Criftins CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Criftins Church of England Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this exceptional school. Relationships throughout the school are excellent. Pupils are happy and safe and behave well.

They demonstrate excellent manners to both adults and other pupils. Bullying is rare, but pupils are confident that if it were to happen, adults would sort it out quickly. Pupils are determined to succeed and take pride in their learning.

Children in early years also work hard and behave well. They are taught how to be kind, caring and a good friend.

Leaders have carefully crafted a rich and ambitious curriculum....

They have ensured that all pupils access a wealth of opportunities that enhance learning. For example, carefully planned trips, visitors and enterprise opportunities bring pupils' learning to life.

Leaders have skilfully identified the character traits they want pupils to develop.

They want pupils to be courageous, independent and able to express themselves. Very well-considered activities support pupils to develop these traits. For example, pupils learn to recite complex poetry, run their own extracurricular clubs and run their own healthy 'snack shack'.

This is a totally inclusive school. Leaders have high expectations for all pupils and support pupils to achieve exceptionally well. Sport is also high priority, including inclusive sports such as boccia and curling.

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

The headteacher ensures that all staff provide the very best education for pupils in the school. Leaders have carefully crafted a highly ambitious curriculum that starts in early years. They have precisely identified the key knowledge that they want the pupils to know for each subject.

They have identified deliberate opportunities to make meaningful links across curriculum areas. For example, in French, leaders have identified the phonic sounds pupils will need to support their pronunciation of the French words they are learning. This helps pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to develop a depth of knowledge in these subjects.

Pupils with SEND flourish through well-targeted support that enables them to learn well.

Reading is prioritised and celebrated across the school. Leaders have identified a wide range of books that teachers read to pupils, including many that celebrate equality and diversity.

In early years, children regularly listen to and learn well-chosen songs, stories and rhymes. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read and the range of diverse authors they have learned about. Consequently, pupils develop into confident and fluent readers.

Children get off to an incredibly strong start in early years. Staff are very well trained to teach phonics. The books the children take home to read are well matched to the sounds they know.

Children who find reading difficult are quickly identified and are well supported to catch up.

Pupils' behaviour is excellent. Learning is not disrupted by poor behaviour.

Leaders ensure that any pupil who finds it hard to manage their behaviour gets the right support to help them flourish. In lessons, teachers ensure that pupils have the resources to help them to be independent learners. This means that no learning time is lost to pupils being 'stuck'.

Pupils work hard and persevere when they find things difficult.

Pupils, including those with SEND, access the full range of inclusive extracurricular opportunities. Pupils enjoy clubs such as those for cookery, films, football and cross-country.

For those pupils who may find it difficult to attend clubs after school, leaders support pupils to set up and run their own lunchtime clubs. For example, pupils have led their own dance and drama clubs. All pupils, including children in Reception, have opportunities to learn about a broad range of careers during the school's 'futures week'.

Pupils listened to talks by an elephant carer from a local zoo and members of the Royal Air Force and even took part in their own trial run by a local solicitor. This helped pupils to start thinking about the next steps in their education and to develop ambitions for their future.

Leaders promote pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well.

Pupils learn about different religions and understand fundamental British values. This helps pupils to be tolerant towards and respectful of views that are different from their own. Leaders take every opportunity to develop awe and wonder.

For example, children in early years do a weekly walk to observe the changes in the seasons. Leaders have also placed a piano in the corridor to allow pupils to practise. Inspectors observed pupils who stopped in their tracks to listen to another pupil playing the piano beautifully.

This inspired a younger child to say, 'I want to learn how to do that.' The older pupil then proceeded to teach the younger child part of the tune.

Leaders and governors are considerate of staff workload and well-being.

Staff are proud to work at this inspiring school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.There is a culture of safeguarding that runs through the school.

All staff are well trained and vigilant for signs that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff report concerns promptly. Leaders ensure that pupils and families get the help and support they need.

They make referrals to external agencies when needed.

Pupils talked confidently about how the school teaches them to keep safe. For example, they talked at length about how to stay safe when online.

Pupils feel safe in school and know that they can talk to any adult if they are worried. Parents and carers echo this view.

Background

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

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

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2016.