Crabtree Farm Primary School

Crabtree Farm Primary School Steadfold Close, Crabtree Road, Nottingham NG6 8AX

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 The headteacher, staff and governors have significantly improved pupils’ achievement since the last inspection. Expectations have been raised about what pupils can achieve.  The headteacher and her staff are ambitious for all pupils and are committed to the school’s vision ‘every child, every chance, every day’.  Governors support the school’s leaders well. Governance has improved significantly since the last inspection and now provides a good balance of support and challenge.  Pupils in the early years get off to a good start. A rich environment and high-quality, skilled staff enable most pupils to make good progress.  Teaching is now typically good. This results in pupils making good progress overall, particularly in Key Stage 2 and the early years.  By the time pupils leave Year 6 they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Pupils are eager to learn and have good attitudes to learning. Their behaviour is good. As a result,

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This is a good school

the school is an orderly and purposeful place to learn.  Positive relationships are evident between adults and pupils. Pupils feel extremely safe, and safeguarding systems are tightly followed.  Personal development and welfare are strengths of the school. Staff do everything they possibly can to enable all pupils to succeed.  Leaders have worked extremely hard to increase attendance and reduce persistent absence since the last inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough pupils are achieving the outcomes at the end of Key Stage 1 that are at or above those of pupils nationally.  Some pupils, particularly the most able in the early years, are not always sufficiently challenged.  Pupils’ spelling requires improvement and so does their handwriting, which varies from class to class.  Information gathered by leaders is not always used effectively to demonstrate the impact on raising pupils’ achievement.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement further so that it is outstanding by ensuring that: there is greater challenge for most-able pupils in Reception so that they are fully prepared and equipped for work in Year 1 pupils in Key Stage 1 benefit from high-quality teaching which matches the school’s best practice, so that by the time they leave Year 2 they have reached at least average levels of attainment pupils’ spelling increases in accuracy and the school’s handwriting policy is consistently applied in every class information gathered following monitoring activity is used to demonstrate the impact of actions on pupils’ achievement more clearly.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Since the previous inspection when the school was deemed to require improvement, the headteacher and leaders at all levels have acted swiftly to secure improving provision and outcomes for pupils. Effective plans for improvement have been implemented rigorously to improve the quality of teaching and accelerate pupils’ rates of progress.  The school is well led by a passionate and caring headteacher who is determined to ensure that life chances for all pupils in her school are improved. Until recently, the school was inward looking and did not reach out beyond its community enough. This is no longer the case. Every opportunity is taken to broaden pupils’ horizons beyond the immediate environment and beyond Bulwell.  Senior and middle leaders, staff and governors all share the headteacher’s desire to continually improve outcomes for pupils of all abilities. Leaders implement a range of methods for checking how different

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

aspects of the school are doing and setting targets for continuous improvement. Middle leaders are enthusiastic and the training and support they have received are helping them to ensure that intended improvements materialise and that targets in their areas are met.  Leaders gather a wide range of information but this is sometimes not analysed carefully or accurately enough. As a result, leaders cannot always identify with sufficient precision the impact that actions have had to secure improvement.  The management of teachers’ performance is closely linked to pupils’ progress, and it is expected that all pupils will make accelerated progress. Those new to teaching are well supported. All teachers are developed well and as a consequence become strong and confident professionals. Almost all staff who responded to an inspection questionnaire reported that they are proud to work at Crabtree Farm and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

enjoy working at the school.  The curriculum is varied, balanced and engages pupils well. This contributes to their enjoyment of learning. Subjects are well planned and often have a thread of personal development or social and emotional learning woven in. There are plentiful opportunities for pupils to practise their literacy and numeracy skills in other areas of learning. For example, good opportunities are provided for pupils to develop their writing and mathematical skills in their science work when writing up or recording the findings of their experiments.  Additional government funding is used effectively to support pupils. Pupil premium funding for disadvantaged pupils is used extremely well to provide extra help for this group. This ensures that the majority of pupils now make good progress so that in most year groups there is no difference between the rate of progress of disadvantaged pupils and that of other pupils. In fact, in some year groups, the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

progress made by disadvantaged pupils outstrips that of other pupils.  The physical education (PE) and sports premium has made a positive difference to pupils’ health and well- being. It enables a broad range of experiences such as specialist sports coaches as well as additional clubs and training for staff. Almost half the pupils in Key Stage 2 now participate in one of the many after-school clubs. Sports ambassadors and leaders play a very influential role in the school by promoting the benefits of regular exercise. Various school teams also compete against other schools across the city.  British values and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are strong. For example, pupils take part in the democratic election of school councillors. Pupils understand the need to become responsible citizens and relish being provided with opportunities to take on responsibilities, for example as young

