Cranford Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cranford Primary School Berkeley Avenue, Cranford, Hounslow TW4 6LB

p.1

Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2022

p.1

Outcome

Cranford Primary School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a caring school where everyone receives a warm welcome. Pupils enjoy coming to school. Pupils are proud of their school. They are safe here. Staff take great interest in their well-being.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders set high expectations. Teachers share leaders’ ambitions for pupils to do well now and in the future. Relationships between all staff and pupils are based on mutual respect and trust. Parents and carers appreciate how well staff care for their children.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is sensible. Pupils work calmly and are attentive during lessons. Pupils support each other in their learning, share resources and learn well together. Adults deal with any concerns quickly, including any bullying. Pupils know who the trusted adults are that they can go to if they have a concern. As a result, pupils feel safe across the school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders listen to what pupils say and take their views seriously. For instance, leaders have introduced popular lunchtime sports provision in which all pupils can take part as a result of suggestions from pupils.

p.1

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

Leaders have designed a curriculum that is ambitious and engaging for all pupils. They consider carefully how to make adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders plan the curriculum in a logical order. This helps pupils to recall their earlier learning and to build on this with new knowledge. For instance, in history pupils were able to refer to and compare different roles in society between Stone Age and Egyptian eras. Pupils have a strong understanding of subject-specific vocabulary. For example, pupils in Year 4 spoke confidently about concepts such as ‘chronology’ and ‘hierarchy’ when discussing their work. Across all year groups there is a focus on developing pupils’ oracy skills. This supports all pupils, including those with SEND, to explain their thinking. Children in the early years develop their speaking and listening well. The curriculum supports them to build on what they know and can do.

p.1

2

Teachers regularly check how well pupils are learning. They get pupils to think carefully about what they have learned before. This helps pupils to recall and remember their prior learning in different subjects. For instance, pupils revisit previous topics to build on prior knowledge in mathematics. This means pupils tackle multi-step problems with confidence. However, leaders’ curriculum thinking in a few subjects does not ensure pupils deepen their subject-specific knowledge and understanding over time. For example, in science, leaders have not ensured that pupils understand key concepts as well as they could when planning investigations. This leads to misconceptions in pupils’ understanding.

p.2

2

Leaders place a strong focus on children learning to read from the very start of school. They are ambitious for all pupils to build fluency and confidence in reading. Staff are well trained and confident in their knowledge and delivery of phonics. They check that pupils know their sounds and remember them. Staff make sure that pupils’ reading books match the sounds that they are learning.

p.2

2

Pupils have positive attitudes towards others and are encouraged to be tolerant. They are taught about different cultures, beliefs and types of family. Pupils appreciate how differences are celebrated at the school. Pupils are taught about life in modern Britain through the personal, social and health education curriculum. The positive behaviour across the school enables pupils to focus on their learning, uninterrupted.

p.2

2

Leaders ensure that pupils with SEND are very well supported. This follows careful identification of their assessment and needs. Leaders work with professionals to ensure that pupils receive any extra support they need.

p.2

2

Staff feel supported by senior leaders. They appreciate the steps made to improve their work– life balance. This has made a positive difference. Staff value being members of the school. They consider they are part of a family. Teachers are eager to develop their subject knowledge further.

p.2

2

Those responsible for governance are very involved in monitoring the school. They have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. The governing body works well with leaders to provide support and challenge, for example to improve the school’s curriculum further.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.2

Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders make sure that all staff know how to raise any concerns they may have identified. Training and leaders’ consistent expectations ensure that help is provided quickly. Leaders are persistent in working with external agencies to ensure that families receive timely support.

p.2

Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe at school. They are taught about risks, including how to stay safe online and outside school through easy-to-follow rules. They said that they find this really helpful. 14 and 15 September 2022

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking does not ensure that pupils develop subject-specific knowledge and skills deeply over time. As a result, pupils do not build their knowledge of key concepts equally well across all subjects. Leaders should ensure that curriculum thinking and high-quality training for staff ensure that pupils gain deep, cumulative knowledge in all subjects.

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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2013.

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

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

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. 14 and 15 September 2022

p.3

School details

Inspection number 10240289 Type of school Primary

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.4

School details

Date of previous inspection 6 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.4

Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.  Since the previous inspection there have been many changes to the senior leadership team. The current acting headteacher was appointed in September 2022.

p.4

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 leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with all senior leaders, several teaching staff and support staff, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority. Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 14 and 15 September 2022

p.4

5

 Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  Inspectors looked at the effectiveness of the school’s work on safeguarding by reviewing the record of pre-employment checks for staff, speaking to staff, members of the governing body and pupils, and meeting with the school’s safeguarding team.  Inspectors took account of the views of pupils, parents and staff, as gathered through discussions and Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.5

Inspection team

Janice Howkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.5

Inspection team

Amy Jackson Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2022

p.5

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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.6

6

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

p.6

6

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

p.6