Normand Croft Community School for Early Years and Primary Education

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Normand Croft Community School for Early Years and Primary Education has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this diverse and inclusive school. They behave well, and lessons are free from disruption. This enables pupils to work hard.

They enjoy learning and are proud to be 'Crofties'.

The school has high expectations for what pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can achieve. Staff build nurturing relationships with pupils and help them to 'Be the best that you can be'.

Pupils achieve well in their lea...rning, including in the national reading, writing and mathematics assessments in Year 6.

Pupils benefit from opportunities to be leaders, including being part of the school council and 'eco-committee'. Pupils enjoy the responsibility of looking after chickens and tending the school gardens, for example.

Pupils value the many clubs on offer.

Pupils love their school grounds. They enjoy spending time there and learning outside.

The pond, orchard and natural areas, where pupils grow fruit and vegetables, are particularly popular. These areas develop pupils' interests as well as providing a calm space for them to relax.

Pupils experience lots of exciting opportunities as part of the curriculum.

For example, older pupils take part in a programme to learn about going to university. This supports pupils' aspirations and develops key skills that promote success at school and beyond.

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

The school has designed an engaging curriculum that represents and celebrates the diversity of its community.

Recently, the school has adapted its approach to teaching in some subjects. This work means that learning is sequenced coherently and develops well as pupils progress through the school, from early years to the end of Year 6. Effective training enables teachers to deliver the curriculum confidently.

Pupils become curious, independent and confident learners.

In many subjects, teaching includes time for pupils to revisit previous learning. For example, in languages, older pupils develop their French speaking and listening by applying vocabulary learned in previous lessons, such as when practising how to plan a train journey to France.

These opportunities to revisit past learning help pupils to develop a secure knowledge and understanding. As a result, pupils know more and remember more and achieve well in these subjects. In a few subjects, some teaching provides fewer opportunities for pupils to reinforce their knowledge and go over prior learning.

This reduces pupils' ability to retain important knowledge, making their recall in these subjects less secure than it could be.

Most pupils at the school speak English as an additional language. The school places high importance on pupils developing a wide vocabulary so that they can learn effectively across the curriculum.

Teaching explicitly reinforces important vocabulary and encourages pupils to speak in full sentences. This helps pupils to improve their communication and language skills.

Reading is a high priority in the school.

Pupils enjoy reading and make strong progress through the early reading curriculum. Children in the early years benefit from listening to stories and learning nursery rhymes. The school's approach to the teaching of reading is well structured.

Staff deliver the phonics programme effectively. Pupils who are falling behind are quickly identified and receive additional help to develop their reading fluency and comprehension.

The school provides suitable support to meet the needs of pupils with SEND.

The inclusive ethos ensures that these pupils access the same curriculum as their peers. Effective extra help is put in place to enable pupils with SEND to participate fully in all aspects of school life.

The school provides exceptionally well for pupils' personal development.

Pupils benefit from a broad offer beyond the academic curriculum that develops and nurtures their talents and interests. There is a wide range of educational, cultural and sporting visits linked to the curriculum. Visits to museums, sporting venues, orienteering in Hyde Park and visits to the Houses of Parliament are among some of the rich opportunities available.

Pupils actively take part in a range of clubs, such as sports, gardening and choir. These opportunities widen pupils' experiences beyond the school.

The school has identified the reasons for the high absence rates of some pupils.

Procedures to improve attendance are in place, and the school is taking effective action to support families. As a result, attendance rates have improved, and more pupils now attend school regularly.

The school is considerate of the workload and well-being of staff.

Staff appreciate the support given to them to carry out their roles effectively. Staff are proud to be part of the school community.

Governors are actively involved in the school.

They have an accurate evaluation of the school's strengths and the areas that require development. They carry out their statutory duties well and provide effective support and challenge.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a small number of subjects, at times, teaching does not support pupils to recap and recall previous learning as effectively it does in other subjects. This makes it difficult for some pupils to build on their existing knowledge. The school should ensure that, in these subjects, teaching is designed in a way that reinforces pupils' understanding and knowledge retention.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2019.