Cantley Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cantley Primary School School Lane, Cantley, Norwich, Norfolk NR13 3SA

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Outcome

Cantley Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a happy, calm and orderly place. Pupils enjoy being at school and this is reflected in their high levels of attendance. Pupils love the small school atmosphere. Pupils’ personal development and a focus on friendship, respect, care and compassion are central to the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond well to their teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and learning. Pupils understand and can explain the school’s behaviour system. They told us it is implemented consistently. Bullying is very rare. Pupils told us that they are happy at school. Parents responding to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, all agree.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a supportive and friendly atmosphere in classrooms resulting in a productive working environment. Lunchtimes are supervised well. Pupils play harmoniously outdoors. In the calm dining room, lunch is eaten in a well-mannered way. At the end of the day, inspectors heard pupils talking enthusiastically to parents about what they have been learning during the day.

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

The school is improving. Before the pandemic struck, plans were well advanced to ensure that the curriculum was planned and delivered effectively across all subjects. These plans have been implemented well in English, mathematics and science. All subjects are included in the school’s curriculum.

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

The current leadership has provided new impetus and ambition for the whole curriculum. Exciting plans for September 2021 are ready to proceed and staff are receiving training to help them deliver effective learning across all subjects. The high quality of the curriculum planning, together with the commitment of leaders and training that is currently taking place, gives confidence that from September 2021 the quality of the whole curriculum will have been improved. 10 June 2021 The implementation of curriculum plans in subjects other than English and mathematics is less consistent. At its best, for example in science, leaders have ensured that the curriculum gives pupils a detailed understanding of the subject. The curriculum builds knowledge and understanding from the very start of children’s time in the early years. By contrast, religious education is an example of where, although subject leadership has a

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

clear intent for what pupils should learn, pupils do not remember sufficient knowledge. Checking what pupils know in subjects beyond English, mathematics and science is not regular enough to help teachers make a positive difference to pupils’ learning. Where teachers have been less effective in implementing curriculum plans, leaders have quickly provided challenge, training and guidance. This has improved the quality of education.

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

Teachers regularly read to children and when they do so, it is with enthusiasm. Teachers choose books that are interesting, varied and broaden pupils’ knowledge. Pupils are encouraged to read regularly at home and are rewarded for frequent practice. Children in Reception and key stage 1 enjoy reading and hearing stories. They are skilfully taught to read using phonics knowledge. Pupils in key stage 2 enjoy their class book. It, in turn, is helping pupils with their own writing. The curriculum for writing has also been thought about and planned carefully. Work in pupils’ books shows progression over time, with very high standards of presentation and organisation in the books of the oldest pupils.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well in their learning by teaching assistants. Teaching assistants help pupils with their written work. They help pupils to manage their behaviour and keep on task. Staff know the pupils they support well. Teachers adapt work, if needed, so that pupils can access learning. During the periods of national restriction, leaders ensured that parents of pupils with SEND could get the support they needed. They made sure parents knew how to access and support their child’s learning.

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

Since the previous inspection, there have been several changes in leadership. The local authority has worked with governors to find ways to strengthen leadership and curriculum opportunities, including by becoming part of a wider partnership involving more schools. This partnership helps to provide expert and experienced leadership involving senior staff, for example with a teaching and learning leader. The positive impact is very clear through the stabilised leadership and improving curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The procedures for the recruitment of staff are secure. Staff are all well trained to keep pupils safe. They are clear about what to do if they have concerns about pupils. The processes to seek support from external agencies are appropriate. Pupils told inspectors that they feel safe because there are always a lot of adults around who they know. The school provides parents with regular and helpful information about how to keep children safe online as technology develops. 10 June 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The principles of frequently checking pupils’ knowledge and recapping previous learning are applied well in some subjects, but not all. As a result, pupils’ learning in the foundation subjects is inconsistent across the curriculum. In these subjects, while avoiding cumbersome assessment systems or excessive workload, leaders and teachers need to apply the principles of building and checking pupils’ learning already evident in core subjects.  The curriculum in English, mathematics and science is well organised. In other subjects, curriculum plans have sometimes not been followed effectively enough. Therefore, although pupils learn knowledge about foundation subjects, they do not remember enough about them. The implementation of the improved curriculum plans that are ready for September 2021, adopting the same principles and understanding of how pupils learn as found in the most effective subjects, must be prioritised.

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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 or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good 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 16 June 2011. 10 June 2021

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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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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 here .

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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 June 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Simon Wakeman (Executive Headteacher)

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Date of previous inspection

13 July 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of ‘The Together Federation’, a group of three primary schools in rural Norfolk. The other schools in the federation are Freethorpe Community Primary and Horning Community Primary. The federation works in partnership with The Coastal Federation.  Following a period of interim executive headship, the school now has a substantive executive headteacher and a head of school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began.  Inspectors visited lessons in all classes, observed the teaching of reading, looked at pupils’ work, observed at breaktime and lunchtime, listened to children read, spoke to all teachers and to groups of pupils. 10 June 2021  Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school, the teaching and learning lead for the partnership of schools, the special educational needs coordinator, a representative of the local authority and the chair of the governing body.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English, science and religious education.  Inspectors considered the views of staff from a meeting with a group of staff.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records, including the single central record of recruitment checks on staff.  Inspectors considered the views of 11 parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s

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Inspection team

Adrian Lyons, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Hannah Stoten Her Majesty’s Inspector 10 June 2021 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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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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