North Crawley CofE School

North Crawley C of E School Church Walk, North Crawley, Newport Pagnell, Milton Keynes, MK16 9LL

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Excellent leadership by the headteacher, all staff working together as an effective team and the challenges given by the governing body have ensured that the high standards and excellent teaching identified in the last inspection report have been maintained.  By the end of Year 2, pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics is outstanding.  Standards in reading and writing are consistently well above average. In mathematics, they are above average and rising.  Consistently good teaching and the numerous lessons in which teaching is outstanding ensure that pupils make excellent progress.  Potentially vulnerable pupils and those who find learning difficult are supported very well.  Teachers routinely discuss pupils’ work with them and offer helpful guidance on how they might improve their work, but written comments to remind pupils and themselves on what to check later are too few.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour and understanding of personal safety are excellent.  The school development plan is well thought out and based on an accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for development.  The governing body checks carefully the progress pupils make and ensures that the pupils are kept safe. However, the governing body has not been as robust in ensuring that the school responds quickly enough to some changes in national requirements.  Close links with the federated school help promote good and outstanding practice.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, of which four were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of other shorter visits to lessons, heard some pupils in Year 2 read and attended an assembly.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, members of the governing body, staff, groups of pupils, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation, including the data the school has collected on pupils’ attainment and progress, procedures for keeping pupils safe and the school’s self-evaluation.  In making the judgements, the inspector took account of the 10 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), discussions with a few parents and carers, and the eight questionnaires returned by members of staff.

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Inspection team

David Wynford Jones, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is considerably smaller than the average-sized infant school.  The vast majority of pupils are of White British heritage. All of the pupils speak English as their first language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below average. However, the proportion identified for additional support through school action plus is above average. Currently, no pupil holds a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils generating additional funding through pupil premium is well below average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals, those who are looked after by the local authority, and those with a parent in the armed forces. Currently, there are no pupils attending the school who trigger this funding. However, the school is in receipt of a small amount of additional funding that has been allocated

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Information about this school

retrospectively for eligible pupils who attended the school in the last six years.  There are two classes in the school, a Reception class and a mixed Year 1 and Year 2 class. Both classes are taught by part-time teachers.  The school is federated with the nearby Stoke Goldington C of E First School. Both schools are led by the same headteacher, but retain independent governing bodies. The headteacher shares her time equally between the two schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make certain that teachers consistently write comments in pupils’ books to remind them of the next steps they need to take to reach their targets.  Ensure that the governing body addresses national requirements with greater urgency by taking full advantage of the recent changes in the body’s membership to review the allocation of responsibilities.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Most children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge broadly in line with what is typical for their age group, except in writing, which is marginally below the level usually found.  Children settle quickly and make excellent progress. By the end of the year, they are generally working above the nationally expected levels in all areas of learning.  The children make excellent progress because the teachers know the children well and are able to guide them in their work. The teachers build on the children’s ideas and interests. As a result, the children respond positively and work hard in lessons.  Good use is made of the outdoor and classroom areas to help the children learn in a safe and secure environment.  In Key Stage 1, pupils continue to make excellent progress and on track to reach well above average standards by the end of Year 2.  Standards in writing and reading are consistently well above average. In mathematics, outcomes

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

have been slightly lower than those in reading and writing. However, the school’s focus over the last 12 months on ensuring pupils reach higher standards in mathematics appears to be paying off. Pupils are on track to reach well above average standards. This is because there has been a greater emphasis on ensuring the pupils explore number in practical situations.  Pupils are developing their reading skills well. The recently introduced changes to the teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) are helping children to read unfamiliar words. Most pupils in Year 1 are likely to achieve the expected standard in this year’s assessments. By the time they leave at the end of Year 2, pupils are reading confidently and use a variety of strategies when faced with unknown words. They can talk about their favourite books and recommend books to each other.  Pupils write for a range of purposes and in different styles. Their writing skills are consolidated

