Cavendish Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Short inspection of Cavendish Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 1 May 2019 with Linda Griffiths, Ofsted Inspector, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report the inspection findings.

The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in November 2014. This school continues to be good. The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

You have shared your vision for a school that provides pupils with a rich educational experience and instils an enthusiasm for learning. Leaders have planned an engaging curriculum which centres on a wi...de range of opportunities for pupils, such as learning to play an instrument, singing in the choir, cultural trips and visits, and a broad choice of extra-curricular clubs. Outdoor experiences in the early years open children's eyes to the world around them.

You and your staff show enthusiasm and aspiration in following the school's motto, 'creating brilliant citizens'. Leaders place a strong emphasis on training for staff. Through a range of training opportunities, teachers have developed their skills and this has raised standards in areas including reading and mathematics.

Staff have benefited from working with other professionals. Within school, teachers work closely together to share their expertise. Staff value the support that leaders give them to improve their teaching, for example developing their expertise in teaching writing.

Governors share leaders' aspirations to raise standards still further. Regular training has enhanced governors' skills and knowledge. Governors provide a wide range of challenge and know the school's strengths and weaknesses.

They keep a regular check on the impact of leaders' actions, including improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. However, the school's improvement plan lacks sharpness. This limits governors' ability to keep a close and accurate check on leaders' progress in school improvements, such as raising outcomes in writing at key stage 2.

Pupils are very proud of their school and enjoy their learning. In class, pupils are enthusiastic and follow teachers' instructions quickly. The pupils spoken with during the inspection described how they value the engaging curriculum, including an exciting residential trip in Year 6.

There are a range of leadership roles for pupils, including the active school council, playground buddies and sports leaders. Through these roles pupils develop as confident, considerate and thoughtful citizens. The vast majority of parents and carers share pupils' very positive view of the school.

Parents state that their children enjoy school, and most would recommend it to others. As one parent said, 'You feel the genuine love and pride for the school from pupils, parents, teachers and staff.' A typical comment on Parent View, Ofsted's online questionnaire for parents, praised the care and support staff offer for pupils' personal development and welfare.

As one parent stated, 'The pastoral care is exemplary, and children are taught and encouraged to be kind and look after each other.' At the previous inspection, you were asked by inspectors to improve pupils' achievement in reading. Since then, leadership and standards in reading have improved across the school.

This is because you have taken effective steps to identify weaknesses in the teaching of reading and to provide focused training to improve teachers' skills. Regular workshops for parents ensure that they know how to support their children when reading with them at home. Trained parent helpers come into school to support pupils' reading, including disadvantaged pupils.

Pupils' outcomes in reading have risen and are now in line with the national average by the end of Year 6. Across the school, you have raised pupils' enjoyment and understanding when reading. A well-stocked school library is visited weekly by pupils.

In classrooms, attractive reading areas contain a range of inviting and varied books for pupils to enjoy. Pupils described how much they like reading and they read for pleasure. A vibrant reading culture has been established across the school.

Leaders were also asked to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils. During the inspection, it was very evident that this has a high priority across the school. You plan additional provision to help this group of pupils and make regular and precise checks to ensure that this support is having the desired impact.

As a result of leaders' actions, the achievements of disadvantaged pupils have risen. Disadvantaged pupils' attainment by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics at the expected level is in line with national averages. You are aspirational to improve the progress that disadvantaged pupils make in writing still further, as this is below their progress in mathematics and reading.

Safeguarding is effective. Leaders place a high priority on keeping pupils safe and have made sure that safeguarding arrangements are thorough and of high quality. Leaders undertake an annual safeguarding audit to ensure that systems are rigorous.

You provide regular and appropriate safeguarding training and briefings for staff. As a result, staff have up-to-date knowledge of safeguarding. This keeps them alert to risks and attentive to procedures.

Staff provide visitors with useful safeguarding information on arrival. Staff teach pupils how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the wider community. Pupil 'safety protectors' work with leaders to ensure that safeguarding is effective, for example undertaking a health and safety walk around the school and grounds to identify any risks.

Leaders waste no time in contacting other professionals to seek support for pupils and their families when needed. You ensure that pupils receive the help that they need. Staff teach pupils to talk to a trusted adult if they feel sad, scared or worried.

Pupils spoke positively about the 'worry boxes' in classrooms, where they can raise any concerns that they have. Inspection findings ? The inspection focused on a number of key lines of enquiry, the first of which was to check how regularly pupils attend school. Pupils enjoy school and value their education.

The vast majority attend very regularly and arrive on time ready to learn. Staff check pupils' attendance and follow up absences with parents. You arrange home visits and parents' meetings for pupils with low attendance.

Leaders strongly discourage term-time holidays due to their adverse impact on pupils' learning, and high attendance is celebrated. Whole-school attendance has remained above the national average in recent years. No groups of pupils are disadvantaged by low attendance.

Pupils' attendance is a strength of the school. ? During the inspection, we also looked at how well pupils develop their skills in writing in key stage 2. This was because in 2018, pupils' achievement in writing by the end of Year 6 was lower than in mathematics and reading.

You have taken appropriate steps to improve the teaching of writing and standards have improved. Staff have attended training to improve their skills and you have improved the school's long-term plans for teaching writing. Pupils write regularly to practise and develop their skills.

Checks on pupils' workbooks show that pupils write for a range of different purposes. Pupils choose ambitious vocabulary to make their writing more interesting. The improvements that you have made are recent and still embedding in some classes.

Teachers are developing their skills further to ensure that standards in writing continue to rise. ? The third key line of enquiry was to check pupils' behaviour. During the inspection, it was very evident that pupils know how to behave well.

In class, pupils are enthusiastic learners. They listen respectfully to adults and work well with their peers. Pupils move calmly around the school and are polite and welcoming to visitors.

At playtimes, pupils play well together and enjoy the many activities you provide to keep them engaged. Leaders have improved the school's behaviour policy and provided additional training for staff. Pupils report that bullying is rare, and any incidents are quickly and effectively dealt with by staff.

Pupils say that they feel safe in school. The vast majority of parents, pupils and staff agree that pupils behave well. Next steps for the school Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that: ? they improve the sharpness of school improvement planning to enable governors and leaders to check with greater accuracy the progress the school is making towards achieving its goals ? they embed improvements to the teaching of writing, so that pupils' outcomes, including for disadvantaged pupils, continue to improve.

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Manchester. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website. Yours sincerely Elizabeth Stevens Her Majesty's Inspector Information about the inspection During this inspection, inspectors met with you, senior leaders and middle leaders.

An inspector also met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body, and spoke to a representative of the local authority. Inspectors met with 12 pupils from key stage 2 and heard pupils from Years 2 and 6 read. Inspectors visited classes with senior leaders, where they observed teaching and learning, looked at pupils' work and spoke with pupils.

Inspectors observed behaviour at playtimes. Inspectors spoke to parents at the start of the school day and took account of the 145 responses to Parent View, including free-text responses. They also considered the 28 staff responses and the 127 pupil responses to Ofsted's online questionnaires.

Inspectors looked at a range of documentation including the school's self-evaluation, information about pupils' attainment and progress, and records of pupils' behaviour. They also evaluated safeguarding procedures, including polices to keep pupils safe, safeguarding checks and attendance information. Inspectors undertook a review of the school's website.

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