Crick Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Crick Primary School Main Road, Crick, Northampton, Northamptonshire NN6 7TU

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Outcome

Crick Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at their friendly school. They enjoy celebrating their own, and each other’s, achievements. They respect their helpful teachers. They proudly explain, ‘equality is important here’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to read a variety of books. They use their arithmetic well, and relish challenges in mathematics. They feel confident that they can successfully improve their writing. Pupils are interested in what they learn. For example, older pupils understand about the formation of volcanoes. Younger pupils locate continents and oceans on maps and globes. Pupils enjoy learning outside as part of forest school sessions.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm and pupils are focused on doing their best. Pupils understand the importance of setting a good example. They take pride in being elected to the school council. They are keen to earn house points and ‘values badges’. They appreciate opportunities such as residential visits. Pupils enjoy being active on the playground gym and completing the daily mile. Pupils say bullying rarely happens. They trust adults to help them resolve issues fairly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers say that their children feel happy and safe here. Opportunities to promote pupils’ emotional and physical well-being are well considered. Pupils say that leaders consider their views.

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

Leaders ensure that pupils follow a broad and relevant curriculum. They have identified the most important knowledge and skills they want pupils to know across all subjects. Leaders complement classroom learning with other opportunities. These include visits to museums and talks from experts to enhance pupils’ learning. New curriculum leaders are enthusiastic about their subjects. However, they do not yet have the necessary knowledge and skills to lead development in their subjects. 2 and 3 February 2022

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Teachers ensure that pupils learn, and revisit, important knowledge across all subjects. In geography, for example, pupils revisit what they know about the location of different countries. Teachers regularly check what pupils remember and understand. This enables teachers to plan next steps in pupils’ learning and identify any extra support that pupils may need. In some subjects, including geography, teachers do not routinely show pupils how to use what they already know when they are studying more-complex ideas.

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Leaders make sure that reading is a top priority. They make sure that phonics is taught well from the start of Reception. Pupils are given books that match their reading abilities. They make a strong start to being readers. Leaders ensure teachers build systematically on the strong start that pupils make. They carefully select books, including poetry, stories, non- fiction and books that are linked to topics. They make sure pupils understand the complex language in the books that they read.

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Older pupils read with fluency and confidence. Pupils who are falling behind receive the right support so that they can catch up. Staff promote a love of reading and of books. Teachers read to pupils every day to nurture a love of reading and to extend pupils’ vocabulary.

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Leaders ensure that the mathematics curriculum is well considered. Teachers have good subject knowledge. They enable pupils to build their knowledge of mathematics step by step. They explain new learning clearly. They check that pupils understand. Pupils regularly practise their arithmetic. This helps them to complete calculations quickly and accurately. Pupils use this knowledge daily to solve increasingly complex problems. Pupils enjoy mathematics because they feel successful.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have access to the same curriculum as other pupils. Teachers adapt their teaching to ensure that these pupils can keep up. Teachers quickly spot when pupils need more support. Leaders make sure that they identify, and put in place, the precise help pupils need.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ mental and physical well-being. Pupils celebrate being resilient and achieving their goals. They know the importance of sharing any worries. They understand the importance of being respectful, including of different beliefs. Year 6 pupils are helped to prepare for secondary school.

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Children quickly settle into the Reception class. Relationships are very positive between children and adults. Children confidently take part in routines. Teachers make sure all activities are interesting and build up children’s important learning. Leaders provide effective training, so that all adults give children skilful support. Children learn, and practise, lots of new vocabulary. Leaders think about how learning in Reception connects with learning that pupils will encounter in the future. Children have a strong basis to build on.

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Staff say that they enjoy their work. They feel valued and supported. They appreciate the quality training that they receive. Staff share leaders’ and governors’ vision of high standards for every child. 2 and 3 February 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is given the highest priority. All staff receive regular training. They share the slightest concern about pupils’ welfare with leaders quickly. Leaders record welfare concerns diligently. They work well with other agencies. They are tenacious in securing the right support for pupils who need it. Leaders ensure pre-employment recruitment checks are thorough.

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Safeguarding

Pupils say that they trust adults in school to listen and help with any worries. Pupils learn about respecting personal space. In addition, older pupils learn about respectful relationships and consent. Pupils are taught to be alert to the risks and benefits of the online world.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, including geography, pupils do not achieve as highly as they could. Teachers do not routinely enable pupils to apply what they know to the study of more- complex ideas, so that they know and can do more. Leaders should make sure that pupils receive opportunities to apply what they already know to explore more-complex ideas, so that pupils can understand and do more, allowing them to achieve consistently well in all subjects.  Curriculum leaders for foundation subjects are new to post and do not yet have the expertise to lead their subjects. This limits their ability to bring about improvements in their subjects, including through leading on curriculum development. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the necessary knowledge and skills to lead their subject areas successfully and improve the curriculum.

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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 November 2011. 2 and 3 February 2022

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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.

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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. 2 and 3 February 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211629 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 13 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has had an acting headteacher and deputy headteacher since May 2020.  The early years leader was new to post in September 2020 and the special educational needs coordinator was new to post in May 2020.  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 the school leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the acting headteacher, acting deputy headteacher, and other leaders.  The inspector met with the chair of governors and three other governors. A meeting was held where the inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector considered a range of documents, including school policies. 2 and 3 February 2022

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and geography. This included meeting with subject leaders, visiting lessons and speaking with teachers. The inspector listened to pupils reading to adults, considered curriculum plans and scrutinised samples of pupils’ work. The inspector looked at curriculum plans and spoke to leaders about other subjects, including writing, history and science.  The inspector met with groups of pupils. The inspector visited the playground at lunchtime.  The single central record was scrutinised as part of the inspection of safeguarding. The inspector met with safeguarding leaders, spoke with a range of staff and pupils, and considered safeguarding records.  The inspector spoke with parents at the start of the school day. Also, consideration was given to the 60 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the 60 responses to the free-text facility. The inspector also took into account 23 responses to

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Ofsted’s staff survey and 108 responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Mandy Wilding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 February 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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