Cropredy Church of England Primary School

Cropredy Church of England Primary School Station Road, Cropredy, Oxfordshire, OX17 1PU

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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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Good teaching and a well-planned curriculum enable all groups of pupils to make good progress, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs.  Teaching has improved in Key Stage 1 and pupils now attain above average standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2.  Teaching is consistently good in Years 3 to 5, which consolidates and extends pupils’ learning well.  Teaching in Year 6 is outstanding. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are consistently above average by the end of Year 6.  Behaviour is good in lessons and when pupils are playing outside. Pupils feel safe in school and are confident to talk to adults if they have a concern.  Teachers who lead subjects work closely together to plan learning that interests pupils and meets the needs of different ability groups well. As a result, pupils make good progress in a number of subjects, including history and art.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, staff and governors have high aspirations for pupils’ achievement. They constantly check that teaching is good enough and organise relevant training and support when they find it is not.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils are not always encouraged to check their work against the guidance that their teachers give them so that they can make improvements by themselves.  Tasks are not always challenging enough for pupils identified as gifted and talented and for some most-able writers in Years 1 and 2.  A significant minority of parents feels that the school does not respond well to their concerns.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons taught by nine teachers. In addition, they made a number of short visits to lessons.  The inspectors looked at past and current information about pupils’ progress and pupils’ work in books and on display. They also heard some pupils read.  The inspectors also looked at documents relating to behaviour and safeguarding, the school’s checks about what is going well, and school improvement planning.  The inspectors met with small groups of pupils to talk about their learning and to find out what they thought of the school. Inspectors also met with staff, and with representatives of the governing body and the local authority.  The inspectors talked to parents informally at the start of the day. They took note of all positive comments and followed up the small number of concerns expressed about safety, responding to parental concerns and challenge for the most-able pupils. They took into account 67 responses

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Information about this inspection

shown in the online questionnaire (Parent View) and also the school’s own parent and pupil surveys.  The inspectors took note of 27 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Georgina Beasley, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Philip Littlejohn Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Cropredy Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Nearly all pupils are from White British backgrounds, with the remainder from a number of different minority ethnic backgrounds. A growing number are from Irish Traveller backgrounds. No pupils speak English as an additional language.  A below-average proportion of pupils are known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which in this school provides additional funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported through school action is average. The proportion supported at school action plus and with a statement of special educational needs is also average.  The school meets the government floor standards (the minimum expected for pupils’ progress and attainment).  The on-site pre-school and after-school club are not managed by the governing body and are

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching so that more is outstanding to enable all pupils to make the progress of which they are capable by ensuring:  pupils identified as gifted and talented are consistently given tasks that motivate and challenge them to think hard  the most-able pupils in Years 1 and 2 classes are taught the skills they need to reach the same high standard in writing as they do in reading and mathematics  pupils use the prompts they are given as guidance to review and improve their work.  Improve communication with parents so that they feel better informed about the school’s work and confident that the school responds positively to concerns that they raise.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The abilities and skills of children when they start in the Reception class are within the range expected for their age. A very small number are below this. Nearly all reach the levels expected for their age and nearly half better than this because of the good progress that they make. Fewer children exceed the expected levels in writing than they do in other areas of learning and development.  Standards in reading are consistently above average across the school because of the good progress pupils make. For the last two years, more pupils than nationally reached the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics check. (Phonics refers to letters and the sounds they make.) Individual support helps pupils who are behind with their reading to catch up by the end of Year 2. More pupils than nationally reach the higher Level 5 at the end of Year 6.  Pupils’ good progress in mathematics is typified by their ability to solve problems on their own.

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The achievement of pupils is good

Younger pupils use their knowledge and understanding of numbers to calculate answers to addition and subtraction number problems quickly. Pupils in Years 3 to 6 solve number and real- life problems of increasing difficulty involving fractions, decimals and percentages.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. They receive good support and many reach expected levels in a number of subjects including reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers monitor the progress of the very small number of pupils who receive the pupil premium closely, so that individual support can be put into place quickly to help them close any gaps in their experience, knowledge or skills. Pupils who are capable reach the same high standards as their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  Funds from the government for sport education have paid for specialist coaches and additional

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The achievement of pupils is good

training for teachers. As a result, pupils make good progress in developing physical education skills and a good awareness of the importance of leading active and healthy lives. The recent ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ competition was enjoyed by all and allowed pupils to show off their dancing skills.  Pupils from a Traveller background make good progress. Those who join the school during Years 3 to 6 make rapid progress initially because of the well-organised and planned support that they receive.  Pupils make good progress in writing, but this is not consistent across the school. While pupils do as well in writing as they do in reading and mathematics by the end of Year 6, not all most- able pupils in Years 1 and 2 reach the same above-average levels in writing as they do in reading and mathematics.  The most-able pupils and those identified as gifted and talented achieve high standards by the time that they leave the school at the end of Year 6. Pupils identified as gifted and talented do

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The achievement of pupils is good

not always reach the higher standards of which they are capable in other year groups because the work they do in some lessons is not hard enough.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching enables pupils to learn well during their time at the school. Children develop positive attitudes to learning in the Reception class due to the well-organised day, high expectations and interesting activities that encourage them to try new things and to do their best. Well-planned lessons across the school help pupils to develop good reading, writing, speaking and mathematical skills across a range of subjects.  Teaching is outstanding in Year 6 because tasks and activities have just the right amount of challenge to motivate pupils to achieve while still having to think hard. In this year group pupils are given effective support and guidance to enable them to check their learning for themselves and so make any improvements required at the time rather than for homework or during the later lessons.  Pupils talk animatedly about the ‘homework challenges’ that support their learning in ‘topics’.

