Cramlington Village Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 February 2024

Since the previous inspection, significant changes in staff, including leaders, have resulted in pupils receiving an education of variable quality. This has hampered pupils' achievement. Where the curriculum is better designed and taught, pupils focus on their learning and their achievement is improving. Leaders have a clear vision for the school. The school's expectations of pupils have increased. For example, a sharp focus on the teaching of phonics and mathematics is having a positive impact on pupils' achievement in these subjects. However, there is still much work to do to ensure that pupils receive a high-quality education. Pupils enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their improving attendance. They appreciate the changes that staff are making to the school. For example, incidents of serious behaviour are reducing due to the new behaviour policy. However, staff do not apply this policy consistently. This means that pupils are not clear about what is expected of them and there are some instances of low-level disruption in lessons. Pupils say that bullying does sometimes happen. They are confident that adults will sort this out. Pupils feel safe in school. They know they can talk to a trusted adult, or use the class worry box, if they have any concerns.

What the school should improve

• In some subjects, such as history and science, the curriculum is not adapted to meet the needs of pupils in the school. This means that teaching does not meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils do not build up a secure grasp of important knowledge over time. The school should work to refine these curriculums to ensure that pupils achieve well across the curriculum and are prepared for the next stage of their education.
• The new behaviour policy is not implemented consistently across school. Consequently, pupils are not clear about what is expected of them in terms of their behaviour, and some instances of low-level disruption go unaddressed. The school should ensure that the policy is applied consistently by all staff.
• Pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths is limited. This means that they cannot fully demonstrate respect for those who have different beliefs to themselves. The school should ensure that pupils' knowledge and understanding of different faiths builds and develops over time.
• Over time, governors and trustees have not effectively held leaders to account for the quality of education that pupils receive. As a result, standards in school have declined since the previous inspection. Governors and trustees should ensure that they seek out the training and development that they need to enable them to provide effective support and challenge to the school.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)