Cradley CofE Primary School

Inspection of Cradley CofE Primary School Cradley, Malvern, Worcestershire WR13 5NG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 19 and 20 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ well-being. Its nurturing environment provides pupils with the confidence and resilience to manage their emotions. This work begins right from the start of school. Children in the early years quickly settle into expected routines and show positive attitudes to their learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in all aspects of school life and have equal opportunities to succeed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school’s behaviour expectations. They work hard to meet these and behave well. Staff and pupils have positive relationships. Pupils feel comfortable talking to adults about any concerns. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils and wants them to achieve well. The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. However, the implementation of this curriculum is still in its early stages and many aspects are new. Teachers are still developing the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively. As a result, pupils do not develop the depth of knowledge they should. The school has not yet fully established a consistent approach to the teaching of reading. In some cases, the books chosen for pupils to read are not precisely matched to the sounds they know.

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better?

The school has recently made changes to the curriculum content in several subjects. This has led to a more ambitious and well-sequenced curriculum, which is helping pupils to learn and remember more. However, teachers’ understanding of the curriculum content and precise subject knowledge is not yet secure. This means that on some occasions, teachers do not check carefully enough what pupils have learned. This leads to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge.

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better?

Leaders have successfully fostered a love for reading across the school. This starts in the early years with an engaging reading area that captures the interests of the children. Older pupils enjoy reading and hearing their teacher read their class novel. However, the school’s phonics programme has not been fully implemented. Staff have not received sufficient training to enable them to deliver the programme consistently well. For some pupils who have fallen behind, their reading books are not well matched to their needs. As a result, these pupils do not become confident fluent readers quickly enough.

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better?

In the early years, children engage in well-planned learning experiences. These provide a solid foundation for future learning. The focus on vocabulary helps children to develop their language and communication skills. There are positive relationships between staff and children. Adults ensure that each child’s needs are understood and met. The curriculum includes language and basic mathematical skill development. This happens through daily routines and play-based activities. Children can meaningfully explore different concepts. This sets the stage for future success. 19 and 20 March 2024

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Pupils enjoy and value the wide range of clubs on offer. They also enjoy being involved in the wider responsibilities the school offers, such as digital leaders and community champions. They have devoted time to tending the gardens of nearby residents. Such responsibilities help to develop pupils’ social and leadership skills.

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The school ensures that staff are suitably trained and equipped to identify pupils with SEND. This means that pupils receive the right support at the right time. This helps pupils with SEND successfully access the same learning as their peers.

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Pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time and ready to learn. Pupils behave well in class and around the school. They are courteous and respectful towards each other and adults. They know that it is important to respect other people even if they have different opinions or values.

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Pastoral support is a strength of the school. The pastoral team works with pupils to overcome any difficulties they may have. This helps pupils understand and manage their feelings. Pupils appreciate the care staff take to help them explore their worries and emotions. The school effectively teaches pupils about staying safe, especially when they are online.

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While the school has made some positive changes to the curriculum, it is not adequately monitoring the impact of the changes. This means that teachers do not receive sufficient guidance to help them to deliver some aspects of the curriculum well. Governors understand their roles and responsibilities. They have correctly identified the things that need to improve. The school is working closely with the local authority and the diocese to bring about these improvements. Most staff feel valued and supported by the school. Staff reported that leaders are considerate of their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some staff do not have the necessary expertise to deliver the phonics programme well enough. As a result, some pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to practise and become fluent readers. The school should ensure that all staff are suitably trained to be able to deliver the reading curriculum well so that pupils learn to read accurately and fluently.  Teachers’ subject knowledge is not yet secure across all areas of the curriculum. This means that in some lessons, opportunities for assessing what pupils know 19 and 20 March 2024

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and can do are missed and gaps in pupils’ knowledge persist. The school should provide staff with training to develop secure subject knowledge and establish systems to check and address pupils’ understanding and misconceptions.  The school has not checked how well the curriculum is being implemented. As a result, teachers are not yet receiving the correct guidance they need to deliver the curriculum well enough. The school should strengthen systems to monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum and provide teachers with the necessary guidance and support the effective delivery of the curriculum.

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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). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 October 2022 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There are six classes at this school: Nursery for two- and three-year-olds, a mixed Reception and Year 1, mixed Year 1 and 2, mixed Year 3 and 4, mixed Year 4 and 5 and a Year 6 class.  The school offers a breakfast and after-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of Hereford. The last inspection of its religious character (section 48 inspection) was in November 2016. The school’s next section 48 inspection is due within eight years of its previous section 48 inspection.

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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. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders and staff.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior teacher and other school staff. An inspector met with representatives of the governing body and held telephone discussions with representatives from Herefordshire local authority, the Diocese of Hereford and the school’s external school improvement adviser.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and modern foreign languages in key stage 2. For each deep dive, the 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.  An inspector listened to pupils in Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.

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 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. The inspectors met with school leaders to discuss and scrutinise how they respond to behaviour incidents and pupils’ attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including free-text replies. Inspectors spoke with parents at the beginning and end of the first day of the inspection.

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Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sian Williams Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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