The Croft Primary School

The Croft Primary School

Address: Rugeley Road, Armitage, Rugeley, Staffordshire, WS15 4AZ Unique reference number (URN): 124054

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have a clear and extensive personal development programme in place. This includes an age-appropriate relationships education curriculum. Pupils understand themselves, the world around them and the world beyond the local community. Leaders carefully match enrichment and wider opportunities to pupils’ needs and to support learning in the wider curriculum. This deliberate and well-rounded approach has a significant impact on pupils’ understanding of the world around them. They develop independence and resilience and a deep understanding of and respect for others.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Enrichment experiences support the personal development curriculum and strengthen pupils’ understanding. For example, visits for Year 5 to ‘Safe and Sound’ sessions help them to place their fire safety learning into context. Similarly, links with the Canal & River Trust teach pupils to understand the dangers of water. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures and speak about them with respect. They understand right and wrong. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and offline. They develop a strong understanding of healthy relationships.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Relationships in school are positive and nurturing. Leaders have implemented an effective pastoral programme. Pupils speak about this positively. They have a range of trusted adults they know will listen to them and support them. Leaders work well with parents and external agencies to give pupils the right pastoral support at the right time.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils enjoy the wide extra-curricular club offer in school. These include art, singing and sports clubs. These develop pupils’ interests and talents well. Pupils are positive about the leadership opportunities available. Play leaders, eco-councillors and wellbeing champions are some of the ways pupils learn to develop independence and confidence. Leaders track participation in clubs and leadership roles well. They ensure all pupils have equal opportunity to attend. Where possible, leaders remove financial barriers to promote participation, for example for the Year 6 residential. Pupils’ personal development flourishes at The Croft Primary School.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils typically achieve well as they move through the school. This results in most pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, achieving at least in line with national outcomes at the end of key stage 2 national tests. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported through adaptations to the curriculum. This enables them to make progress from their starting points.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, pupils develop foundational knowledge. Pupils mostly learn core skills in reading, writing and mathematics well. This starts in the early years. Leaders ensure that pupils build on this knowledge over time. Pupils have the knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics they need to make progress through the school's wider curriculum. While books show pupils' learning develops over time, there are inconsistent expectations across the school in presentation and handwriting. This means some pupils do not produce work to the standard they are capable of.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance across the school is high. Pupils and families understand the importance of regular attendance. This results in attendance figures that are consistently above national averages. This includes those who are disadvantaged or those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are very low levels of persistent absence. Leaders act quickly when any pupil’s attendance dips. They have robust procedures to follow up absence. Leaders work closely with families to support them when attendance is a barrier.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

In school, there is a calm, orderly and inclusive environment that enables pupils to feel safe. Rules and routines are well established, and typically, pupils follow these expectations. Behaviour around school, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes, is cooperative and positive. Pupils show respect and kindness for each other and towards staff. However, in some lessons, behaviour is less positive. A few pupils have poorer attitudes to learning. These are not always addressed in lessons. This means some pupils do not complete the work they are capable of. Leaders have effective systems in place to analyse behaviour patterns. Bullying is rare and not tolerated, and it is dealt with quickly if it arises. They provide support for these pupils and make adaptations when needed.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years learn in a safe and inclusive environment. Staff know the children well and help them to become independent learners through well-embedded routines. Leaders ensure they quickly identify any barriers to learning. Appropriate support is put quickly in place to ensure children get the help they need. Staff build positive relationships with parents, which ensures children feel safe. Carefully planned transitions into school help children settle quickly. Parents are highly positive about the relationships they have with staff.

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Early years Expected standard

There is a well-designed curriculum in the early years. This breaks learning down into small steps, which builds children’s knowledge over time. However, sometimes learning intentions are not as clear as they could be, which means that opportunities to develop children's communication skills are not always taken. Throughout the curriculum, there is a focus on vocabulary development. Children learn in a language-rich environment and have access to a wide range of books. They learn stories and rhymes and use these in other areas of learning. For example, in mathematics, children learn about odd and even by counting and sharing the magic beans in Jack’s bag.

