Cauldwell School

Cauldwell School

Address: Edward Road, MK42 9DR Unique reference number (URN): 144528

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders take a multipronged approach to securing high attendance. They make the school a place that pupils value, where positive relationships encourage them to attend every day. Leaders work closely with families to overcome barriers to attendance, providing practical and pastoral support where needed. Their visible presence at the school gates each morning ensures that there are high levels of punctuality. Leaders are relentless in their drive for pupils to attend well. As a result, leaders' actions are securing high attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

The school’s approach to behaviour supports pupils to concentrate very well in lessons and to treat others with courtesy. Leaders’ actions ensure that the high expectations they set are realised in practice. This creates a calm and welcoming school environment where praise abounds, and bullying is rare. Classrooms have a distinctly purposeful, studious atmosphere. Over time, this transforms pupils’ behaviour, enabling them to take greater responsibility for themselves and their learning. Social times are abuzz with fun and smiles. Pupils enjoy one another's company and benefit from the warm relationships they have with staff and their friends.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders have created and maintained a highly inclusive culture in the school. This leads to the school's day-to-day practices around inclusion being of a high quality. As a result, the individual needs of pupils are well understood and met. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive well-tailored support to help them learn and develop well. Leaders keep a sharp eye on how well pupils with SEND are doing, making adaptations or changes to their provision as needed. Disadvantaged pupils receive equally high-quality support.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Leaders' well-honed assessment practices are put to work when pupils join the school mid- year, often speaking little or no English. Leaders swiftly find out what these pupils know and can do. This means there is an accurate picture of what these pupils need in order for them to learn and develop well. Highly effective engagement with families, and external agencies, ensures that the right support is provided at the right time.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Likewise, the school's work with pupils who are young carers means they are extremely well supported. These pupils benefit greatly from a range of opportunities to share their experiences with others in a similar position.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

An understanding of cultural diversity is a theme that runs through the school. Pupils learn about, and celebrate, a range of different cultures. The school's International Week provides pupils with the chance to share, for example, food, cultural dress and religious beliefs with their classmates. Rich opportunities such as these enable pupils to learn about and understand the differences between themselves and others. This understanding leads to the

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Expected standard

harmonious feel within the school, where all pupils are valued and celebrated.

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Expected standard

Pupils experience a coherent, thoughtfully structured personal, social and health education programme. This programme builds their knowledge and confidence year by year. They learn about different types of relationships and how they change as they grow up, at an age- appropriate level. Older pupils talk openly and maturely about sensitive topics. Pupils are empathetic towards the challenges their peers face. The young carers club and wellbeing club provide very effective pastoral support. Pupils who attend these clubs learn the importance of managing their own mental health and how socialising and fresh air can be of benefit. Pupils understand that exercise is important in keeping them physically and mentally healthy.

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Expected standard

The wider opportunities on offer for pupils are plentiful. Leaders use their in-depth knowledge of pupils’ needs to ensure that opportunities are well designed to provide high- quality experiences. Older pupils who are ‘reading buddies’ delight in these roles. Those who learn to play brass instruments take great pride in their performances. Pupils on the eco-council make a real difference to the levels of recycling and energy use in school. These opportunities, along with many more, help raise pupils’ aspirations. They are carefully guided to see what is on offer in the wider world as they grow older.

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Achievement Expected standard

Over time, pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, attain and progress well in reading and mathematics. Pupils develop a solid grasp of mental calculations as they move through the school years. This helps them to solve even more complex mathematical problems successfully. While consistently improving, there is more to be done to bring the quality of pupils' writing to the standard leaders expect.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils learn well across other curriculum areas. They develop a detailed knowledge that helps ready them for their next stages in learning. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities learn well. They acquire the knowledge and skills they need to be successful. Older pupils who have not yet mastered skills in reading, for example, catch up well. Where some of these pupils join the school speaking English as an additional language, they quickly go on to become confident in their spoken English.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum across the school is well designed and implemented securely. Sensible and appropriate adaptations are made to support the differing needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and other vulnerabilities. Teachers have secure subject knowledge in the subjects they teach. They explain new ideas and concepts to pupils clearly. Early reading is skilfully taught, leading to pupils learning to read well. Carefully tailored additional support is in place for those pupils who need further help with reading.

