Crick Primary School

Crick Primary School

Address: Main Road, Crick, Northampton, Northamptonshire, NN6 7TU Unique reference number (URN): 121812

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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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Achievement Expected standard

The school ensures that pupils learn the curriculum securely and make important progress over time. This is generally reflected in their outcomes and in published data. When there has been a dip in outcomes, for example in writing, leaders have moved quickly to bring about improvements. Targeted systems identify when pupils fall behind in their learning. They receive the support they need to catch up with curriculum content.

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Achievement Expected standard

The school ensures that pupils read fluently, write neatly and develop mathematical knowledge. Pupils do particularly well in the multiplication tables check. This means that pupils typically have the foundations for future learning. Work in books is generally of high quality. However, some pupils do not achieve as highly as they could in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils generally remember much of what they have learned in the wider curriculum. This includes disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils are suitably prepared for their next steps in learning.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils attend school regularly. When pupils’ attendance falls below the high expectations of the school, they respond quickly. Leaders work hard to understand the barriers to regular attendance. They have established positive partnerships with parents. Leaders are not afraid to have challenging conversations, particularly when pupils are persistently absent from school. When appropriate, the school works closely with agencies to help pupils overcome barriers to good attendance. Pupils’ attendance is broadly in line with national averages.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school has high expectations of pupils to behave well in school. Pupils enjoy school, are happy and start the day positively. The school is a calm place. Routines are well established. The behaviour policy is generally applied consistently. Pupils are respectful of the teacher and others around them. They develop positive attitudes to their learning and school. Pupils behave well.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The wide range of playtime activities on offer enables pupils to collaborate and learn with each other. Pupils understand how to measure risk with the equipment available. Pupils respect one another's space. They know that there are adults who will help them if they are worried. Pupils get on well with each other.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school has established an ambitious curriculum. This has been well planned and organised for all subjects. It sets out the key knowledge that pupils need to know and do and by when. This ensures that pupils have the knowledge they need for their next stage of learning. Leaders have ensured that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well. They have established a consistent approach to teaching. This ensures that pupils revisit prior learning. Developing important, foundational knowledge is a focus. This is generally implemented consistently across the school. Teachers check how well pupils are doing. When pupils have gaps in knowledge, they receive appropriate support. However, teachers do not consistently make effective use of the information they gather about pupils' learning. They do not adapt learning activities consistently well for pupils when necessary, particularly for higher attaining pupils.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders use information about the impact of teaching the curriculum to set clear plans for improvement. For example, when they recognised that the teaching of writing was not developing pupils’ knowledge effectively, they moved quickly to bring about improvements. The teaching of writing now links closely to the teaching of reading. Pupils now have a wider range of opportunities to write across the curriculum.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision to give children a positive start in the early years. The environment promotes adventure, exploration and understanding of the wider world.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff prioritise positive relationships and high-quality interactions with children. Clear vocabulary helps children to communicate. Children develop a wide range of language to express themselves.

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Early years Expected standard

Leaders ensure that there is a sense of purpose to all that takes place. This helps children to be focused and engaged. Well-planned activities support children's play, small-group work and focused adult support. Staff move purposefully around the setting, supporting and extending children's learning further when needed. Children typically work well together. Staff regularly check how well children progress through the curriculum. They provide appropriate support when children fall behind in learning.

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Early years Expected standard

Staff read a range of books to children. This embodies the importance the school places on reading. Children use these books as a stimulus for independent and collaborative play. For example, they created a racing car from a range of resources.

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Early years Expected standard

