Crockerton CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Crockerton CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive school. They feel safe. Pupils are confident that they can share any worries or concerns.

They trust that the school will listen and act promptly. Many parents and carers praise the school and all it does to support their children. They comment typically on how staff 'genuinely care about their school and pupils'.

The school creates a calm and purposeful environment for pupils to learn in. Staff work as a team to ensure they meet the needs of individuals. The sch...ool has high expectations for how pupils should behave.

These expectations start in the early years, where staff teach children the school's rules, 'be kind, be safe, be responsible'. Pupils behave well during lessons and during social times.

The school has high expectations for its pupils.

Pupils are keen to learn and achieve well. In most subjects, the school makes checks to find out what pupils know and can do. This supports them to build on previous learning.

Pupils take delight in the rich opportunities on offer, such as curling, golf and learning to play a musical instrument. These activities develop pupils' interests and talents.

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

The school provides pupils with an exciting curriculum.

It is carefully designed and identifies the essential knowledge, skills and vocabulary for pupils to learn and remember. For example, in mathematics, pupils use their knowledge of number to order fractions with success. They are able to use mathematical vocabulary with accuracy, such as numerator and denominator.

However, the school has been right to identify that more work is needed to ensure that checks on what pupils know and remember are implemented consistently well across all subjects. This is to ensure pupils retain the essential knowledge needed for future learning in all subjects.

The school is ambitious for pupils to develop a love of books and become fluent readers.

Children begin their reading journey from the moment they start in the school. Staff are skilled in the teaching of phonics and reading. Listening to stories is a firm favourite.

Pupils are eager to share their favourite authors and the kind of books they enjoy. As a result, they become confident readers.

The school was quick to analyse why the published outcomes in 2024 for pupils in the multiplication tables check were lower than they had hoped.

As a result, prompt action has been taken. There is clear evidence that current pupils' progress through the mathematics curriculum is improving quickly.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are at the core of the school's work.

Staff identify pupils' barriers to learning accurately and efficiently. Adaptations are made to ensure they get the support they need. This helps pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their classmates and achieve well.

The school's work to develop pupils' personal development is well considered. It provides pupils with rich experiences beyond their rural location. For example, trips to Bristol and Bath help pupils to acquire an awareness and understanding of larger urban areas.

Pupils learn how to become thoughtful and caring citizens. They respect and appreciate the diversity of the world in which they live.

The school provides pupils with plentiful opportunities to expand and develop their interests and talents.

The outside environment has been thoughtfully developed with the interests of pupils at its heart. For example, 'The Little Nest', an outdoor writing area, allows pupils to be creative with their writing and drawing. Pupils love being outdoors, for example going on welly walks and eating food they have cooked on a campfire.

These activities enable them to experience, appreciate and learn about their locality.

Pupils welcome the roles and responsibilities on offer. Eco monitors are elected by their peers and work together to improve the school, the local community and the environment.

Pupils lead on lunchtime clubs to promote physical activity. These and other activities help build confidence, develop organisational skills and increase independence.

Pupils are very proud of their school and attend regularly.

They appreciate the positive relationships they have with adults. Pupils welcome the way in which the school helps them to prepare for their next steps. For example, pupils speak with enthusiasm and excitement about their transition to secondary school.

Staff are extremely proud to work at the school. They generally refer to themselves as 'team Crockerton'. Staff welcome the support and consideration of leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school keeps pupils safe. It responds promptly to support pupils in need of help.

Staff carry out the required checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. Leaders provide a curriculum that teaches pupils to understand risk, including healthy relationships and how to stay safe online. Pupils know that adults will listen to them if they have any worries.

However, there are examples where safeguarding records lack sufficient detail. This could lead to vital information being missed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, assessment is not yet fully established.

As a result, pupils' recall of prior learning is not always secure. Leaders need to ensure that staff use assessment effectively to check what pupils know and remember across all subjects. ? Staff respond to safeguarding concerns swiftly.

However, sometimes, the information the school records about safeguarding incidents lacks sufficient detail. Therefore, the school could miss vital information. The school needs to make sure that records clearly and consistently demonstrate the action taken in response to any safeguarding concerns.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 good for overall effectiveness in November 2019.