Crowcroft Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Crowcroft Park Primary School Stovell Avenue, Manchester M12 5SY

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 October 2021

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Outcome

Crowcroft Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Crowcroft Park Primary is a nurturing, happy school. Pupils said that the best thing about their school is the kindness and respect shown by everybody. As one pupil explained, ‘We respect our teachers and they respect us.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers know that their children are well cared for by staff. Leaders provide resources and opportunities for parents to help support their children’s learning at home. Parents are particularly appreciative of this.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well and work hard. They strive to meet the high expectations that their teachers have of them. Pupils are proud to receive recognition for their positive behaviour. They talked enthusiastically about the award of behaviour points and the coveted weekly ‘headteacher’s award’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly towards one another. They said that bullying and name-calling are rare. Teachers deal swiftly with any such incidents. Pupils feel listened to. They know that they can talk to their teachers about any worries that they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are pleased that the extra-curricular clubs are starting up again. Leaders ensure that there is a range of options for pupils to choose from. Pupils also talked with enthusiasm about their responsibilities in school. They maturely carry out their role as a member of school parliament, sports leader, or lunchtime buddy.

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

Leaders have put in place a broad and balanced curriculum. They are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Subject leaders are passionate about their curriculum responsibility. In most subjects, they have produced plans that build on pupils’ learning from the early years through to Year 6. 19–20 October 2021

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Some subjects are particularly effective. In these subjects, pupils’ prior learning is built on carefully. As a result, pupils achieve well. For example, in key stage 2, pupils continue to deepen their understanding of the different sources of information that historians use. By Year 6, pupils can explain that some sources of evidence may have been written from a biased viewpoint and are therefore less reliable.

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A small number of subjects are less well developed. The restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic have hindered subject leaders from implementing their curriculum plans. The restrictions have also limited the opportunities for staff training. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in these subjects.

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Leaders understand the importance of reading. Teachers use a wide range of carefully chosen texts to help pupils develop a love of reading. Older pupils can name a range of authors. They told the inspector that they love reading.

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Children enjoy listening to stories and rhymes from the moment they enter early years. This is supporting them to develop their communication and language. Children are taught phonics in a logical order. This helps them build on what they know and remember. Children and older pupils who fall behind in their phonics knowledge are given extra support to help them catch up. However, some staff are not well trained in the school’s approach to teaching phonics. Occasionally, the books that pupils read do not match the sounds that they know. This stops a few pupils from reading fluently and accurately.

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Leaders and staff use a range of checks to quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Staff are knowledgeable about how to adapt teaching so that pupils with SEND can access the same curriculum as everybody else. These actions are helping pupils with SEND to achieve as well as their classmates.

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Pupils display effective learning behaviours. They work hard and with enthusiasm. There is no low-level disruption to interrupt learning. Across the school, pupils are polite and well-mannered. At lunchtimes, they play cricket and basketball, showing respect for their teammates and opponents.

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Pupils learn about topics such as the qualities that make a good friend and the importance of equality. Pupils told the inspector that they feel everybody should have the same opportunities in life.

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Governors have an accurate view of the school. They provide support and challenge to check that the priorities for improvement are met. Staff are appreciative of the regard that leaders have for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that staff receive regular, up-to-date training. Staff are able to identify signs of abuse or neglect. They know how to report any concerns in order to protect pupils who may be at risk. 19–20 October 2021

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Teachers help pupils to stay safe. Staff teach pupils to be alert to the risks in the local area as well as online. Leaders have used outside agencies to provide any additional support for vulnerable pupils and their families, whenever required.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of staff have not received the training that they need to deliver the phonics programme effectively. This leads to variation in how phonics is taught. In addition, some of the books that are used to support younger pupils’ reading are not matched to the sounds that they know. This prevents some pupils from reading accurately and fluently. Leaders should ensure that they provide staff with appropriate training so that there is a common approach to building pupils’ phonics knowledge.  A small number of subject plans are less well implemented. Staff have also not had recent training in the teaching of these subjects. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff are fully trained to deliver the curriculum. They should also check how well the curriculum plans are being delivered and the impact that this is having on pupils’ learning.

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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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 . 19–20 October 2021

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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. 19–20 October 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10204404 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Charlotte Flower

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 and 28 September 2016

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The governing body manages the before-school provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and four members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour at playtimes, lunchtime and during lessons. Pupils also talked to the inspector about their views on their school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, history and mathematics. These involved visiting lessons with subject leaders, discussing curriculum plans, talking to pupils and teachers, and looking at pupils’ work.  The inspector held discussions with the subject leaders for physical education and music. He also observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.

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 The inspector considered the responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and parents’ free-text comments. He also spoke to parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

John Tomlinson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 19–20 October 2021

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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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