Cradley CofE Primary School

Inspection Report Cradley CofE Primary School

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116874 Unique Reference Number Herefordshire Local Authority 290665 Inspection number 5 December 2006 Inspection date Julia Coop Reporting inspector

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

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Cradley School address Primary Type of school Malvern Community School category WR13 5NG 4 °11 Age range of pupils 01886 880315 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01886 880913 Fax number 103 Number on roll (school) Hugh Wagstaffe Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Dawn B Hyett Headteacher 18 June 2001 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290665 5 December 2006 4 °11 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

This small Voluntary Aided school serves the village of Cradley and surrounding areas. The majority of pupils are of White British heritage. A significant number of pupils join the school at times other than in Reception. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities is rising and is well above average in some year groups. Attainment on entry to Reception varies each year but is broadly in line with what is expected. Year group sizes are uneven and there are many more boys than girls in most classes. Pupils are taught in mixed-age classes. The school moved into a new building in November 2004. The school has achieved NAACE, ICT mark, Healthy School status and Active mark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Grade: 2

This is a good and improving school. This is the result of effective leadership and management and the energy and dynamic leadership skills of the headteacher. She has harnessed and developed staff skills well and created a small but hardworking team of staff who are ambitious for the school to succeed. As a result, there is a strong team spirit. Because of the commitment of all staff and governors, and effective links with external agencies, the school is well placed to go from strength to strength. Behaviour is good and has improved significantly. This is in part due to a more consistent approach to managing behaviour, initiated by the headteacher. Coupled with strong Christian values, which helps generate mature, thoughtful and hardworking pupils who enjoy learning in the well-equipped new school building. Consequently, personal development and well-being are good. New arrivals are welcomed and quickly

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Grade: 2

settle into the school routines because of the good care, support and guidance provided for all pupils within the friendly family atmosphere. Classroom relationships are strong and pupils, including those with learning difficulties or disabilities, feel valued and cared for as individuals. They feel safe, knowing there is always someone to turn to if they have a problem and say that any 'silly behaviour on the playground is sorted out quickly'. Pupils also feel well supported in their academic work. They like having individual learning targets, but teachers' marking is inconsistent and does not always provide pupils with sufficient information to help them improve further. In this small school, standards vary each year. Nevertheless, the pupils achieve well and reach above average standards at the end of Year 6. Children get off to a satisfactory and secure start in Reception. Children make good progress in their personal

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Grade: 2

and social development. The main reason that pupils are doing better than at the last inspection is because teaching has improved and is now good. Throughout the school, pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities make good progress because activities are well matched to their ability. However, the school recognises that in a few lessons, although they make satisfactory progress, some more able pupils are not consistently challenged. This happens across the school, but particularly in Years 1 and 2, and this is why few pupils reach the higher levels. Pupils' spiritual and cultural awareness is excellent. Their understanding of other faiths is impressive because the school works very hard to expand the pupils' horizons beyond the village. A much better and effective curriculum with an impressive range of additional activities for a small school succeeds in achieving the school vision of 'Enriching Lives'. Pupils themselves say that they don't want to leave school some

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Grade: 2

evenings because 'they have such fun' in all the clubs.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that all more able pupils have sufficient challenge to enable them to reach higher standards, particularly in Years 1 and 2. • Ensure that teachers' marking provides good guidance to the pupils about how to improve their work. 2 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average at the end of Year 6 and pupils achieve well. Children make satisfactory progress in the Reception class whatever their starting point and most reach the expected goals by the time they start in Year 1. Good relationships and secure routines successfully help them become happy learners who make good gains in their personal and social development. Standards are average at the end of Year 2. They are not higher than this for two main reasons. The first is that an increasing number of pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities start in the school in Year 1 and 2. The second reason is that the most able pupils are not challenged enough and so few of them reach the higher levels which lowers the overall standards attained. Some of the more able pupils also say they find some work 'a bit too easy at times'. The school recognises that there is potential to provide more challenge for the most able pupils across the school, but it is too soon

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Grade: 2

for actions recently taken to have borne fruit. Pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities achieve well in all year groups because of the effective way that the school meets these pupils' individual learning needs.

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Grade: 2

Pupils enjoy learning in this stimulating environment. Pupils have confident, warm relationships with each other and with staff. The new buildings and developments, such as the outside area for the youngest pupils, contribute strongly to pupils' pride in their school. Attendance is good and pupils feel secure and happy and they know how to make safe and sensible decisions. Although they admit there is occasionally 'silly behaviour' on the playground, they have no concerns about bullying because their moral and social development is good. Apart from a reluctance to take the hot lunch option, pupils respond well to the many healthy initiatives promoted by the staff and are eager to complete the 'Power Challenge' by running circuits most days to build up their fitness levels. Pupils' spiritual growth and sense of inner peace is excellent. It is sensitively formed through many opportunities to make contributions to assemblies, moments of

