Caldecote Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Caldecote Primary School Highfields Road, Highfields Caldecote, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB23 7NX

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Outcome

Caldecote Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils really enjoy attending Caldecote Primary. They are interested in what they learn about. Leaders have high expectations of their behaviour and learning. Consequently, pupils work hard and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils across the school play together at playtimes. They talk very excitedly about the games they play on the field, building forts and playhouses, and trading natural materials such as conkers. The older pupils are ‘buddies’ for the youngest, and help those younger children to feel confident to join in playtime games. They say things such as, ‘There are lots of smiles,’ and, ‘We’re a Caldecote family.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

There has been lots of movement of pupils into the school in recent years. Pupils are clear that everyone is made welcome. Pupils enjoy sharing their work with their parents and carers at ‘Welcome Wednesdays’, which are very well attended.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils know that adults will help them when they are upset or worried.

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

Leaders and teachers have worked together, and have created a clear, sequenced curriculum. Teachers use this to ensure that pupils’ learning progresses year on year in every subject. In a few subjects, it could be clearer how learning should build on what has come before in smaller steps in each year. Overall, pupils learn well across the range of subjects taught. They leave well prepared for secondary school.

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

Staff teach phonics and reading consistently well. Children are introduced to reading and stories from the time they join early years. They begin Year 1 well placed to continue developing their reading knowledge. Pupils are enthusiastic when they read a new book and enjoy sharing it in a group with an adult. Older pupils get extra help with their reading if they are at risk of falling behind. This helps them to keep up. There is a wide range of books, well matched to pupils’ reading knowledge, for pupils to choose from. As 4 and 5 October 2022

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a result, most pupils quickly become confident, fluent readers. Pupils develop their knowledge of vocabulary across the curriculum because of this precise teaching. Their writing develops to a good standard over time. They use what they have learned to write for a variety of purposes and audiences.

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Teachers ably put into place training they have had, explaining ideas clearly. They make effective use of resources to support pupils’ learning, particularly in mathematics. Teachers explain ideas clearly. They help pupils to understand new and more complex knowledge well in most subjects.

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Teachers check on pupils’ understanding during lessons and after lessons. Pupils get additional support to help them catch up if they have not understood something. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are given adapted activities as needed to enable them to participate in the same learning as their peers. This means that they make steady progress against their personal targets.

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Leaders have prioritised pupils’ wider development. Every year group has a set of non- academic experiences, from ‘5 by 5’ in Reception through to ‘11 by 11’ in Year 6. These activities range from climbing a tree and baking bread, to representing the school in sporting or other events. Pupils are proud of the many responsibilities for which they can apply. These include roles as news correspondents, travel ambassadors and school council members, to name but a few. Pupils learn about the culture and language of others from around the world. They know that there are communities that are very different from their own. Pupils learn to respect the views and beliefs of others.

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There is very little disruption from poor behaviour. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and take part in discussions. Pupils are highly motivated to gain house points, and certificates that link to the school’s key values.

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Leaders know the school well. The governing body is rebuilding its knowledge and ability to challenge school leaders since the initial challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic. Staff feel well supported, including early career teachers.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained. They know what risks pupils may face and how to spot them. Leaders act on concerns appropriately. They make sure that pupils and their families receive the help and support they need promptly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about keeping themselves safe. They know how to avoid risks when using the internet or playing online games.

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Safeguarding

Governors regularly check on the effectiveness of safeguarding. The required pre- employment checks are made on adults who work in the school and these are recorded accurately. 4 and 5 October 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the progression of skills, concepts and vocabulary in the year is less clearly mapped than in others. Leaders rely on teachers’ expertise to know exactly what to teach and when. This does not support some teachers to teach some subject knowledge in an order that helps pupils to build on what they already know and to make connections with previous learning. Leaders need to further develop the detail of what pupils should learn and when in their curriculum planning in all subjects.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011.

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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. 4 and 5 October 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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Chair of governing body

Kate Duncombe and Pippa Smith (Co- chairs)

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Headteacher

Karen Stanton and Rebecca Snelling (Co- headteachers) Website www.caldecoteprimaryschool.org.uk

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Date of previous inspection

13 September 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the headteacher has moved to part-time working. There are now two co-headteachers who share the role.  The school operates its own breakfast, after-school and holiday clubs.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the co-headteachers, other senior leaders and members of staff. She met with the co-chairs and the vice-chair of the governing body.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each of these, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at plans for some other curriculum subjects. 4 and 5 October 2022

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 To inspect safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised the single central record and a wide range of safeguarding files. She spoke to leaders, including the designated safeguarding leads, and to staff, pupils and parents.  The inspector considered the 34 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. She took the 109 responses to the pupil survey, and the 21 responses to the staff survey, into account.

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Inspection team

Tessa Holledge, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 October 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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