Croxton Kerrial Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Croxton Kerrial Church of England Primary School School Lane, Croxton Kerrial, Grantham, Lincolnshire NG32 1QR

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Outcome

Croxton Kerrial Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Amanda Scott. This school is part of Rise 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), Dave Ellison-Lee, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Stephen Adshead.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning at this welcoming school. Parents and carers appreciate how caring and supportive the school is. As one parent commented, reflecting the views of many, ‘My child is very happy and excited to go to school.’ The school has high expectations of pupils’ achievement. Most pupils work well in lessons and produce high-quality work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils feel safe in school and know that they have many staff they can talk to if they have any worries. Pupils understand the school’s expectations of their behaviour. Most pupils have excellent attitudes to learning. At playtimes and lunchtimes, pupils enjoy playing games together. They show high levels of respect for each other and staff. Children in the Reception Year understand and follow clear routines. They settle quickly and engage well with learning activities. They make a strong start to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of opportunities for pupils to develop their interests. For example, most pupils enjoy attending clubs such as art, colouring and darts. Pupils also enjoy taking on different responsibilities in school. They are proud to be on the eco team and to act as school councillors, house captains, play leaders and charity representatives. 25 February 2025

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

The school has designed an ambitious and broad curriculum for pupils. It is clear what key knowledge and vocabulary pupils should learn and when this will be taught in each subject. This starts in the early years so that pupils build on previous learning. This supports teachers in delivering the curriculum effectively. Most pupils progress well through the curriculum. They achieve well in a range of subjects.

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

Teachers have secure subject knowledge and explain new learning clearly. However, at times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough. This means that, sometimes, they are not aware of or address gaps in learning and misconceptions that pupils may have. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could.

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

The school has prioritised reading. Children in the Reception Year learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff are well trained in teaching phonics. Pupils quickly gain the phonics knowledge they need to read well. Children in the Reception Year enjoy listening to stories. Staff ensure that children learn and use ambitious vocabulary when completing learning activities. In key stage 2, pupils have reading lessons and story times. This helps pupils to develop a love of reading.

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

The school knows the needs of its pupils well. It ensures that staff understand the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils with SEND get additional in-class support when needed, and teachers regularly check how these pupils are learning. However, at times, teachers do not adapt their teaching to support these pupils in accessing the curriculum. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects.

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

The school has a clear system for dealing with any conduct issues. Pupils are regularly reminded of how they are expected to behave. They enjoy being rewarded for demonstrating the school’s values. At the start of the school day, pupils enter school calmly and quickly settle to their morning activities. Pupils who need extra help to behave well get effective support. In the Reception Year, children are enthusiastic learners and concentrate well when completing activities. Most pupils attend school well. The school provides effective support for pupils who need to improve their attendance.

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

The school’s programme for pupils’ broader development ensures that pupils are well prepared for their next steps. For example, they learn about healthy eating, online safety, different relationships and different world religions. Pupils know to treat everyone equally and respectfully, however different they may be from themselves. The school ensures that pupils understand the importance of fundamental British values.

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

Staff are proud to work at the school. They are well supported with their workload and well-being. School and trust leaders know the school’s strengths and what needs to be improved. For example, the school recently implemented a new reading and writing curriculum to help pupils achieve even better in these areas. Staff get regular professional development that helps them to improve how they deliver the curriculum. Communication 25 February 2025

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with parents has improved. Those responsible for governance provide effective support and challenge. They carry out their statutory duties well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding carefully enough. This means they are not aware of or address gaps in learning and misconceptions that pupils may have. As a result, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that teachers check pupils’ understanding systematically to identify and address any gaps in learning or misconceptions.  At times, teachers do not adapt their teaching to support pupils with SEND in accessing the curriculum. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could in some subjects. The school should ensure that teachers know how to adapt their delivery of the curriculum in these subjects so that pupils with SEND can learn successfully.

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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 school to be good for overall effectiveness in June 2015. 25 February 2025

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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). 25 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Rise Multi-Academy Trust.  The executive headteacher was appointed in September 2023.  The school has a religious character and is a Church of England school. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in December 2022. The next inspection will take place within 5 years of the previous inspection.  The school does not use any providers of 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 February 2025

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 The inspectors spoke to the executive headteacher and trust directors.  The lead inspector met with the chair and members of the local governing committee and the chair of the board of trustees.  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.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  The inspectors spoke to pupils and observed their behaviour during lessons and at social times.

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Inspection team

Paul Halcro, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Rouse Ofsted Inspector 25 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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