Crosscrake CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Crosscrake CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this small school arrive each day happy and eager to learn. Pupils talk enthusiastically about all the things that they can do. They enjoy the many opportunities that leaders provide.

For example, they like learning about other faiths, visits to places of scientific interest and exhibiting their creative talents at the local county show. Parents and carers highly recommend the school, which is at the heart of this rural community.

The youngest children thrive in the caring environment that leaders have created.

Older pupils act as positive role models, es...pecially during playtimes. Pupils know the importance of treating others with understanding and respect. Pupils behave well.

Although they sometimes fall out with their friends, bullying is rare. Pupils said that it is dealt with quickly by leaders should it occur. Pupils feel safe in school.

This is because they know that staff care about them. Pupils are confident that there is someone who will listen to any worries or concerns that they may have.

Pupils try their best to live up to the headteacher's high ambition for them to be successful both academically and personally.

Pupils work hard in lessons. This helps most pupils to achieve well in most subjects. Pupils are proud of their environmental projects, such as the trees that they have recently planted with the help of The Woodland Trust.

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

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum which is suitable to be taught to pupils in mixed-age classes. The curriculum effectively meets the needs of all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders have identified what they want pupils to know, from the early years to the end of Year 6.

The content of the curriculum has been carefully sequenced following a two-year cycle. Pupils have the opportunity to practise what they know and can do. This helps pupils' knowledge and understanding deepen over time.

In most subjects, pupils successfully apply what they know when they are learning something new. This helps them to achieve well in these subjects. However, in a few subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the key vocabulary that they want pupils to have.

When key vocabulary is not taught, some pupils struggle to access new learning in these subjects.

Leaders frequently check how effectively the agreed curriculum is being delivered. Teachers have the knowledge that they need to deliver the curriculum well.

They work together, including with colleagues in other schools, to share ideas and expertise. A range of assessment strategies are used to help teachers to understand what pupils know and can do. Teachers use this information effectively to identify what pupils need to learn next.

Staff are skilled in identifying and supporting pupils with SEND. The resources that leaders provide enable pupils with SEND to learn alongside their classmates. Pupils with SEND access all that the school has to offer.

They have the help that they need to succeed.

The importance of being able to read is given a high priority. Engagement with parents, for example through weekly story sessions, helps to foster a love of reading further.

Children in the Nursery class enjoy singing traditional songs and rhymes. From the well-stocked library, older pupils recommend their favourite books and authors to each other. Pupils read widely and often across a wide range of subjects and genres.

The reading curriculum is delivered consistently well by staff. Pupils quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. The books that they read match the sounds that they are learning.

This helps pupils to become confident, fluent readers. Pupils who find reading challenging benefit from help from skilled staff. This includes pupils at the early stages of reading in key stage 2.

Pupils' behaviour is good. Pupils are polite and courteous to each other as they play and learn together. There is little disruption during lessons.

This helps pupils to focus on their learning. Pupils achieve well in the positive culture that leaders have created.

Pupils' personal development is promoted well.

Pupils build their confidence and resilience through the broad range of experiences that leaders provide. Residential trips to major cities help pupils in this rural community to understand different faiths and cultures. Fieldwork and visits to places of interest also help to enhance pupils' work in a range of subjects.

Governors use their extensive knowledge to support and challenge leaders on the quality of education provided by the school. Governors are also mindful of the challenges faced by staff in a small school. Staff appreciate the importance leaders place on supporting their well-being and their workload.

Staff feel valued for all that they do.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Up-to-date training ensures that all staff know the procedures to follow if they have any concerns about a pupil's welfare.

Staff know the families well. They quickly identify any changes in pupils' demeanour. Leaders ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are supported well by other agencies when necessary.

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including how to use social media safely. Pupils know how to report to a trusted adult any situations that make them feel uncomfortable.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the key vocabulary that leaders want pupils to know is not clearly identified and not always taught.

This hinders some pupils from accessing new learning in these subjects. Leaders should ensure that pupils have the key vocabulary that they need so that they can achieve equally well in all subjects.

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 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2012.