Cranmer Primary School

Inspection of Cranmer Primary School Cranmer Road, Mitcham, Surrey CR4 4XU

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this kind and caring school. They appreciate the large school grounds and extensive playing fields. Pupils are confident that they can talk to an adult in school if they are worried about anything. They feel happy and safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils follow the Cranmer ‘Golden Expectations’. They are kind to each other and polite and respectful to adults. Children in the early years are curious and enjoy their learning. In the early years, staff encourage pupils to play and learn collaboratively. There is a focus on developing children’s language.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have created a culture that is both inclusive and ambitious. They have high expectations of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils in the additional resource provision thrive and pupils with SEND in mainstream classes are well supported.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils’ eyes light up when asked about what they are reading. Pupils visit Mitcham Library every term and one of the two well-stocked in-school libraries every week.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils take part in regular debates. Staff encourage them to discuss difficult questions such as the difference between fairness and equality. Several parents commented on how caring the school is.

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better?

Leaders have created a broad and ambitious curriculum. The knowledge that pupils should learn is carefully selected and sequenced. For example, pupils in Year 6 build on their understanding of number to solve algebraic equations. In art, pupils learn about the work of artists, such as Eduardo Paolozzi, in Year 2. In a few subjects, the school is continuing to develop its curricular thinking. In these subjects, a framework to assess pupils’ progress through the curriculum is not fully developed. This means that the school is still developing a clearer oversight of pupils’ learning in these subjects.

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better?

The school prioritises developing pupils’ reading across the school. Teachers know all aspects of the phonics programme well. As a result, the teaching of early reading is systematic, consistent and high quality. The school assesses pupils’ progress in reading regularly and provides extra reading practice for those who need it. Older pupils develop their reading skills positively. All pupils develop a love of reading. Children in Nursery love listening to their teacher read familiar stories. Staff enable pupils to become confident and fluent readers.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge across a range of subjects. This helps them to explain and model new learning to pupils well. Teachers recap previous learning regularly in lessons. This helps pupils to remember what they learn over time. Teachers help pupils to talk fluently about their learning using subject-specific 7 and 8 November 2023

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vocabulary. For example, Year 2 pupils learned the words ‘transparent’ and ‘metamorphosis’ when studying life cycles in science. Typically, teachers check pupils’ prior learning well. On occasion, teaching does not check pupils’ learning systematically in lessons. This means that pupils continue to have misconceptions in their knowledge and understanding.

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Staff identify pupils with SEND quickly and effectively, including in the early years. They support pupils with SEND skilfully. Staff support pupils to access the curriculum successfully. Parents were very positive about the SEND provision.

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Pupils’ behaviour across the school is positive. There is almost no low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils know and follow the school’s expectations well. Staff encourage pupils to be resilient, respectful and kind. Pupils’ attendance was affected by the pandemic. However, it is a high priority for the school and is improving again. The family support team communicates well with families to ensure that pupils attend school as much as possible.

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Pupils have many opportunities to develop their talents and interests outside lessons. They can attend after-school clubs ranging from museum-curating to jiu jitsu. Children in Reception take part in drawing club. Pupils attend a residential trip in Years 4 and 6. The school council helped to develop the school playground. Older pupils take on the role of ‘reading pals’ for younger ones. Pupils like spending time with the school dog, Buddy.

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Staff really enjoy working at the school. They feel that they are listened to and appreciate leaders’ support for their well-being. Leaders at all levels, including governors, are committed to improving the school further. The school works well with parents, particularly in the early years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, teaching does not check pupils’ learning systematically in lessons. This means that pupils continue to have misconceptions in their knowledge and understanding. The school should ensure that teachers routinely and systematically check pupils’ understanding in lessons so that any gaps in learning are identified and corrected.  In a small number of foundation subjects, curriculum thinking is new and not well developed. The school does not have a clear oversight of the curriculum on pupils’ learning in these subjects. The school must ensure that all subjects have an appropriate assessment framework that is fully understood by all staff and leaders so that the curriculum framework is implemented effectively. 7 and 8 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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Martin Roughley (Executive headteacher) Elroy Smith (head of school) Website www.cranmer.merton.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 July 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school provides an additional resourced provision for up to 24 children with speech, language and communication needs.  The school is led by an executive headteacher, who also currently leads another local primary school.  Leaders do not currently make use of any alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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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. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and the safeguarding and attendance officers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector met with those responsible for governance, including the chair of the governing body.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were considered through discussions and looking at information collected from Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Christian Hicks, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sabrina Edwards His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 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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