Cranbourne Primary School

Cranbourne Primary School Inspection report

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109835 Unique Reference Number Bracknell Forest Local Authority 325040 Inspection number 20–21 October 2008 Inspection dates Alan Jarvis Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 159 School (total) 8 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Dr V Forster Chair Mr C Sambrook Headteacher 16 November 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Lovel Road School address Winkfield SL4 2EU 01344 882350 Telephone number 01344 890590 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 20–21 October 2008 Inspection dates 325040 Inspection number .

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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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. Most come from White British backgrounds whilst a few originate from a range of minority ethnic heritages. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is well below average. A below average proportion have learning difficulties and/or disabilities (LDD). Most of these pupils need support for their speech and language difficulties or autism. The proportion with a statement of special educational need is higher than typically found in a school of this size. More pupils than normal join or leave part way through the school year. There is one Reception class in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). The headteacher took up post in January this year and the deputy headteacher in September.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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Grade: 3

Cranbourne is a satisfactory and improving school. It has a 'family feel'. Everyone is made to feel welcome and valued. The school is emerging in good heart following a period of uncertainty and turbulence caused by several changes of key staff. Reading is a strength throughout the school. The school is caring and the pupils' personal development is good. Consequently, parents hold it in warm regard. As one wrote, 'My daughter would not do as well in a larger school and she is thriving.' The new headteacher has quickly made his mark supported by an effective team of governors. Together they drew up an action plan to deal decisively with the marked drop in standards in 2007 in the Year 6 national tests, declining attendance and a staffing structure that did not have sufficient capacity to move the school forward. The impact of this is already emerging. Rigorous monitoring of attendance and punctuality has ensured that attendance has risen to

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Grade: 3

be average and continues to improve. Improvements are also evident in the other two areas. However, the full effect of the measures taken to secure improvements is yet to be felt. The main priority facing the headteacher was to sustain the already strong teaching in the EYFS and Years 1 and 2 and improve teaching in Years 3 to 6 which was uneven in quality. Initially, the clear academic targets set for each teacher to achieve with their classes, close monitoring of teaching and pupils' progress, and the better support provided to target pupils at risk of underachieving, all had a beneficial effect. The impact was seen in the improved results in the 2008 tests, which although average overall, showed a good recovery over the previous year. Recent teaching appointments have strengthened teaching further and it is now predominantly good. Most pupils are making good gains in lessons. This improvement is too recent to

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Grade: 3

compensate fully for gaps in pupils' knowledge and understanding. Consequently, their achievement over time is satisfactory. There are three other main reasons why achievement is satisfactory. First, standards in writing are not nearly as high as they are in reading. Importantly, very few pupils are able to write at the higher level at the end of Year 6. This is because the curriculum provides insufficient opportunities for pupils to develop high quality writing in all subjects. Second, academic guidance is satisfactory rather than good. Too few opportunities are taken through marking to help pupils understand what they can do well and what they have to do to improve their work. In addition, teachers in different classes set targets for pupils in different ways. This means that often they are not individualised or aspirational enough and do not provide a spur for learning. Third, although pupils with a statement of special educational need are making good progress,

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Grade: 3

it is satisfactory for other pupils with learning difficulties. Pupils enjoy coming to school and say, 'We really like swimming, PE lessons and the way in which our teachers make learning fun.' Their good behaviour, improving attendance, awareness of how to lead healthy lifestyles and good attitudes to learning all help provide a secure platform on which further improvements can be made. Bullying and exclusions are rare. Pupils feel safe because of the good personal care provided. Good links with the local community, outside agencies and other schools help them develop into confident, tolerant and mature youngsters. The headteacher has taken effective action to review the roles and responsibilities of leaders and managers at all levels and strengthen the common purpose amongst staff. However, the roles and responsibilities and the impact of middle managers who lead subjects remains inconsistent. Consequently, the educational direction they are providing through their monitoring

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Grade: 3

4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008 and development of provision is not yet strong enough to ensure all groups of pupils make consistently good progress. However, the school knows itself very well through its effective evaluation of its performance and understands well what it needs to do to make further advances. The recent improvements made to teaching, pupils' attendance and management show that the school has a good capacity for further improvement.

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Grade: 1

Children in the Reception class are given an outstanding start to their education. Currently, there are very few attending because the Autumn intake was small. These children benefit hugely from the excellent amount of high quality individual attention they receive from the class teacher and teaching assistant. The class teacher has a very good understanding of how very young children learn, and provides the children with exciting activities that capture their interest and help make learning fun. An important factor in ensuring that excellent learning takes place is the high quality dialogue between adults and children. Adults care for the children exceptionally well and place a very strong emphasis on developing the personal and social skills that provide a very secure platform for learning as children move through the school in later years. Children's individual needs are exceptionally well known and addressed. Currently, the

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Grade: 1

adults successfully manage the outdoor learning expected for children of this age. This is not easy, because the outdoor learning area is not immediately accessible from the Reception classroom. Attainment on entry is broadly average. From this starting point, children make very rapid progress and, by the time they transfer to Year 1 almost all achieve the goals expected of them, and a high proportion exceed these expectations. Leadership of the EYFS is good. The teacher in charge has a clear idea of what needs to be done to improve further, but has yet to produce a clear plan of action.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Develop the curriculum to provide more opportunities for pupils, particularly the more able, to improve their writing skills across all subjects. ■ Improve the quality of academic guidance to ensure that all pupils have challenging individual targets and that they know what to do to achieve them. ■ Develop the role of middle managers so that they rigorously monitor provision and ensure all staff are accountable for the progress achieved. A small proportion of schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before the next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Achievement is satisfactory. Standards at the end of Year 2 have been rising for several years and are above average. Standards have varied much more by the end of Year 6 and are currently average overall, but above average in science. The dip in Key Stage 2 reflects unevenness in the teaching of these classes but this has now been addressed. Standards in reading are high throughout the school. This results from the very strong reading programme and the expert teaching. However, writing is not nearly as strong. The gap between standards in writing and reading is most marked in Years 3 to 6. This shows in the very small number of pupils who successfully achieve the higher level in writing. Pupils with a statement of special educational 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008 need are now making good progress because of the priority given to identifying their needs and the carefully tailored support they receive. It is better than that of other pupils with learning

