Cramlington Learning Village

Inspection of a good school: Cramlington Learning Village Highburn, Cramlington, Northumberland NE23 6BN

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Outcome

Cramlington Learning Village continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The new co-headteachers have an ambitious vision for the school. They ensure that pupils’ education is underpinned by respect, resilience and responsibility. Leaders are committed to the success of all pupils and pupils work hard to meet these aspirations. Leaders are aware of the challenges that pupils have faced in recent years. Parents and carers praised the supportive approach to remote education. They also appreciated the focus leaders have placed on pupils’ mental health since the COVID-19 pandemic began.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong anti-bullying culture in this school. Staff take this seriously. There are a range of avenues where pupils can report bullying. Pupil ambassadors talk passionately about the importance of this issue. Governors and leaders have close oversight of this aspect of school life. Parents and pupils agree that bullying is dealt with effectively. Pupils feel safe in school and trust adults to support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have ensured that literacy has been a long-standing priority at this school. A key aspect of their vision is creating ‘expert readers’. Pupils have dedicated reading lessons in Years 7 and 8. They are deliberately introduced to a range of non-fiction alongside fiction to broaden their knowledge of the world. Books are central to this school. This is evident from the environment created, particularly the knowledge café, and the views of pupils. There is a wide range of support for pupils who struggle with different aspects of reading. This support is tailored to ensure that pupils catch up quickly.

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

Leaders are ambitious in their curriculum design. They are keen to help pupils make links between subjects and broaden pupils’ understanding of the world. For example, in mathematics, pupils study the Mayan civilisation to learn about the role of mathematics in ancient civilisations. Leaders have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know and remember. They have organised the curriculum so that pupils can build up their knowledge over time. Leaders have prioritised vocabulary so that pupils expand and develop their use of language. Leaders have ensured that a structured approach to 30 and 31 March 2022

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reading underpins all aspects of the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported effectively to access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. Teachers are well trained in understanding pupils’ individual needs and how to best meet them. Leaders ensure that all pupils have access to the same high-quality experiences.

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Teachers use questioning effectively in lessons to ensure that they uncover gaps in pupils’ knowledge quickly. In some subjects, assessment is closely matched to the curriculum and used to inform future teaching. However, in some subjects, the GCSE-style assessments being used in Years 7 to 9 are not tightly aligned with the most important knowledge in the curriculum.

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Pupils are prepared effectively for life in modern Britain. There is a well-planned personal, social, health education (PSHE) curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils receive clear messages around topics such as consent, personal safety and mental health. The curriculum has been planned so that pupils receive these messages in an age-appropriate way. The regular form-time sessions are supported by ‘Well Being days’, with visits from external speakers, including the police and the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. Teachers check how well pupils have understood the PSHE curriculum through online quizzes.

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Leaders ensure that pupils are prepared for their next steps through careers guidance. Leaders focus on raising pupils’ aspirations and pupils learn about skills they will need for employment. The advice pupils receive is relevant to the local area and closely personalised for older pupils. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils receive additional support in making the best choices for their future.

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Governors are closely involved in life of school. They have an accurate picture of the school’s priorities. They are clear about the actions leaders have taken in response to the pandemic, particularly prioritising mental health provision for pupils. Staff feel valued and well supported by leaders. Teachers who are early in their career explain how leaders have enabled them to succeed. Teachers describe the school as a ‘community’ and feel that their opinions are valued. Staff feel that leaders consider their well-being and help them to balance their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have cultivated a vigilant approach to keeping pupils safe across the school. All adults are alert to signs of concern. Staff, including governors, undertake regular training. Leaders have ensured that there is a large team of staff responsible for safeguarding. Reporting systems are clear. Leaders keep detailed and accurate logs of actions taken to keep pupils safe, including around the safe recruitment of adults. The safeguarding team works effectively with external agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are provided with the right support. Leaders are prioritising mental health provision in response to the rising demand in this area, following the impact of the pandemic. 30 and 31 March 2022

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Pupils explain that they have a trusted adult and feel safe in school. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe effectively, especially online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment in Years 7 to 9 is not closely matched with the key knowledge that pupils have been learning. As a result, assessments do not consistently support teachers to check that pupils have learned important component knowledge. Leaders should ensure that assessments at key stage 3 are carefully aligned with the ambitious curriculum and focus on checking the key component knowledge they want pupils to know and remember.

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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 February 2017.

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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. 30 and 31 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211351 Type of school Secondary

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 2033

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form

Co-Headteachers Jonathan Bird and Kim Irving

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form

Date of previous inspection 11 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school uses two alternative providers: Engage Cramlington and Head Start.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with a range of senior and middle leaders. Inspectors also met with representatives from the trust, including the chair and vice-chair of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, history, modern foreign languages and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to 30 and 31 March 2022

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teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at curriculum plan for some other subjects. They also met with staff with responsibility for reading across the school.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, formally and informally, throughout the inspection.  Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding. Inspectors scrutinised the single central record. They also looked at documentation regarding actions that leaders have taken to keep pupils safe.  An inspector met with the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. Inspectors also scrutinised a range of documentation about pupils’ needs.  An inspector visited Engage Cramlington, an alternative provider used by the school.  Inspectors considered the 105 free-text responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation,

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the school’s development plan and minutes of governors’ meetings.

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Inspection team

Katherine Spurr, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Jenner Her Majesty’s Inspector 30 and 31 March 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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