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Grade: 2

thoughtful quiet reflection and an emphasis on learning about different values each month. As one parent stated, 'values education provides an excellent background and blueprint for their future lives'. The school is culturally rich with good arts provision. In addition, because the school harnesses links with different faith groups extremely well and provides opportunities for pupils to observe, join in worship and speak to worshippers in a cathedral, a gurdwara, a mandir, a mosque and a synagogue, the pupils very quickly learn to respect other cultural and spiritual viewpoints. As a result, their cultural development is outstanding and they have a mature and impressive understanding of life in a multi-faith society. 3 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Grade: 2

Throughout the school, very good relationships and the use of praise and encouragement ensure pupils try hard to do their very best. Pupils are clear about what they are expected to learn and work well together or independently. Teachers have to plan to meet the needs of a wide age and ability range. They generally do this successfully although occasionally, activities lack sufficient challenge for the more able pupils. Some parents agree, and justifiably consider that their children are 'bright and could be stretched more'. Resources are used well to make learning interesting. A strength of many lessons is the effective use of interactive whiteboards to provide a focus for the lesson. Pupils are willing and confident to answer questions and readily volunteer to work on the whiteboard in front of their classmates. Teaching assistants are effective and give good support to pupils with learning difficulties or disabilities, although on occasions

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Grade: 2

they do not stand back and let the pupils 'get on with it'. The Reception children are well integrated with older pupils. Staff are now checking children's attainment when they start and this is helping them to plan activities and monitor their progress. The recent development of the outdoor area and new gazebo mean that staff are beginning to plan a wider variety of activities to ensure that children can make more choices about their own learning, although on occasions, learning is a little too teacher-directed.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum has improved considerably since the last inspection. It provides a range of interesting learning experiences, although the school recognises a need to develop the provision for gifted and talented pupils. However, opportunities to learn philosophy help develop pupils' speaking, listening and logical thought processes, giving them confidence to voice their opinions. German and French are taught in school, whilst Latin, Spanish and French clubs are very popular. Arts provision is strong and pupils' artwork is of a high standard. Good literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills are effectively woven into many areas of learning. Coupled with opportunities for the school council to manage a budget and for all pupils to take part in democratic decision-making and community life, pupils become well-rounded individuals who develop a good community spirit and are well prepared

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Grade: 2

for later life. 4 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Grade: 2

The school provides a calm and orderly learning environment where pupils are safe, secure and valued. All procedures for risk assessment and child protection are followed rigorously. New arrivals of all ages are helped to settle quickly and those pupils with a learning difficulty or disability thrive and enjoy success because of the good provision provided for them. One parent commented that the school has helped her child 'grow in confidence due to the pastoral care and support received'. There is good liaison with parents, the majority of whom express a high level of satisfaction with the school's care. One or two parents felt that supervision was not sufficient at playtimes, but the inspection found this was not the case. The school assesses pupils regularly and tracks their performance carefully. Pupils are set individual targets and they say these help them to progress. Pupils understand how to improve their work and what next steps they should make. However, although

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Grade: 2

some pupils' work is marked and commented on with care and sensitivity, this quality is not consistent across the school. Pupils themselves say they would welcome 'more feedback'.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher, despite a considerable teaching commitment, successfully drives the work of the school. Despite the difficulties associated with moving and settling into a new school building, she has made improvements to teaching and learning. The effective partnership established with other schools and the innovative links established with other faith communities have not only successfully broadened the curriculum but have ensured that pupils' attitudes to learning have improved considerably. As one member of staff commented, 'the headteacher has changed the whole ethos by reaching out to the community'. Other key staff are developing their management skills well. The monitoring of teaching and learning by middle managers is developing well but their evaluations could be more rigorous in order to bring about improvements. However, staff work cohesively and are a hardworking team who share a desire to improve and willingly embrace

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Grade: 2

change. Governors have systematic processes to help them monitor and evaluate school effectiveness. The school takes into account pupils' and parents' views and knows itself well. This has led to accurate priorities being identified and a clear sense of direction and purpose. 5 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• Thank you so much for the friendly way you chatted to us when we visited. We know you are proud of your new school building and we loved your beautiful art work. We know you and your families think Cradley is a good school and we agree. We liked these things most: • you are confident and sensible and you behave well • we think the teachers are good at teaching and help you learn well • we were very impressed with the way you sit and reflect quietly in assembly and • know about other religious faiths • we think that you must have a really good time in all the clubs and activities • everyone takes good care of you. We know you like running circuits and • know how to keep healthy • everyone works hard to make Cradley a good place to learn. There are two things that we want the staff and governors to do to make Cradley even better: • make activities more challenging for some of you so that you can learn even more

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• to improve the way they mark your books so that you are given even more information about how to improve your work. We hope you go on working hard and enjoying all of the interesting activities which help you learn and play. 9 Inspection Report: Cradley CofE Primary School, 5 December 2006

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