Cranham Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cranham Primary School Tetbury Drive, Warndon, Worcester, Worcestershire WR4 9LS

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Outcome

Cranham Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Charlotte Barnett. This school is part of The Rivers CofE 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 (CEO), Matt Meckin, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andy Jobbins.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cranham Primary School provides a welcoming and nurturing environment in which pupils feel happy and safe. Relationships between staff, pupils and their families are warm and supportive. This creates a highly positive school environment with a real sense of community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, and high expectations are established as soon as pupils join the school. Pupils are extremely polite and respectful towards their peers, staff and visitors. They enthusiastically engage in exciting learning activities that are well designed to make real-life links to future careers. This helps pupils to be aspirational for their futures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils understand the high expectations that the school has for their achievement. They are keen to learn and participate fully in lessons. Many pupils achieve well across much of the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are many extra-curricular clubs to develop pupils’ talents and interests. Pupils are extremely proud of their leadership roles as prefects, peer mediators and school councillors. Pupils know that their ideas are really valued. They understand the role that they play in making their school a place where everyone can thrive. 8 and 9 October 2024

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

The school is united in its ambition to do the best for every pupil both academically and personally. The school has an ambitious and rich curriculum that clearly identifies the knowledge that pupils need to learn. The curriculum is carefully ordered so that pupils’ knowledge and skills build step by step through the years. In most lessons, staff have the expertise to explain new learning to pupils clearly and deliver the curriculum well. Staff check that pupils have fully grasped what has been taught before they introduce something new. This helps pupils to know and remember more. Pupils articulate their learning well. On occasion, the written work that pupils produce does not reflect the quality of their learning. Recently, there has been a more consistent approach to the teaching of handwriting to support pupils who struggle to write with fluency and accuracy.

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

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. They understand and follow instructions and classroom routines exceedingly well. Reading is prioritised. Staff spark children’s interest and imagination by sharing and retelling stories. Staff’s strong expertise contributes to the curriculum for early English and mathematics being delivered extremely successfully. This continues into key stage 1. Staff deliver the phonics programme with skill. They identify pupils who start to fall behind the pace of the programme and provide appropriate support to help them to catch up.

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

The school provides excellent support for pupils with SEND. Pupils’ needs are identified swifty and accurately. Staff know the pupils well. They know how best to provide effective support to ensure that they meet each pupil’s individual needs. Staff actively promote the independence of pupils with SEND, for example by providing additional resources or offering different recording methods so that pupils can learn alongside their peers. This boosts pupils’ self-confidence and competence when completing tasks by themselves.

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

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils live up to these expectations. Classrooms are calm and productive spaces. During breaktimes, pupils show caring and thoughtful behaviours towards each other. The school encourages high levels of attendance. Staff provide support for pupils to remove any barriers. This has had a positive impact, and overall attendance has improved significantly.

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

The personal development offer is exceptional. Enrichment opportunities are carefully considered to enhance the curriculum and to raise aspirations. Pupils are taught to be both community spirited and globally aware. Pupils have an excellent understanding of sustainability and the role that they can play to make a difference.

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

Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships. They treat each other with dignity and respect. They embrace and celebrate diversity and benefit from meaningful opportunities to learn about different cultures. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including online.

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

Staff form strong relationships with families, providing support and guidance when needed. A variety of workshops enable parents and carers to learn about the school 8 and 9 October 2024

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curriculum and gain useful advice. Pastoral support is incredibly strong and positive relationships at all levels are pivotal to the success of the school.

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The trust provides effective challenge and support. It ensures that the school is supported well to provide pupils with a rich set of experiences to enable them to thrive. Staff feel valued and are proud to work 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)

 Recently, the school has put in place a consistent approach for teaching handwriting. However, some pupils continue to struggle to write with fluency and accuracy. The school should ensure that pupils are provided with the support they need to become confident and capable writers, so that they are well prepared for the next steps.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Cranham Primary School, to be good for overall effectiveness in October 2012. 8 and 9 October 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). 8 and 9 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 June 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of The Rivers CofE Multi Academy Trust.  The school has a pre-school language provision that is commissioned by the local authority, catering for children with speech and language difficulties across Worcestershire. The provision supports up to 22 children between the ages of three and five.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 8 and 9 October 2024

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and other school leaders. She met with the CEO and other leaders from the trust. She also met with trustees.  The inspector focused inspection activity on the following groups of subjects: early English and mathematics, and history and science. For each group of subjects, the inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime.  The inspector met with groups of staff and pupils and considered the opinions

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expressed through the staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector met some parents at the start of the day and took account of the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Cathy Young, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 8 and 9 October 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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