Creswell Junior School

Inspection of Creswell Junior School Elmton Road, Creswell, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 4JD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 21 and 22 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

A ‘jewel in the community’ is how this school is known by many. A safe place for all. Relationships between parents and carers, staff and pupils are strong. As one parent, typical of many, commented: ‘The amazing range of support, both academic and emotional, enables pupils to achieve their full potential.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive because expectations of what they can achieve are high. The school’s core values are well understood by all pupils. They recognise that these help them to develop positive attitudes to enable them to learn. A few aspects of the school’s curriculum are being refined so that all subjects are equally ambitious.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Coming to school is a positive and happy experience for all pupils. They are proud of their school. They accept each other’s differences, displaying kindness and tolerance towards their peers. Many relish opportunities to take on roles and responsibilities within school. Pupils are confident that rare instances of bullying will be swiftly resolved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Inclusion is at the heart of this school’s ethos. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are proud of their achievements. They confidently talk about how their targets will help them overcome any barriers to learning they may have.

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better?

Leaders are relentless in ensuring that the school’s curriculum offer is the best it can be. They are determined to provide an education that meets the needs of every child. The school’s curriculum is continuously evolving. Leaders do not shy away from making changes where it is not meeting their high expectations and ambitions. In most subjects, they have carefully considered what they want pupils to learn and when. In a few subjects, this work is in progress.

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better?

Leaders are determined that pupils with SEND will learn exactly what others learn. Where pupils need a more bespoke curriculum, leaders ensure that the right support is put in place. This enables the most vulnerable pupils in school to thrive and be successful in their education.

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better?

Time, training and leadership support is prioritised to secure staff’s knowledge of the curriculum. This helps teachers to know their subjects well. They explain things clearly, model language and provide explanations to deepen pupils’ understanding. Pupils who have gaps in their knowledge are quickly identified and appropriate support is put in place. This includes additional targeted support through the school’s wider curriculum offer.

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better?

The new school library is used well to provide books that are closely linked to pupils’ reading targets. They enjoy shared class literature, including poetry. Over time, this 21 and 22 March 2023

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helps pupils to know more about how vocabulary and language structures are used. Leaders work tirelessly to reduce the number of pupils who remain at the decoding stage of reading. They know that some pupils need to overlearn the sounds because they do not retain them as well in their memory. Leaders recognise they will need further targeted reading books to support these pupils.

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Expectations of pupils’ behaviour are well understood. It is one of the reasons why pupils thrive here. Leaders ensure the rewards pupils receive for behaviour are memorable and meaningful. These have included, farm visits, equestrian lessons or whole-school bowling. Parents receive regular updates on their child’s behaviour. Leaders carefully provide the right support for pupils who need help to regulate their emotions. The school’s ‘mental health champions’ are on hand to support during social times.

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Leaders are careful that the school’s wider curriculum offer does not impact on staff workload. They ensure that clubs are led by knowledgeable coaches that will prepare pupils for life beyond school. For example, trained chefs run a cooking club, so that pupils learn how to make healthy meals on a budget. Leaders are refining the school’s curriculum to support pupils’ understanding of different groups in society.

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Staff and governors are proud to work at this school. Governors ensure that they come into school regularly to check on the work of school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders know their pupils well and understand their potential vulnerabilities. All staff are alert to any signs that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm. They record all concerns, no matter how small. Safeguarding records are detailed. Leaders ensure that information for pupils’ attendance, behaviour and safeguarding is logged on one system. This enables leaders to build a holistic picture of pupils’ needs.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work with external agencies to ensure that the right support is put in place for vulnerable families and pupils.

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(Information the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders’ ambitions have not yet been realised because the refinements in the curriculum are not complete. In these subjects, pupils are not yet developing the knowledge of the curriculum securely. Leaders need to ensure that the work on the school’s curriculum is implemented effectively in all subjects, so pupils can make meaningful links within and across subject areas. 21 and 22 March 2023

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10242163 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.creswell-jun.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 27 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, a new headteacher and deputy headteacher have been appointed.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders in school. This included meeting leaders who manage inclusion and SEND, and those responsible for looked-after children. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 A meeting was held with the school’s designated safeguarding leaders. The lead inspector considered the safeguarding policy, training records and examples of safeguarding concerns. Information on pupils’ attendance was also considered.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and modern foreign languages. For each deep dive, inspectors visited lessons, met with teachers of the subject to discuss the curriculum, looked at evidence of pupils’ work and spoke with pupils about their learning. Aspects of the school’s curriculum for art and design and history were also sampled.  Pupils’ views were gathered during the inspection. This included during social times.  A meeting was held with representatives of the governing body. A telephone call was made to a local authority representative.  The inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self-

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evaluation, improvement plans and documentation relating to governance.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s parent and staff questionnaires. Inspectors also spoke to a sample group of parents on site.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Slack Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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regulates and inspects to achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children's services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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