Caldershaw Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Main findings

Caldershaw is an outstanding school. Pupils' personal development, including their behaviour and their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is outstanding. These outcomes are promoted exceptionally well through the excellent curriculum and outstanding care, guidance and support.

These are considerably enhanced through strong partnerships with other schools and outside agencies. The school is exceptionally well led and managed by an outstanding headteacher and senior leadership team. They have been instrumental in raising achievement since the last inspection.

Outstanding links with parents and carers were reflected in their extremely positive views during discussion and in their... highly positive questionnaire returns. They praised the strong family ethos of the school where everyone is truly valued and where children's learning, well-being and safety are given the highest priority. The vast majority of parents and carers feel that their children are given the very best chances to succeed and reach their potential.

Children settle into their routines quickly in the Reception class and make rapid progress from their generally average starting points. By the time pupils leave school in Year 6, their attainment is typically above average and was well above average last year. Pupils' learning and progress as seen in lessons, and accurately reflected in school data, are good.

Teaching is at least good as is the use of assessment to support learning. These aspects are stronger and more consistent at Key Stage 2 than at Key Stage 1. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay healthy.

They take full of advantage of the outstanding opportunities to participate in sport and exercise in the curriculum. The excellent improvements in the outdoor learning environment contribute strongly to pupils' learning and well-being. Pupils' contribution to the community is excellent, particularly through the active school and eco councils, which have been instrumental in developing the school as a harmonious and caring community.

They meet with the governing body and other schools and eco councils within the local authority and are held in high esteem as models of best practice by other schools. Outstanding leadership and management by senior leaders, ably supported by middle leaders, have led to excellent improvements since the last inspection. Good monitoring of teaching and learning has resulted in significant improvements in the quality of teaching since the last inspection, with recent good improvements at Key Stage 1.

Good governance has ensured that the promotion of safeguarding throughout the school is outstanding. All staff, including middle leaders and members of the governing body, are fully involved in self-evaluation and the accurate identification of priorities for improvement. This is having an excellent impact on raising pupils' achievement across the school, demonstrating an outstanding capacity for further improvement.

Information about the school

Caldershaw is an average-sized primary school serving the local community. Most pupils are from White British backgrounds and one fifth are from other minority ethnic backgrounds. The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is below average.

The proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, including those with a statement of special educational needs, is broadly average. There are very few pupils looked after by the local authority. The headteacher, deputy headteacher and assistant headteacher were appointed shortly after the last inspection.

The school has experienced turbulence in staffing at Key Stage 1, beyond its control, during the past three years and two teachers have recently been appointed. Most of the governing body are new in post. There has been significant refurbishment of the outside play area.

The school has gained a number of recent awards, moving from the bronze and silver Eco Schools award at the time of the last inspection to highest standard of three green flags for Eco Schools now. The school has also recently achieved Effective School Council status. The additional early years provision on the school site is managed independently from the governing body and subject to a separate inspection.

Inspection grades: 1 is outstanding, 2 is good, 3 is satisfactory and 4 is inadequate Please turn to the glossary for a description of the grades and inspection terms

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