Castle Camps Church of England (Controlled) Primary School

Inspection of Castle Camps Church of England (Controlled) Primary School Church Lane, Castle Camps, Cambridge, Cambridgeshire CB21 4TH

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this small school embrace the school’s vision of ‘life in all its fullness’. Leaders are determined that all pupils will achieve highly. Pupils display positive attitudes towards all aspects of school life. They are keen to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Castle Camps is a happy and inclusive school that pupils enjoy attending. Pupils feel cared for by kind staff who support them to attend regularly. Parents and carers speak highly of the way in which staff get to know each child individually.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are kind to each other. Pupils who act as junior play leaders help to make playtimes fun. They understand what it is to be a good role model. Pupils know and follow the school rules. They behave well at all times. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the community. They know the importance of eating healthily and what makes a balanced diet.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say they are treated fairly. They are confident that if they have any concerns there are staff they can speak to. Pupils trust that staff will act on their concerns. Pupils understand it is important to treat everyone fairly. They talk respectfully about people from different backgrounds and religions.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school knows how to accurately identify and meet the requirements of these pupils. Appropriate adaptations ensure that pupils meet their potential. Some pupils have individual learning plans. These help staff and pupils to recognise barriers to learning and how to overcome them. Pupils with SEND complete the same broad curriculum, learning alongside their peers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Pupils get excited when talking about reading. The school provides incentives such as bookmarks, which motivate pupils to read often. There is a well-structured phonics programme. It starts the moment children begin school. The sounds pupils should know and remember week by week are clearly set out. All staff receive training that enables them to teach phonics effectively. Pupils remember the sounds they learn and apply them to new words. They quickly become confident and fluent readers. Teachers are swift to spot any pupils who may be falling behind with their reading. Staff help these pupils to catch up quickly. Beyond phonics, pupils continue to develop their reading skills. They read frequently and, over time, develop positive attitudes to reading.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Other areas of the curriculum are equally well planned. For example, the school has designed an ambitious curriculum for mathematics. It sets out the important knowledge pupils will learn as they move through the school. Consequently, pupils develop mathematical knowledge and skills well from Reception to Year 6. A few subject curriculums are currently being redeveloped. The knowledge the school wants pupils to know at each stage is not yet precisely identified. This means that pupils do not always 24 and 25 September 2024

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accumulate knowledge in a logical way. Where this occurs, assessment is less effective. As a result, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

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Pupils learn with little disruption. They show excellent manners that extend outside the classroom to the playground. Everyone plays harmoniously and develops strong friendships. If staff occasionally have to talk to a pupil about their behaviour, they do this in a calm way. Pupils always respond positively.

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The well-considered curriculum for pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils experience a broad range of opportunities that help them develop their character. They aspire to take on leadership roles such as school council members or house captains. Visits to the Houses of Parliament broaden pupils’ understanding of modern Britain and democracy. All pupils know the school values of ‘Wisdom, Respect, Love, Courage, Community, Hope’. Through assemblies, pupils learn how these values can help them in their everyday lives. Pupils showcase their musical talents by performing at concerts for parents.

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Children in the early years settle into school life successfully. The curriculum supports children to develop in all areas of their learning. The environment is thoughtfully set out. There are many rich opportunities to stimulate children’s curiosity. The early years is a calm and safe place for children to thrive in. Even at this early stage, children know and follow the classroom routines. They cooperate and help each other.

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Governors are committed to the school. They provide leaders with an effective balance of support and challenge. Governors understand and fulfil their statutory duties. Staff are extremely positive about working at the school. They appreciate leaders’ support for 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)

 In a few subjects, curriculums are being redeveloped. The most important knowledge pupils need to learn has not been precisely identified. Furthermore, assessment of pupils’ learning in these subjects is not as established as it is in others. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge. The school should identify the precise knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember in all subjects. The school should embed effective assessment strategies across all subjects to check pupils’ understanding to inform future learning and to ensure pupils know and remember more in each subject. 24 and 25 September 2024

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Alison Mansfield

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School details

Date of previous inspection 23 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative providers.  The school is within the Diocese of Ely. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in March 2017. The next section 48 inspection is due within eight years.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 24 and 25 September 2024

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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.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff, pupils and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and history. For each deep dive, inspectors spoke to subject leaders, visited lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils and looked at work in pupils’ books. They also heard pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other senior leaders, including the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator. They also

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spoke to subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with leaders and teachers to talk about the curriculum, workload and pupils’ behaviour and personal development. They also met with groups of pupils to talk about learning and well-being and to hear about their views of the school.  Inspectors met with governors and had telephone conversations with the school improvement adviser from the local authority and the Diocese of Ely regional adviser for the school.  Inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s plans for improvement and minutes of meetings of the local governing body. They also looked at a range of pupils’ workbooks from each year group.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils during lessons, around the school, in the lunch hall and on the playground. They looked at behaviour and attendance records and considered leaders’ analysis of them.  Inspectors considered the 19 online responses to Ofsted Parent View, Ofsted’s online

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questionnaire for parents, including 15 free-text comments. They also spoke to parents on the first day of the inspection. Inspectors considered the 19 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for staff and 50 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Karen Stanton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Merritt Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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