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The quality of teaching is good

They recognise that these challenges enable them to be creative and show their capabilities, whilst at the same time supporting their learning in a range of subjects. Weekly mathematics, spelling and reading tasks provide valuable opportunities for pupils to practise what they are learning in class.  The level of challenge in tasks is not high enough in some lessons. Teachers know who the most-able and gifted and talented pupils are, but they do not always plan more challenging work for them to complete so that they are motivated to do even better.  Teachers check pupils’ work carefully and often give additional guidance and set targets to help pupils to improve their work. They do not always check that pupils use these prompts during lessons to help them to make the improvements there and then.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They are exemplary in the current Year 6. Pupils in all year groups concentrate well when listening to the teacher. In particular, pupils in Years 3 to 6 settle quickly to the tasks that teachers set for them to do by themselves or with other pupils. While younger pupils are occasionally talkative when moving about the classroom, they respond quickly and positively when given an instruction to settle to their work.  Pupils are courteous at all times. They treat visitors, each other and adults who work in the school with respect. Lessons start promptly because pupils line up and move into school sensibly and quickly at the start of the day and after playtimes.  Pupils have good opportunities to make a positive contribution to the school through acting as buddies to the youngest children, their membership of the Eco committee and school council, and being able to express their views at any time. As a result, pupils are confident to express

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

their views and to share any concerns that they may have.  The behaviour of pupils is good. The very few exclusions have been dealt with appropriately and effectively. Pupils who sometimes behave inappropriately are given good support so that their behaviour does not interrupt learning in lessons. Pupils who spoke to inspectors cannot recall any incidents of bullying during their time at the school.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils expressed that they feel safe in and out of school. They understand how to stay safe on roads and near railways and water, which is necessary because of the school’s position in the village. Pupils are acutely aware of the potential dangers when researching for information on the internet and know what to do if they come across anything that causes them concern.  Attendance continues to be above average. Pupils arrive in school on time and are ready for

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

learning the minute they step inside the classroom.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has gained the support from all staff and governors for her vision and drive to raise pupils’ achievement further. Targets at the end of every year group are challenging and based on high expectations for pupils’ progress in every year group in reading, writing and mathematics.  Targets in teachers’ individual performance management plan are linked closely to the school’s needs and the targets in the school improvement plan. Decisions about pay are made after a review of whether targets have been met. Teachers attend relevant training which has improved teaching across the school.  The headteacher is supported effectively by key stage coordinators and subject leaders in checking and improving the quality of teaching and learning across the school in all subjects. Outstanding teachers give demonstration lessons for all teachers to watch and a detailed review afterwards enables observers to identify precisely what made the lesson so successful.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers plan learning across a range of subjects that enables pupils to practise literacy and mathematical skills in relevant and interesting contexts. A strong focus on pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development builds their good respect and understanding for each other and for people with different beliefs and from different cultural backgrounds. Pupils enjoy Forest School activities and the opportunities to be adventurous in a safe outdoor environment.  The local authority keeps a close watch on the school’s performance through annual analysis of pupils’ progress, checking to ensure teachers’ assessments of what pupils can do are accurate and through subsequent regular conversations with the headteacher about what has emerged.  The school has an accurate view of its work and performance and agrees that the recommendations for improvement, already identified in the school’s improvement plan, are the

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The leadership and management are good

most important ones. It recognises that a significant minority of parents feel that their concerns are not dealt with well and has plans to improve communication to give parents more information about the school’s curriculum and pupils’ learning, including for gifted and talented pupils.  The governance of the school:  Governors work closely with the school’s headteacher and staff to ensure all aspects of the school’s work are checked regularly and that immediate improvements are made if required. They have attended training to help them understand the information that they receive about pupils’ learning and progress which helps them to ask challenging questions if they note that the progress of any group slows. They particularly check the progress of pupils who receive the pupil premium and of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, to ensure that the funds allocated for their support are being well spent. Regular reviews of

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The leadership and management are good

health and safety and staff performance ensure that all statutory requirements relating to these aspects are met.

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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 123090 Local authority Oxfordshire Inspection number 431433

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 160 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anna Hardy Headteacher Hilary Stevens Date of previous school inspection 18 – 19 June 2009 Telephone number 01295 750210 Fax number 01295 750210 Email address office.3000@cropredy.oxon.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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