Cross Gates Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cross Gates Primary School is a happy school at the heart of the community. Pupils enjoy positive relationships with their peers and with adults.

They trust that adults will help them if they ever have worries. As a result, pupils are happy and safe at school.

Pupils' attitudes reflect the school's seven values.

These include being respectful, responsible and resilient. They are kind, polite and considerate. They welcome visitors to their school with pride.

From the extremely strong start that children make in the early years, pupils develop into confident members of the school community. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.<...br/>
The school has high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders and governors have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Pupils respond well to these expectations. They behave well and have positive attitudes to their learning.

Pupils report that everyone is treated fairly. They say that rare instances of bullying are dealt with effectively by staff.

Pupils appreciate the opportunities they have to participate in a range of extra-curricular activities.

They proudly fulfil leadership roles, such as school councillors, food ambassadors or corridor 'cops'.

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

The school has planned an ambitious curriculum that starts in the early years. In most subjects, leaders have identified and mapped the vocabulary, knowledge and skills that they want pupils to learn at each stage.

In some foundation subjects, the curriculum is less well refined. In these subjects, teachers are not always clear on what to teach and when.

In mathematics, pupils follow a very clear sequence of learning.

Lessons develop pupils' knowledge well. Teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to revisit previous learning to ensure their understanding is secure before moving on. Teachers make timely and effective checks on pupils' knowledge to inform next steps.

Pupils with SEND access the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. There are effective systems in place for identifying their individual needs. Where necessary, they receive additional support or thoughtful adaptations to learning.

All pupils with SEND, including those with some complex needs, are supported well.

The school places a strong focus on reading. Teachers are experts in teaching phonics.

Children in the early years and pupils at the early stages of learning to read have lessons that follow a clear sequence. Through regular practise, they develop their fluency well. Teachers make regular checks on the progress that pupils make in reading.

If any pupils fall behind, they are identified quickly and expertly supported to catch up. The COVID-19 pandemic adversely affected some pupils' achievement in reading. Leaders have responded decisively to this by further promoting a love of books and developing a strong culture of reading.

Children in the early years get off to an excellent start to their education. Adults expertly match provision and activities to the interests and needs of all children in the setting. Staff are knowledgeable about early child development.

Interactions between adults and children are of extremely high quality, with a keen focus on the development of language and vocabulary. Children explore, take safe risks and make strong progress from their starting points. Stories and rhymes bring children's learning to life.

Children's behaviour is calm and purposeful as they respond well to high expectations and strong routines. They work and play with high levels of focus and cooperation.

The strong curriculum for personal, social and health education contributes positively to pupils' personal development.

The school prioritises pupils' mental well-being. There is a well-being day each half term. Pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to keep healthy.

They have mature attitudes to inclusion and diversity. Pupils value the wide range of experiences the school provides to enhance the curriculum and to extend their experience of the wider world. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities associated with caring for the school's chickens.

They feed them and gather the eggs. Pupils in breakfast club enjoy eating omelettes made from the eggs.

The school is aware that too many pupils have poor attendance.

They work relentlessly with families and external agencies to improve the attendance of pupils, some of whom are persistently absent. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, these strategies were leading to improvements. Since the pandemic, these efforts have been less successful.

Leaders and governors share a vision of success for pupils and the community. They are mindful of staff workload and well-being. Most staff report how happy they are to work at the school and speak of how well they are supported.

Governors are deeply committed to their role in providing challenge and support to the school. They know the school well and make regular visits to monitor the impact of school improvement initiatives.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils do not attend school often enough and are persistently absent. This limits their achievement. The school should continue to work with those pupils, and their families, to ensure they understand the importance of being in school regularly and on time.

• In some subjects, the school has not identified the precise knowledge pupils should learn at each stage. In these subjects, teachers are unclear what to teach and when. The school must continue its plans to fully develop all areas of the curriculum, so that teachers know exactly what to teach to ensure pupils learn well in all subjects.