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

inspectors. Positive steps are taken to widen pupils’ understanding of different cultures and religions which helps prepare them well for life in modern Britain.  In lessons and around the school, pupils show high levels of respect and get on well together. There are positive relationships between pupils and adults in the school. At break times, pupils of all ages play well together. Activities such as the ‘Triathlete challenge’ provide pupils with the opportunity to participate in a range of energetic sporting activities.  One parent wrote, ‘My daughter loves going to school…and loves her teacher which makes me very happy.’ This was typical of the comments made by many parents and carers when they spoke with inspectors before and after the school day. They are pleased with the improvements in the school and consider their children to be happy and well looked after. The school’s website provides a wealth of useful

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

information for parents and carers.  The school offers a breakfast club which is well led and managed. It is a popular provision appreciated by parents and carers, and enjoyed by pupils. Those pupils who attend receive a meal and the opportunity to take part in a range of fun activities. This provision provides pupils with a positive start to the school day.  Leaders and staff have received good support from the local authority. Links with Welbeck Primary School have been beneficial. The training and support provided by literacy and numeracy consultants brought in by the school has contributed well to raising expectations and improved academic achievement.  The governance of the school There have been significant changes to the governing body in the past six months with the appointment of a new chair and vice-chair. Those governors who spoke with inspectors feel that this has been instrumental in helping the governing body to be more effective. Governors feel more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

involved in the life and work of the school and understand better their responsibilities. They have each been allocated clear roles and they are fulfilling these with great enthusiasm. Governors know the school well and take their roles seriously. They often meet with senior and middle leaders to discuss the actions and improvements in areas for which they are responsible. They are focused on improving the school and play an active part in checking things out for themselves. As a result, they make an important contribution to the school’s drive for improvement. Governors have a good level of understanding about the progress pupils are making and need to make. They recognise the need to continue to focus on improving outcomes for Key Stage 1 pupils and to this end they are confident in challenging the leaders of the school. Governors have a good understanding of performance management procedures and together with the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

headteacher have ensured that staff deployment meets the needs of pupils. As well as holding teachers and leaders to account, they ensure that the management of teachers’ pay is effective. They check to ensure that the pupil premium and PE and sports grants are spent wisely and have the required impact.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Robust systems are in place in all areas of safeguarding and these are well understood by all staff. Regular and appropriate training for staff is undertaken and is up to date. Strong relationships are in place with a wide range of external agencies to ensure that pupils are kept safe and their welfare needs are met.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching and learning has improved since the last inspection and is now typically good because teachers and teaching assistants have much higher expectations of what pupils can achieve. Staff are positive, confident and friendly in lessons; this creates a good environment for learning. Positive relationships and well-planned lessons, supported by good resources, help capture pupils’ interests.  Teachers know their pupils well and use assessment information effectively to identify and plan for pupils’ needs in each lesson and over time. Pupils particularly enjoy those lessons that are interactive. For example, pupils in Year 5 enjoyed the challenge of finding the different facts about the Egyptians that were located around the classroom, and then using this information to sequence the events on a timeline.  Lessons start crisply and set an appropriate learning pace. Pupils respond well, are engaged and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

motivated to learn. In a Year 6 class, for instance, pupils negotiated the time it would take to complete their mathematics challenge with their teacher. Once agreed, they settled quickly and completed their task within the agreed timescale. Pupils are happy to work together and have a positive attitude to learning. Teachers structure lessons well to support learning. Pupils are provided with opportunities to develop ideas and plan how to tackle tasks.  Teachers have good subject knowledge and make regular reference to past learning in lessons. The quality of pupils’ grammar has improved immensely since the last inspection. The content of pupils’ extended writing is interesting, imaginative and thoughtful. Many teachers apply the school’s handwriting policy consistently, but this is not always the case.  Most teachers have high expectations of all groups of pupils and use questions skilfully to challenge pupils

