Cambois Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cambois Primary School Cowgate, Cambois, Blyth, Northumberland NE24 1RD

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Outcome

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

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What is it like to attend this school?

Cambois is a highly inclusive school. Pupils are happy and feel safe here. Pupils are friendly, kind and respectful. Members of staff model this well. The words that they use, and the way in which they speak, show that they care for pupils. Pupils learn about the school values, including fairness and resilience. They demonstrate these in how they conduct themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for all of its pupils. The curriculum is well organised and pupils achieve well. A high proportion of pupils have an education, health and care plan and many pupils have autism. Some of these pupils are taught in specialist classrooms; others are in mainstream classrooms. These pupils also do well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in classrooms and around the school. Classrooms are inviting and homely, and contain furniture that helps pupils to focus on learning. The school works well with parents and carers to help them to support their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has thought deeply about the needs of its pupils and the local context. Because the school is on the coast, swimming and surfing lessons are a part of the curriculum for all pupils. Cycling is also covered, to develop pupils’ independence, given the lack of transport links.

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

Communication is at the heart of the curriculum here. The school prioritises reading. Teachers and teaching assistants deliver the school’s chosen phonics programme effectively. They have been well trained. Children in the early years start to learn to read from the very beginning of their time at Cambois. As pupils develop their phonics, 18 February 2025

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teachers use regular checks to spot gaps in pupils’ knowledge. During their time at school, most pupils become strong readers. Some pupils need additional support to help them to communicate. Sound buttons, sign language and pictures help these pupils to make choices and to express themselves. The school is developing different learning habits that will help pupils in their studies. Staff encourage pupils to be inquisitive and imaginative and to work collaboratively together.

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The curriculum in most other subjects is well designed. For example, the mathematics curriculum is logical and well delivered. Pupils develop their understanding of mathematical concepts well over time, step by step. In some subjects, however, there is a slight mismatch between the difficulty of the task given to pupils and the content being covered. Sometimes, the learning activities do not enable pupils in mixed-age classes to acquire the depth of knowledge of which they are capable. Nonetheless, in lessons, teachers check what pupils know and can do effectively. They then use this information to shape lessons and to help pupils make progress.

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Teachers ensure that lessons are well adapted for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Teachers break down tasks well to help pupils to focus and complete them effectively. For pupils who need additional support with physical development, the school ensures that a variety of strategies are in place to develop their fine and gross motor skills. This includes children in early years. The school ensures that the routines and support in place help pupils to remain calm, even if they are finding things difficult. Pupils behave well in classrooms and around school.

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The school offers a variety of trips and clubs to pupils. They ensure that all pupils are included in any extra-curricular events. Pupils have a strong sense of right and wrong. They learn about the importance of tolerance. Pupils learn about other religions and different cultures. They are positive about the leadership opportunities on offer to them. Pupils develop their leadership skills through their work as school councillors and peer mentors. During the inspection, pupils performed parts of ‘The Lion King’ to parents. Pupils know how to stay healthy and safe, including when online.

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Pupils now attend school regularly and often. Where this is not the case, the school helps pupils and parents understand the importance of coming to school regularly. Many pupils improve their attendance during their time at school. The school helps pupils who have regular medical appointments to catch up on missed learning.

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School leaders are ambitious for the school and are ‘deliberately inclusive’. Staff are proud to work at Cambois and say that leaders ensure their workload is not too high. Governors understand the context of the school and provide effective leadership. This is the case for academic standards and the financial stewardship of the school. Many parents who responded to the survey were effusive about the quality of education their child receives at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 February 2025

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What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority).

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What does the school need to do to improve?

 Sometimes, the school is not clear about what different year groups are expected to learn in mixed-age classes. As a result, on occasion, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as much as they could. The school should ensure that subject knowledge builds clearly over time and that older pupils in mixed-age classes are enabled to build on previous learning effectively.  Sometimes, the activities given to pupils in class do not closely match what pupils are expected to learn. There is sometimes a mismatch between the difficulty of the task and the content being covered. As a result, some pupils do not grasp key concepts as well as they could. The school should ensure that learning tasks align with the aims of the curriculum that is being delivered.

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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 July 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. 18 February 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). 18 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.cambois.northumberland.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 9 and 10 July 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. There are currently 19 pupils in this provision. The majority of these pupils have autism.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers before and after-school childcare.

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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.  The inspectors spoke to the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other members of staff. An inspector spoke to members of the governing body. The inspectors spoke to groups of teachers and pupils. 18 February 2025

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 The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in classrooms, around the school and at lunchtime. The inspectors spoke with pupils about their views of the school and their learning, behaviour and safety, where possible.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. This included comments received via the free-text facility.  The 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 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

Michael Wardle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Stephen Fallon Ofsted Inspector 18 February 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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