Cringleford CE VA Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• There are no major areas of improvement needed but, to improve further, leaders should:
  • ensure that enriching activities provide even more opportunities for the most able pupils to be challenged
  • find even more opportunities to share and consistently adopt the best practice that exists.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher and senior leaders form a highly effective team. In turn, they empower other leaders to ensure that the quality of provision across the school is high. For example, science leadership reinvigorated science teaching by demonstrating to teachers that active involvement in ‘hands-on’ experimentation turns pupils on to science. Other subject leaders monitor the quality of provision through a range of useful monitoring activity. They train staff to teach their subjects well. Subject leaders monitor the progress of pupils in their subjects, ensuring that pupils make progress across the curriculum.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced. Inspectors observed pupils learning about personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE), history, music, art, Spanish, physical education, science, mathematics and English. Pupils were using computers, for example in Year 2, to make films involving stock animation. This skilfully brought together pupils’ work on the Great Fire of London, involving literacy, art, design and technology, geography, history, computing, science and mathematics. The work was also linked to keeping pupils safe through a fire safety talk and fire service visit.
• There are a large number of extra-curricular opportunities extending children’s skills in a range of artistic, creative and sporting activities. Examples include cluster events with other schools, a drama course, sports activities and clubs, a film club, an art club, peripatetic music and orchestra and trips, including residential ones.
• Leaders are continually striving to improve the school and their recent track record gives confidence in their capacity to continue doing so. Since the previous inspection, the quality of teaching has become consistently highly effective. As a result, the school now has a track record of pupils attaining and progressing significantly above the national average by the end of key stage 2. The school strives for high achievement in all subject areas, for example in sport, with the school achieving a School Games gold award for activities during 2015/2016.
• The school’s view of its own performance is accurate and reflects the deep understanding that governors and the headteacher have of their school and its many strengths and possible areas for improvement.
• The pupil premium is used very well to support the progress of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders carefully identify the barriers for learning for each individual and put in appropriate support to enable them to have an excellent experience in school.
• Similarly, the sports premium is used very effectively to drive up standards in physical education and ensure that children enjoy the subject and achieve well. The school actively participates in the Norwich School Sport Partnership and sports coaches both improve the skills and fitness of pupils and train staff.
• Leaders ensure that spending to support pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is used very effectively. They constantly review and evaluate the effectiveness of their actions. Teachers plan to meet the specific needs of individual pupils. Teaching assistants are assigned to where they are most needed during different parts of the day.
• The school promotes equality and diversity very well. As a result, all groups of pupils make excellent progress. There have been very few cases of prejudice-related incidents, all of which were followed up with parents as quickly as possible. The school actively promotes links between the school and the newly built home for older people to develop children’s respect for older people. Pupils enjoyed the visit from a record-breaking marathon runner who was raising awareness of bullying and homophobia. All groups of pupils are integrated well into all activities, as was demonstrated in an assembly and in classrooms.
• Leaders engage very effectively with parents through, for example, an extensive home-visit programme in Reception, curriculum evenings at the start of the year for all year groups, new intake evenings in July and September and parent/teacher consultations. Inspectors observed Year 2 pupils talking to their parents and families about their work at the end of assembly. Inspectors were particularly impressed by the ‘reading cafes’. While these take place for all classes through the year, there happened to be two during the inspection, both in the early years. These were extremely well attended and gave pupils, teachers and families the opportunity to learn together about helping children to read.
• The proportion of parents responding to Parent View (Ofsted’s online questionnaire) was well above average. Parents, pupils and staff responding to the inspection surveys were overwhelmingly positive about all aspects of the school, including its leadership. All parents responding would recommend the school. A typical comment was: ‘I am very happy with the school. I have had nothing but positive experiences with all of my daughter’s teachers.’
• Many stakeholders, including governors, were involved in the recent process of setting the vision and goals. Governors are actively represented at cluster level, meeting with governors and headteachers from all the schools in the cluster.
• Leaders make a positive contribution to the wider education system. For example, the headteacher was chair of the local cluster for four years and developed network meetings for subject leaders in English, special educational needs, mathematics and physical education, in order for best practice to be shared across the cluster and within the school.
• The school has adapted its assessment arrangements to take account of the new curriculum and ‘assessment without levels’. Last year, this ensured that pupils were prepared for the new national tests and pupils attained better than other pupils nationally. This year those assessment arrangements are extending from English and mathematics into science and the other subjects in the curriculum.
• A parental comment was representative of many in summing up the school: ‘We love our school – it is a real community. The staff are caring, hard-working, highly skilled and dedicated. Our children thrive here. We could not ask for any more from a school and are proud to call it ours.’

