Cravenwood Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Cravenwood Primary Academy Cravenwood Road, Crumpsall, Manchester, Greater Manchester M8 5AE

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Outcome

Cravenwood Primary Academy continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school where everyone matters. Staff and pupils greet each other with a warm welcome and a friendly smile each day. Pupils bask in the support and guidance that staff provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made sure that pupils know how to express their feelings in a mature and sensible way. Leaders deal with any incidents of unkind words or behaviour, including bullying, promptly and effectively. This helps pupils, including those new to the school, settle in well and feel safe and happy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a culture where pupils know it is important to work hard and to behave well. Pupils proudly rise to leaders’ high expectations of them. Their behaviour and attitudes embody the school’s motto, ‘bringing out the best in everyone’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils help to make the school the best it can be. They appreciate the opportunities that they have to be active citizens and to contribute to their local community. Pupils spoke animatedly about representing their school as part of a project where they worked together to support a local food bank.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers who shared their views with the inspector were overwhelmingly positive about the school. They feel very much part of the Cravenwood family.

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

Leaders have taken their unique context into account when designing their engaging, relevant and ambitious curriculum. They grasp every opportunity to enhance their curriculum offer so that pupils can learn more about the world in which they live.

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

Leaders have thought deeply about when they introduce pupils to new knowledge so that pupils experience a well-connected learning journey from the beginning of the early years to the end of Year 6. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Staff teach most subjects with confidence. This is because leaders have equipped them with the subject-specific knowledge that they need. They explain new learning clearly to pupils.

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Staff use assessment information effectively to find out how well pupils have remembered earlier work and to shape future learning. They make regular checks to make sure that pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), remember key learning. Pupils develop detailed knowledge in most subjects. That said, in a small number of subjects pupils struggle to connect new learning with earlier concepts.

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Leaders have made sure that learning to read is at the front and centre of the school’s curriculum. As soon as children start school, staff in the early years share books with them and champion a love of reading. Children enjoy listening to and joining in with rhymes and songs.

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Staff deliver the reading programme consistently well. They introduce new sounds to pupils in small steps. This helps pupils to build on their phonics knowledge day by day. Any early readers or those learning English as an additional language receive effective support. This means that they read books using the sounds that they are learning in class with growing fluency and confidence.

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Older pupils have very positive attitudes to reading. They read well, with good expression and understanding. Across the school, leaders have created cosy and inviting reading areas. Pupils enjoy spending time in the school’s well-stocked and attractive library.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with SEND access the same high-quality curriculum. They make certain that pupils’ needs are accurately identified and quickly met. In most subjects, staff make suitable adaptations to the delivery of the curriculum so that pupils with SEND learn happily alongside their peers.

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During lessons and at breaktimes, pupils behave well. One pupil summed up the views of many when they said, ‘We behave well because we just know this is the right thing to do.’ Staff provide pupils who sometimes struggle to manage their behaviour with the tools that they need to help them regulate their emotions more easily. Pupils regularly nominate each other to be part of the wish well group, where pupils send positive messages to different members of the class.

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Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They gain a secure understanding about healthy relationships in an age-appropriate way. Pupils spoke proudly about playing the steel pans and learning the glockenspiel. Pupils enjoy visiting Blackpool Zoo and Skipton Castle. They also enjoy attending sporting events, as well as taking part in different clubs and visits.

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Trustees, governors and leaders work well together. They have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. Staff feel proud to be part of such a tightly knit team. The vast majority feel that leaders value them and are considerate of their workload. 13 and 14 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have forged strong relationships with the school community. This helps pupils and their families to feel comfortable about approaching staff if they have a problem or worry.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular updates and training so that they can quickly spot and take prompt action to safeguard any pupils who may be at risk of harm or abuse. Leaders work very effectively with a wide range of external partners so that pupils and families quickly get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about different aspects of safety, including using the internet appropriately. They know it is important to have a healthy lifestyle and to avoid harmful substances.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, some pupils struggle to make deeper connections between earlier knowledge and new learning. This is because the refinements to these curriculums are relatively new. Leaders should ensure that the changes to these curriculums are well embedded so that pupils develop detailed knowledge across the curriculum.

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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 March 2017. 13 and 14 March 2023

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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. 13 and 14 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10226155 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21 and 22 March 2017, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not currently make use of alternative provision for pupils.  Leaders provide a breakfast club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection that the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with leaders, discussed curriculums, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning, and reviewed samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed pupils from Year 1 to Year 3 reading to a familiar adult.  The inspector also considered other subjects on the school’s curriculum. She talked to the leaders who lead these subjects. The inspector also spoke to pupils about their learning in these subjects and looked at their books.  The inspector held discussions with the principal, other leaders and staff. 13 and 14 March 2023

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 The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with the regional director.  The inspector spoke with different groups of pupils to gather their views of the school, including discussions about their behaviour and learning. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. She spoke to several parents at the start of the school day. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff and Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector met with those responsible for safeguarding at the school. She scrutinised a range of documentation in relation to safeguarding. The inspector also spoke with governors, staff, parents and pupils about safeguarding.  The inspector considered a range of documentation provided by school leaders and

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staff. This included the school development plan, minutes of governing body meetings, headteacher reports and the leaders’ self-evaluation document.

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 March 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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