Cinnamon Brow CofE Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve leadership and management, so that pupils across different year groups make more rapid progress, by:
  • taking urgent action to improve areas of underperformance in the school
  • ensuring that all teachers follow agreed policies for marking and assessment
  • holding teachers to account more effectively for pupils’ performance
  • ensuring that governors understand more fully their strategic role in holding school leaders to account and have a more accurate understanding of achievement across the school
  • ensuring that pupils have greater opportunities to develop skills and knowledge in all curriculum areas
  • ensuring that pupils develop a deeper understanding of how different cultures have influenced modern Britain
  • developing the role of subject leaders in monitoring the quality of work in their areas of responsibility
  • making sure that all teachers apply the school’s behaviour policy in lessons.
• Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment, by:
  • making good use of information about pupils’ learning to plan lessons which help them to make rapid gains in their knowledge, skills and understanding
  • giving pupils more opportunities to develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics across all curriculum areas
  • having high expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should behave in lessons. An external review of the school’s use of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• School leaders, including governors, have an over-optimistic view of the school. As a result, there has not been the necessary focus on the areas that are in need of improvement. Standards are improving, but not at a fast enough rate, and there are too many aspects of the school’s work that require improvement.
• School leaders have not ensured that the quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is effective enough for pupils to make good progress. Although pupils in some year groups are achieving well, in too many classes this is not the case, as teaching fails to challenge pupils and move them on in their learning. Frequent changes to staffing have contributed to this lack of consistency. Leaders have not done enough to ensure that all teachers follow agreed policies, particularly in relation to marking and assessment.
• The quality of pupils’ work in subjects other than English and mathematics is variable. In many classes there was little evidence of challenge in the work seen and very few examples of pupils developing their writing skills or using mathematics to develop their scientific knowledge and understanding. Subjects such as geography and computing are not taught well and require a major overhaul. Although school leaders have recognised this weakness, and have plans in place to introduce a new curriculum, the current arrangements are not good enough for many pupils.
• Subject leadership is generally weak. Systems for reviewing pupils’ work are not sufficiently rigorous. As a result, where the quality of work that pupils are producing falls below the expected standard, school leaders do not address the issue quickly enough. This has resulted in too much variability in the quality of work in different classes and year groups. This inconsistency is captured in some of the opinions expressed on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. One parent stated, ‘I have another child in the school who has been challenged constantly and encouraged to extend their depth of knowledge. I would like to see this extended to all classrooms so there is consistency with teaching throughout the school.’
• Leaders have been successful in improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils, making good use of the additional funding that the school receives. The school keeps detailed records for each pupil and effective support is provided from additional adults, who provide focused teaching to address gaps in learning. There have also been improvements in attendance for this group of pupils.
• School leaders, including governors, are committed to maintaining and developing the inclusive nature of the school. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds are made welcome. For example, the school hosts a key stage 1 unit, called ‘The Clover’, for pupils with complex learning needs. These pupils receive good support, within an extremely nurturing environment. Many of the pupils are integrated into mainstream school life very effectively.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, including those who attend The Clover, receive effective support and make good progress. Leaders ensure that the additional funding that the school receives is used well to provide a wide range of additional support, which has a positive impact on both learning and in helping pupils to overcome any social or emotional problems that may be affecting their lives.
• Although the school makes a strong contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development, weaknesses in the curriculum mean that pupils do not learn enough about different cultures and the way in which they have influenced life in modern Britain. However, pupils develop a good understanding of different faiths and learn about the importance of British values such as democracy, respect and tolerance.
• The additional physical education and sport premium funding is being used well. The funding has been used to employ a specialist coach who works alongside teachers and also runs numerous clubs at dinner times and after school. Pupils enjoy these clubs and appreciate the opportunity to take part in a wider range of sports.

