Cranbourne Primary School

Inspection Report Cranbourne Primary School

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109835 Unique Reference Number Bracknell Forest LEA LEA 278286 Inspection number 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005 Inspection dates Jeffrey White AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Lovel Road School address Primary Type of school Winkfield Community School category Windsor SL4 2EU 5 to 11 Age range of pupils 01344 882350 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01344 890590 Fax number 160 Number on roll Mr John Hogan Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Edwards Headteacher 15 November 2002 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278286 16 November 2005 - 5 to 11 17 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school admits pupils from a wide rural area. The range of socio-economic backgrounds is wide but attainment on entry to the school is broadly average. Pupils are largely of white British origin and about eight percent are from a range of different minority ethnic backgrounds. Eligibility for free school meals is below average. The percentage of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities (LDD) is below average overall but the proportion of pupils with statements of special educational needs is average. Children are admitted into the reception class at the beginning of the spring and summer terms, so there were no pupils in the Foundation Stage at the time of the inspection.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 3

The inspection findings confirm the school's view that its effectiveness is satisfactory. Good improvement has been made since the last inspection and the school no longer has serious weaknesses. Value for money is satisfactory and the school has the capacity to improve further. Pupils who are in Year 1 made good progress when they were in the Foundation Stage. Because of good teaching and learning, standards and achievement have improved especially in the infant years where they were unsatisfactory two years ago. They are now good. Teaching is good throughout the school and by the time pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6 standards are above average overall and high in reading, oral skills and science. Writing has improved throughout the school but standards in spelling and handwriting are not consistently good enough. A key strength is pupils' personal development and well-being. Pupils behave well, develop good relationships and have positive attitudes to their work.

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Grade: 3

They enjoy being able to express their views. The curriculum is sound overall and there is some good cross-curricular work.Pupils are well cared for so that they feel safe and confident. They are supported well by the teachers and support staff; they respond well to their individual targets in English, mathematics and science. Leadership and management are satisfactory overall and improving. The Local Education Authority (LEA) has been instrumental in supporting the headteacher in bringing about the necessary improvements in leadership and management. However, strategic targets for improvement are often not precise enough and their evaluation is not yet sufficiently rigorous. There is therefore scope for the school to improve even further. Governors meet their responsibilities adequately but are not sufficiently involved in monitoring the school's work.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Sharpen up the school's targets for improvement and evaluate progress towards them more thoroughly.* Improve pupils' writing, especially in the consistency of spelling and handwriting.

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Grade: 2

Standards and achievement are good overall. Records show that pupils made good progress in the Foundation Stage. By Year 6 standards are high in reading, oral skills and science. Standards are above average in mathematics and average in writing. Achievement is good overall. By Year 2 standards are above average in reading, mathematics and oral skills and average in writing. Achievement is good overall but progress in writing is satisfactory. Throughout the school the accuracy of spelling and handwriting is inconsistent.Pupils' oral skills are good. They talk confidently about their work and use a good range of vocabulary. They also read well.Pupils with LDD achieve as well as their peers as do the few pupils of minority ethnic background. Able pupils achieve particularly well in reading and science by the time they leave. 2 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 2

Inspection findings confirm the school's evaluation that pupils' personal development and well-being are good. The school is a harmonious community in which the quality of relationships, pupils' behaviour and their development are all good. Pupils have a good understanding of healthy lifestyles, enabling the school to win a bronze award.Pupils' good moral and social development is well supported by all adults in the school. Pupils enjoy their work and have a well-developed sense of right and wrong. They show good awareness of events within and outside the school. For example, the school is permanently sponsoring a boy in India. Pupils are currently collecting old spectacles, which are to be donated to children in need. Pupils show consideration and care for one another. They feel very safe and are confident that they can approach friends and teachers for help and support. Pupils' spiritual and cultural understanding

