage of their education. It is enriched with a wide variety of additional activities that make an excellent contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting activities and understand the importance of keeping fit and healthy. The school has used part of the new primary sports funding to enhance this provision by ‘buying into’ the local authority school sports programme and to establish school teams to participate more widely in organised competitions.  The local authority provides ‘light-touch’ support for this outstanding school. Parents praise the school highly and would recommend it to other parents.  The pupil premium funding has been carefully targeted to pupils’ specific needs, whether they

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

are academic or social, and this enables this small but significant group of pupils to do very well at school.

p.6

The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors are highly effective and make extensive use of all available information to monitor the performance of the school and to hold leaders to account. Consequently they know that the school achieves well in comparison with other schools and that the quality of teaching is outstanding. They know that teachers’ progression on the salary scale is linked to their performance in the classroom and that only the best teaching is rewarded. Governors visit the school regularly to observe the work of the school. This enables them to accurately evaluate aspects such as pupils’ behaviour and the effectiveness with which the school ensures that all staff and pupils are safe. They monitor the school’s finances effectively to check that the school spends its budget, including the pupil premium, wisely.

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 is

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 109962 Local authority Bracknell Forest Inspection number 431392

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 controlled Age range of pupils 4  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 210 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Liz Baker Headteacher Ruth Jackson Date of previous school inspection 20 May 2009 Telephone number 01344 772089 Fax number 01344750106 Email address secretary@office.crowthorne.bracknell-forest.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, please

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9