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

and match their learning closely to need. However, in some instances, pupils in some classes in Key Stage 1 are not always sufficiently challenged and the work they are given does not always expect enough of them.  Spelling requires improvement. Although pupils in the Reception classes and in Years 1 and 2 are taught phonics (letters and the sounds they make) well, pupils do not always apply their learning consistently in their written work. Throughout the school, a range of strategies are provided, such as dictionaries, word banks and working walls, but some pupils do not use these as a matter of routine to help them spell correctly.  When pupils are struggling with their learning, leaders, teachers and teaching assistants employ a range of effective learning activities to help them catch up. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to the progress of pupils with whom they work. As a result, pupils, particularly in Key Stage 2, make good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

progress.  Those pupils who have special educational needs or disability are provided with good-quality support. Leaders have established regular pupils’ progress meetings which ensure that need is identified quickly and support is provided promptly. As a result, identified pupils make good progress in lessons and over time.  Teachers manage behaviour well and in a consistent way across the school. Adults have high expectations of all pupils. Rare instances of unsettled behaviour or disengagement are dealt with in a calm and respectful way.  Marking and checking of pupils’ progress inform pupils of their next stages and help teachers know when pupils need extra help. Pupils usually respond to marking promptly which helps reinforce their learning.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils become more confident and self-assured as they move through the school because all adults really go the extra mile to give them every opportunity to succeed. Very effective additional help enables the considerable numbers of pupils from challenging backgrounds or with complex needs to develop personal and learning skills exceptionally well.  Participation in a wide range of extra-curricular activities, often provided through extremely effective use of PE and sports premium funding is a strong feature in pupils’ personal development and opens their eyes to new interests and horizons.  Pupils feel perfectly safe in school. They say there is little poor behaviour, bullying or abuse of any description. The school’s records confirm their positive view. Pupils say that if they have problems they would completely trust the adults in school to help them. A counselling service is provided for a number

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Personal development and welfare

of pupils. This helps them talk about and deal with their issues and proves a safe haven at break times should they need it. Parents and carers spoken with at the beginning and end of the school day feel that that bullying is rare and adults in school deal with unkind and negative language quickly.  Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe because the school makes every effort to ensure that they fully appreciate any potential threats to their welfare, such as the dangers posed by roads, strangers and the internet. Pupils speak with great pride about their achievements. All staff are committed to building strong and constructive relationships with parents and carers. Every effort is made to keep them informed about what their child is learning and how they can contact the school to raise concerns.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  All adults in school work effectively as a team to establish clear expectations and routines from the time that pupils join Nursery and Reception. Consequently, pupils conduct themselves well in class, when moving around the school, socialising in play areas and having lunch. Those pupils with behavioural needs are well supported to ensure that their behaviour does not get in the way of their learning and does not distract others’ learning.  Pupils quickly develop positive attitudes to learning and relate well to teachers and teaching assistants. In classes, there is a calm and orderly atmosphere for learning. From the start, pupils are encouraged to take turns in answering questions in class and working in pairs or groups. Over time, pupils are encouraged to develop resilience and perseverance, and to sustain their concentration to produce extended pieces of work. Very occasionally, pupils become disengaged in class when work is not quite

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Behaviour

matched to their needs, the pace of learning slackens or the teacher is not fully aware of what they are doing. This is the reason why behaviour is not yet outstanding.  Pupils’ attendance has improved significantly over recent years to broadly average levels for primary schools. Persistent absence has fallen as a result of rigorous monitoring and effective contacts with many families. A raft of strategies such as involvement in the Punctuality and Attendance with Schools (PAWS) project, the walking bus and the introduction of the breakfast club have contributed to this improvement. The attendance team work intensively with those families who are persistently absent to ensure that all pupils come to school each and every day.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 By the end of Key Stage 2, substantial improvements have been made in achievement since the previous inspection. In 2015, attainment by the end of Year 6 was close to the national average in reading, writing and mathematics at both the expected and higher levels. More importantly, the rates of progress made from the starting point at the end of Year 2 at the expected and more than expected levels were significantly above the national outcomes. This reflects the strong progress made by pupils over time.  Last year, attainment in Key Stage 1 dipped following a period of sustained improvement. Attainment was significantly below average in reading, writing and mathematics for this cohort. Despite this, the school’s own data and information showed that most pupils made good progress from their starting points.  Typically, pupils enter Nursery with stages of development that are low compared with those found

