Crawley Ridge Infant School

Inspection of Crawley Ridge Infant School Crawley Ridge, Camberley, Surrey GU15 2AJ

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 January 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Crawley Ridge Infant School as an academy school under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection of the predecessor school. 24 and 25 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school motto of ‘Ready, Respectful, Safe’ is valued by all and underpins daily life. New leaders have reinvigorated the school by raising standards across the curriculum, improving behaviour and opening the new nursery provision. Pupils told inspectors that they love coming to school. They say it is easy to make friends here. Pupils proudly explain their learning and how staff and pupils here are kind and look out for each other. Parents recognise the many improvements. As one parent joked, ‘The only thing my daughter doesn’t like about this school is not being able to come in at half term!’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know each child as an individual, nurturing warm and trusting relationships so that they feel safe and secure. There is hardly any inappropriate behaviour or unkindness here. Pupils know how to be good friends to others and show genuine empathy and respect. They trust staff to resolve any worries they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers promote reading skills well and foster a love of learning across a wide range of subjects. Pupils learn to work cooperatively and develop a broad range of knowledge and skills. Similarly, they benefit from an interesting selection of extra- curricular opportunities and participation in local community events.

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better?

Highly effective working relationships between the trust, the new leadership team and staff are underpinning improvements across the school. A combination of factors, including disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, illness and staffing changes, resulted in a significant dip in pupils’ achievement. However, new leaders have wasted no time in turning things around; current standards are much higher.

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better?

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Staff work collaboratively across the trust and with other schools to boost their subject knowledge. Much-improved planning identifies the key concepts and skills pupils need to know and how these build upon their prior learning. This work has already improved pupils’ knowledge and skills. Teachers have embraced new approaches to improve learning for disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, some of these developments are in their infancy. Consequently, in some subjects, such as art and design technology, planning needs further improvement. Elsewhere, in subjects such as mathematics and science, refinements are needed to teaching to ensure that all pupils learn as well as they could.

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better?

Children attending the school’s brand-new nursery make a very strong start to their education. The early years curriculum is well planned and sequenced. In Nursery and Reception classes, adults expertly ask probing questions to promote curiosity and engagement. In Nursery in particular, the children benefit from a learning 24 and 25 January 2023

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environment that offers a rich range of activities. These activities promote children’s physical, social and emotional development well. Similarly, high-quality activities promote mathematics and communication and language skills very effectively.

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Reading is given top priority across the school. Staff have been trained well to teach phonics and assess pupils’ reading. Leaders have invested in a wide range of books which staff carefully match to pupils’ phonic knowledge. Pupils who need additional help to learn to read, receive bespoke support. Teachers and pupils clearly share a love of reading. They delight in recalling their favourite stories and characters. Over time, pupils are supported well to become fluent readers and develop a rich vocabulary. This gives them the confidence to describe and explain their ideas well.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development very well. Staff care deeply about pupils’ well-being. Pupils are supported to broaden their interests through a range of sporting and other extra-curricular clubs. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum is thoughtfully planned and supplemented well through assemblies, charity fundraising and community events.

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Pupils’ behaviour is a strength of the school. Leaders are working hard with families to improve attendance. Pupils socialise well and play happily at breaktimes. They move around the school sensibly and are polite. Pupils really value the school’s rules, rewards and routines, and so any disruption is rare. They show respect for each other and different members of their community. Pupils develop self-confidence as learners, which equips them well for future learning and success.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

The school motto actively promotes all aspects of safety. Pupils feel safe here and learn how to keep themselves safe online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure staff are well informed through regular training and briefings about safeguarding. There is a culture of vigilance at Crawley Ridge and adults are alert to any signs that a pupil may be at risk. Very well-organised systems are in place to record and share any concerns that staff may have about pupils. Safeguarding leaders work proactively with external agencies when necessary to ensure pupils and families have access to any help they may need. 24 and 25 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Many of the improvements to the curriculum are new. Staff do not always adapt their teaching to meet the needs of all pupils effectively. Leaders need to ensure that all staff receive further training so they can support all pupils to achieve well.  Teachers’ planning in some subjects, such as art and design technology, is not yet as well sequenced as it could be. This means that learning in key stage 1 does not always build on the experiences and knowledge pupils have gained in early years. Leaders should continue with their plans to refine the curriculum in these subjects so that the essential knowledge and skills develop in a more coherent sequence over time.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 24 and 25 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10242297 Type of school Infant

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Crawley Ridge Infant School converted to become an academy school in April 2018. When the predecessor school, with the same name, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged as outstanding.  The school is one of five schools that are part of The Alliance Multi-Academy Trust.  There have been changes to leadership and staffing recently. The headteacher joined the school in September 2021 and the assistant headteacher joined in September 2022.  The school has expanded and opened new Nursery provision in January 2023. There are currently 16 two-, three- and four-year-old children attending.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision. 24 and 25 January 2023

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Deep dives were conducted in early reading, mathematics and PSHE. As part of these, inspectors met with subject leaders, reviewed curriculum plans, visited lessons and talked to pupils about their work.  Inspectors considered leaders’ curriculum planning and provision in science, and art and design technology.  Inspectors met with school leaders, staff, representatives of the local academy board of governors and the chief executive and trustees of the trust. Meetings were held with the headteacher, the assistant headteacher, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and other members of teaching and support staff.  Inspectors scrutinised documents, including those relating to behaviour,

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Information about this inspection

attendance, governance and leaders’ evaluation of the school, and priorities for improvement.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils to discuss their views about many different aspects of their school and to talk about their work. Inspectors also held informal conversations with pupils at break and lunchtime.  The views of pupils, parents and staff represented in meetings and the responses to Ofsted surveys were considered.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and practices and met with safeguarding leaders to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. Records of safeguarding incidents were scrutinised and discussed. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s records of the recruitment checks made on adults working in the school.

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Inspection team

Matthew Newberry, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sam French Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 January 2023

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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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