St Crispin's Community Primary Infant School

Inspection of a good school: St Crispin’s Community Primary Infant School St Crispin’s Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent CT8 8EB

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Outcome

St Crispin’s Community Primary Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

St Crispin’s is a caring school with happy pupils. The headteacher and her dedicated staff make sure that pupils settle well into school life. They want the best for all pupils. Pupils feel safe, behave well and enjoy playing together. They are confident that there is no bullying and that adults will help if they fall out with each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers help pupils learn across a broad range of subjects. They plan local trips, helping pupils feel connected to the community of Westgate-On-Sea. A wide range of after-school activities for pupils inspire them to learn even more. As a result, pupils talk with excitement about school and are keen to attend.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy story time. Teachers use this time to teach new and interesting words. Pupils like to read. That said, not everyone learns to read quite as well and as quickly as they could. Leaders know this and are making sure that pupils who have fallen behind in reading are now catching up.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are happy. Adults help them to enjoy the rich variety of lessons offered by the school. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND are thankful for the support given to their children.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children in the early years settle quickly into their new class. Teachers waste no time before teaching them their first lessons in phonics (letters and the sounds they make). From here, children build their skills in reading throughout their first year in school. Reception teachers introduce children to a rich diet of stories. They read to children, or tell them stories, and encourage them to act these out for themselves. As a result, children build a love of story in their first year in school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

As pupils move into key stage 1, most develop their phonics and reading skills well. Teachers read daily to their pupils from a range of books to broaden their vocabulary and 10–11 September 2019

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sustain a love of reading. In the past, pupils that have fallen behind with their reading have not always caught up again as quickly as they could. This is because teachers do not always choose the right books to help children to practise their reading skills in school and at home. School leaders and governors know this and are tackling it. They are now working hard to make sure that pupils who have fallen behind in reading and phonics catch up quickly.

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Pupils with SEND are supported well in phonics and reading, both in class and during group work. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with teachers to make sure that pupils with SEND get the right support to become confident readers.

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Teachers develop pupils’ knowledge and skills well across a broad range of subjects. Pupils enjoy their learning in, for example, art, drama and history. They are attentive and well behaved in lessons, doing what is asked of them and helping each other. Leaders know that the curriculum is stronger in some subjects than others. They are working to make sure that the curriculum and teaching build strongly on what pupils already know and can do in all subjects. It is clear from what has been achieved already, and is ongoing, that leaders are well on the way to bringing this about.

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Pupils develop into well-rounded individuals. In the early years, teachers help children think about how they fit into their own family history and to start to understand the historical events in their lives. By Year 2, teachers help pupils to think about the similarities and differences between living today and living in the past. Good use is made of the local area to help pupils appreciate their place in the local community of Westgate- on-Sea and people who help, such as the police and fire service. Pupils enjoy going to the wide range of after-school clubs. They dance enthusiastically during dance club. Pupils told me about the exciting sculptures they make during pottery club.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders and staff work hard to make sure that everything is in place to keep pupils safe. Leaders and governors make sure that there are careful checks on all adults working with pupils. Staff quickly raise any worries about pupils with the school’s designated safeguarding lead. Pupils learn how to stay safe online. The school website guides parents to helpful information about keeping children safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most pupils learn to read well enough to be successful in key stage 2. However, pupils’ reading books have not always matched their phonics capabilities well enough. This means that, in the past, some pupils have fallen behind and not caught up again. The school should continue with the work started to make sure that pupils’ reading books 10–11 September 2019

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match the sequence of phonics learning well. This is to make sure that pupils either keep up or catch up quickly.  Leaders provide pupils with a rich range of learning across a broad range of subjects. However, teachers do not build on pupils’ prior learning equally well in all subjects. Leaders should ensure that teachers build systematically on what pupils already know so that, over time, they remember more across the curriculum.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 25 May 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 10–11 September 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111268 Type of school Infant

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 January 2016

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Information about this school

 The school has three forms of entry and admits pupils to the Reception classes from the age of four.  Most pupils are from a White British background. The proportion receiving SEND support is below the national average for primary schools.

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Information about this inspection

 I met with senior leaders, including the headteacher, deputy headteacher (who is also the SENCo) and governors. I met with subject leaders, year group leaders and the family liaison officer.  I spoke with parents and considered 33 responses to Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire, including 25 free-text responses. I met with administrative and non- teaching staff and considered 12 responses to the Ofsted staff survey.  As well as speaking with leaders and staff about safeguarding, I reviewed the single central record and safeguarding records.  During the inspection, I visited all classes, with extended visits to four lessons with school leaders. I reviewed pupils’ work, spoke with teachers about the lessons visited 10–11 September 2019

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and spoke with pupils in lessons and in groups. I focused particularly on reading, art, drama and history.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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