Crazies Hill Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Crazies Hill Church of England Primary School Crazies Hill, Reading, Berkshire RG10 8LY

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Inspection dates: 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Overall effectiveness Good

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

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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

The headteacher of this school is Jo Shell. This school is part of The Keys Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Hester Wooller, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Horrocks. There is also an executive headteacher, Luke Henderson, who is responsible for this school and one other. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly proud of their welcoming school. They feel happy and safe as members of the school’s family. The values of respect, relationships and resilience are firmly embedded in the school’s culture. They are highly evident in all interactions and learning opportunities. Pupils enjoy earning their ‘gems’ for each value and the subsequent celebration. Parents talk about these values in their universal praise for the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations set for pupils’ behaviour, and they consistently live up to them. Pupils are extremely polite and considerate to staff and each other. In lessons, pupils are curious and excited learners who contribute well. They achieve highly and are well prepared for their next educational steps.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers an impressive range of extra-curricular activities. These are designed to widen pupils’ experiences and nurture their talents. The timings of these are also well thought through, with before-school, lunchtime and after-school opportunities. They currently include fencing, sewing, archery and yoga. Pupils also benefit from a wealth of trust-wide musical and sporting events. There is a sense of shared joy when pupils sing together in assemblies or as part of the school’s choir. Pupils take pleasure in performing to an audience at the Berkshire Maestros Music Festivals.

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better?

The school has high ambition for all pupils. In every subject, there is an exciting learning journey, which spans from early years to Year 6. A continual process of review and refinement ensures that all pupils benefit from this curriculum. The trust and governing body have an accurate view of the school’s strengths, informed by their keen oversight. Staff are extremely well supported by trust-wide opportunities for training and professional development.

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better?

Children get off to an exceptionally strong start in early years. The indoor and outdoor environments are carefully structured so that opportunities for learning are abundant. Children are emotionally secure and ready to learn because they develop positive relationships with staff and their peers. They show that they can take turns, share and work together in a collaborative way. Teaching staff are highly effective at developing children’s language and communication skills. They model and encourage ambitious vocabulary in their conversation. Children achieve highly, especially in terms of their early reading and writing. For example, they use their growing knowledge of letter sounds to independently write simple instructions for making a gingerbread man.

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better?

Pupils become confident and fluent readers as they move through the school. At the earliest stages, they are supported well with their phonics learning. They read books which match the sounds they know and enjoy choosing books from the school library. Pupils who need extra help with their reading receive it and catch up quickly. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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Older pupils act as reading role models in the daily phonics buddy system. This well- established routine also contributes to the strength of cross-age relationships.

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Teaching ensures that pupils remember their learning. For example, in mathematics, pupils complete a ‘flashback four’ which reminds them what they have learned before. During lessons, discussions allow pupils to make links between subjects. For example, in history, when considering the Industrial Revolution and life for factory workers, pupils reflect on their geographical understanding of different types of settlements. Teachers use a range of methods to check and assess pupils’ learning. However, there are some occasions when teaching staff do not have the necessary expertise to move learning on and address misconceptions. This means that sometimes pupils are not building on their knowledge.

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The school engages well with parents and carers. Parents appreciate the regular information they receive about their children’s achievement and well-being. The weekly ‘focus child’ in early years means that information is shared between home and school to create a holistic picture of each child and shape their next steps. The identification procedures for pupils who may have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are robust. Parents are consulted quickly and feel fully involved in the creation of their children’s individual learning plans. Pupils with SEND work alongside their peers and achieve well.

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The provision for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Pupils show compassion and empathy for others. They drive numerous initiatives to fundraise and give help to those who need it. Pupils understand the terms discrimination and prejudice and their negative impact. They recognise how this can affect people in terms of their race, gender or disability. Older pupils talk knowledgeably about Nelson Mandela and his lifelong work to address apartheid. Many pupils enjoy opportunities for leadership, including as house captains and as part of the school and eco-council. They recognise the skills they develop in carrying out their responsibilities and how these prepare them for later life.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are a few occasions when teaching staff do not have the necessary expertise to confidently deliver the school’s intended curriculum. This means that sometimes pupils’ misconceptions are not addressed. The school should ensure that all staff are confident and effective at being able to move pupils’ learning along, building their knowledge and skills. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 31 October and 1 November 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Following the closure of the predecessor school, Crazies Hill Church of England Primary School converted to an academy as part of The Keys Academy Trust in 2019.  The school is part of the Diocese of Oxford. The most recent section 48 inspection of this Church of England school, which is an inspection of the school’s religious character, took place in May 2016. This was prior to the school converting to academy status.  The school does 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 31 October and 1 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors had meetings with senior school leaders and representatives from

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the governing body and the trust. The lead inspector had a phone call with a representative from the diocese.  The inspectors analysed responses to the staff survey and spoke to staff about their views of the school.  The inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the additional free-text responses. The lead inspector also spoke with parents on the morning of the second day of the inspection.  The inspectors evaluated responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Kate Fripp, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tracey Brunton Ofsted Inspector 31 October and 1 November 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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