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Grade: 2

is satisfactory and is developed through a good range of sports and art activities and also through a developing awareness of cultural diversity. The pupils' attitudes to the school are good. This is evident from the above-average attendance and their consistently positive views about lessons and learning. Pupils participate very well in lessons and extra-curricular activities. In particular they enjoy the 'kick-start' sessions offered regularly. Pupils in Year 6 operate these short dance/aerobic exercise sessions, under supervised guidance. The school council takes its responsibilities seriously and provides a good means through which pupils' views are expressed and acted upon.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good overall and consequently pupils make good progress. Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils' learning, for example, by quietly and sensitively making sure pupils, especially those with LDD, listen well to teachers' instructions.In general, teachers plan lessons well and ensure that pupils know what is expected of them. Teachers promote discussion well at the beginning of lessons and a key strength is the encouragement of pupils to explain their thinking, for instance, when calculating mathematically. These strategies contribute significantly to pupils' oral skills. Teachers' questions are suitably well focused and at their best cater for the full range of pupil's abilities. Discipline is good and pupils behave well. In each class relationships are harmonious and pupils' co-operate well. They also work well independently. Pupils are diligent and settle quickly to work. These important

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Grade: 2

aspects of learning contribute well to achievement.Teachers are meeting with some success in improving pupils' writing, especially in the development of ideas and the teaching of grammar. However, the teaching of spelling and handwriting lacks consistency.Good teaching is helping standards to rise and achievement to improve. 3 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Grade: 3

Curriculum planning is thorough and well organised. National guidance is used and this ensures proper coverage of all the subjects. All groups take part in the full range of curricular activities and pupils show interest and enjoyment in them.School visits are undertaken by all year groups throughout the school. These enhance the children's understanding of particular subjects and increase their enjoyment of school life. Recently, for example, pupils have visited a Victorian school-room and the Science and Natural History museums, as well as Kew Gardens. Good cross-curricular links are made.Provision for extra-curricular activities is satisfactory. Although a good range of opportunities is provided for pupils to take part in 'one-off' sporting and musical events such as the Bracknell Schools' Music Festival and an indoor athletics tournament, the children would like there to be more on offer.

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Grade: 3

Parents are particularly pleased about how well their children are cared for. Arrangements are of good quality. Health and safety procedures are regularly reviewed, arrangements for child protection are good and adults throughout the school are made aware of their responsibilities. Pupils have confidence in their teachers and enjoy all aspects of school life. Pupils with LDD are well provided for.Arrangements for pupils' guidance are satisfactory. A particular strength is the use of targets for all pupils. These are universally of good quality and pupils are keenly aware of what they need to do to improve. Pupils' progress in subjects other than English, mathematics and science is not tracked carefully enough. Pupils are taught how to take care of themselves and to make healthy and safe choices. Even the youngest pupils appreciate the importance of healthy eating and this is supported through the offer of fruit and

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Grade: 3

vegetables that are available for infants and purchased by junior pupils.

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Grade: 3

Leadership and management are satisfactory overall and improving. The LEA has provided effective and sustained help to the headteacher and staff. A major turnover of teachers in the infant years has also helped the achievement and standards to improve because the teaching is now good. The headteacher's leadership is satisfactory overall with good features and room for improvement. The headteacher's commitment to promoting pupils' personal development and well-being has ensured that the school remains popular with parents and that pupils enjoy their life in school. Monitoring of the school's work has improved but targets for improvement and procedures to evaluate progress are not consistently thorough enough. The relatively recent formulation of a senior management team is a positive move forward. The team is inexperienced but enthusiastic and is beginning to make a difference in developing more consistent and

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Grade: 3

coherent planning and provision. Governors meet their responsibilities satisfactorily. 4 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005 They are becoming more involved in the school's work. However, they are not involved early enough in the school improvement process. The curriculum committee discusses pupils' standards and achievement but this does not happen regularly enough in the full governing body. Consequently governors are not as well equipped to evaluate the school's work as they could be. The school has improved since its last inspection and has the capacity to improve even further and to implement the issues set out in this report. 5 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 16 November 2005 to 17 November 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 3 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 2 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 3 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 3 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 3 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for your help on our visit to your school. We think you work hard, behave well and have good attitudes to your learning. You talked to us well and told us how much you enjoy school and the opportunities you have to give your views. Your work is good and you have been improving your writing. We have asked your teachers to help you to improve it even further, especially your spelling and handwriting. The teachers know how much progress you have made in English, mathematics and science and we have asked them to make sure they record your progress in other subjects. Your headteacher, teachers and governors want the school to improve even further. In order to do this we have asked them to plan the improvements more thoroughly.

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