Cradley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cradley CofE Primary School Cradley, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 5NG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a graded inspection .

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cradley CofE Primary School is a warm, friendly and welcoming place. Pupils enjoy coming to school and value its strong sense of community. They also enjoy speaking to visitors and are enthusiastic when they talk about their school and the learning that they do. They say that ‘everyone has friends here and all are welcomed in’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto of ‘Enriching Lives’ shines through. It shows in the wide range of opportunities pupils get beyond the classroom. These include a successful (and award- winning) gardening club, musical instrument tuition and exciting visits to places, such as residential activity centres.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and around school. They understand what bullying is and say it is rare. If poor behaviour or bullying happen, then staff deal with it quickly. Staff and pupils told inspectors that behaviour has improved in recent months.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cradley Primary is an inclusive school. Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils and committed to helping them do well. However, variability in expectations across school mean that pupils’ work and achievement have room for improvement.

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

Leaders have designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. They have considered in what order pupils should learn the content of each subject. In some subjects, including geography, leaders have not yet established what pupils need to learn in enough detail. This means that what pupils are taught and remember is sometimes limited or confused.

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

Teachers plan engaging lessons that pupils enjoy. Pupils are enthusiastic in lessons and show positive attitudes to learning. The work they produce varies in quality and is 12 October 2022

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sometimes disorganised. This is because teachers’ expectations are not consistent enough.

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Leaders understand the importance of reading. Pupils enjoy learning to read and staff regularly read aloud to them in class. Most pupils read regularly at home and at school. Phonics is taught every day from early in the Reception Year. Most children quickly learn the sounds that letters make and how to blend these together. Leaders have ensured that the order in which children learn phonics is well planned. However, not all staff have had sufficient training to deliver the programme effectively. There is inconsistency in the ways that adults teach phonics and how they listen to children read. Also, the books that children read do not always match the sounds they know. This means that children who find reading difficult are not becoming confident, fluent readers as quickly as they could be.

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At Cradley Primary, teachers teach mathematics well. Leaders have thought carefully about how to sequence the mathematics curriculum. This ensures that pupils revisit key learning regularly and are secure in the mathematics they know and can apply. Teachers adapt their lessons effectively to ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) progress well. Pupils enjoy their mathematics lessons. They told inspectors that they particularly like the investigations and challenges that their teachers give them.

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Teachers know how well pupils are learning. They assess pupils’ understanding during lessons and by using tests in reading and mathematics. Leaders track how well pupils are doing.

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Cradley Primary is an inclusive and caring school. Teachers, supported by the SEND coordinator, provide well for pupils with SEND. They work effectively with parents to identify when pupils need help and provide it.

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Pupils behave well. They treat one another kindly and see themselves as a community. Older pupils have lots of opportunities to help the younger ones. This contributes to the ‘family feel’ of the school.

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The curriculum extends well beyond the academic. Despite being a small school, pupils get a huge range of opportunities, such as after-school clubs. All pupils in Year 6 have responsibilities such as becoming prayer leaders, play leaders or digital leaders. In all of these roles, they contribute to the life of the school considerably.

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Governors and school leaders have worked hard to refocus school improvement following a period of significant disruption caused by COVID-19 and staff changes. They have actively sought help and guidance. Leaders have made many changes in recent years. However, they have not focused enough on measuring the impact of their work. This means that school development does not have enough strategic direction. Governors and leaders are aware of this. 12 October 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding is a priority for all staff and they know pupils and their families well. Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to fulfil their role in keeping pupils safe. Staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities and know what to do if they have concerns about pupils.

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Safeguarding

Leaders respond to concerns quickly and keep detailed records. They follow up referrals to local services meticulously. When new staff join the school, leaders ensure the appropriate safeguarding checks are made.

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Safeguarding

Pupils, parents and staff all agree that the school is a safe place for pupils.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s approach to teaching phonics is not consistent. The books pupils read do not always match the sounds they know. This means that pupils who find early reading difficult do not make as much progress as they could. Leaders should ensure staff are fully skilled to deliver the phonics programme ,so that all pupils are helped as well as possible to become confident, fluent readers.  In some subjects, leaders have not thought in enough detail about what pupils should be learning and remembering. Because of this, learning is sometimes limited or confused. Leaders should review and develop the curriculum further, so that teachers know exactly what to teach and when to teach it. They should do this to help pupils learn more, remember more and be able to do more.  Leaders, including subject leaders, have made many changes at the school in recent months but have not yet evaluated the impact these changes have had. This means

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

that they do not have a full picture of the strengths and weaknesses in the curriculum. Leaders should strengthen their monitoring and evaluating processes. They should do this to gather information that will help them provide more informed strategic direction to school improvement. 12 October 2022

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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. 12 October 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10205177 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Eryl Copp and Lara Taylor

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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

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school’s most recent section 48 inspection took place in November 2016. Section 48 inspections were suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. They restarted in September 2021. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the head of school, the deputy headteacher, the SEND coordinator, a representative from the local authority, a school improvement partner, parents, staff and some governors.  Deep dives were completed in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, an inspector met with subject leaders, discussed the 12 October 2022

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curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences in school and observed their behaviour around the school. An inspector met with a group of pupils to talk about the wider curriculum and their learning.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements, inspectors spoke to members of staff and pupils to find out about the school’s safeguarding culture. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader to discuss the school’s policies and procedures. During these meetings, records were scrutinised, including those relating to the safer recruitment of staff. Case files were sampled to explore how the school identifies and supports pupils who may be at risk of harm.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Gareth Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Anne Potter Ofsted Inspector 12 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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