St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, Cromhall

Inspection of St Andrew’s Church of England Primary School, Cromhall Church Lane, Cromhall, Wotton-under-Edge, Gloucestershire GL12 8AL

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 6 and 7 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and well cared for. They feel safe to talk to a member of staff if they are worried. Pupils readily take on responsibilities, such as being school council representatives or class helpers. Older pupils enjoy being ‘reading buddies’ for younger pupils. This develops their understanding of service towards others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has raised its expectations of pupils’ achievement. It has started to make improvements to the quality of education. However, many of these positive changes are recent and need time to embed. Despite this, pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They enjoy sharing books they have read, for example.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave well and follow routines willingly. Consequently, the school has a calm and orderly atmosphere. Pupils treat each other kindly. They have warmly welcomed children from Ukraine, for instance. Pupils appreciate how the school celebrates their good behaviour and effort.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has started to widen its offer to develop pupils’ talents and interests, but it remains narrow. Nonetheless, pupils do benefit from some extra-curricular activities. They have participated in a local tag-rugby tournament, for example. Some pupils have trained as ‘sports leaders’. Pupils enjoy belonging to their ‘house’ and competing for points.

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better?

As much of the curriculum is new, pupils lack depth in their subject knowledge and skills. In some subjects, curriculum planning is not fully developed. Where this is the case, the school has not outlined clearly the knowledge and skills that it intends pupils to learn over time.

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better?

The school knows what needs to improve. For example, it has taken effective action to strengthen the early reading programme. Pupils now read books which match closely with the sounds they are learning. Those who need it get additional support. Although these improvements are in their infancy, pupils are starting to learn to read accurately and with increasing fluency.

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better?

The school has begun to provide professional development for staff to enhance the quality of teaching. In some subjects, teaching now identifies and corrects pupils’ misconceptions. However, in other subjects, teaching does not routinely check how well pupils have learned what is intended. Consequently, gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not remedied.

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better?

The school identifies accurately the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It draws on external expertise and involves parents in planning and reviewing support. For some pupils, the school makes successful adaptations to the curriculum. 6 and 7 December 2023

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Pupils are punctual and have good attendance. Most are committed to their learning and proud of their achievements. The school provides effective support for pupils who need help to improve their behaviour.

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Pupils follow a personal, social and health education curriculum which supports them to learn how to keep themselves safe when online and how to care for their mental health, for example. Pupils learn to respect and celebrate differences between people. They embraced their recent learning about different faiths and disabilities, for instance. Pupils learn how to contribute to the wider community, such as by raising money for charity and singing for local residents. However, there are limited opportunities for pupils to develop their resilience when things become difficult, and to strengthen their ability to cooperate with others.

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Governors and leaders engage purposefully with parents, who speak positively about the improvements that have been made. Governors are beginning to hold leaders more strongly to account. However, they do not have the information they need to gain insight into the quality of education that pupils receive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

However, the school does not always record its actions to manage concerns about pupils in sufficient detail. As a result, it cannot fully assure itself that actions are taken in a timely manner and that detailed information is available to share with others if required.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and by when is not defined clearly. As a result, pupils do not gain a depth of understanding in these subjects. The school should ensure that it identifies the important concepts that are essential for pupils to know in all subjects.  The school does not assure itself that the curriculum is having an impact on what pupils know and remember. As a result, governors cannot hold leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders must check how well pupils learn the intended curriculum and provide governors with the insight they need to provide support and challenge.  The curriculum does not make a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development. Pupils do not have a wide range of opportunities to nurture, develop and stretch their talents and interests. The school needs to provide pupils with opportunities to aid their broader development.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The recording of safeguarding concerns about pupils is not detailed enough. This means that leaders are not clear whether the actions taken are timely or if 6 and 7 December 2023

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information is ready to be shared with external partners when necessary. The school must ensure that detailed information is recorded about the actions taken to manage concerns about pupils.

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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). 6 and 7 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.standrewsschoolcromhall.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 October 2022, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England School in the Diocese of Gloucester. It received its last section 48 inspection in June 2019.  The headteacher took up the position in September 2023.  The school does not use 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.  The school’s Reception class has fewer than five pupils.  This was the first 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. 6 and 7 December 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also spoke with senior staff about how successfully pupils with SEND follow the curriculum.  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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first

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Inspection team

James Oldham, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Wendy Hanrahan Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 December 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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