Cragside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this nurturing and aspirational school.

Everyone has the highest ambitions for pupils' learning, behaviour and success. These ambitions are well understood and realised. Pupils are proud and happy to attend this school.

It is a place where difference is respected and celebrated.Pupils and staff share a strong sense of belonging to the 'Cragside family'. Pupils are taught to be polite and courteous, as well as confident and independent.

They wait patiently while listening to others speak. Pupils and adults show great respect for each other. Behaviour is exemplary across the school.

The curriculum, for both academic and personal develo...pment, is exceptionally well considered. The school ensures that all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), use every moment to learn effectively. Lessons are fun and interesting.

Pupils strive to do their best.The school's personal development offer is vibrant and extensive. Pupils benefit from exciting opportunities to develop them beyond the classroom.

For example, there is a wide variety of musical instrument tuition on offer, and through the school's work with external agencies, pupils excel in their creativity. Pupils relish the opportunity to take on roles of responsibility, such as art and science ambassadors.

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

The school has created a well-considered, ambitious and exciting curriculum.

The curriculum has been designed to build knowledge over time, placing a sharp focus on acquiring a rich vocabulary. Teachers are highly skilled in delivering the curriculum creatively. For example, in science, pupils act as liquids, solids and gases.

Staff have strong subject knowledge and use assessment effectively to identify gaps in knowledge. This results in pupils achieving extremely well.

The school is an inclusive place to learn.

There are robust systems in place to ensure that pupils with SEND are swiftly identified. Through adult support and adaptations to the curriculum, pupils with SEND produce work of a high quality and develop a depth of understanding.

Children in the early years get off to a flying start.

Staff share a high ambition to design exciting challenges that interest and engage children. They take every opportunity to develop children's spoken language. Staff model vocabulary in highly effective ways.

As a result, children talk with increasing confidence about their learning. For example, they use correct technical vocabulary to sort photos of old and new vehicles. As a result, the impact on what children know, can remember and do is strong.

The school has created a culture where reading is celebrated. The woodland-themed library is full of high-quality, diverse texts that pupils enjoy. From the outset, children receive a well-organised, structured approach to learning phonics.

Staff are highly skilled.They provide effective support to help pupils as they read age-appropriate books. Those who struggle with learning to read are swiftly identified, and extra support is put in place to enable them to catch up quickly.

Pupils behave exceptionally well, both in lessons and during social times. This is because expectations are clear. Pupils actively support the well-being of others through recognising the need for some to access safe spaces in school.

Pupils' motivation and determination to succeed are evident in their highly positive attitudes to learning. Attendance rates are high.

The provision for pupils' personal development is exceptional.

The planned programme of experiences develops pupil's confidence, character and resilience. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their involvement in Parliament week, having the opportunity to perform in a notable North East venue and working alongside engineers from the local university. The range of clubs for pupils to attend, including choir and Chinese calligraphy, are extremely popular.

Pupils speak with enthusiasm about the trips and residentials they attend. They relish opportunities to take on leadership responsibilities, such as the 'Creativity Champions' who introduced a reward token system for pupils displaying any of the creative traits of persistence, collaboration, creativity, discipline or imagination. Through the school's rich assembly programme and personal, social and health education programme, pupils learn about equality.

They respect and celebrate diversity. Pupils confidently debate and listen to one another. They learn first-hand about a range of diverse careers, including marine biologists and architects.

Pupils are fully prepared for life beyond the school.

Leaders have a clear, ambitious vision for the school. Governors share this vision.

They hold school leaders to account through effective support and challenge. The determination for all pupils to be successful is a priority shared by all. There are extensive training opportunities on offer for staff.

The consideration given to staff's well-being and workload is extensive. Staff feel valued and are proud to work at the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.