Governance of the school

• Governors play a key role in the school’s success. They have balanced the academic success of the school with the community and faith-based character of the school during its rapid expansion.
• Governors support leaders and staff, but are also rigorous in challenging the reports brought to them. For example, while welcoming the excellent progress of girls, governors have set the school the challenge of ensuring that boys reach similarly exceptionally high levels of attainment.
• Governors check that all levels of staff are rewarded through pay increases that reflect their achievement of targets.
• The chair of governors completed the ‘Leading Governance’ leadership development programme during 2016. This has led to an action plan to improve the impact of the governing body even further.
• Governors are fully involved in the school’s self-evaluation.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Governors and leaders are rigorous in ensuring that all safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements and are effective.
• Pupils feel safe. All statutory requirements are met. Records of the school’s contact with other agencies and schools are exemplary. Very nearly all parents responding to Parent View believed their child was safe, with most agreeing strongly. Pupils and staff agreed.
• Attention to pupil safety and well-being permeates the school.
• The ‘Prevent’ (anti-extremism) training has enabled all staff to feel confident in challenging any views or behaviour from pupils that could cause concern. E-safety policy guidance and teaching result in pupils being well aware of the potential dangers when online.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Lessons are characterised by excellent relationships between adults and pupils. Pupils of all abilities feel very well supported by teachers, who care deeply about their progress.
• Teachers have very secure subject knowledge that lends confidence to their teaching. This is true across a wide range of subjects. For example, Year 5 pupils were very enthusiastic when explaining to an inspector their learning in humanities about King Henry VIII and his six wives.
• Clear and established routines enable lessons to run smoothly. The brisk transitions between different classroom activities make the most of learning time. Classrooms are exciting and vibrant, yet calm and purposeful.
• Planning for lessons makes links to pupils’ prior learning. The evidence of effective planning is seen in the way lessons are adapted to meet the needs and interests of specific pupils in the class. Teaching assistants work well with pupils to improve their learning.
• Teachers generally use questioning very well. Inspectors saw effective use of ‘big questions’ being addressed in science in Year 1 and Year 3.
• Even at a young age, pupils are encouraged to be reflective. This was seen particularly in pupils’ learning in religious education and PSHE.
• Leaders and teachers carefully monitor the progress of pupils and give extra help as soon as anyone is identified as falling behind. The impact of any extra provision is monitored carefully.
• Teachers use an excellent range of resources. These include laptops, tablet computers, prompt sheets, mathematics equipment displays, mini-whiteboards and very effective use of e-whiteboards for whole-class teaching. Teachers use examples of pupils’ work effectively to model good practice. For example, the use of Tudor dance by another class provided the opportunity for one of the early years classes to give feedback on their performance.
• Teachers are diligent in their marking. Year 2 pupils could talk about their targets and show where they are in their books. In Years 5 and 6, pupils understood how their work would be assessed and how they would know what to do next. They found checks on their work by their peers helpful, as well as the teacher’s marking.
• Parents and pupils are positive about the nature of homework. Leaders have worked with parents to ensure that homework is supported and appropriate to the needs of the pupils.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding
• Pupils develop a good understanding of different cultures around the world. For example, through the link with a school in The Gambia, pupils gain an appreciation of inequality. They understand and are able to explain that differences and similarities are more complex than some countries simply being richer than others. Issues such as fair trade have been addressed through the Christian Aid assembly. Year 5 pupils correctly explained to inspectors the difference between fair trade and non-fair trade bananas.
• Pupils learn to look out for the needs of others, both in and out of school. They develop enterprise skills through fundraising for a variety of good causes, such as the Norwich Food Bank, The Gambia twinning school, Street Child of Sierra Leone, the Diocesan Lent Project, Children in Need, Red Nose Day and the Children’s Society. Pupils enjoy taking responsibility for looking after younger children in the school, for example through Year 6 play leaders and Year 5 and 6 pupils supporting key stage 1 pupils for sports day and the Children in Need day of activities.
• Pupils demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and take a pride in their work.
• Through the curriculum and assemblies, pupils develop an understanding of different faiths and cultures in modern Britain. The school makes effective use of the community and the parent body to promote this understanding. For example, there are visits to church, but a Muslim parent also recently explained some Islamic practices.
• Pupils are very respectful of one another and accept differences. Fundamental values of democracy, tolerance and respect for the rule of law are modelled well. Events such as Remembrance Sunday and Christmas are given due prominence. An excellent assembly, where Year 2 pupils used drama, song and their own film production, incorporated references to the emergency services. It gave all pupils, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, opportunities to perform in front of an audience of parents and family and ended with a pupil praying for people who help others in the emergency services.
• Pupils have a deep understanding of what does and what does not constitute bullying. They are aware of its different forms. They are confident that, if it were to occur, it would be dealt with well. They know who to approach and how to draw attention to any concerns.
• The curriculum and the interactions between pupils and adults ensure that pupils feel safe. During the inspection, pupils in different classes were being taught effectively about internet safety, as appropriate to their age. As a parent commented to inspectors, ‘The morals and ethics they instil in the children are excellent’.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Around the school at break and lunchtimes pupils get on really well together.
• In lessons, pupils’ passion for learning shines through. Any instances of teachers needing to manage behaviour are rare and, where it is necessary, the school’s policy is used quickly, quietly and effectively. Pupils, staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about behaviour.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school. As a result, their attendance is well above the national average. They are very punctual to lessons.
