Edleston Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Edleston Primary School Denver Avenue, Crewe, Cheshire CW2 7PX

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Outcome

Edleston 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?

Pupils at Edleston Primary School are happy and excited to learn. The school is a friendly and welcoming place, where pupils celebrate the diverse cultures that co-exist in their community. Pupils are proud to be anti-bullying ambassadors, school councillors and sports leaders. These roles help them feel empowered. Pupils play their part in important decision-making and use their voice to suggest changes. For example, improving the lunch menu.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Pupils leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education. They model the school’s values of consideration, aspiration, responsibility and enjoyment. These values start in the Reception class, where children quickly settle into well-established routines. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with caring staff. They are confident that adults will help them if they have a worry or concern. This helps them to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to develop their talents and interests. They showcase their skills in music, drama and dance performances for their families. Pupils attend the various after-school-clubs, such as yoga, sewing and gardening. They learn about inspirational people from the past and have a secure understanding of different faiths. This helps to prepare them for life in modern Britain.

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

The school has worked well to review and implement revised curriculums in most subjects. This means that pupils study a well-ordered curriculum, which details clearly the important knowledge and vocabulary that they should learn from the Reception class through to Year 6. The school identifies swiftly the needs of pupils with special 1 and 2 July 2025

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educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make sure that these pupils receive effective support and access the same curriculum as their peers.

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In most subjects, the school has established effective systems to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Staff mainly use assessment information to design activities, which help pupils make links in their work. They check and make sure that pupils remember the important knowledge in the subjects they study. Nevertheless, some pupils do not learn as well as they could. This is because some historical gaps in their knowledge and understanding of some curriculum subjects have not been addressed well enough.

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Reading is a priority. Children are introduced to phonics from the moment that they first join the Reception Year. Staff teach the school’s phonics programme effectively. They check and adapt the programme very well for any pupils who join the school at different points in the academic year, including some who speak English as an additional language. When required, the school also provides additional help for those pupils who need to catch up. All of this means that pupils learn to read quickly and fluently.

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In 2024, Year 6 pupils’ attainment in reading was below average. The school has carefully analysed the reasons for this outcome. Mostly, the gaps in pupils’ reading knowledge were as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. The school is taking suitable action to help current pupils make up for lost learning. As a result, current pupils read with accuracy and understanding. However, some older pupils do not talk with confidence about different authors and the books they read. This is because the school has not promoted a love of reading well enough to enable these pupils to gain an appreciation of rich and varied texts.

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Pupils behave well. Children in the early years learn to play cooperatively and they take pride in keeping their classroom and outdoor area tidy. Older pupils have equally positive attitudes towards their learning. Classrooms are calm and focused, with pupils keen to do their best. Breaktimes are harmonious occasions and provide time for pupils to socialise and play games with their friends, including ‘four in a row’.

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The school provides a wide range of activities to support pupils’ personal development. Pupils enjoy taking part in events, such as science week, mental health awareness day and residential trips. These experiences help pupils to learn more about the world in which they live and build their confidence and social skills.

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Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. Many arrive excited to achieve the coveted ‘attendance awards’ or to be welcomed by ‘Batman and Robin’. The school works effectively with families to understand and remove any barriers that hinder regular attendance. The school is making sure that the number of pupils who are persistently absent is reducing dramatically.

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The school is ambitious for all staff and pupils to succeed. It puts pupils at the heart of its work. School leaders have a clear vision for the quality of education and they are supported well by a strong governing body. Recent changes to governance and support from the local authority has brought stability and a clear direction during the change in 1 and 2 July 2025

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leadership. Staff are proud to work at the school and appreciate the school’s careful consideration of 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 some subjects, the school has not addressed gaps in pupils’ previous knowledge effectively enough. As a result, pupils do not learn as well as they could. The school should ensure that any historical gaps in pupils’ knowledge are swiftly remedied, so that pupils have a secure foundation on which to build new learning and achieve as well as they could.  The school does not support pupils effectively enough to develop a strong love of reading. This limits pupils’ knowledge of authors and books they read. The school should promote a culture of reading to develop pupils’ interest and enjoyment in literature, reading and poetry.

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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 May 2016. 1 and 2 July 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). 1 and 2 July 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 February 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, the school has appointed a new headteacher and chair of governors.  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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and members of staff. 1 and 2 July 2025

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 The inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors. She also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  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 reviewed a range of documents, including records of governing body meetings, the school’s evaluation of its strengths and areas for improvement and documents related to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school and observed their behaviour at lunchtime. She took account of Ofsted’s online survey for

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pupils.  The inspector spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. She considered the views of staff shared through Ofsted’s online survey.  The inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text comments.

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Inspection team

Dianne Holcroft, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 July 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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