Governance

• Governors have a wide range of expertise. They are very committed to the school and ambitious for its future. They have a broad overview of the school’s performance but are over-reliant on the headteacher to provide analyses of information. Governors have not established effective systems for checking that school leaders review and follow agreed processes and procedures rigorously and in a timely manner.
• Governors receive detailed reports from the headteacher. Minutes of meetings show that they do challenge the headteacher and her team. However, the lack of rigour in the school’s self-evaluation means that governors do not have a sufficiently accurate view of the school to hold leaders to account effectively.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• There is a strong culture of keeping pupils safe at Cinnamon Brow Primary School. The school provides a caring and nurturing place for children to learn. School leaders ensure that pupils who are vulnerable and face significant personal challenges in their lives are given the support that they need.
• Leaders ensure that staff receive up-to-date training in all aspects of safeguarding. Consequently, staff understand the signs that may indicate that a child is at risk of harm. Detailed records show that leaders are rigorous in following up any concerns with external agencies where necessary.
• The school environment is safe and secure. Every visitor’s identity is checked at reception as they enter the school. Pupils also learn how to keep themselves safe, including from the dangers associated with using the internet.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment

• There are both strengths and weaknesses in the quality of teaching, learning and

Requires improvement

assessment. In some year groups, the teaching is of high quality and pupils make good progress as a result. However, this is not the case across the school, and in some classes progress is limited as a result of ineffective teaching. As a result, pupils make uneven progress as they move through the school and attainment by the end of Year 6 is not as good as it could be.

• Assessment is not used effectively by all teachers to match work to pupils’ needs and abilities. Some teachers do not follow the school’s own marking policy. Consequently, they do not set work which provides appropriate levels of challenge to their pupils. The work seen in pupils’ books showed that these teachers do not have high enough expectations of what current pupils can achieve, particularly the most able, who are not pushed to think more deeply and make rapid advances in their learning.
• The quality of presentation in pupils’ books varies. Many pupils take great pride in their work, present it well and develop neat, legible handwriting. However, in some classes, work is often untidy and unfinished. In these classes, errors in spelling, punctuation and grammar are often repeated in subsequent pieces of work and the progress that pupils are making is weak.The teaching of phonics has improved. Staff have had good training and there is now a consistent, systematic approach, which means that pupils are making good progress with their early reading development. There has been a successful focus on reading and older pupils are now reading more often and more widely. They enjoy class novels and the new online reading programme, which many pupils use at home.
• The actions taken to improve mathematics teaching are starting to have an impact on pupils’ learning. A good example of this was seen in Year 6 mathematics lessons, where the teacher asked challenging questions about the equivalence of fractions, ensuring that pupils understood and used the correct mathematical terminology. Pupils engaged well and were able to apply their knowledge and understanding to solve increasingly difficult questions.
• Teaching assistants provide effective support. They have good relationships with pupils. Teaching assistants organise a range of catch-up sessions and teach small groups of pupils. Many of these sessions are successful in closing gaps in pupils’ learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Staff are extremely caring towards pupils. Pupils have confidence in staff and say that they will do all that they can to deal with any issues that may arise. The vast majority of parents who responded to the Parent View survey stated that their children are well looked after and feel safe in school.
• Pupils report that bullying rarely occurs at the school. Those spoken to during the inspection said that on the few occasions it does occur it is dealt with effectively by staff. Pupils spoken to also demonstrated a good understanding of how to stay safe when using the internet.
• Staff provide a high level of individual attention to those pupils who are disadvantaged or vulnerable. Pupils told inspectors that there is always a member of staff on hand to offer help should they need it.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Poor attitudes to learning were apparent in the quality of work seen in some pupils’ books. In some of the lessons seen during this inspection, teachers failed to follow the school’s behaviour policy to deal with poor behaviour. As a result, this behaviour disrupted learning.
• Pupils’ conduct, at play times and during the lunch break, is generally good. Pupils are polite and sociable. They show respect for each other and the adults who supervise them. As a result, they enjoy these periods, playing games together in the playground and chatting happily while eating their lunch.
• The school has had a focus on improving attendance and this has had a positive impact. The number of pupils who are persistently absent from school has reduced and overall attendance is now above the national average.
• The school environment is well looked after. It is safe and secure, and there is no litter or graffiti. Staff make good use of the environment, using high-quality displays in classrooms and corridors to celebrate pupils’ learning and achievement.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes require improvement because pupils’ progress is uneven across subjects and year groups. Gaps in learning in the key areas of reading, writing and mathematics are often not addressed until pupils are in Year 5 or Year 6. Pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to develop secure knowledge, understanding and skills in the wider curriculum.
• Results from the Year 1 phonics screening check have been below the national average for the past two years. However, inspectors saw some effective teaching in phonics lessons during this inspection. There are signs that pupils in the current Year 1 are developing secure skills and knowledge in this area.Children leave the early years foundation stage well prepared for the next stage of their education. However, they do not make enough progress across key stage 1. The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard at the end of Year 2 in 2017 was below the national average in reading, in writing and in mathematics. In 2017, attainment in reading was also below the national average at the end of key stage 2. A recent focus on improving reading is beginning to have an impact on standards across the school. Older pupils are reading more widely and progress is improving as a result.
• Attainment in mathematics is improving, particularly in key stage 2. The work seen in books shows that pupils are now being given more opportunities to use and apply their mathematical knowledge and skills to solve problems during lessons. About four pupils in five achieved the expected standard at the end of key stage 2 in 2017.Pupils are making better progress in writing. The percentage of pupils achieving at least the expected standard at the end of key stage 2 was above the national average in 2017, as was the percentage judged to be working at greater depth.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities and those supported through the pupil premium generally make good progress in English and mathematics. Leaders make regular checks on the progress that these pupils are making and the additional support that they receive is well targeted.

