Cranborne Middle School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cranborne Middle School Cranborne, Wimborne, Dorset BH21 5RP

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 January 2025

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the school’s welcoming and nurturing ethos. The ‘ARROWS’ values, such as ‘respect’ and ‘willingness’, motivate pupils to try new things and treat others equally. Pupils benefit from positive relationships with staff. This leads to a strong sense of safety.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Following a dip in Year 6 writing outcomes in 2024, the school has revised its curriculum to raise ambition and improve standards. However, the impact of this work has yet to be fully realised, especially in some pupils’ written work and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Typically, pupils understand and follow the school’s high expectations for behaviour. They arrive on time for lessons and learn without disruption. The school’s ‘behaviour ladder’ outlines fair consequences for pupils who do not follow the routines. Pupils like to earn praise points for making the right choices. They feel confident talking to staff or using the ‘talk tins’ if they have any worries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school plans purposeful experiences to broaden pupils’ understanding of different faiths and cultures. These include trips to London and Paris and visits to a synagogue. Pupils take full advantage of the clubs offered such as trampolining, roller skating and arts. They say that there is 'something for everyone' to take part in.

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

The school has designed a broad curriculum. It has identified the knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to learn. The curriculum highlights opportunities for wider reading and adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). In some subjects, pupils discuss and present their learning well. For example, Year 8 pupils 14 and 15 January 2025

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show a strong knowledge of tenses in French. Pupils learn about the causes of the First World War in Year 5. They then deepen their understanding further when studying poems about war in Year 7. However, teaching does not consistently deliver the ambition of the curriculum as the school intends. This affects how well pupils achieve. In mathematics, for instance, some pupils’ work is incomplete. Across subjects, not all pupils take sufficient care in the presentation of their written work. Teachers vary in how much they notice and act on this.

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The school has strengthened its approach to checking what pupils know and understand. For example, teachers use ‘do now’ tasks at the start of lessons to gauge how well pupils have grasped concepts. Pupils say that this helps them to remember what they have learned. Despite this, not all staff use the information from these checks to adapt future learning. In some cases, misconceptions persist in pupils' work.

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Reading is prioritised. Teachers expose pupils to challenging texts such as Shakespeare’s plays. Pupils have dedicated tutor time to read for pleasure. The school has identified pupils who need support to improve their reading. These pupils receive the extra help they need to boost their reading confidence.

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Pupils behave well. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Appropriate provision, such as tutoring, helps to meet pupils’ specific needs. A pastoral team successfully work to remove barriers that hinder pupils’ learning and attendance.

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The provision for pupils' personal development is comprehensive. Enrichment days enhance their understanding of careers, gender equality and anti-bullying. Online safety is a key focus, with workshops from the police. When pupils start in Year 5, they benefit from older buddies who help them find friendships. Year 8 pupils take on responsibilities as sports ambassadors and arts leaders. This improves their leadership and social skills. Through assemblies, pupils understand the importance of the protected characteristics and why they are important in society.

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A positive team spirit exists. Staff value the development opportunities provided by the local authority and other schools. They appreciate how leaders carefully consider their workload. The governing body has a clear understanding of the school’s priorities. It asks probing questions to hold the school to account for pupils’ attendance and safeguarding. However, some leaders do not have a strong oversight of the impact of the curriculum. In some subjects, they are not secure about how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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 The school does not consistently check that pupils present their work with care. Some of it is incomplete or unfinished. This affects how well some pupils achieve. The school should ensure that high expectations for presentation and work completion are consistent across the school.  In some subjects, the school does not use its knowledge of pupils' gaps and misconceptions to inform future learning. When this happens, some errors go unnoticed and persist in pupils’ work. The school should ensure that staff use the agreed systems to check pupils’ understanding and help pupils build their knowledge securely in all subjects.  The school’s oversight of how pupils learn the curriculum is not fully effective. As a result, some leaders do not understand the impact of their actions and inconsistencies remain. The school should sharpen its oversight of how well pupils learn in all subjects so that it can act quickly when improvements are needed.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2019.

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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. 14 and 15 January 2025

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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 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change of leadership since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up the substantive post in September 2019. One of the assistant headteachers started in September 2022. A new chair of governors started in September 2024.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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 January 2025

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 Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other school staff. The lead inspector also met with members of the governing body and held a telephone call with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the lead 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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during lunchtime.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  An inspector spoke to parents at the end of the school day. Inspectors considered

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responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Deborah Wring Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 January 2025

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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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