The school values effective partnerships with parents and carers and the wider community. This enhances learning, supports children's transition and promotes engagement. This, along with carefully targeted individual support, ensures that children are generally ready for their next stages of learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school demonstrates a positive, inclusive ethos. This ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those new to the UK, are supported to settle in quickly. These pupils soon feel part of the school's friendly community.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school is ambitious for pupils to do well. It has established effective systems that identify the needs of each pupil and any barriers they may have. These needs are communicated well to all staff who support these pupils. This ensures that staff generally provide tailored support. Learning is generally adapted appropriately so that pupils who need extra help receive the support they require.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders routinely check how well any support is helping pupils make progress. They make sure that, through regular training, teachers are well equipped to support the needs of pupils who may face barriers to learning and/or wellbeing. This includes disadvantaged pupils. When necessary, leaders seek the support of external agencies to enhance what the school can offer. This is coordinated, focused and integrated into the school’s work. Parents receive the information they need to help their child at home.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and governors ensure that resources are used effectively to support disadvantaged pupils appropriately.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have a clear vision and high expectations of all pupils. They know the school well, and they set clear plans for what the school should work on next. A structured programme of training ensures that staff feel part of the journey of improvement. Leaders routinely monitor the progress of these plans. However, they do not always evaluate precisely enough the information they have gathered. This means that practice in the school is not consistently embedded across all areas. Nevertheless, leaders always make decisions in the best interests of pupils.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors undertake their roles diligently. They are well informed. They offer the right balance of challenge and support. Governors are partners in supporting the school's continued progress.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders look after their staff well. Staff describe leaders as supportive, approachable and responsive to feedback. This contributes to a positive and collaborative working environment. There is an effective culture of professional development and teamwork across the school.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school works closely with parents. Parents talk positively about the school. They know that their child is well looked after. As one parent stated, 'Staff are approachable and caring; it always feels like a happy place when you enter the school.'

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Central to the school's work is its ambition for pupils to be positive, active citizens. To this aim, leaders ensure that the school's values weave throughout all of the school's work. Simple rewards 'catch' the pupils demonstrating these values. This helps pupils uphold the school's values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The curriculum ensures that pupils know how to look after their own health and keep themselves safe. This includes when working online. Pastoral support is of high quality. The school's mental health support routinely checks how well pupils and staff are doing. Pupils appreciate this support. They recognise the importance of good mental health. The school provides a wide range of activities for pupils. These provide a window to opportunities they may not ordinarily experience. This is carefully targeted to pupils' needs. It ensures that the most disadvantaged and vulnerable pupils have equality of access. Leaders thoughtfully consider how trips and visitors enhance the work of the school. For example, trips to a local shop enable children in early years to learn about shopping and providing for themselves. Work in a nearby forest helps pupils to learn how to look after themselves in the wild. Visitors provide an insight into other cultures and religions. Through

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

dance and cultural workshops, pupils develop an understanding of life in different parts of the world. This helps them appreciate that difference should be celebrated. Trips such as those to the House of Parliament deepen pupils' understanding of fundamental British values.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Monthly 'pupil voice' lunches with the headteacher ensure that pupils' thoughts and needs are routinely considered. The work of the school council brings about real change within the school. Pupils genuinely feel like they make a positive difference to this school.

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

Pupils enjoy attending this vibrant and supportive school. They feel safe and know that staff will look after them if they have any worries. Pupils get on well with each other. They behave well in and around school and enjoy their learning. Routines are well established, and children calmly enter school, eager to learn. Playtimes and lunchtimes are great fun. A wide range of activities enable pupils to collaborate and take calculated risks. Pupils actively support and praise one another.

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

The school’s values guide pupils in their actions. Pupils understand how living these values helps them become well-rounded British citizens.

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

Leaders have established an inclusive community. Pupils demonstrate a real sense of respect for one another. This is felt by both pupils and parents. As one parent stated, ‘This small school has a big heart and feels like a family.’

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

The school is keen to ensure that pupils develop both academically and personally. Trips and visits enable pupils to develop a wider knowledge. These enhance learning and bring it to life, providing greater purpose for pupils' education. Combined with the academic curriculum, this enables pupils to be ready for their next steps in education.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment checks more effectively to adapt tasks with greater precision, so that learning meets the needs of all pupils, particularly those capable of attaining very highly. Leaders should ensure that leaders at all levels carry out detailed and precise analysis of improvement actions, as a lack of precision sometimes slows the pace of improvement.

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Team inspectors:

Lisa Atkins, Ofsted Inspector Debonair Brown, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is John Tull.

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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, assistant headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, a school improvement adviser from the local authority, representatives from the governing body along with a wide range of staff, pupils and parents 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: Emma Staniforth 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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average

2023/24 (final) 66% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 53% 60% Close to average

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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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average

2024/25 (revised) 77% 75% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 75% 73% Close to average

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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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average

2023/24 (final) 76% 72% Close to average

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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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average

2023/24 (final) 72% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 66% 73% Close to average

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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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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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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 (2 term) 4.7% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.8% 5.9% 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

2022/23 (3 term) 13.6% 16.2% 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

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