Creswell CofE Controlled Infant and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Creswell CofE Controlled Infant and Nursery Gypsy Lane, Creswell, Worksop, Nottinghamshire S80 4HY

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Outcome

Creswell CofE Controlled Infant and Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel happy, safe and valued at this school. They benefit from warm relationships with staff. They know that staff are there to help them and have their best interests at heart. One pupil, typical of many, said, ‘The teachers here make sure we are okay. If we get muddled up, they are always there to help us.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for all pupils. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. The school has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff know the needs of these pupils well and provide them with high levels of care and support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff treat pupils with courtesy and respect, demonstrating good manners. Pupils try to copy their example. Pupils behave well most of the time.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises high attendance. It ensures that parents and carers understand the importance of pupils being in school every day.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school’s ‘shine’ values of love, kindness, respect, courage, curiosity and thankfulness. They understand these values. For instance, they know that courage is about being brave and trying new things. Pupils enjoy being recognised in assembly for showing the school’s values. 1 and 2 April 2025

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

Pupils benefit from a broad, balanced and ambitious curriculum. There is a clear progression of knowledge and skills from Nursery through to Year 2. Staff revisit key curriculum content often, keeping it fresh in pupils’ minds. In mathematics, for example, this approach ensures that pupils can recall important number facts accurately and quickly. Staff show pupils how to be successful. In physical education, for instance, staff model techniques precisely so that pupils can manoeuvre their balance bikes or refine their dance movements.

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

Many pupils join the school with low speaking and listening skills. Consequently, there is a sharp focus on communication and language from the moment children start in the Nursery. Early years staff interact skilfully with children while they are playing to develop their vocabularies. Children enjoy using new words, especially long, technical ones. While learning about eggs as part of their Easter topic, for example, children shared their understanding of the term ‘oviparous’ proudly.

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

Pupils have positive attitudes to reading. They love listening to their teachers read during story time. Staff teach phonics well. The school has close oversight of pupils’ progress in reading. Any pupil who falls behind in phonics is given support to catch up. However, the school’s approach to teaching writing is not always well matched to pupils’ needs. Sometimes, pupils are asked to compose complex texts before they are secure in their spelling, handwriting and sentence-construction skills.

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

The school swiftly identifies any additional needs that pupils may have. Staff make effective adaptations to learning activities so that pupils with SEND can access learning and achieve well. Pupils with education, health and care plans benefit from high-quality support, for example, to help with their speech and language development or to meet their social, emotional and mental health needs.

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

The school has transformed its approach to behaviour management. This has led to a dramatic fall in serious incidents of misbehaviour and the use of suspension. However, sometimes, staff do not have high enough expectations of pupils’ behaviour during lessons. At times, they do not address pupils’ poor engagement well enough. As a result, some pupils do not listen and focus on learning as well as they could.

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

New systems and high expectations have brought about a significant reduction in pupils’ absence and persistent absence. Staff understand their role in monitoring and promoting high attendance. The school tracks absence closely. It intervenes swiftly when pupils have too much time off.

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

During personal, social and health education lessons, pupils learn how to look after themselves. Pupils are knowledgeable about world faiths. They have inclusive attitudes towards difference. One pupil summed this up perfectly when they said, ‘Everyone is unique. Everyone is welcome here.’ The curriculum is enhanced by a range of trips and visitors. Pupils enjoy the clubs on offer, particularly sewing club. Pupils like having a say in 1 and 2 April 2025

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school life. School councillors spoke proudly about how they help leaders to make the school even better.

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There have been several staffing changes recently, including the appointment of a new headteacher and other senior leaders. These leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors check closely on all aspects of the school’s work to ensure that pupils are safe and achieve well. Staff feel well supported to carry out their roles and manage their workloads.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, staff provide pupils with writing tasks that are too difficult for them, instead of activities that will enable pupils to secure their knowledge and skills in transcription. As a result, some pupils do not master the basics of spelling, handwriting and sentence formation as quickly as they could. The school should ensure that writing tasks are well matched to pupils’ next steps in learning.  At times, staff do not apply the new behaviour policy as the school expects. Consequently, some pupils do not engage with learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that the new behaviour policy is applied consistently, helping all pupils to acquire positive attitudes to learning and high levels of engagement.

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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.

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Background

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. 1 and 2 April 2025

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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). 1 and 2 April 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

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

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up the role in September 2024.  There have been several changes of staff recently, including the appointment of two assistant headteachers.  This is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Derby. The most recent section 48 inspection of Creswell CofE Controlled Infant and Nursery took place in October 2017. This is an inspection of the school’s religious character.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 1 and 2 April 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector met with the headteacher and assistant headteachers, teachers and support staff. The inspector also met with leaders with responsibility for pupils with SEND, behaviour, attendance and personal development.  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 examined a range of school documents relating to behaviour, attendance and governance, as well as leaders’ self-evaluation of the school and the school improvement plan.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body. The inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.

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 The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the results of Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Shaun Carter, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 1 and 2 April 2025

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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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