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Early years Expected standard

Children develop their reading and writing through well-sequenced phonics sessions. Staff support children who need extra help to keep up with their peers. Staff typically engage in high-quality interactions with children. Overall, children are ready for Year 1.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have created an inclusive culture where all pupils feel valued and welcome. They are ambitious for what every child can achieve, regardless of their barriers. Leaders have established a clear and robust process to identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. They work closely with parents and external partners to make sure that pupils get the support they need.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders provide training for staff, so they have the knowledge to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). For example, staff have completed recent training on adaptive strategies. As a result, teachers are now adjusting their approach to meet pupils' needs better in class. This is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ progress in lessons. Leaders check the impact these strategies have on progress and adjust the offer where needed. Systems are in place for tracking this impact, but these are still developing.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Overall, pupils in receipt of pupil premium and those with SEND are well supported. Leaders understand the barriers these pupils face and remove these effectively. As a result, most of these pupils achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders know their school, pupils and community well. They accurately identify the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have taken deliberate and appropriate steps to improve provision, for example improving in-class support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders know that assessment in lessons is not as consistent as they would like. They have taken steps to address this, although it is too soon to see the impact of this. Leaders have implemented a programme of professional learning to support these improvements. Leaders take decisions with the pupils’ best interests at the heart of their work. They also consider the impact on staff workload.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff benefit from the professional learning on offer. They value leaders’ efforts to manage workload and wellbeing, for example through changes made to the expectations for feedback on pupils' work. Staff are proud to work at the school and appreciate the support that leaders give them.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors know the school well and are proud to belong to the school community. They fulfil their statutory duties well and check safeguarding rigorously. They ensure vulnerable pupils receive targeted support and check that the use of additional funding has an impact. Through visits and meetings, they provide suitable support and challenge that shape the school’s strategic direction. However, this is not always reflected clearly in meeting records.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are extremely positive about the school. They appreciate the work of the individual adults who work directly with their children and the improvements made under the new leadership.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders implement a well-sequenced curriculum that sets out the knowledge and skills pupils need to be ready for their next stage of education. However, leaders understand that teaching is variable across year groups. The checks that teachers make on pupils’ knowledge are not consistently effective. They do not enable teachers to spot and then address gaps in pupils’ skills and understanding. Consequently, misconceptions and errors in some pupils’ work persist over time. Leaders have identified areas that require further work, including adopting a revised approach to mathematics. This is already beginning to strengthen pupils’ learning. However, this work has not yet had a consistently positive impact across all year groups.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers generally have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum. They often link subjects and find connections to help pupils remember key content, for example using their knowledge of Mary Anning from science to write a biography. Teachers generally make suitable adaptations to teaching to help pupils learn the curriculum, including for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Daily phonics sessions and interventions targeting gaps in phonics knowledge support pupils in the early stages of reading. A well- planned reading curriculum gives older pupils access to diverse and challenging texts. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and nurturing.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils love their school and enjoy learning. They have a wide range of opportunities to learn about the local community and its history through events, trips and visits. These add to the curriculum offer, such as themed days to support learning in history. There is also a wealth of opportunities for pupils to try new things or develop their talents. For example, learning a musical instrument, running or art clubs. Also, each year, key stage 2 pupils run stalls to raise money for Children in Need. They give back to their local community through litter picks and daffodil planting.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Leaders and staff know their pupils well. They act early to identify and remove barriers to learning. As a result, most pupils leave school prepared for secondary education. However, inconsistencies in how well teachers address errors and misconceptions in lessons mean some pupils continue to make errors over time. This results in a few pupils not achieving as well as they could.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils have a strong sense of belonging at the school. Staff and pupils live out the school values of ‘Caring, