Crudwell CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Crudwell Church of England Primary School Crudwell, Malmesbury, Wiltshire SN16 9ER

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Outcome

Crudwell Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pride and respect are the cornerstones of this school. Pupils show an understanding of kindness, responsibility and concern for others in everything they do. Parents and carers feel similarly. They appreciate the school being a focus in the community. They value leaders’ attention to developing their children into well-rounded citizens of the future. One parent commented, ‘The school is absolutely wonderful – if I had a magic wand which could change any aspect of it, that wand would be gathering dust in a drawer, unused!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders maintain high expectations of behaviour. The personal development of pupils reflects this. Any unkindness or bullying behaviour is rare. Pupils say that staff deal with it swiftly. Pupils remember the mantra of the ‘high five’ rules should they have disagreements with each other. Older pupils take responsibility for younger ones in listening to them read and becoming play leaders. Pupils are safe and feel safe. They are comfortable to speak with a responsible adult if needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a range of activities. There are school-, eco- and sports councils. Pupils elect other pupils to join these groups. They apply democracy at school level. Pupils raise funds for a host of charities.

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

The headteacher has correctly focused on ensuring that pupils’ literacy and numeracy curriculums are fit for purpose. He has maintained the strong pastoral ethos, which includes the dedication to Christian principles. As a result, pupils behave well and are ready and eager to learn. Governors provide the right level of challenge to the leadership of the school. They are knowledgeable and committed to making sure that pupils succeed in every aspect of school life.

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

Leaders have planned an ambitious and full curriculum. They keep it under review to ensure that pupils’ knowledge prepares them for the next stage in their education. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure. Leaders support teachers so that they are well 21 September 2022

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prepared to teach all subjects. However, in some subjects, leaders need a closer focus on the key concepts that pupils need to know, and when. Equally, there are occasional times when teachers do not explain the knowledge that pupils need to know clearly enough. When this happens, pupils cannot articulate their learning and do not remember key information over time. This is more common in younger pupils.

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In most cases, teachers provide timely feedback to pupils about their work. They praise success and point out misconceptions. Pupils adapt their work and think carefully about being more specific or they correct errors. When the use of assessment is not as effective, pupils continue to make errors, especially in their writing. Teachers assess pupils’ learning over time in English and mathematics and rectify any gaps in pupils’ understanding. Leaders do not have the same helpful systems in place for subjects in the wider curriculum.

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Reading is a priority at the school. Leaders have embedded a new phonics scheme swiftly and competently. As a result, younger pupils’ fluency in reading is developing. Children in Reception learn phonics from day one and, even at this early stage of the term, are sounding out and writing letters successfully. Staff provide support immediately to those who need to catch up. As a result, weaker readers are making great strides in reading accurately and with feeling. Teachers read stories to pupils throughout the school daily. They choose books wisely so that pupils understand the diversity, equality and richness in literature.

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The new special educational needs coordinator has quickly evaluated which pupils need support and in what ways. She is helping teachers to adapt aspects of the curriculum so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) gain the knowledge they need. For most pupils with SEND, these adaptations are helping them to learn as effectively as other pupils. Some disadvantaged pupils are not gaining as much knowledge yet. Leaders have plans in place to provide ways for them to catch up.

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In Year 6, pupils write letters setting out why they want to become pupil leaders in the school. The pupils’ fondness for their time in school and obligation to make other pupils experience the same shine through in them. Staff go above and beyond in providing an extensive range of development opportunities for pupils. They lead residential visits, theatre trips and outings to historical and geographical sites to broaden pupils’ knowledge and insight into the school curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders check safer recruitment information carefully.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive annual training and regular updates. They know how to identify and report any concerns about pupils who may be vulnerable.

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Safeguarding

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence. 21 September 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In the wider curriculum, the use of assessment does not identify where pupils’ misconceptions lie precisely enough. Therefore, pupils continue to make errors. Leaders should ensure that the use of assessment identifies and remedies gaps in pupils’ understanding in all areas of the curriculum.  At times, teachers’ pedagogical knowledge is not strong enough. Teachers are not explaining concepts effectively so that pupils retain these in their long-term memory. Leaders must support teachers to develop their pedagogical understanding so that pupils retain knowledge over time.

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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 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 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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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. 21 September 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Date of previous inspection

22 and 23 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in September 2019.  The new chair of governors was appointed in September 2022.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Bristol. It had a section 48 Statutory Inspection of Anglican and Methodist Schools in December 2021.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the chair and two governors, the headteacher and the assistant headteacher, and staff and pupils.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a 21 September 2022

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sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors looked at the single central record and discussed case studies of vulnerable pupils with the designated safeguarding lead. They spoke to staff and pupils about the training and education they had received about keeping safe.  Inspectors took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the results of the staff and pupil questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Kathy Maddocks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Berry Ofsted Inspector 21 September 2022

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