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Outcomes for pupils are good

usually for their age. They make good progress in the early years but still enter Year 1 with below- average proportions reaching a good stage of development. This is partly because not enough is expected of some most-able and capable pupils.  In 2015, the percentage of pupils reaching the required standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check improved, but was still below average.  The outcomes of the spelling, grammar and punctuation test at the end of Year 6 were average, which is the result of tightly focused teaching throughout the school.  Assessment information for pupils currently in the school shows that most are achieving expected levels and a good proportion are on track to exceed expectations in all year groups. This is supported by evidence in books. Although improvements are evident in Key Stage 1, further work is required to ensure that all pupils are suitably challenged in reading, writing and mathematics to ensure that attainment by

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Outcomes for pupils are good

the end of Year 2 is closer to the national average.  There is little difference between the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils. In fact, in some year groups, disadvantaged pupils outperform other pupils. They make good progress as a result of effective teaching and targeted additional support. Pupils who have special educational needs or disability also make good progress from their different starting points.  Pupils who join the school at different times, or are at the early stages of learning English, are provided with good support which helps them settle quickly in school. Precise interventions, suitable to their needs, are implemented which help them make rapid progress, enabling them to catch up and achieve the levels appropriate for their age.  Where pupils have lower starting points, or are at risk of falling behind, timely and effective support is provided. Regular pupils’ progress meetings enable leaders to discuss with teachers each pupil’s progress.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

Together, they identify and implement suitable programmes of support for those who need additional help.  By the time pupils leave Year 6 to go to secondary school, they have the skills necessary to make a success of the next stage of their education. They read fluently, their comprehension is good and they can write at length for a variety of audiences.

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Early years provision is good

 Children settle quickly into the Nursery class because routines and good relationships are swiftly established. Children, including those who have special educational needs, and those for whom the school receives additional funding, make good progress from their various starting points.  The proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception has risen year on year so that an increasing proportion are ready to start Year 1 as confident learners.  Adults support children well in their learning and their personal development. They look after children well and offer warm encouragement to promote good learning. Children are encouraged to develop their skills of independence from an early stage, and sustain their concentration well. They are able to share and take turns. Children behave well and understand the safety routines, for example washing their hands before eating.

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Early years provision is good

 Children are provided with a wide range of learning opportunities. However, time in adult-led activities is not always used effectively. This results in some children being insufficiently challenged or extended.  Children are motivated by a wide range of classroom resources. These stimulate their interests and allow them to explore their ideas. Independent learning is promoted through a range of self-selected activities but opportunities to write, read or work with numbers during this time does not always challenge the most-able children to think more deeply.  The early years is well led. The leader is clear about the strengths and weaknesses in the provision.  Constructive links between home and school are quickly established; parents and carers are encouraged to share their child’s learning journey. ‘Get set for school’ is an effective induction process which cultivates positive relationships between parents and carers and school staff.

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Early years provision is good

 Assessments are routinely made regarding children’s progress and the leader plans to share emerging findings with parents and carers so that they can provide additional support at home.  The school leaders check rigorously that all possible steps are taken to ensure that the children are safeguarded.

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School details

Unique reference number 122476 Local authority Nottingham City Inspection number 10001806

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 459 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Ann Walker Headteacher Katie Pritchard Telephone number 01159 155737 Website www.crabtreefarmprimary.com Email address headteacher@crabtreefarm.nottingham.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 13–14 November 2013

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is below average but increasing.  The school serves an area of high economic deprivation. The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to looked after children and those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of pupils with special educational needs support is above average. The proportion with a statement of educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below average.  Many pupils join or leave the school at other than the usual starting times.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  A breakfast club operates on the school site. It is managed on a day-to-day basis by school staff and

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 24 lessons, 10 of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher or the Key Stage 1 leader. In addition, the inspectors made some short visits to observe learning at other times.  Discussions were held with pupils, staff, representatives from the local authority and members of the governing body.  Eight parents and carers responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, but there was an insufficient number of responses to show the results. The inspectors took account of the seven responses made online. Inspectors also talked with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day, and at a parents’ group meeting.  The inspectors heard pupils read and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress; planning and monitoring documents; the school development plan; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; and health

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Information about this inspection

and safety documentation.  The inspectors analysed responses to an inspection questionnaire from 37 members of staff.

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Inspection team

Paul Weston, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Caroline Evans Ofsted Inspector Peter Bell Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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