Crowle CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Crowle CofE First School School Lane, Crowle, Worcester, Worcestershire WR7 4AT

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Outcome

Crowle CofE First School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love school. The family atmosphere here means that staff know all the pupils very well. The school’s vision is that pupils are supported to become caring, confident and committed to learning. This underpins everything staff do. As a result, pupils thrive and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Behaviour across the school is very good. Pupils have a sense of responsibility, not only for their own behaviour, but for the behaviour in their class and the whole school as well. Bullying is very rare. If it did happen, pupils know that adults would sort it out quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils build confidence and resilience from the day they start school. They know that they can learn from their mistakes. Pupils are encouraged to set goals and keep trying until they achieve them. Visits from inspiring speakers, such as Paralympic athletes, help to strengthen this message.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy interesting activities beyond the classroom. Pupils sing in church or take part in writing, sporting or spelling competitions. Older pupils act as playground buddies or run assemblies for the whole school. Trips to places of worship help to broaden pupils’ horizons.

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

The headteacher and other staff have ambitious aims for all pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils respond well to this challenge. In English and mathematics, the curriculum is well planned. Teachers make sure that learning builds carefully day by day. Pupils have regular opportunities to revise and practise what they know. In mathematics, pupils practise their arithmetic every day. In English, pupils have weekly spelling tests. Teachers correct pupils’ misunderstandings quickly. They identify those pupils at risk of falling behind and provide additional support. They also provide ‘chilli challenges’ when pupils need to be stretched further. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities 23 October 2019

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(SEND) are well supported with their work. The majority of pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1, compared with other pupils nationally.

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Pupils love reading. Most pupils read fluently and confidently by the time they leave the school at the end of Year 4. Leaders have purchased high-quality books for each classroom and refreshed the library. Pupils share book reviews online and each class has a list of recommended reads. The proportion of pupils passing the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 improved this year. Teachers identify pupils at risk of falling behind in reading and help them to catch up quickly. Leaders shared examples of previously reluctant readers becoming confident, fluent, enthusiastic readers. One pupil proudly said, ‘My teacher says I’m a bookworm’.

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The curriculum is well planned in English, mathematics, history and geography. This is because leaders have reviewed the curriculum for these subjects. This has gone well so far. In history, pupils talk enthusiastically about what they have learned. They enjoy making connections between history and their learning in other subjects, such as geography or English. They use sophisticated words to describe why events were important, just one example of the impact of the carefully planned curriculum. It also reflects leaders’ focus on improving pupils’ use of more sophisticated vocabulary. Assessment sheets set out what teachers expect pupils to know by the end of each history topic. However, in other subjects, pupils do not have such a clear understanding of what they will be learning. This is because the curriculum is not yet so well planned in other subjects. Leaders have plans in place to review other curriculum areas over the

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Pupils have many opportunities to develop their personal qualities. Many pupils take on positions of responsibility. For example, Year 2 pupils mentor new Year 1 pupils. Staff show great care for pupils. Relaxation classes help pupils when they need some extra support for their well-being.

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Leaders and governors carefully consider teachers’ workload. The feedback and marking policy has been revised to help with staff workload. Governors know the school well. They regularly meet with leaders and talk to teachers and pupils. They support and challenge leaders effectively. The multi-academy trust (MAT) invests in staff development through leadership programmes and subject networks. The school’s strong practice in the early years and SEND is shared across the MAT.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The headteacher has ensured that effective systems and procedures are in place for staff to raise their concerns about pupils’ well-being and safety. This helps leaders build a picture of incidents over time and no child is left at risk. Leaders work closely with external agencies to support pupils and their families when they need extra help. Staff are vigilant. They know children can be at risk anywhere, and at any time. Governors and leaders from the MAT support leaders well with safeguarding. 23 October 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ plans to review the curriculum are well under way. T he school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year’s curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in the process of bringing this about. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans set out clearly the knowledge and skills pupils will be learning in each subject.

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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 first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Crowle CofE First School, to be good on 14 October 2014.

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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. 23 October 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10122540 Type of school First

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School details

School category Academy converter Voluntary controlled

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Crowle Church of England First School converted to become an academy on 1 March 2017 and is part of the Diocese of Worcester MAT.  When its predecessor school was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school is a Church of England faith school.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 Before the inspection, the lead inspector reviewed the information on the school’s website and spoke to the headteacher on the telephone about the school’s curriculum.  Inspectors met with subject leaders for English, mathematics and history and carried out joint lesson visits and looked at pupils’ books. Meetings were held with teachers and pupils to discuss teaching and learning. 23 October 2019

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 The lead inspector listened to readers from Reception to Year 4.  Inspectors took account of the 30 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s questionnaire for parents and carers; 24 free-text comments were also considered. Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day.  Five responses to the staff survey were considered. Inspectors also spoke to staff about their professional development and the support from leaders.  There were fewer than five responses to the pupil questionnaire. Inspectors spoke to pupils in lessons and at breaktime and lunchtime about their experiences at school.  The lead inspector checked the school’s employment records and met with the designated senior leader for safeguarding.  A meeting was held with the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo).  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice chair of the local governing board, along with three other governors.

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 A meeting was held with the head of education of the Diocese of Worcester MAT and the director of education of the Diocese of Worcester.  We did deep dives into reading, mathematics and history. We held discussions with leaders, visited lessons, held meetings with staff, looked at examples of pupils’ work and had discussions with pupils.

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Inspection team

Jane Spilsbury, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Spoor Ofsted Inspector 23 October 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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