Croft Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly and inclusive school.

Most pupils feel happy and safe. Pupils know that staff care about them. They know who to talk to about any worries that they have.

Relationships are typically positive and trusting. Most pupils behave well. Sometimes, there is disruption in lessons.

The school is becoming more settled and stable following a period of turbulence in leadership and staffing. A number of changes are taking place to improve the school rapidly. Most pupils, parents and carers recognise that these changes are for the better.

Relationships and trust between the school and the local community are being restored.

In the past, ...pupils and children in the early years have not achieved well. Recently, pupils' achievement has improved, particularly in reading and mathematics, by the end of each key stage.

However, staff expectations of what pupils can achieve in all subjects and year groups are too variable. Children in the early years, particularly in Nursery, do not all develop the knowledge and behaviours they need to become successful learners as they grow.

Opportunities for pupils to take part in trips and visits are expanding, including residential visits.

However, pupils say they would like to take part in a broader range of regular clubs and activities.

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

Current leaders, including trust leaders, have an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and priorities for improvement. They are working with determination to improve all aspects of the school.

They are realistic that there is much to do to restore the school's standing in the local community. Their efforts, together with staff, are beginning to bring about rapid improvement. The trust has supported the school to strengthen its financial position.

Staff morale has recovered in recent months.

Subject leadership is strengthening. Many leaders are new to the role.

They benefit well from the support of staff at the partner school.

The content of the curriculum is being developed so that teachers know precisely what is taught and when. This work is helping to ensure that the new curriculum builds from the early years to the end of Year 6.

This development is not yet complete, but it is well under way.

Teachers' subject knowledge is mostly secure. They typically use this to plan purposeful learning activities.

However, teachers and other supporting adults do not consistently check pupils' understanding before moving their learning on. Sometimes, pupils are not clear about what they are learning or why. Pupils' misconceptions are not always swiftly picked up and remedied.

When this happens, pupils lose concentration and drift off task. Gaps develop in their knowledge. Pupils do not all achieve as well as they might.

This is particularly the case in mathematics.

Children in the early years do not receive a consistently well-implemented curriculum, noticeably in Nursery. Activities are sometimes led by children.

Routines and learning behaviours are not consistently well established. As a result, children are easily distracted. They are not all well prepared for the next stage of their education.

Provision in Reception is stronger. Children's learning in the 'forest school' is an exciting and valued part of the school's provision.

The school nurtures a positive culture of reading.

Pupils say they enjoy reading, especially during class reading time. Pupils enjoy selecting books from the visiting mobile library. Early reading is prioritised.

Leaders have recently introduced a new scheme for the teaching of phonics. The proportion of children who reach the required standard by the end of Year 1 has improved. Leaders know there is more to do.

Staff do not always make sure that pupils at an early stage of learning to read use their phonic knowledge to decode and blend difficult words. Sometimes, staff are too quick to read for pupils rather than ensure that pupils' reading skills are fully developed.

The school has strengthened its oversight of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), including by engaging with parents.

However, the academic needs of pupils with SEND are not consistently prioritised in the delivery of all subjects. The needs of pupils who require close adult support are met effectively.

Most pupils attend well.

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils typically get on well with one another in lessons and in the playground. Sometimes, pupils are less considerate when listening to the ideas of others or when taking turns.

Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally and fairly. Incidents of disrespectful behaviour are low. However, pupils' understanding of the British values is not well developed.

Pupils do not routinely have opportunities to discuss important issues in depth. As a result, pupils are not all well prepared to become responsible citizens.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Staff expectations of what pupils can achieve and how they should behave are not consistently high across all subjects and year groups, in the school's mixed-age classes. Sometimes, teachers move pupils on to new tasks before they are ready. Pupils are not always sure what they are learning or why they are completing tasks.

When this happens, pupils' concentration drifts and they lose focus. Some leave work incomplete. Low-level disruption sometimes occurs as a result that disturbs other pupils' learning.

The school should ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills they need to promote consistently high expectations in all subjects and year groups, so that all pupils behave and achieve well. ? Children in the early years, particularly in nursery, do not consistently receive the attention they need from adults to help them remain on task and complete their work. Children do not always follow routines and instructions as well as they should.

As a result, children are easily distracted and lose focus. They are not as fully prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be. The school should ensure that staff have the skills they need to help all children develop the knowledge and learning behaviours they require to be successful as they grow.

• The use of assessment is not fully developed across all subjects to ensure that all pupils develop their understanding fully and securely, particularly in mathematics and for some pupils at an early stage of learning to read. Staff do not always check for pupils' misconceptions and remedy them swiftly enough. As a result, some pupils do not demonstrate their knowledge and understanding as fully and as fluently as they could.

The school should ensure that teachers and supporting adults have the skills they need to check pupils' understanding over time systematically, thereby supporting all pupils to become confident learners. ? The oversight of pupils with SEND has strengthened. Staff receive the information they need to help meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

However, these pupils' academic needs do not always receive the priority they require. This means that these pupils do not always complete tasks or achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to ensure that all staff have the skills they need to provide the right support for pupils with SEND, so that these pupils engage and achieve as well as they can.

• The school's curriculum for personal development is not as effective as it needs to be. Pupils do not experience regular opportunities to discuss and debate issues that deepen their thinking and understanding. Pupils struggle to articulate their understanding of the British values.

As a result, pupils are not all well prepared to become responsible citizens. The school should ensure that the school's curriculum for personal development equips pupils with the knowledge and skills they need to become thoughtful and responsible citizens. ? Pupils say that they would like a broader range of regular opportunities to develop their talents and interests.

They are not short of ideas. The lack of opportunities means that pupils are missing out on rich experiences that promote their wider personal development and well-being. The school should ensure that the range of extra-curricular opportunities has the necessary breadth to enable pupils to explore their talents and interests fully.