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and extended in other subjects. For example, Year 2 pupils set to work eagerly to write a chronological account of their ‘trip around the village’. They were expected to include time connectives and correct punctuation. Pupils were asked to bring their writing to life by adding adjectives to describe various features. In a later lesson, they used dictionaries and thesauruses confidently to check their spelling and to extend their vocabulary.  Based on their starting points and needs, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make excellent progress. This is because they receive additional well-trained support to move their learning on and regular checks are made to see how well they are doing.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 In both classes, much of the teaching is outstanding and consistently good, including the teaching of literacy and mathematics. As a result, all groups of pupils are making rapid and sustained progress.  Partner teachers (those who share the responsibility for the class) work together effectively to plan and to ensure that the pupils make excellent progress. They exchange observations and assessments of the pupils’ learning. As a result, lessons are well planned and the work is pitched at the right level across the full range of ability.  Expectations are usually high. Most lessons proceed at a brisk pace. Teachers use questioning strategies skilfully to build on pupils’ earlier learning. They manage pupils’ behaviour well and encourage them to share their ideas with each other and with the adults. Teaching assistants support work in small groups effectively and help the pupils to make progress. All staff strive to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

ensure that all pupils, including disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, are fully included and have equal access to the same learning opportunities as other pupils.  Teachers regularly discuss the pupils’ work with them. They celebrate what has been done well and suggest ways in which the work can be improved. However, these comments are rarely written in pupils’ books. As a result, pupils are not able to refer to them at a later stage and teachers do not have the prompts to remind themselves when they are checking the pupils’ subsequent work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary. Their positive attitudes to learning help them to make excellent progress. Their attendance has improved steadily and has risen to be, currently, above average for primary schools.  Pupils welcome visitors and are polite as they move around the school. They are proud of the attractive displays and show respect for equipment.  Pupils say that there have been no bullying incidents, such as name-calling, fighting, racist, religious or cyber-bullying. They are confident that if an incident occurred, it would be dealt with quickly and fairly.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of personal safety, for example when using computers to access the internet, handling equipment such as scissors and when working in the school garden.  Pupils contribute to the school by taking on a range of responsibilities, for example as members of the school council, organising the classroom for assemblies and operating the music centre.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils enjoyed the recent project to raise money for the school. They invested money in various ventures with the aim of making a profit. The money raised was spent on updating the classrooms, new equipment and reading books.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher sets high expectations and works effectively with all staff to ensure teaching is of a high standard and pupils make excellent progress.  All staff undertake their roles well and contribute much to the development of the school. They help ensure that it continues to operate smoothly on the days when the headteacher is at the federated school.  Staff join their colleagues in the federated school to share their expertise and attend training sessions.  The school development plan is based on an accurate evaluation of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. It provides a clear path for the school’s continued development.  The headteacher monitors teaching and its impact on pupils’ learning closely. She knows each child individually and asks teachers to explain if any pupil is not on track to achieve their targets and what the teachers are going to do about it.  The headteacher uses the information she gets from lesson observations, her knowledge of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

pupils and the tracking of their progress to help governors decide if teachers should receive a salary increase.  In both classes, there is a strong focus on developing pupils’ literacy and numeracy skills. In Key Stage 1, all subjects of the National Curriculum are taught and, where appropriate, brought together through a well-thought-out theme or topic.  Pupils are given many opportunities to enrich their education, for example by undertaking various responsibilities, taking part in educational visits and receiving visitors to the school. Some visitors have contributed to the pupils’ cultural development by bringing in clothes, food and musical instruments from different ethnic backgrounds.  Local authority officers monitor the school’s performance and have supported the school in implementing changes to the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. However, as the school has consistently achieved above average results, there has been no further support offered.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The governance of the school:  Governors undertake regular training. They make sure the school meets requirements for safeguarding pupils, check on the outcomes for pupils and promote equality of opportunity effectively. Discriminatory practices are not tolerated. The governing body provides an appropriate balance between support and challenge, and ensures that all teaching is at least good. The school’s finances are monitored well. The governing body makes sure that pupil premium funding is being spent wisely on additional support staff and that it is contributing to pupils making accelerated progress. However, it is not as diligent in responding quickly to some national initiatives. For example, there was a delay in responding to the changes in the appraisal of teachers’ performance and updating of the school’s policy, and at the time of the inspection the school website did not contain all the required information. Nevertheless,

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The leadership and management are outstanding

governors have a good understanding of how targets are set for teachers to improve and the process for rewarding good teaching. Several vacancies on the governing body have just been filled. As a result, governors have yet to undertake an audit of their skills so that all governors are allocated responsibilities which best match their expertise to the needs of the school.

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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 110406 Local authority Milton Keynes Inspection number 412165

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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 Infant School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 27 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sam Potts Headteacher Kathryn Crompton Date of previous school inspection 19 June 2008 Telephone number 01234 391282 Fax number None available Email address ncrawleyf@milton-keynes.gov.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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