• Leaders have done a lot to ensure that the school’s environment, including the outdoor space, stimulates learning and offers lots of activities to keep pupils enjoying their learning and their playtime together.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Pupils begin school in the early years with broadly typical abilities. They make increasingly strong progress in Reception and key stage 1 so that, by the end of key stage 2, their progress is above average and their attainment is very high.
• In 2016, along with all other primary schools, the new curriculum and assessment presented the school with a challenge. Added to this was a long-term absence of the Year 6 teacher. Yet the progress and attainment of Year 6 pupils were above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils gain knowledge, skills and understanding well across a wide range of subjects. In 2015, progress and attainment were well above the national average and the school’s monitoring information, which has a track record of accuracy, shows the progress of current pupils to once again be well above average. The well-planned and well-monitored achievement across a wide range of subjects prepares pupils exceptionally well for secondary education.
• Disadvantaged pupils make better progress than other pupils nationally with similar starting points. By the end of Year 6, disadvantaged pupils in this school attain just as well as other pupils nationally.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make progress in line with all pupils. This is because their learning is very well managed by a senior leader. She is a reflective practitioner who is always looking for ways of improving her own practice and developing the practice of staff. External support for special educational needs is used well. Staff follow procedures and plan for the specific needs of pupils. A parent told inspectors about the school’s support for her two children who have special educational needs: ‘I struggle to find fault with it. Both my children love school, and my son is really well looked after’. She added, ‘The special educational needs coordinator, his teachers and teaching assistant are brilliant with him, and listen to my views. He has made excellent progress this year.’
• At the time of the previous inspection, the school was asked to provide greater challenge for higher-attaining pupils. Leaders and teachers together have successfully addressed this and higher-attaining pupils now make better progress than similar pupils nationally. Teachers provide challenge in lessons. For example, Year 6 pupils enthusiastically showed inspectors work they were doing using a spreadsheet to work out the levels of profit gained from different costs and revenue from different combinations of rides at a theme park. However, leaders are not complacent and a priority for them is to provide an even richer and even more challenging curriculum to stretch the most able pupils.
• Reading challenge has engaged pupils in improving their performance. Pupils in Years 2, 5 and 6 spoke to inspectors with enthusiasm, demonstrating their love of reading. This is supported by high-quality phonics teaching laying strong foundations. Outcomes in the Year 1 phonics check are well above average.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Children do very well. There has been a three-year rising trend in outcomes. There is at least good progress from different starting points. For some groups of pupils, for example boys, this progress is particularly marked.
• The early years is very effectively led and managed. Leaders identify and act on areas for development, such as boys’ writing. The positive impact of their actions can be seen clearly in the rapid progress that children make.
• Safeguarding is highly effective. Staff are regularly and well trained. Daily risk assessments and established routines and procedures ensure that pupils are kept safe. Staff are clear about how to record and report any concerns.
• A range of highly effective strategies are used to engage parents, including visits to local nurseries, home-visit record sheets, an extensive induction programme and events such as ‘reading cafes’ and parental involvement in contributing to ‘learning stories’. Parents feel that they are very well informed about their child’s progress. Parents’ comments from the ‘reading cafe’ included, ‘It was just awesome, the variety of activities for the parents to get involved in with the children.’
• A rich and stimulating learning environment provides a range of high-quality learning opportunities. Very good use is made of the outside environment, including the ‘forest school’. This enables learning activities led by the teacher and chosen by the children themselves that lead to progress that is at least consistently good and often even better.
• Overall, the highly effective teaching results in excellent outcomes, personal development and behaviour, which prepare children very well indeed for their progress in key stage 1.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121113 Norfolk 10023476 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 5 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 336 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Ross Ashton Neil Henery Telephone number 01603 454 946 Website Email address www.cringleford.norfolk.sch.uk head@cringleford.norfolk.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 2 March 2012

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• At the time of the previous inspection, Cringleford was smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is now larger than average and is continuing to grow.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is a little below average, while the proportion who speak English as an additional language is broadly average.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below average.
• The school meets current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for attainment and progress.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed pupils learning in 19 lessons, some of which were seen jointly with a senior leader. In addition, several short visits were made to a range of lessons. Inspectors observed pupils at break and lunchtime and before and after lessons. Inspectors observed an assembly and two ‘reading cafes’ involving parents. Inspectors observed the teaching of reading and listened to pupils read.
• Meetings were held with senior, subject and other leaders, three groups of pupils, the vice-chair and a member of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors looked at the 111 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire (Parent View), 17 pupil questionnaires and 44 staff questionnaires.
• The inspection team scrutinised information about pupils’ achievement, behaviour and attendance, looked at the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans, read minutes of the meetings of the governing body and scrutinised pupils’ work in lessons.

Inspection team

Adrian Lyons, lead inspector Heather Hann Sally Garrett Annie Hookway Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector