Husborne Crawley Lower School

Inspection of Husborne Crawley Lower School School Lane, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire MK43 0UZ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 May 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at Husborne Crawley Lower School. They are part of a close-knit school community, where everyone looks after each other. All pupils have a voice that is listened to. They know that they are valued and cared for by dedicated staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard and try their best. Teachers plan interesting lessons which help pupils build securely on what they have learned before. As a result, pupils relish developing their knowledge and skills. They are well prepared for middle school at the end of Year 4.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils grow into exceptionally mature, confident and respectful young people. They act with kindness and consideration towards each other and build strong relationships across the year groups. Pupils are calm and focused in lessons and behave extremely well around the school. They understand what bullying is but say that it never happens. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of opportunities are provided for pupils. Interesting trips and visitors to the school complement what pupils learn. Older pupils enjoy responsibilities such as being sports leaders and reading buddies. This helps them to develop leadership skills, contributing towards them being well prepared for the next stages of their education.

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better?

Leaders know their pupils well and have ambitious expectations for them. They have developed a broad and well-designed curriculum which has been carefully adapted for the mixed-age classes in the school. In most subjects, leaders have set out the important content they want pupils to know and remember. They have identified how the early years curriculum leads into Year 1. However, leaders recognise that some subjects are not planned with the same precision as others.

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better?

Teachers use their subject expertise to explain new ideas clearly. They check pupils’ understanding carefully. They use a range of strategies to help pupils remember what they are taught. For example, in mathematics, teachers use their observations and checks on learning to carefully adjust their teaching. In a few subjects, however, leaders know that the checks teachers make on what pupils know and remember are not as well developed. This means that teachers are not routinely able to accurately identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge.

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better?

Leaders promote a strong culture of reading across the school. The teaching of phonics is effective in supporting pupils to learn to read. Children in early years quickly learn to blend sounds into words independently. Leaders use simple and effective checks to identify pupils who need extra help.

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better?

Curriculum content, including in early years, helps pupils build a wide, subject- specific vocabulary. Carefully planned activities help pupils develop comprehension 4 and 5 May 2023

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skills and become confident readers. As a result, pupils enjoy their reading. An early start to learning to read, high expectations and frequent repetition ensure that most pupils become fluent readers.

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Leaders ensure pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), get the help they need. Teachers adapt their teaching carefully to meet these pupils’ accurately identified needs. In addition, skilled adults provide effective individual and group support. Consequently, most pupils with SEND access the same learning as their peers and achieve well.

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Leaders have built a strong culture of positive behaviour. As a result, pupils show mature levels of self-control and cooperation. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Younger pupils learn positive social skills and attitudes from older pupils, who are exemplary role models.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development exceptionally well. The curriculum helps pupils become very confident and highly independent learners. Leaders have put in place a well-structured personal, social and health education programme. Pupils learn about life in modern Britain, healthy relationships and how to keep safe online. Leaders use resources and staffing creatively to provide a wide range of additional activities and leadership opportunities which all pupils can access. Teachers encourage pupils to try new things and widen their horizons. This effective work helps pupils to develop their character and independence.

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Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of leaders. They appreciate the school’s strong and close-knit community feel. They value the way all staff help pupils develop confidence and maturity.

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Staff enjoy working at the school and feel very well supported. Governors have a strong understanding of their strategic role. Leaders and governors know the areas of the curriculum that need further work. They are committed to maintaining the high standards and nurturing ethos of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils’ safety and welfare are a priority for everyone. Staff receive regular training. They are vigilant and report safeguarding concerns promptly, however slight.

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Safeguarding

Records show that leaders take prompt and effective action when issues are raised. They work tirelessly to help the most vulnerable pupils and their families get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe online and when outside school. Pupils know they can talk to adults if they have any worries. 4 and 5 May 2023

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Leaders carry out appropriate employment checks on adults. Governors have a secure knowledge of their safeguarding responsibilities.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A small number of subjects have not been planned to the same high standard as the rest of the curriculum. In these subjects, the important knowledge that pupils need to learn is not as sharply identified. As a result, the depth of pupils’ understanding is not to the same standard as in the rest of the curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that, in all subjects, they precisely identify the important knowledge pupils need to know so pupils achieve equally well in all areas of the curriculum.  Assessment systems for a small number of subjects are not as well developed as the rest of the curriculum. This means that teachers are not routinely able to accurately identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Leaders should ensure that effective assessment is in place, drawing on the effective practice already in place for subjects such as mathematics.

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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. 4 and 5 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268573 Type of school Lower

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Husborne Crawley Lower School is much smaller than the average school catering for pupils aged four to nine. Pupils complete key stage 2 in middle schools.  The school provides a breakfast club.  An after-school club is run by an external provider.  Leaders do not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders. 4 and 5 May 2023

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 The lead inspector met with four members of the governing body. A further meeting was held with the school improvement adviser from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to a number of pupils read to a familiar adult. Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects, particularly history and computing.  To inspect safeguarding, the lead inspector scrutinised safeguarding policies, the school’s safeguarding policy, the single central record of background checks on adults at the school, and a sample of child protection records. Inspectors also spoke with governors, leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding practices at

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the school.  Inspectors reviewed a range of other documentation including attendance records, school policies, leaders’ evaluations and development plans and records concerning pupils with SEND.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons, and spoke with groups of pupils to understand what it is like to be a pupil in this school.  Inspectors met with members of staff to discuss the school’s work and considered responses to the confidential Ofsted staff survey.  The inspection team considered the views of parents, including 26 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and 20 free-text comments submitted during the inspection. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

John Constable, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Daniel Short His Majesty’s Inspector 4 and 5 May 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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