Cartmel CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending school. Those that we spoke to told us that they are happy.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They are polite and courteous. They conduct themselves well in lessons and at playtimes.

Leaders have high expectations for the pupils. The school's core Christian values underpin the school's mission statement, 'Mighty oaks from little acorns grow.' By the time pupils leave Cartmel they achieve well.

Pupils do better in reading and writing than they do in mathematics.

Pupils said that bullying did not happen in this school. There have been incidents of name-calling.

These have been dealt with quickly and have not been repeated.... Leaders consulted pupils, parents and carers about the new behaviour policy. Pupils said that it is fair.

They understand the rewards and consequences.

Pupils have a good understanding of how to stay safe. They are highly alert to the dangers of crossing the road each day to access the hall.

Pupils enjoy their informative assemblies and computing lessons. They learn how to stay safe when using the internet and social media. Pupils enjoyed visiting a local fire station.

They learned a lot about safety and the law when the police visited school.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have planned a broad and rich curriculum. It meets the needs and interests of the pupils.

Leaders have considered the skills and knowledge they want pupils to acquire. They map these out considering the demands of mixed-age classes.

Leaders have continued to develop the school curriculum.

Recent improvements have related to development of the arts. Pupils have benefited from visits from pianists, florists, artists, dancers and authors. High-quality learning is evident in the many wonderful displays around the school.

Governors know the school well. They work alongside subject leaders. This helps them to better understand what is working well and what needs to improve.

Pupils are fully involved in village and community life. They visit the local church regularly to have lunch with the elderly. Older pupils visit major cities to help them learn about life in modern Britain.

Pupils enjoy having a say in how the school is run. They put themselves forward for election to become a 'champion of change'. Pupils raise funds for a number of charities.

Recently they have supported a school in Uganda.

Leaders promote reading well. Teachers read to their pupils every day.

Pupils enjoy reading. Older pupils have a secure knowledge of a wide range of genres and authors. Younger pupils are limited to reading books from the reading scheme.

They do not have the opportunity to select books to read for pleasure.

The teaching of phonics is effective. It enables children to recognise the sounds that letters make.

In the early years, children practise these sounds through well-planned activities. Teachers deliver phonics lessons systematically. This enables children to learn new sounds in a logical order.

Those who struggle receive extra help to enable them to catch up. The books that children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 read are not always appropriate. Too often, the books that these pupils are given to read are too hard.

They do not build upon the sounds that pupils are learning in class.

Leaders have considered the mathematics curriculum. Content is logically sequenced within each year group.

This helps pupils to apply recent learning well. In the early years, children explore mathematics through a range of well-planned activities. Children communicate and share ideas as they measure and compare objects.

Older pupils remember recent learning about division and multiplication. They use this to calculate inverse operations.

Through the music and physical education curriculum, pupils engage in regular performances and competitions, both near to school and further afield.

Pupils enjoy their music and dance lessons. The standard of singing is exceptional. Pupils benefit from regular music lessons.

They are knowledgeable about a wide range of musical styles and composers. They explore genres through their music and their dance lessons. They make links between keeping healthy and physical activity.

Pupils regularly engage in a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities. This helps to develop their competitive skills. Physical education is enhanced through interesting activities such as yoga.

This helps pupils to consider their mental health.

The few staff share the many subject leadership roles between them. Most teachers lead several subject areas.

In these roles, leaders do not regularly check how well subjects are planned and delivered. For example, pupils have had limited experiences composing their own music. Leaders are not checking that teachers plan lessons that build well upon prior learning.

Staff who we spoke to told us that they enjoy coming to work. They said that the senior leaders look after their well-being. However, staff have had few opportunities to engage in subject-specific training.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have given safeguarding a high priority. Staff receive regular training.

This helps them to remain alert to potential signs of neglect or abuse. Staff know how to record and report concerns. School leaders work with a number of partner agencies to keep pupils safe.

They work with the local safeguarding hub, school health and several national charities. This enables leaders to provide targeted support to vulnerable pupils and their families when needed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have implemented a systematic approach to the delivery of phonics.

Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 know a range of sounds that letters make. The books that these pupils take home to read do not help them develop their fluency. This is because the books contain sounds the pupils do not know.

Leaders should improve this so that pupils take home books that match their interests and the sounds they learn in class. Doing so would enable pupils to develop their love of reading alongside their reading fluency. .

Teachers plan lessons that help pupils to recall recent learning. Teachers do not build well upon prior learning. As a result, some pupils do not do as well in mathematics as they do in reading and writing.

Leaders must ensure that pupils continue to build upon their prior learning so that they know more and remember more of the mathematics curriculum. Leaders should investigate ways to strengthen the mathematics curriculum so that pupils are better prepared for the demands of key stage 3. .

Leaders should investigate ways to further develop subject leadership skills and knowledge. Presently, subject leaders have few opportunities to check on the quality of the curriculum in the areas that they lead. Engaging in professional training and regular monitoring activities would enable these leaders to support teachers to teach the curriculum with higher levels of expertise.

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