Cawston Grange Primary School

Cawston Grange Primary School Scholars Drive, Cawston, Rugby, CV22 7GU

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors are ambitious for the pupils. They understand the academy’s strengths and weaknesses and work effectively together to continue to make improvements.  Children get off to a good start in the Reception class. They are provided with a strong foundation for learning which ensures they are ready to move into Year 1.  Pupils attain above average standards at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because teaching is good and enables pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress.  The staff are dedicated and conscientious and are keen to improve and do their best for the pupils.  Pupils say that they find learning fun. They work and play together well and behaviour is good. Pupils take a pride in their work and enjoy coming to school. This is demonstrated in the above average attendance.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

forms the basis of the curriculum and is a strong feature of the academy. Pupils have many opportunities to learn about a broad range of subjects and topics that engage and motivate them. This is supplemented well by a range of trips, visitors and after-school clubs. Artwork is of a particularly high standard.  Pupils feel that the academy is a safe place to learn and play. They have confidence that the staff will listen to any concerns that they have.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 A small number of pupils who have special educational needs are not making the progress of which they are capable.  Opportunities for pupils to make faster progress are missed because teachers do not expect pupils to make improvements to their work after it has been marked.  Occasionally the pace of learning is too slow and pupils are not fully focussed on learning.  School leaders do not present information about pupils’ progress in a clear and concise enough way. This makes it difficult for governors to measure the progress of all groups of pupils accurately.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 14 lessons or parts of lessons, two of which were undertaken jointly with the headteacher.  Inspectors undertook ‘learning walks’. These comprised of short visits to a number of lessons to speak to pupils and look at their work, examine displays and to observe behaviour.  Meetings were held with senior leaders, two representatives from the governing body and teachers who hold additional responsibilities.  Inspectors talked with groups of pupils, listened to them read and observed them during playtimes and lunchtimes. Two assemblies were also visited. Inspectors spoke to pupils informally around the school.  Inspectors took account of the 53 responses to the online parent questionnaire (Parent View) and the 26 replies to the staff questionnaire. The views of parents were also sought at the start of the school day as they brought their children to school.  The inspection team reviewed a range of documentation including the school improvement plan,

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Information about this inspection

safeguarding policies, minutes of meetings, information about pupils’ progress and records relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspection was carried out following a complaint made to Ofsted which raised concerns. Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector decided that an unannounced inspection of the school should take place to follow up the whole-school issues that were raised. Inspectors sought to establish whether: - safeguarding procedures meet requirements, including the response to pupils presenting challenging behaviour. - suitable adjustments are made to behaviour management procedures according to the pupils’ needs and disabilities.

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Inspection team

Rachel Howie, Lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school converted to an academy in September 2013. When its predecessor school, Cawston Grange Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  Cawston Grange is a smaller then average sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding (additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those in local authority care) is below the national average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action, school action plus and those with a statement of special educational needs is above average.  The majority of pupils are White British.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the progress made by pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs is more consistent and provision is adjusted more rapidly if progress is too slow.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to improve the quality of teaching to increase the number of pupils making outstanding progress by:  ensuring that teachers’ marking has an impact on the quality of pupils’ work  maintaining the pace of learning within lessons so that pupils have a sense of urgency and sustain their concentration.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that information about pupils’ progress is presented in a clear and concise way to enable governors to check on the progress of all groups of pupils, including those eligible for pupil premium funding and those with special educational needs or disabilities.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, senior leaders and governors have a shared sense of commitment to ensure that the pupils of Cawston Grange make good progress and develop as well rounded individuals. They have a common purpose and a clear vision based on high expectations of pupils and staff and a desire to broaden pupils’ horizons. As a result this is a good and improving academy.

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The leadership and management are good

 School leaders have a thorough understanding of how well each pupil is attaining and present this information is a clear and concise way. Leaders have a similarly good knowledge about how much progress pupils make, however this information is not presented clearly enough for governors to ask searching questions and hold the leaders fully to account.

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The leadership and management are good

 Regular checks are made on the quality of teaching and teachers are provided with helpful advice about how to increase the rate of progress for the pupils in their class. Teachers with additional responsibilities have a clear knowledge of the standards in their subject or area of responsibility and provide valuable support and guidance for other members of staff. This enables teachers to improve their practice.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school keeps parents well informed through regular newsletters. The majority of parents who spoke with inspectors are supportive of the school and would recommend it to others. However, there is a small group who remain dissatisfied with the school’s work with regard to the behaviour of pupils. Inspectors found no evidence to support their concerns.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding has been used wisely to provide a good range of focussed support for the eligible pupils. This spending is analysed and reviewed regularly to ensure it is helping pupils to make rapid progress. As a result the gap between eligible pupils and their classmates is closing in most year groups.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum offers pupils opportunities to learn about a range of subjects and topics that are relevant and interesting. Pupils describe lessons as fun and exciting and have positive attitudes to learning. The curriculum is grounded in a set of values which promote respect, responsibility, excellence, kindness, independence and perseverance. As a result the curriculum makes a very positive contribution to the pupils’ social, moral, spiritual and cultural understanding. This is supplemented further by an impressive range of after school clubs, school trips and special events. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about an ‘awe and wonder’ day that had recently taken place to get them excited about learning and help them to ask questions and find answers for themselves.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school effectively promotes tolerance and respect for people’s differences. Pupils who spoke to inspectors had a good knowledge of different faiths including Islam and Sikhism and explained that they had been linking their Religious Education learning to work on prejudice. Pupils could describe how governments are elected by comparing this with the voting system for their school councillors.

