Grayrigg CofE School

Inspection of Grayrigg CofE School Grayrigg, Kendal, Cumbria LA8 9BU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 11–12 February 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils celebrate the differences that exist between them, because leaders and staff value the uniqueness of every pupil. The vision for what all pupils can achieve in their work and wider interests is limitless. Pupils say that the school motto of ‘start small, think big’ inspires them to work hard and do the best that they can.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are passionate about their learning in a wide range of subjects. They value the opportunity to learn outdoors in the forest school area. Younger pupils learn through daily challenges. Older pupils are experts in digital learning. They are adept at recording their work online. Pupils are keen to have a go at the challenges that teachers set for them. They celebrate the ‘wobbles’ in their learning. Pupils know that making mistakes provides opportunities to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupil’s behave well, both in classrooms and during playtimes. The school is a calm and orderly place. Pupils show great respect for one another and the adults who work with them. Their mature attitudes to all aspects of school life reflect the high expectations that staff have of them. Pupils we spoke to told us that they feel safe in school. Bullying happens rarely. If it does, adults sort it out quickly.

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better?

Leaders are aspirational for all pupils. In all subjects, apart from music, they have created a curriculum that deepens pupils’ knowledge and skills. Curriculum plans set out clearly what pupils need to learn and the order they need to learn it in. Visits and visitors enrich the curriculum. For example, younger pupils spent the day with a zookeeper. In the classroom, they used this experience to deepen their knowledge of carnivores, herbivores and omnivores.

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better?

Key stage 1 pupils work on their weekly curriculum challenges. Teachers plan these challenge activities as part of a sequence of learning. Pupils work independently to tackle their challenges. Sometimes, pupils’ enthusiasm means that they do not pay enough attention to the quality of their work. As a result, handwriting and presentation of work are not as good as they could be.

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better?

As soon as children join the nursery, they learn to listen to the sounds that make up words. Children gain confidence in recognising the sounds that letters make. They have great fun learning their letter sounds. Staff are well trained to teach the phonics programme. If children fall behind, staff give effective support to enable them to catch up. Teachers match reading books to the sounds that children know. In 2019, nearly all pupils achieved the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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better?

Leaders prioritise developing pupils’ love of reading. Pupils are avid readers. They read widely and enjoy the work of many authors. Pupils practise their comprehension skills daily. 11–12 February 2020

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In reading, writing, mathematics and computing, teachers keep a careful check on what pupils know and remember. Teachers use this information to plan future learning. In these subjects, pupils develop their knowledge and skills systematically. As a result, nearly all pupils attain the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2. In other subjects, teachers are not as rigorous in checking what pupils know and remember to enable them to plan effectively for pupils’ future learning.

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Children settle quickly into the early years. Children learn through well-planned play and more formal work with the teacher. Children are highly motivated and eager to join in. For example, children absorbed themselves in counting and ordering numbers to 20. Outside in the forest area, they collected natural materials to build animal shelters. Across the curriculum, pupils can sustain their concentration for long periods of time.

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The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified swiftly. Appropriate and skilful support ensures that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as other pupils. As a result, pupils with SEND learn well.

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Leaders give a high priority to the personal development of all pupils. Pupils learn about responsibility by being a member of the ‘mini police’ and ‘ethos crew’. They plan and deliver collective worship. All pupils perform in a local dance festival. Many parents and carers who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, commented on how these experiences impact positively on their children’s resilience and self-confidence.

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Pupils are knowledgeable about world religions such as Islam. They understand how tolerance and respect for difference enables everyone to get along. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors understand the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They keep a close watch on how the curriculum is developing. The staff that we spoke to are proud to work at this school. They know that the headteacher cares about their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

Leaders keep an accurate record of checks made on adults who work and volunteer at the school. They ensure that staff have regular, up-to-date safeguarding training. Staff are vigilant. They care deeply about the well-being of their pupils. The headteacher is tenacious in following up her concerns with external agencies.

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Safeguarding

From the earliest days in school, pupils learn about risk. In the forest school area, Reception-age children learn how to use knives safely. Older pupils presented to parents and governors about the ‘Prevent’ duty and the dangers associated with county lines. Pupils have a thorough understanding of risk and how to keep themselves safe. 11–12 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In subjects other than music, leaders have set out the knowledge that pupils need to learn and the order that they need to learn it in. The music curriculum is not planned sequentially. Consequently, pupils do not always know and remember as much as they should. Leaders should ensure that the music curriculum is planned as well as all other subjects.  In some foundation subjects, leaders have not ensured that careful checks are made on what pupils know and remember. As a result, teachers do not always build new learning on previous learning. Leaders should ensure that teachers draw more effectively on information about what pupils know and remember in foundation subjects to plan next steps in their learning.  Leaders have introduced many opportunities for pupils to work independently through their daily challenges. Sometimes, pupils’ enthusiasm means that they do not pay enough attention to their handwriting and presentation. Leaders should

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that teachers raise expectations of pupils’ handwriting and presentation in their independent work.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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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. 11–12 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10087908 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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governing body

Date of previous inspection 28–29 April 2015

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Information about this school

 The number of pupils on roll has increased significantly since the time of the last inspection, when there were 23 pupils on roll.  The school has governor-run nursery provision for up to nine pupils, set up under section 27 of the Education Act 2002.  A new chair of the governing body was appointed in September 2018.  A new classroom was built in 2019 to accommodate the growing numbers of pupils.  The last section 48 inspection was on 13 October 2016.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 During the inspection, we met with the headteacher, curriculum lead for mathematics and other members of staff including the school bursar.  We spoke with a group of governors including the chair of the governing body. 11–12 February 2020

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 We spoke with a representative of the local authority and a representative of the Diocese of Carlisle.  We looked at a range of documentation relating to safeguarding including the single central record. We met with the headteacher, who is responsible for safeguarding, to discuss how the school keeps its pupils safe.  We did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, science and PE. We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked to them about their experiences of school.  We spoke to members of the ‘mini police’ and the ‘ethos crew’ to seek their views about the school.  The views of six members of staff who responded to the online survey were considered.  We spoke to one parent at the start of the school day. The views of 41 parents who responded to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, were considered.

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Inspection team

Garry White, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Keith Wright Ofsted Inspector 11–12 February 2020

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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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