Crowle Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Crowle Primary Academy Manor Road, Crowle, Lincolnshire DN17 4ET

p.1

Outcome

Crowle Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They are delighted with the new outdoor gym equipment that arrived in September. Pupils wait politely to use this equipment. They enjoy their turn and then get off to let someone else have a go.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

The many play activities on offer help pupils to behave well at breaktimes. There is hardly any bullying. If this does happen, adults solve the problem. A handful of parents do not agree. However, most parents are very pleased indeed. This comment from one parent is typical of the overwhelming majority, ‘My child loves schools and is thriving. She is settled, happy and safe.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons. They are interested and eager to learn. Behaviour hardly ever disrupts learning. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works with the few individual pupils who need extra help to control their emotions. They work together to find ways that help these pupils stay calm in lessons.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, for example mathematics, curriculum plans start right from the Reception Year. However, some subject leaders are still refining their curriculum plans. They are determined that pupils will get off to a flying start in all subjects.

p.1

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

Parents are very grateful for ‘the massive and, at times, heroic efforts’ staff made when schools were closed during the COVID-19 pandemic. The proportion of pupils who engaged in remote learning increased with each lockdown.

p.1

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

Teachers carefully checked what pupils could remember when they came back to school. Leaders have changed these assessments. As a result, teachers’ workload is more manageable. Teachers really appreciate leaders’ actions. The whole staff team is united in their high ambition for pupils. Morale is high. 6 and 7 October 2021

p.1

2

Subject leaders noticed some gaps in pupils’ learning. They have adapted the curriculum plans to help pupils catch up. For example, the Year 3 teacher reminded pupils of some of the things they had learned, when they were in Year 2, about comparing data. This helped pupils achieve new learning about statistics in Year 3.

p.2

2

Pupils almost always behave well in lessons. Teachers make the lessons interesting and fun. This helps to keep pupils’ attention. Leaders use specialist provisions well to support those pupils identified with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers provide extra help for pupils with SEND to help them keep up. Teachers adapt work to help all pupils succeed. Teaching assistants support pupils with SEND in lessons. Pupils persevere. One pupil said, ‘We keep on trying and use resilience.’

p.2

2

Children in the early years also persevere with their learning. They concentrate and try their best. Adults join in when children are playing. They plan activities that encourage conversation. Staff speak to children gently and patiently. This helps children build strong bonds with adults.

p.2

2

Some subject leaders do not know the ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’ as well as the national curriculum. They do not understand the standard children should reach at the end of the Reception Year. As a result, they lack confidence in helping to plan the curriculum for children in the Reception Year. They do not check how well children in the Reception Year are learning across the curriculum. Early years specialists from the multi-academy trust are training staff to help them develop this subject knowledge.

p.2

2

Leaders realised that they needed to improve the way that pupils are taught to read. Leaders introduced a new phonics programme last year. They have bought the resources that staff need to teach phonics well. This includes new reading books. Pupils can read the new reading books. This means they are learning to read with greater fluency and confidence.

p.2

2

There is an effective curriculum for pupils’ personal development. The new head boy and head girl enjoy their responsibilities. The school council and the pupil parliament help pupils learn about democracy. Pupils have lots of ideas about improving their school. For example, they are about to start a campaign to reduce the use of single-use plastic in the school.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders understand how to identify, help and manage safeguarding concerns. All staff are well trained.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all the necessary recruitment checks are made when staff are appointed. Trustees understand their responsibilities as employers. Leaders refer appropriately to other professionals if safeguarding allegations are made against staff. 6 and 7 October 2021

p.2

3

Leaders, including governors, have an up-to-date understanding of issues relating to sexual harassment and abuse. Leaders check that pupils feel safe. Leaders are making some changes to the premises following concerns that some pupils raised about feeling safe in school.

p.3

3

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when they are working online.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The quality of curriculum plans is variable. Curriculum plans do not consistently identify the substantive knowledge that children should learn in the Reception Year. Some curriculum plans have not been updated to match the revised ‘Statutory framework for the early years foundation stage’. Pupils are not prepared well enough for the curriculum in Year 1. Leaders should ensure that all subject leaders understand the early learning goals in the prime area that links to their subject. Curriculum plans should set out the knowledge children need to learn to reach the expected standard.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

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

p.3

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

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 . 6 and 7 October 2021

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 6 and 7 October 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10201476 Type of school Primary

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 14 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 This school is part of The Rose Learning Trust.  This headteacher was appointed in September 2016.  Leaders sometimes refer pupils to a locality based, key stage 1, behaviour provision.

p.5

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 her evaluation.  The inspector met the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the SENCo and the early years leader. The reading, mathematics and geography leaders also met the inspector.  The chair of the local governing body met the inspector. Another governor attended this meeting remotely. The inspector also met the chief executive and deputy chief executive of the multi-academy trust. 6 and 7 October 2021

p.5

6

 A telephone interview was held with the teacher in charge of a behaviour provision used by the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading and phonics, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Senior safeguarding leaders and the school business manager met the inspector to discuss recruitment and safeguarding records.  The inspector reviewed the 16 Parent View responses, 12 staff’s and 20 pupils’ responses to our surveys. The inspector also spoke to 22 parents during the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Tracey Ralph, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 6 and 7 October 2021

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7