Crestwood Community School

Inspection of a good school: Crestwood Community School Shakespeare Road, Boyatt Wood, Eastleigh, Hampshire SO50 4FZ

p.1

Outcome

Crestwood Community School continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a welcoming, friendly atmosphere at Crestwood. Each campus is popular in the local area, with a strong sense of community. Pupils like and trust their teachers. They know their teachers want the best for them. Many pupils, staff and parents describe the school as a ‘big family’. As one parent said, ‘Each time I visit the school, I come away with a shared sense of the pride that the staff and pupils talk about.’

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They are polite and friendly to visitors. Both campuses are calm and orderly. Most pupils feel confident to report bullying and trust that staff will deal with it. The majority of pupils behave well. A few pupils sometimes stray off task, which limits their learning.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of extra-curricular activities and clubs. These include sports clubs, arts clubs and some more unusual ones such as gardening and crochet clubs. Pupils enjoy going on trips, both locally and abroad. Growing numbers of pupils participate in the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. Currently, pupils are enthusiastically preparing for ‘Matilda’, their next school show. The school council does a lot of charity fundraising as well as representing pupils’ views to the school’s leadership team.

p.1

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

Leaders and governors are driven by a strong sense of moral purpose. They are ambitious for pupils’ futures and strive to provide the best opportunities for them. Staff share these aspirations and are loyal and committed. Teaching and support staff, including those in the early stages of their careers, are proud to work at the school. They particularly value leaders’ careful consideration of their workload and well-being so that they can focus their efforts fully on pupils’ education. 6 and 7 February 2024

p.1

2

The curriculum in key stage 3 provides a strong foundation for pupils’ further study. All pupils follow the national curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those in the two specialist provisions. Pupils have a wide choice of subjects to study in key stage 4. The number of pupils taking a foreign language is growing, so more pupils now have the opportunity to achieve the English Baccalaureate.

p.2

2

Although published examination results in 2023 were not strong overall, there were improvements in a number of subjects. The school has carefully considered the knowledge that pupils should learn and the order in which it is taught. This means that lessons build on what has come before in effective ways. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. Pupils and staff have a shared understanding of the ‘Crestwood Learning Cycle’, which helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills effectively over time. Pupils mostly benefit from effective teaching. As a result, pupils currently at the school achieve well overall. However, sometimes work is not matched closely enough to pupils’ needs, being either too easy or too difficult. Sometimes, teachers do not notice this and make the necessary changes.

p.2

2

The school uses a range of appropriate strategies to identify the needs of pupils with SEND. This starts before pupils join the school and is regularly reviewed thereafter. Pupils with SEND receive the right extra help. Consequently, most pupils make good progress through the curriculum. The school has rightly prioritised reading across the curriculum. Key stage 3 pupils have regular ‘drop everything and read’ sessions. The school quickly identifies pupils who struggle to read. The catch-up programme helps these pupils to read with greater fluency and confidence.

p.2

2

The school has rightly focused strongly on improving pupils’ attendance, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic, because it has been a key issue. Some pupils’ lower rates of attendance adversely affected examination results in 2023. The school’s efforts are now clearly paying off, and overall attendance is improving. Pupils who struggle to come to school are supported effectively to attend more regularly. This is benefiting pupils’ learning, progress and attitudes.

p.2

2

The school’s curriculum for pupils’ personal development is a strength. Personal development lessons help pupils to develop a wider understanding of the world around them. They cover a variety of topics related to relationships, keeping safe and careers. The programme is flexible enough to slot in lessons on issues that sometimes need greater focus, such as bullying. Year 11 pupils have extra careers sessions, where they look more deeply at career choices. Many pupils benefit from visits to local universities to raise their aspirations. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for their next steps, and they are increasingly ambitious for their futures.

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 6 and 7 February 2024

p.2

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Work in lessons does not always match pupils’ needs. For some pupils, work is too easy, and for others, it is too difficult. Sometimes, teachers do not identify this, which means that not all pupils make the progress that they could. The school should ensure that teachers have the necessary training to adapt their teaching so that pupils make the progress through the curriculum of which they are capable.  Lessons are sometimes disrupted by a few pupils who demonstrate off-task behaviour. This means that some pupils miss important learning. The school should ensure that all staff follow the behaviour policy consistently so that all pupils learn without interruption.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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.

p.3

Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2018.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.3

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.3

Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 6 and 7 February 2024

p.3

4

looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 6 and 7 February 2024

p.4

School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,467

p.5

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 26 and 27 June 2018, under Section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Crestwood Community School is on two campuses in Eastleigh, known as the Shakespeare campus and the Cherbourg campus. Both campuses provide education for pupils in key stages 3 and 4.  The school has two specially resourced provisions. The provision on the Shakespeare campus supports 10 pupils with SEND with speech, language and dyslexia needs. The provision on the Cherbourg campus supports eight pupils with SEND who have social, emotional and mental health needs.  Leaders make use of six registered alternative providers and five unregistered alternative providers for a small number of pupils.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 6 and 7 February 2024

p.5

6

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, staff, pupils, the chair of governors and two other governors. An inspector held a meeting with a representative of the local authority.  An inspector held a telephone discussion with a member of staff at two alternative providers.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, history, modern foreign languages and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also considered the curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

p.6

6

central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke to staff, including early career teachers, about behaviour and their workload in school.  Inspectors considered the responses to the confidential staff survey. They took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors considered the views of pupils shared in the confidential pupil survey and through discussions held with pupils throughout the school. Inspectors also considered an email sent directly to Ofsted and a letter from a pupil.

p.6

Inspection team

Paula Sargent, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Julie Summerfield Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 February 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7