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The leadership and management are good

 The primary Physical Education (PE) Sports Grant has been used to provide an increased number of before and after school clubs and has enabled more pupils to take part and become more active. The funding has also been used to enable pupils to participate in a wider range of competitive sports and to provide professional development of staff. Leaders have yet to measure the impact of this on the quality of PE teaching.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s arrangements for safeguarding are thorough and meet all statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors are effective in discharging their duties and provide a good balance of challenge to and support for senior leaders. Recruitment to the governing body since the school became an academy has been carefully considered to ensure that a broad range of skills and expertise are represented.  Governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching in the school and ensure that progression through the salary scale points is related to quality of teaching and performance.  The headteacher and senior leaders provide governors with a good level of information about the school including that related to pupils’ attainment. However, information relating to pupils’ progress is not as thorough.  Governors make regular visits to the school to find out for themselves how effectively improvements are being made.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils, staff and most parents agree. The academy provides a calm and orderly environment in which children learn and play together harmoniously.

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Behaviour

 Pupils are welcoming and friendly. They spontaneously hold doors open for adults and use good manners without being reminded. This is because the adults are good role models and the system of rewards based on values such as respect, kindness and excellence motivate pupils to develop an awareness of their own behaviour.

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Behaviour

 In lessons pupils are attentive and keen to learn new things. Occasionally, when the teacher talks for too long or when the learning does not inspire a sense of urgency, pupils lose concentration and are fidgety and unsettled. They quickly refocus after a reminder from the teacher but sometimes learning time is lost.

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Behaviour

 There are a small number of pupils who display challenging behaviour from time to time. School records indicate that such behaviour is dealt with an appropriate way and a range of strategies are in place to help these pupils make good choices about their behaviour. Pupils and staff agree that, as a result, the behaviour of these pupils has improved well over time and any incidents of poor behaviour have reduced.

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Behaviour

 There were eight exclusions in the last academic year. School records and discussions with staff indicate that these were appropriate and proportionate and were completed according to current guidance.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have a range of opportunities to take on responsibilities, for example as fund raisers, librarians or school councillors and also to share their ideas and opinions with adults. Pupils enjoy these responsibilities and take them seriously. As a result they take pride in their academy and have respect for the adults.

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Behaviour

 Pupils understand what bullying is and told inspectors that it does not happen at the academy. They are confident that if they have a concern or a worry that the adults will listen and deal with it quickly.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils and parents hold the same view. One pupil summed this up by saying, ’the grown-ups look after us as if we are their own children.’

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Safety

 The curriculum includes opportunities for pupils to learn about keeping safe in a range of situations. For example, older pupils spoke knowledgeably about how to protect their personal information when using the internet and the precautions they would take when using search engines. Younger pupils have an age appropriate understanding of staying safe online and can explain the importance fire safety.