• The small number of pupils who attend the special unit are supported well. Staff make careful assessments of the progress that pupils are making, from their various starting points. Staff review individual learning plans regularly and plan activities which provide appropriate levels of challenge. As a result, many of these pupils make good progress both socially and academically.

Early years provision Good

• The highly effective leadership of the early years has led to secure improvements in the quality of provision. The early years leader has a very clear view of what is working well and what she wants to develop further.
• Most children enter the early years with skills which are at or just below those typical for their age. They make good progress and, by the end of the Reception Year, they are well prepared for their move into Year 1.
• Staff make regular assessments of children’s learning and progress. They use this information well to provide activities which help children to develop their skills and knowledge at a good rate.
• Children are happy and well looked after. Children settle quickly into the well-established routines. They get on well together and enjoy interacting with both adults and their peers. They quickly learn to persevere with tasks rather than flitting from one activity to another. As a result of the careful attention that is paid to their personal development and welfare, they develop very good attitudes to learning.
• The early years learning areas are vibrant and exciting. There are many well-thought-out activities provided for children, who enjoy the challenges they encounter. When interacting with children, staff use questioning well to probe children’s understanding and to challenge them to develop their vocabulary and think harder about their learning.
• Adults work closely together and have good relationships with children in their care. Consequently, children in both the Nursery and Reception classes feel safe. They are extremely thoughtful and particularly good at sharing and helping each other.
• Parents have overwhelmingly positive views of the early years. They value the strong relationships that are developed and the good lines of communication between home and school.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 111381 Warrington 10043212 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Voluntary aided 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 370 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Mr Ray Tate Mrs Tracey Beatty Telephone number 01925 821108 Website Email address www.cinnamonbrowchool.co.uk/ cinnamonbrow_primary_head@warrington.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 3 July 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school runs ‘The Clover’ on behalf of the local authority. This is a unit for up to eight key stage 1 children with complex learning needs. Pupils who attend the unit are on the school roll.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is around the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who receive support in school for their SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs is also above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is well below the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching, learning and assessment across a range of subjects and age groups. They scrutinised a wide range of pupils’ written work. Some of the observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.
• Inspectors visited an assembly and observed pupils’ conduct at break and lunchtime.
• Inspectors looked at a range of documentation, including minutes of governors’ meetings, development plans, attendance and behaviour data, safeguarding documents and the school’s review of its own performance.
• One of the inspectors visited The Clover unit to observe teaching, learning and assessment.
• Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, middle leaders and three newly qualified teachers. Meetings were also held with members of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative of the local authority.
• Inspectors met with groups of pupils formally to discuss behaviour. They also spoke with many more pupils informally.
• Inspectors listened to pupils read in Year 2 and Year 3, and spoke with pupils in Year 6 about reading.
• Inspectors spoke to parents in the playground before school. They also took account of the responses to Parent View and the staff questionnaire.

Inspection team

Paul Tomkow, lead inspector Saeeda Ishaq Moira Atkins

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector