Cranbrook Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cranbrook Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and friendly school. The headteacher, governors and staff want the best for all pupils.

They are determined that all pupils will succeed. All adults have high expectations. Pupils, in turn, aspire to be respectful, ready to learn and resilient.

Leaders ensure that pupils get the right support from staff to help them learn successfully across different subjects. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school's atmosphere is calm and cheerful.

Pupils feel happy and safe because of the care and support the...y receive from staff. They behave well in lessons and are enthusiastic about their learning. While uncommon, any incidents of bullying or unkind behaviour are spotted and dealt with quickly.

Pupils are kind and thoughtful to each other. They respect the views, cultures and opinions of others.

Leaders aim to support pupils to become well-developed, responsible and considerate members of the wider community.

Pupils spoke with pride about the roles they play in the life of the school. Pupils take their roles seriously. For example, older pupils enjoy helping younger pupils during playtimes and lunchtimes.

School councillors like that they meet regularly with leaders to share their ideas about improving the school.

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

Leaders have designed and implemented an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, the curriculum is clearly sequenced to build pupils' knowledge, skills and vocabulary over time.

Leaders have identified the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember from the early years to Year 6. They ensure that the curriculum develops pupils' understanding of key concepts. Pupils are also supported to connect new learning to what they have already been taught, including in other subjects.

Pupils also like having the opportunity to link the knowledge they learn with their own life experiences.

Where the curriculum is well embedded, pupils remember their learning long term. In mathematics, for example, regular practice of times tables helps pupils to understand multiplication in depth.

However, in a few subjects, subject content and the order it should be taught are less explicit. This means that, over time, pupils' understanding of these subjects does not build up as effectively as it does in others.

Teachers and support staff are skilled in developing pupils' learning and checking their understanding.

Leaders are further developing assessment processes that check pupils' long-term learning in all subjects. Teachers quickly spot if pupils have any gaps in their knowledge. Consequently, pupils who need extra help with their learning, including pupils with SEND, receive appropriate support to progress well through the planned curriculum.

Pupils are prepared well for the next stage of their education.

Leaders have made sure that there is a sharp focus on pupils' language and communication skills throughout the curriculum. This begins in the Nursery and Reception classes where children enjoy singing songs and rhymes, as well as listening to and acting out stories in the 'reading areas'.

Well-trained staff are on hand to guide and support children to develop their spoken language. Across the school, adults encourage pupils to speak clearly and in full sentences. Pupils are confident about sharing their thoughts and ideas with their peers.

The teaching of early reading is given a high priority. Through a well-planned phonics programme, leaders ensure that all pupils learn to read quickly. Staff make sure that pupils' reading books match the sounds that they are learning.

Leaders ensure that pupils who need extra help with reading receive the right support quickly. Pupils learn to say sounds accurately and use what they know to read confidently.

Pupils with SEND are well supported, following careful identification and assessment of their needs.

This includes those pupils who attend the specially resourced provisions for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision). Leaders work with teachers, parents and carers and external agencies to create plans that support pupils in their learning. In lessons, adults support pupils well and help them to access all the curriculum has to offer.

Across the school, pupils show strong attitudes to learning and concentrate well on their work.

Pupils enjoy a range of wider learning opportunities beyond the classroom. They particularly enjoy the range of lunchtime and after-school clubs.

They talk excitedly about special curriculum events and completing holiday projects. For example, pupils were proud of their recent projects on cultural heritage and biomes.

The welfare of pupils, parents and staff has a high profile.

Pupils learn how to be physically and mentally healthy. Staff appreciate leaders' consideration and support to help manage their workload.

Those responsible for governance are informed, evaluative and actively involved in monitoring the school.

They have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They work closely with leaders to provide support and challenge to improve the school's curriculum further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that all staff know how to keep pupils safe. Staff are well trained. They know how to identify pupils who are at risk of harm and neglect and know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns.

Staff pass on concerns to leaders in a timely manner. Leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils get any support that they need. Governors too are well trained.

They work closely with leaders to check that policies and procedures are working effectively.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are confident that staff will deal quickly with any problems that they might have.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe, as well as how to respect and treat others.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders' curriculum thinking has not determined precisely what subject content pupils need to learn and how this fits together with pupils' prior and future learning. While the ambition of the national curriculum is covered, the curriculum is not fully supporting pupils to develop an in-depth understanding of some essential ideas and concepts.

Leaders should refine their curriculum thinking. They should make clear what knowledge teaching needs to prioritise and establish exactly when this knowledge should be taught and recapped.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in February 2012.