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Needs attention

Pupils remember much of what they are taught in subjects such as history and geography, because they build new knowledge on what they already know. Regular checks on pupils' learning identify what they have remembered so that any gaps in learning can be addressed. Support for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND removes any barriers to learning. Pupils keep up with learning and remember important knowledge across wider subjects in the curriculum.

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Needs attention

Leaders' work to fully embed the relatively new writing curriculum is well underway. That said, there remains more to do to ensure that the teaching of writing is as high quality as that in other subjects.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders act with great integrity in all of their work. Pupils sit at the heart of their decision- making. Leaders know the aspects of the school that are working well, and those aspects that need further development. Where leaders identify issues that need improvement, they take the right action at the right time. For example, while there remains more to do, the work to improve pupils' writing is bearing fruit. Similarly, leaders know that some aspects of the provision in the early years need to be improved. They have already taken the right steps to improve, and their work to refine this is ongoing and effective.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are proud to work in the school. They expect the very best from pupils, whatever their background or individual needs, and these high expectations flow from leaders. Leaders take care of staff's wellbeing and workload. Staff, including teachers in the early stages of their careers, receive effective professional learning. This helps them to continue to improve and sharpen their practice.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Relationships with parents and carers and the wider community are hugely positive. The school is a central part of the local community. These relationships are used very well to provide support and guidance for pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged or who have other additional needs.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Trustees and members of the local advisory board work closely to provide appropriate challenge and support for leaders. They carry out their statutory duties well.

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Early years Needs attention

Leaders have accurately identified that children would benefit from more high-quality interactions during their time learning through play. This is because there are times when some children do not receive the interaction they need to support and guide their learning or develop their language. While children get off to a positive start with their early reading skills, and they quickly learn new sounds and begin to read words, the expectations of what they need to do in terms of writing are sometimes not well matched. Children can sometimes be asked to complete writing tasks when they do not have the skills and knowledge they need to be successful.

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Early years Needs attention

Children quickly develop a sense of belonging when they start at the school. This is because staff get to know children and families well. Leaders ensure that staff establish familiar routines, using picture cues to help children who speak English as an additional language to understand what will happen now and what to do next. This means children settle quickly in this warm and positive environment.

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Early years Needs attention

Children develop their physical skills using the large apparatus outside, creating obstacle courses and developing perseverance as they practise balancing over them.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils attend a school where each is seen as an individual and many pupils speak different languages. They delight in working, socialising and playing with friends across the school day. Happiness and kindness shine through in all that pupils do. They also love sharing and celebrating their own backgrounds and cultures with their friends. This leads to a well- established culture of respect, where pupils understand one another’s similarities and differences.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils work hard, trying their best in lessons, and their attendance is high. Teachers make learning interesting, which helps pupils to enjoy their time in class. On the whole, pupils achieve well. By the time they leave the school at the end of Year 6, many are ready for secondary school.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ individual needs are well understood by staff. Consequently, any barriers that a pupil may face are reduced. For example, a significant number of pupils join the school mid-year, many speaking little or no English. These pupils are skilfully supported to learn English quickly, through the school’s well-established programme.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Children in the early years benefit enormously from warm and caring relationships with adults. However, adults do not always have the knowledge they need when talking with children about their learning. The youngest children are sometimes asked to write words and phrases for which they do not yet have the phonic knowledge to be successful.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Opportunities for pupils to broaden their horizons are rich and plentiful. Whether performing poetry at the local festival of speech and drama, competing in sports competitions or tending to their own vegetables, pupils play an active role in the school and local community. Leaders design these opportunities based on their deep knowledge of the school and local community. This ensures all pupils benefit enormously, whatever their background.

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Team inspectors:

Daniel Short, His Majesty's Inspector Katie Devenport, His Majesty's Inspector Mireille MacRaild, His Majesty's Inspector

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Next steps

• Leaders should continue to prioritise providing staff in the early years with professional development to improve the frequency and quality of interactions that adults have with children. • In the early years, leaders should ensure writing opportunities build on children’s phonics knowledge and physical skills, enabling them to write with increasing confidence, control and accuracy. • Leaders should continue to ensure teaching enables pupils to understand and apply the writing process confidently, strengthening their grammar, spelling and composition skills across the curriculum.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Heart Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, David Morris, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Hoare.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the chief executive officer of the trust, the school improvement director, trustees and members of the local advisory board and a range of other school leaders and staff during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Judith Apps The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 4.7% 5.1% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (1 term) 13.4% 14.3% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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