Cringleford CE VA Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Cringleford CE VA Primary School Dragonfly Lane, Cringleford, Norwich, Norfolk NR4 7JR

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Inspection dates: 16 and 17 November 2022

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of outstanding 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?

Pupils love to learn at this school. At all points in the day, they are ready to focus and complete their work. This is true of the youngest children in Reception, who listen and fully engage in lessons. There are high expectations for how pupils behave and the standards they can achieve. Clear routines and a strong, shared ethos of respect mean that every space in school is purposeful and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe. They know that caring adults are there to support and protect them. Incidents of poor behaviour such as bullying are highly unusual. Despite this, pupils have no doubt that adults will immediately address any concerns they have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about important values and strive to put these into practice. Pupils know how to practise being resilient, resourceful, and collaborative. They say these qualities help with their learning. This means that if they make mistakes in their work, they bounce back and try again. Pupils say that being creative means having new ideas that often take you ‘out of your comfort zone’. Pupils care about making sure everyone is included. They describe thoughtfully how the needs of others are considered through their actions.

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

Leaders across the school have a shared vision for achieving the very best they can for the pupils. This includes promoting the highest standards of conduct and care. To achieve this, leaders have designed a curriculum that has ambition at its core. In most subjects, the knowledge and skills that leaders want pupils to learn and remember are set out from the moment Reception children start school. This grows in progressive steps, term by term, and prepares pupils well for their studies at secondary school. 16 and 17 November 2022

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Teachers methodically check what pupils know. They also skilfully adapt lessons to provide extra practice where needed to help pupils feel confident. As a result, in most subjects, pupils’ knowledge is strong and they can apply it with ease. There are a few areas of the curriculum, including in the early years, where pupils have less secure knowledge. This is because leaders’ plans are not clear enough about the specific content that will help with pupils’ next stage of learning.

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All staff play an important role in helping pupils to succeed with reading. Staff teach carefully planned phonics knowledge to support a strong foundation for early reading. Teachers quickly spot if pupils need extra practice to achieve their potential. Adults then provide regular and tailored support that addresses pupils’ individual needs. Pupils build confidence and fluency as they practise reading books that are accurately matched to their ability.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well to access learning in lessons. Adults have compassion for the full range of pupils’ needs. Staff are trained to understand how to adapt learning effectively and provide support. Individual plans for pupils with SEND have been recently transformed. These provide more specific details about how these pupils can be supported to access the curriculum. This is already having an impact and helping those with additional barriers to achieve well alongside their peers.

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Children in the early years quickly develop effective attitudes to learning. Adults are caring and understand the children well. This helps children settle and get absorbed in activities. Leaders have made some recent improvements to learning routines. This is raising expectations for all areas of learning, including early maths. It is also preparing children well for Year 1.

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Everyone celebrates the ethnicities, cultures and languages of the school community. This means everyone feels welcomed and valued. Pupils see uniqueness as a strength. They respect the different faiths they learn about in lessons and through assemblies. Pupils have a chance to take on responsible roles, including being a young interpreter or school councillor. They say these opportunities reinforce important principles, such as trust and respect. Pupils engage in their lessons with high levels of focus, so learning is rarely affected by any type of disruption.

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Leaders at all levels are reflective and reinforce high expectations for what can be achieved. This includes tailored coaching support that builds teachers’ subject expertise. Governors are skilled and knowledgeable. They connect what they are told with what they check through impactful visits. They are astute and hold leaders to account for the important developments in school. Leaders at all levels are considerate of the well-being of staff and the impact of curriculum developments on their workload.

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Staff and parents agree that this is a community they are proud to be a part of. Parents praise the individual care and attention their children receive from the valued members of staff. 16 and 17 November 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders managing safeguarding are diligent and highly skilled. They manage the safe recruitment of staff robustly and have a strong understanding of the potential risks pupils might face.

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Safeguarding

High-quality safeguarding training is provided for all staff. There are well-established routines for recording and sharing concerns about pupils. Leaders keep detailed and accurate records and are proactive in seeking support for those that need it, including from external agencies.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn important knowledge to keep themselves safe and to form healthy personal attitudes. This includes an age-appropriate understanding of respect for their own bodies and the concept of consent.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of foundation subjects and some areas of the early years, plans do not specify clearly enough the knowledge pupils should learn. Leaders should ensure that important knowledge is explicit, well sequenced and taught in all curriculum plans from the early years to key stage 2. This is to provide pupils with the broad and secure knowledge across the full curriculum that they need for the next stages of their education.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 outstanding 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 16 and 17 November 2022

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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. 16 and 17 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 and 8 February 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, there has been a change in leadership. The current headteacher started in September 2021 and is supported by a new team of senior leaders.  The school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Norwich. As a school designated as having a religious character, it was subject to a separate section 48 inspection in March 2017 and was judged to be outstanding. The next section 48 inspection is due to take place within eight years of the previous inspection.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, other leaders and the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator to discuss leadership of the school, including the provision for pupils with SEND. 16 and 17 November 2022

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 The inspector met with six members of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in three subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum documentation, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with the designated safeguarding leads, office staff and other staff across the school to discuss arrangements for safeguarding.  The inspector scrutinised a range of documentation during the inspection, including curriculum plans, school development plans, safeguarding and behaviour records.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences of school life and their learning in lessons to understand what it is like to be a pupil in their school. The

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behaviour of pupils was observed across the school site.  The inspector considered responses to the online Ofsted Parent View survey and 105 free-text comments. The inspector also considered 48 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Kristian Hewitt, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 16 and 17 November 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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