Crescent Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Crescent Primary School Booth Crescent, Mansfield, Nottinghamshire NG19 7LF

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Inspection dates: 21 and 22 February 2024

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Outcome

Crescent Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Crescent Primary School provides an exceptional education for its pupils. Staff have the very highest expectations for all pupils, many of whom are disadvantaged. They expertly deliver interesting and challenging lessons. Pupils enthusiastically rise to the challenge. They enjoy learning and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in lessons and around school is exemplary. Children in the early years eagerly follow well-established routines. They quickly develop the skills they need to be ready for the next stage in their education. Pupils in key stages 1 and 2 display consistently positive attitudes to learning. Passionate and caring staff know the pupils very well. Pupils trust the staff to help them resolve any problems quickly and to keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The exceptional education that the school provides is supported by a wide range of enrichment opportunities. The school strives to provide pupils with a rich set of experiences that they may not otherwise have access to. Pupils enjoy visits to theatres, museums and other interesting places. Many take part in after-school clubs that include sports as well as creative and performing arts. Pupils are proud to take on roles of responsibility, such as ambassadors, eco-warriors and play leaders.

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

The school has developed an extremely ambitious curriculum that encourages all pupils to be aspirational and ‘dream big’. In all subjects, the school has precisely identified the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Curriculum plans are well sequenced. This helps pupils to build on what they know already and ‘create connections’ to strengthen their understanding. Lessons focus on ‘wonderful words’ so that pupils gain a rich vocabulary that helps them make sense of their learning. The most recent published outcomes show that pupils make very good progress and achieve well, especially in mathematics and writing. 21 and 22 February 2024

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The curriculum for reading has recently been strengthened. The school has adopted a new phonics programme which begins in the early years. Staff deliver phonics lessons expertly. They check pupils’ reading knowledge often and provide extra support when it is needed. Older pupils read from a variety of ambitious texts, including poetry and non- fiction. Reading lessons help pupils gain fluency and comprehension skills. Pupils enjoy reading and read often.

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Staff have excellent subject knowledge. They explain new concepts clearly. Lesson activities are engaging and sharply focused on the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Staff ask questions that make pupils think deeply about new knowledge and make links to what they already know. In mathematics lessons, pupils benefit from using apparatus and diagrams that help them to explore new knowledge. Staff give pupils lots of opportunities to practise and to recall what they have learned previously. In history lessons, pupils learn to think like historians. They compare different periods in history and understand the significance of historical events. In art lessons, pupils experience the work of famous artists from around the world. They practise different techniques and apply them to their own work.

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In all lessons, pupils work hard and enjoy learning. No time is wasted. Staff often check how securely pupils can remember what they have learned. They adapt lessons skilfully to meet the needs of all pupils. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are very ambitious for these pupils. They provide excellent support when it is needed while helping pupils with SEND develop resilience and independence.

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In the early years, children get off to a flying start. The curriculum has been carefully designed to match children’s interests as they quickly develop social and communication skills. Children work and play together happily in well-resourced classrooms.

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Pupils are guided by the school’s values to be tolerant and respectful of differences. They demonstrate mature attitudes to diversity and equality. The ‘healthy bodies, healthy minds’ curriculum helps pupils to learn how to take care of their physical and mental health. The school places a high priority on the well-being of pupils. Pupils that struggle to regulate their emotions or display challenging behaviours receive exceptional levels of care and support. The vast majority of pupils attend school well.

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The school understands the important role it plays in the community. They communicate well and provide much-valued support for parents and carers. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the opportunities they get to develop expertise and the support they get to manage their workload. The governing body provides very effective support and challenge to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 21 and 22 February 2024

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in November 2018.

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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.

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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' 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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 21 and 22 February 2024

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was appointed in 2020.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team.  The inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair.  The inspector spoke to a representative from the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, and history. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited 21 and 22 February 2024

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a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector listened to pupils reading to a member of staff.  The inspector also discussed the curriculum and looked at pupils’ work in a number of other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single 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.  The inspector considered the responses to parent, staff and pupil surveys.  The inspector spoke with pupils and staff to hear their experiences of the school.

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Inspection team

John Spragg, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 February 2024

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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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