Crich Church of England Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Crich Church of England Infant School exudes warmth. Staff have created a family feel.

They know all the pupils really well. They want the best for each and every one. Staff model the kind, polite, enthusiastic attitudes that they want pupils to show.

Pupils feel safe and secure in this nurturing environment. They say, 'We have lovely teachers here who really help you if you are stuck.'

Attendance is high.

Pupils like going to school. Their behaviour is good. Pupils listen well and participate fully in lessons most of the time.

Staff teach pupils the importance of being gentle, kind, honest, caring, and hard working. Pupils say, 'Our 'Golde...n Rules' make sure our school is a nice place for everyone.'

Pupils play happily together at break times.

They like the initiatives set up by the school council on the playground, such as the different activity zones, play leaders and the 'Buddy Bench'.

The school makes the most of the local environment and its rich heritage. All pupils benefit from regular forest school sessions.

They like being outside and learning about nature. Pupils enjoy learning about the historical figures associated with Crich and the surrounding area, such as Florence Nightingale.

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

The school's ambitious curriculum leads to pupils gaining secure knowledge and skills in most subjects.

Pupils attain highly in reading, writing and mathematics. The published outcomes in these subjects at the end of key stage 1 are strong.

In most subjects, staff are really clear about the important knowledge that pupils must remember.

Staff regularly go back over this crucial curriculum content to keep it fresh in pupils' minds. In geography, for instance, staff use floor books at the start of lessons to remind pupils of the main things they have learned before. This approach helps pupils retain key information.

Year 1 pupils, for example, can talk confidently about some of the human and physical features of the United Kingdom. However, pupils do not develop the same depth of understanding in all areas of the curriculum. This is because the school has not identified the most important content in some subjects for staff to systematically revisit.

Staff teach phonics with precision. Pupils know to scan words for sounds made by a combination of letters. This helps pupils to blend letter sounds together accurately and read whole words.

Staff develop pupils' fluency by encouraging them to sound out in their heads, as quickly as they can. The books that pupils are given to read are closely matched to the letter sounds they recognise. Pupils like reading these books at home and showing their parents and carers how well they can read.

Pupils love listening to their teachers read to them. Staff model clear, expressive reading which pupils then try to imitate. Pupils have positive attitudes to reading.

They recognise the benefits of reading regularly. They say, 'Books open up our imaginations.'

The development of children's communication and language skills is a priority in the early years.

Children benefit from listening to stories every day, as well as learning a range of nursery rhymes. Staff know which new words children need to learn as part of the activities they lead. Children also spend time in the 'Know More, Remember More Arch', going back over the key words they have learned before.

Staff make changes to their lessons so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same things as their classmates. The school ensures that pupils with SEND get the individual support they need.

The wider work of the school is furnishing pupils with the attitudes they need to be successful learners and citizens.

Pupils learn about the importance of caring, sharing, forgiving, and loving. They hold inclusive and welcoming views about difference and diversity. They say, 'You can just be yourself at our school.'

Pupils learn about British values. They take part in elections, for instance, and they understand that voting is a fair way of deciding. However, there are very few extra-curricular opportunities on offer at the school which prevents pupils from developing a wide range of talents and interests.

Staff, governors, and the local authority have worked together well to address the concerns raised at the last inspection. Staff appreciate being part of a supportive team.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school has not identified the most important knowledge in some subjects for staff to systematically revisit. Pupils do not remember the key curriculum content they need for their future learning. The school must ensure that the most important knowledge pupils need to remember is set out clearly in all areas of the curriculum and that strategies are in place to ensure that pupils recall it securely.

• There are very few extra-curricular opportunities on offer at the school. This prevents pupils from developing a wide range of talents and interests. The school must develop its wider offer, ensuring that all pupils have access to a greater variety of extra-curricular opportunities.