The Richard Crosse CofE Primary School

Inspection of The Richard Crosse CofE Primary School Crawley Lane, Kings Bromley, Burton-on-Trent, Staffordshire DE13 7JE

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 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 Good

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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 Emma Bowring. This school is part of The Staffordshire Schools Multi 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, Charlene Gethin, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Kevin Borg and Peter Halifax.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Richard Crosse CofE Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Richard Crosse CofE Primary School to be outstanding, before it opened as an academy. 14 and 15 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are eager to come to this happy and welcoming school. They arrive with smiles on their faces and are keen to start the day. Throughout the school, there is a strong focus on nurturing the whole child. All staff promote the school’s inclusive and Christian values of love, friendship and respect. These are carefully woven through all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a strong sense of community, where everyone looks after and cares for each other. Pupils recognise this and know that staff will help them with any problems or worries that they may have. Parents are very positive about the school, for example describing it as somewhere ‘where staff go out of their way to include all children and help them flourish’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is a strength. They listen with keen interest during lessons and support each other very well with their learning. Staff have very high expectations of all pupils and expect them to work hard and achieve their best. Pupils live up to these expectations and achieve very well across the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They talk enthusiastically about the variety of clubs on offer including martial arts, netball and choir.

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better?

The school’s curriculum, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), is ambitious, broad and balanced. It has been well thought through, with the most important knowledge and skills identified from the early years onwards. There are also many opportunities across the curriculum to enrich pupils’ day-to-day experiences. As a result of this, pupils find their learning exciting. Staff are knowledgeable and generally present information clearly. However, occasionally, the ambitious curriculum is not delivered in the way that leaders intend. Where this happens, pupils do not learn as well as they might.

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better?

Staff use a range of different ways to check how well pupils are learning. Where this is strongest, staff check pupils’ understanding during lessons and address anything pupils have misunderstood. Staff then use this information to adapt teaching and to identify the next steps for pupils. However, not all staff are as skilled in this as others. Some staff do not use assessment information well enough. This means that work is not always as well matched to pupils’ needs as it could be.

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better?

Pupils love to read. There is a structured approach to reading across the school. Younger children enjoy listening to familiar stories and joining in with rhymes as soon as they start in Nursery. Staff across the school are well trained to teach phonics. They provide expert support for any pupils at risk of falling behind. Pupils at the early stages of learning to read practise with books that match well to the sounds they know. This is helping them to become more fluent, accurate readers. 14 and 15 November 2023

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Older pupils enjoy reading for pleasure and talk knowledgeably about their favourite authors.

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Pupils with SEND have their needs identified accurately. Individual education plans show clearly what each pupil needs to do to help them access the curriculum alongside their peers. This helps pupils with SEND make good progress from their starting points. Staff receive regular training and are confident in supporting the needs of individual pupils. As a result, pupils with SEND are fully included in the life of the school and achieve well.

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Pupils are excellent ambassadors for their school. They behave extremely well and live up to the school’s high expectations. There is a strong family feel to the school with pupils genuinely caring for and about each other.

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There is an exceptional personal development offer. Pupils learn to be highly tolerant and respectful of difference. They have a thorough understanding of diversity and they readily learn about different cultures and faiths. The school encourages pupils to be responsible and respectful citizens who care about others. For instance, pupils work closely with the local community and care for their environment. Pupils are keen to have extra responsibilities and take their roles seriously. They can apply for roles such as librarian, eco-councillor, worship councillor, or member of the school council. They have many opportunities to develop their talents and interests in sport, music and art, for example at clubs, inter-school competitions and in musical performances. The school has created many ways to enhance the curriculum through a wide range of trips, visitors and experiences. All of these are carefully

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planned to ensure that they are purposeful and enrich the learning.

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Governors and trustees are highly committed to the school. They use their detailed knowledge of the school to support and challenge leaders. Staff workload and well- being are carefully considered. Staff feel extremely well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, what leaders intend pupils to be taught is not consistently delivered by staff. As a result, some teaching does not have the impact it could, and pupils do not always know more and remember more over time. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in every subject is delivered as intended, so that pupils can build on their knowledge over time.  Occasionally, staff do not use assessment well enough to move pupils’ learning on. This means that some pupils have limited chances to apply what they know in 14 and 15 November 2023

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different contexts. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment information well to design learning experiences that enable pupils to apply what they know.

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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). 14 and 15 November 2023

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School details

Chair of trust Kevin Borg and Peter Halifax

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Staffordshire Schools Multi Academy Trust.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school has a Christian ethos. A section 48 inspection was completed in November 2016. The next inspection is due this academic year.

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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.  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. 14 and 15 November 2023

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 During the inspection, inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, directors from the trust, senior and middle leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, the chair of governors, trustees and the CEO of the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and music. For each deep dive, 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.  An inspector also looked at samples of work from English, geography, science and art and design.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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. Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Josie Leese Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 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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