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Grade: 3

difficulties which, although improving as support for them is enhanced, remains satisfactory.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are good . For example, pupils relate well to one another, have a keen sense of right and wrong, learn to appreciate artwork and music and respect the cultural diversity within society. Pupils' clear appreciation of the importance of healthy lifestyles is evident in their knowledge about what constitutes a good diet and the popularity of the wide range of sporting and physical activities provided. The daily 'Kick Start' exercise sessions are greatly enjoyed by pupils and staff alike. Pupils know how to keep safe, and demonstrate this in lessons and their responsible conduct around the school. Behaviour is good. In closely controlled situations, such as when entering or leaving assembly, it is frequently impeccable. Pupils' attitudes towards their education are good. 'I like our teachers best of all because they're nice and help you when you're stuck' typifies their views.

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Grade: 2

Pupils develop effectively skills in citizenship through, for example, the school council and the opportunities provided for them to take on greater responsibility as they get older. School councillors are keen to help make their school better and have decided to address the problem of litter as their next improvement project. Pupils make a good contribution to the wider community through their links with local schools and charitable fund-raising activities, such as the regular collection of small change to help support a child in India. Pupils' good social skills help prepare them for secondary school and in becoming life-long learners. However, this strength is offset by their average standards in numeracy and literacy, particularly writing.

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Grade: 2

The impact of initiatives to improve teaching and learning is seen in the good teaching and learning which is now typically found. Teachers are skilled in managing pupils' behaviour and, as a result, classroom relationships are good. Lessons hold pupils' attention because the teachers use a variety of resources and methods to capture their interest and sustain learning at a good pace. Teaching assistants support pupils' learning well. They, and teachers, make a significant impact when they carefully use questions to make ideas clear or pinpoint how to tackle or solve a particular problem. In one outstanding lesson, the teacher fine tuned her plans to tailor learning so that it enabled all pupils to work at the limit of their capabilities. However, some variation occurs when teachers are too accepting of curriculum plans and do not ensure learning is consistently challenging to all groups of pupils.

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Grade: 3

A good range of visits, visitors and additional activities enrich the curriculum especially in sport, music and drama. A review of the curriculum has already identified that planning needs to be improved to routinely provide more opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills across all subjects. This is particularly the case for the more able pupils. Improvements are evident in the availability and use of information and communication technology to ensure pupils make 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008 use of computers more frequently in learning. Teachers are streamlining and enhancing creativity within the curriculum by introducing topics such as 'A chair for Zeus'. This worked well and combined work in literacy, history and design and technology, adding depth and independence to learning.

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Grade: 3

Adults in the school are particularly good at building pupils' trust and confidence. The school is vigilant about health and safety and child-protection matters, and provides good quality day-to-day care for pupils. The academic guidance given to pupils is satisfactory overall. There is good quality dialogue between teachers and pupils during lessons, but teachers' marking of pupils' work does not always provide clear information about what they need to do to improve. Pupils have learning targets to achieve, but these are generally group targets and do not always provide enough challenge for individuals within the group.

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Grade: 3

The school previously worked without a deputy headteacher. The new deputy has made a good start in improving provision in Years 3 to 6, mathematics and assessment procedures but it is too early to see the fruits of her work. The overview of the provision for pupils with learning difficulties and the support they are given is in good order. The impact is already evident in the stronger progress these pupils make and the much closer contact with parents. A clear structure is now in place to ensure that a member of staff leads and manages every curriculum subject. The headteacher is making training available and providing support to enable these middle leaders to develop their leadership skills and work collaboratively. The school satisfactorily promotes community cohesion. The headteacher recognises that more opportunities could be provided to help pupils participate in activities with pupils from quite different backgrounds

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Grade: 3

to their own. The governors are particularly effective at evaluating the impact of the school development plan and taking steps to improve the effectiveness of their own work. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

1 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 1 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 3 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

06 November 2008 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cranbourne Primary School,Winkfield,SL4 2EU Thank you for being so friendly and for making the inspectors feel welcome when we visited your school recently. We particularly liked your 'Kick Start' sessions and your attractive site. Your school provides you with a satisfactory education but there are clear signs of it getting better day by day. Here are some of the really good things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The children in the Reception class make a flying start to school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your standards in reading are particularly good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You really know how to eat healthily and keep fit.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Good links have been developed with the local community, agencies and other schools which provide you with good personal support and exciting activities. ■ Your attendance is improving. Why not make it even better!

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Teaching is much better this year and is good.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well and sometimes impeccably.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ The adults care for you well and make sure you are happy and safe at all times.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You behave well, are kind to each other and bullying is rare.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and governors are doing a particularly good job.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

We have asked your teachers to help to make the school even better by helping you to improve and develop your writing in all subjects. This is a particular goal for those of you who are capable of reaching the higher levels. Your teachers are finding out as much as they can about what you can do and what you need to do to improve. We would like them to use this information to set really challenging targets for you and help you reach these. We have also asked the teachers who are in charge of subjects to make sure they help other teachers to ensure you make good progress. We hope that you will always enjoy school as much as you do now and you will strive to do as well as you can in the future. Yours sincerely Dr Alan Jarvis Lead Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cranbourne Primary School, 20–21 October 2008

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