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Safety

 School leaders have been thorough in ensuring pupils and their families understand the importance of attending school regularly. Newsletter to parents and rewards for pupils with good attendance have resulted in attendance being well above the national average for primary schools.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching across the school is typically good. Staff ensure that classrooms have a positive and purposeful atmosphere where pupils are encouraged to always try their best. Relationships between pupils and staff are built on mutual respect. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school because their teachers value them and want to make learning enjoyable. For example in a Year 5 writing lesson pupils were keen to write their reports when they discovered the topic would be blood.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of phonic (the sounds letters make) and reading is a particularly strong feature of the school. The youngest pupils use their knowledge of phonics effectively to help them to tackle unfamiliar words and persevere even when they are finding the word particularly tricky.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers are enthusiastic and knowledgeable about the subjects they teach. They provide pupils with confident explanations about new areas of learning and provide tasks that are well matched to their ability. Occasionally teachers give pupils too much time to complete their tasks and this results in some pupils lacking in urgency to complete their work. Some pupils lose focus and chat about things unrelated to their work. Although teachers are quick to deal with this, valuable learning time is lost.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Where teaching is particularly strong, teachers ask pupils probing questions, not only to check understanding but also to deepen pupils’ thinking. For example, a question may be followed up with ‘how do you know?’ or ‘tell me more’. Pupils respond well by developing their answers and explaining their thinking more fully.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers provide pupils with good examples of how to complete their work to a high standard. This creates a culture of high expectation and supports less able children effectively. Occasionally teachers remove these good examples from the board too soon and this slows down the progress of some pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 More able pupils achieve well and make good progress. Teachers make sure that the work they provide takes into account their higher starting points and challenges them to make good progress. Pupils respond to these high expectations and typically try hard to rise to the challenges set for them.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There are a large number of additional adults available to support pupils both in class and in small groups outside lessons. Most of these adults provide a good level of support for pupils. This is because they have been well briefed by the teacher and understand what the pupils should be learning to do. Occasionally they supervise learning and behaviour rather than being fully involved in it.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The support provided for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is variable. In most cases pupils are provided with tasks and activities suited to their needs and as a result they make good progress. However, there are occasions when this support is not reviewed regularly enough to check it is making a positive difference to pupils’ learning. Consequently a small number of pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Most pupils take pride in their work and present it neatly. Teachers acknowledge this in their marking and provide pupils with praise when they have achieved well in their learning. Sometimes pupils are provided with guidance about how to improve their work but they very rarely respond to this advice and improve their work.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The pupils’ artwork is displayed around the school. It is varied, striking and of a high quality. Pupils talk enthusiastically and knowledgably about the techniques and materials they have used. This area of the curriculum is particularly well developed.

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is good

 Achievement is good because by the end of Year 6 the proportion of pupils attaining the expected level in reading, writing and mathematics is above the national average. The proportion achieving the higher levels is also above average, most notably in reading and spelling, punctuation and grammar where almost three quarters of pupils reached higher level 5. This demonstrates good and, for some pupils, outstanding progress from their starting points.

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is good

 School records show that attainment on entry to Reception class varies each year. The current Year 2 pupils entered with skills and abilities well below those typical for their age whereas the current Reception children are closer to that which is expected. Children make good progress in Reception class and as a result are prepared well to start in Year 1.

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is good

 In the most recent screening check for phonics (the sounds that letters make), the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was above the national average. This is because the teaching of phonics is good.

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is good

 The school fosters positive attitudes to learning and encourages pupils to develop as individuals and express their views. As a result, pupils make good progress in their speaking and listening skills. For example, older pupils can express and justify their opinions in a mature and articulate way using a broad vocabulary. This is helping to ensure that pupils are ready to progress through the school and on to the next stage of their education.

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is good

 Pupils enjoy reading because there is a strong culture of reading in the school. Pupils confidently give their opinions about a range of authors and the type books they enjoy. Pupils achieve well in reading because of good teaching at school and regular practice at home.

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is good

 Progress for pupils with disabilities and those with special educational needs is variable. Most pupils make good progress, with a number making outstanding progress. This is as a result of good teaching and the effective additional support that is provided. However a small proportion of pupils are not making the progress that is expected because their needs are not being fully met. School leaders have reacted quickly to this to ensure that these pupils are able to progress more quickly.

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is good

 Pupils who are eligible for support through the pupil premium funding do not achieve as well as their classmates, however they do compare well with the national average for all pupils. At the end of Year 6 in 2014 eligible pupils were three terms behind their classmates in reading, writing and mathematics. School data shows that this gap is much less wide in most other year groups.

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is good

 More-able pupils achieve well, particularly in reading and mathematics. In writing, more pupils than the national average achieve the higher levels at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, however these results do not yet match those achieved in reading and mathematics.

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is good

 Teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is consistently good and as a result most children make good progress in all seven areas of learning. They are well prepared to start Year 1. School information shows that the proportion of children reaching the expected standard in 2014 was above the national average.

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is good

 The leader of the Early Years Foundation Stage has a good understanding of each child prior to them starting the school. She visits each child at home, which helps to secure a positive relationship with parents and carers, as well as considering the information which is sent by pre-school providers. This information is used effectively to ensure that children have a smooth start to their life in the school. Children’s progress is rigorously checked and any who need specific support are soon identified and activities arranged to help them achieve well.

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is good

 The classroom provides a safe and stimulating environment for learning and play. Children are given challenging tasks to complete. Adults encourage them to ‘have a go’ and celebrate their achievements, which makes them want to try again.

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is good

 Adults are good models for children. As a result children soon learn the academy values of sharing and respect for each other. They are encouraged to listen to each other’s ideas and appreciate that people can have different views. Expectations of behaviour are high and pupils respond well by following the rules and routines that are in place.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 140127 Local authority Warwickshire Inspection number 452083

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 254 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jill Arriordaz Headteacher Sue McGonagle Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01788 816820 Fax number 01788 816820 Email address head3594@welearn365.com 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 and 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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