Cramlington Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Since the previous inspection, significant changes in staff, including leaders, have resulted in pupils receiving an education of variable quality. This has hampered pupils' achievement.

Where the curriculum is better designed and taught, pupils focus on their learning and their achievement is improving.

Leaders have a clear vision for the school. The school's expectations of pupils have increased.

For example, a sharp focus on the teaching of phonics and mathematics is having a positive impact on pupils' achievement in these subjects. However, there is still much work to do to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education.

Pupils enjoy coming ...to school.

This is reflected in their improving attendance. They appreciate the changes that staff are making to the school. For example, incidents of serious behaviour are reducing due to the new behaviour policy.

However, staff do not apply this policy consistently. This means that pupils are not clear about what is expected of them and there are some instances of low-level disruption in lessons.

Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen.

They are confident that adults will sort this out. Pupils feel safe in school. They know they can talk to a trusted adult, or use the class worry box, if they have any concerns.

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

The school is working to improve its curriculum. In some subjects, such as phonics and mathematics, pupils benefit from clear lesson structures. Here, teachers regularly check pupils' understanding.

They put extra support in place where necessary to help pupils catch up with their peers. This means that pupils soon become competent readers and mathematicians. The school has invested in new reading books for the school library.

This is having a positive impact on pupils' attitudes towards reading. The school is now working on improving parental engagement with reading. This includes reviewing how home-school reading diaries could be used more effectively to check how often pupils read.

The school's improvements to the curriculum in several other subjects, such as history and science, are less well developed. Teaching does not meet pupils' needs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Incidents of low-level disruption and off-task behaviour are more frequent in these lessons and pupils' attitudes to learning are less positive. The checks that teachers make on what pupils know and remember are not sufficiently rigorous in these subjects. Consequently, pupils' knowledge is not building and developing over time.

Children in the early years enjoy positive relationships with adults. The learning environment is calm. However, the curriculum in early years does not take sufficient account of children's starting points or previous experiences.

While there is some focus on developing children's communication and language skills, this is not sharp enough. For example, the school is not clear about the vocabulary that children should know and be able to use so that they are ready for Year 1. Systems are in place to quickly identify children with potential SEND.

The newly established family support team provides strong support to pupils and their families. This is particularly the case for families of pupils with more complex SEND needs. The school uses external agencies, such as children's social care, where necessary.

The school's breakfast club is well attended. This is helping a greater number of families get pupils to school on time. As a result, attendance and punctuality are improving.

The school has put a new curriculum for personal, social and health education in place and made sure it meets pupils' needs and matches the school's context. For example, pupils learn about water safety due to the school's proximity to the coast. Some aspects of the wider personal development offer need more time to embed.

Pupils' knowledge of different faiths, for example, is underdeveloped. Through assemblies, pupils learn about the protected characteristics and how to respect these. Pupils are clear that everyone is treated equally in the school.

Some pupils can talk about the fundamental British values and why these are important. Parents and carers, as well as pupils, appreciate the new after-school clubs. The school has started to forge links with the local community.

For example, pupils visit the local church for the harvest festival.

Despite having been through a difficult period, staff show commitment to the school. They are optimistic about the school's future and fully support new leaders.

The school offers staff extensive training and professional development. Teachers who are new to the profession feel well supported. Historically, those responsible for governance have not done enough to prevent the school's decline.

New leaders have been swift in bringing about improvements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, such as history and science, the curriculum is not adapted to meet the needs of pupils in the school.

This means that teaching does not meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils do not build up a secure grasp of important knowledge over time. The school should work to refine these curriculums to ensure that pupils achieve well across the curriculum and are prepared for the next stage of their education.

• The new behaviour policy is not implemented consistently across school. Consequently, pupils are not clear about what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour, and some instances of low-level disruption go unaddressed. The school should ensure that the policy is applied consistently by all staff.

Pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths is limited. This means that they cannot fully demonstrate respect for those who have different beliefs to themselves. The school should ensure that pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths builds and develops over time.

• Over time, governors and trustees have not effectively held leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. As a result, standards in school have declined since the previous inspection. Governors and trustees should ensure that they seek out the training and development that they need to enable them to provide effective support and challenge to the school.