Cranbrook Education Campus

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. They know the school's 'PERKS of being Crantastic' values well, which include being kind and safe. Most pupils uphold these values and live up to the school's high expectations of their behaviour.

As a result, the school has a positive atmosphere and learning is rarely disturbed.

Pupils have a strong voice in the school. Through the pupil parliament, for example, they represent each other's views and make positive contributions to the school community.

Recently appointed anti-bullying ambassadors help to promote the school's culture of respecting and celebrating difference.

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs and activitie...s. For instance, primary-age pupils participate in the 'mini-Dukes' programme, which helps to prepare them for secondary school events such as the Exe Valley and Jurassic Coast challenges.

Pupils have opportunities in sports, such as the girls 'lionesses' football team, and in music, such as taking part in the 'Crastonbury' choir event.

The school works relentlessly to remove barriers to pupils' participation and success. It maintains an oversight of the uptake of extra-curricular activities to ensure that all pupils have the chance to join in.

The school is proactive in welcoming pupils to the school from families seeking asylum. These actions exemplify the school's vision to extend opportunity to its community.

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

Pupils learn an ambitious curriculum.

In the secondary phase, a high proportion of pupils follow the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at GCSE. The school keeps the curriculum under close review, such as making changes to the qualifications on offer as the school grows. Teachers use assessment well to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and make necessary adaptations to the curriculum.

The school has sequenced the order in which pupils learn the curriculum effectively. Careful thought is given to what children learn in Reception Year and how this prepares them for Year 1 and beyond. In the Nursery and pre-school, there is strong focus on the development of children's language and communication skills.

This helps children to build their vocabulary and social skills. This continues as they get older.

In most subjects, pupils deepen their knowledge and skills over time.

For example, in modern foreign languages, pupils learn how to write in French or Spanish in increasing detail. Where the curriculum is strongest, teachers have expert subject knowledge. They present new information clearly and check pupils' understanding of this.

Consequently, pupils learn the intended knowledge and skills.

In some subjects, however, pupils do not build their knowledge and understanding as well. For instance, pupils in the primary phase recall number facts but do not always apply them effectively to solve mathematical problems.

This is because teachers in the primary phase do not have sufficient subject knowledge to implement some subject curriculums effectively.

The school successfully promotes the importance of reading. Older pupils read the school's 'literary canon'.

This is designed carefully to contribute to pupils' wider knowledge such as about diversity. In the Nursery and pre-school, children get to know familiar stories and rhymes. This lays the foundations for developing a love of reading and becoming familiar with phonic sounds.

In the Reception Year, children begin by reading books that are matched closely to their phonics knowledge. Those who need it receive extra support to build their reading accuracy and fluency, including in the secondary phase. The school has recently strengthened its early reading programme.

This means the published outcomes do not reflect the current quality of education provided.

The school is ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils' needs are accurately identified and assessed, meaning suitable adaptations are made.

This helps pupils to learn the curriculum and build their independence.

Most pupils attend school regularly. The school successfully helps to reduce the absence of pupils who attend less well.

Most pupils treat others courteously. However, a small number of pupils do not live up to the school's expectations to be respectful and kind. The school does not tolerate such behaviour, but some pupils lack confidence in the school's actions to tackle inappropriate language.

The school provides an intelligently designed curriculum for pupils' personal development. The programme covers an appropriate range of topics such as online safety, mental health and relationships. Pupils in the secondary phase benefit from an effective careers education programme.

They have meaningful encounters with employers and receive impartial advice about next steps in their education.

The school ensures that pupils routinely reflect on fundamental British values such as the rule of law. However, pupils often lack confidence to share their views.

Across the curriculum, there are limited opportunities for pupils to discuss and debate ideas. This hinders pupils' ability to demonstrate their learning with confidence.

Trustees and local governors perform their roles effectively.

They hold leaders to account to make improvements to the quality of education. Leaders carefully manage staff workload and ensure that those newest to teaching are well supported.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some teachers in the primary phase do not have the subject expertise required to implement the curriculum successfully. As a result, teaching does not always deepen pupils' knowledge and understanding sufficiently. The trust and school should ensure that all teachers have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum well.

• Pupils have limited opportunities to discuss subject content. Where this is the case, they do not consolidate their learning. The trust and school should ensure that pupils have opportunities to discuss subject content and debate issues and ideas in a considered way.

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