Cale Green Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cale Green Primary School Shaw Road South, Shaw Heath, Stockport SK3 8JG

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 January 2022

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Outcome

Cale Green Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in this school which sits at the heart of a close-knit, multicultural community. Pupils are kind, friendly and considerate towards each other. They feel safe because they are well looked after by a staff team that have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and achievement. Pupils do their best each day to live up to the high standards that staff set for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years quickly learn school routines and develop good learning behaviours. Pupils enjoy school. They work hard in lessons and behave well at playtimes. When asked about bullying, pupils were adamant that it does not happen at their school. They said that if a problem with this sort of behaviour did arise then a member of staff would soon intervene and resolve matters.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is rarely a dull moment at Cale Green. Pupils have great fun at playtimes making use of climbing frames and the sporting equipment that is provided for them. They learn to play a range of musical instruments including the glockenspiel and the guitar. A wide range of after-school clubs provide opportunities for pupils to participate in sporting and artistic activities. Pupils also benefit from many educational trips and visits that support their learning and enhance the school’s curriculum.

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

Leaders have developed a well-sequenced curriculum that supports pupils’ learning well across all subjects. They have given careful thought to the way subjects are structured and taught. Staff work collaboratively to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), develop into successful learners.

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

Leaders have placed reading at the centre of the school’s curriculum. There is a strong focus on developing enthusiasm for reading from children’s very first days in the early years. Children are introduced to a wide range of books and stories. The songs that they 25 and 26 January 2022

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learn and the games that they play help to develop their communication skills. They also learn about numbers and develop their understanding of the world around them.

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As pupils begin to read independently, staff ensure that their reading books closely match the phonics they are learning. Effective phonics teaching ensures that pupils develop the knowledge they need to read with fluency and precision. Staff provide regular and effective support for those pupils who struggle to read. This helps to ensure that they keep up with their classmates. Pupils read regularly in school and at home. Older pupils read challenging texts fluently. Those who met with the inspector had a broad knowledge of different authors and genres.

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Teachers know what to teach and the order in which the curriculum needs to be taught. In most subjects, teachers make regular checks on pupils’ work to see how well they are developing their knowledge and understanding. For example, teachers carefully review pupils’ work in mathematics. They use this information to address pupils’ misconceptions and inform teaching. However, in some subjects, teachers do not assess pupils’ work carefully enough. Pupils’ errors and misconceptions often go unchecked. This prevents pupils from building new knowledge securely on their prior learning.

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Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are identified quickly so that appropriate support can be put in place. Leaders make sure that these pupils get the help that they need. Wherever possible, pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers and participate fully in all aspects of school life.

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Leaders, teachers and support staff work extremely well together. They are all proud to be part of the school community. Several members of staff told the inspector that teamwork is the driving force behind the school’s success. They also said that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Following the disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, pupils are once again being provided with opportunities to develop their talents and interests outside of the school day. The school’s cross-country running teams are competing again, and the school choir has reformed. Older pupils are also beginning to take on additional responsibilities across the school, for example by acting as digital leaders and sports ambassadors.

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Governors know the school extremely well. They are committed to helping the school provide the best possible education for its pupils. Governors are kept well informed about school life. They understand their responsibilities and provide both support and challenge to school leaders.

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There is a strong bond between parents, carers and staff at this school. Many parents who provided written responses to Ofsted Parent View made reference to the school’s nurturing ethos. They feel that the way staff promote the school’s values each day helps their children to develop into well-rounded individuals.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 25 and 26 January 2022

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Staff receive regular training on safeguarding matters. They know how to respond to any concerns they might have about a pupil’s well-being. Leaders work effectively with outside agencies, where necessary, to support pupils’ safety and well-being. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe while working online or when playing out in the community.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some classes, teachers do not use assessment well enough to check that pupils fully understand what they have been taught. This prevents pupils, including those with SEND, from building their knowledge securely on what they already know. Leaders should ensure that all teachers use assessment effectively to address misconceptions and support pupils’ next steps in 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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2012.

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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 .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school. 25 and 26 January 2022

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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. 25 and 26 January 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sue Dunkley and Khalid Irshad

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School details

Website www.calegreen.stockport.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 26 January 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative 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 leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  During this inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team, including the leader for SEND.  The inspector held meetings with teachers and subject leaders. He spoke with pupils about their learning and their experience of school.  The inspector met with five governors, including the co-chairs of the governing body.  The inspector scrutinised safeguarding documentation.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. As part of this process, he met with subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke with pupils and 25 and 26 January 2022

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looked at examples of pupils’ work. He also listened to some pupils reading and looked at pupils’ work in other subjects.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. He also looked at the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 25 and 26 January 2022

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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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