Cashes Green Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cashes Green Primary School Hillcrest Road, Cashes Green, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL5 4NL

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Outcome

Cashes Green Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this ambitious school. Cashes Green Primary is a welcoming, inclusive school where everyone is cherished. Pupils love coming to school and benefit from warm relationships with staff. Pupils are eager to learn new things every day alongside their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders believe deeply in their vision that ‘care and support helps everyone succeed’. Pupils who may struggle are treated with understanding and as an individual. Leaders are determined that all pupils leave as resilient learners who develop a love of learning for life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils do not worry about bullying. They are reassured that staff will help them sort out any issues if they occur. Pastoral support and mental health support are strengths of the school. As a result, pupils feel safe and secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are keen for pupils to learn about life beyond their own community. They are mindful of cost not being a barrier to participation. Parents appreciate the broad range of enriching activities, such as visiting the seaside or the Houses of Parliament. Pupils benefit from experiences and clubs linked to their learning and interests. These events also support pupils’ spiritual and cultural development well.

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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. In subjects such as mathematics, they have identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn and in which order. Teachers’ strong subject knowledge means they routinely plan activities to deepen understanding. Overall, pupils achieve well. However, in some foundation subjects, leaders have not precisely identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to remember and use fluently. Leaders have plans in place to address this. 7 and 8 February 2023

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Leaders have a robust system in place to quickly identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is carefully constructed to ensure that these pupils enjoy the same opportunities to learn alongside their classmates. Staff skilfully adapt learning and provide appropriate support and resources.

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The school’s programme to teach reading is well established and effective. Reading has a high priority because leaders recognise it is the key to accessing the wider curriculum. Leaders train and support staff well to teach phonics. Pupils learn the sounds they need to help them read. They practise these sounds using decodable books that are carefully matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils develop confidence and fluency. Staff accurately identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind and give them the extra help needed to keep up.

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Behaviour around the school is calm and purposeful. The high expectations are modelled by all adults and understood by pupils. Staff nurture warm relationships, which support pupils to settle quickly and feel they belong. Pupils are taught to understand their own emotions and feelings. This also helps create a culture of taking responsibility and showing respect for all. Pupils across the school have positive attitudes, benefit from meaningful lessons and remain focused on their learning.

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The personal development of pupils is a strength. Consequently, pupils are kind, resilient and thoughtful. Those from disadvantaged backgrounds are very well supported. Expectations of their success and involvement in school life are equally high. A well- considered and enriched personal social and health education programme is in place. Pupils learn about relationships, diversity and difference in age-appropriate ways. Parents are unanimously positive about the school. Dedicated leaders broaden pupils’ horizons and raise aspirations for their future. This includes developing pupils individually as well as academically. Echoing the sentiments of many, one parent said, ‘It’s a great, caring and inclusive school.’

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Staff benefit from high-quality training and ongoing coaching. Subject leaders are knowledgeable about their curriculum areas. Senior leaders are pioneers for the school and the community it serves. For example, the extensive early help programme the school offers its most vulnerable pupils helps leaders to make a positive difference quickly.

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Governors provide the support and challenge that leaders need to achieve their ambitious goals. Governors know the school’s strengths and weaknesses precisely. They keep a watchful eye on staff welfare. Staff appreciate that they are listened to and that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being. Staff feel valued, empowered and proud to work at the school. Senior leaders’ ambition for every pupil is profound and is making a difference.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong safeguarding culture. Pupil’s well-being, welfare and safety are a top priority. All staff are well trained in safeguarding matters. They know pupils and 7 and 8 February 2023

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their families extremely well, which helps them identify when pupils may be at risk of harm. Staff know the clear procedures to follow if they have a concern, including recording information. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that the necessary action is taken, including involving external agencies when appropriate. Governors assure themselves of all aspects of the school’s safeguarding work and that it is effective. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, leaders have not yet precisely selected the knowledge they want pupils to know and use. This means that teachers do not always know the most important things to teach and check. Leaders should refine the curriculum so that the content and sequencing of the essential knowledge is clear and coherent 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 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. 7 and 8 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10256749 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.cashesgreen-pri.gloucs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 and 28 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides wraparound care through a breakfast club.  There are more pupils with EHC plans for their SEND than in the average primary school.  The school currently uses one registered 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 continuing impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs coordinator.  The inspector met with three governors, including the chair of governors. He also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and art and design. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons and looking at pupils’ work. It also involved talking with leaders, teachers and pupils about how teaching builds 7 and 8 February 2023

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pupils’ knowledge over time. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a known adult.  The inspector checked a wide range of safeguarding documentation, including the single central record. He also reviewed the school’s records for child protection and assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding throughout the inspection.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, school development plan and relevant school policies.  The inspector took account of parents’ responses to the Parent View questionnaire, along with their written comments. He also talked with parents on the afternoon of the first day of the inspection.  The inspector gathered pupils’ views about their learning, what behaviour is like at the school and whether they felt safe. The inspector also talked to pupils about their views on personal development and the wider school curriculum.

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 The inspector met with a range of staff to gather their views on how leaders support them and took account of their responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 February 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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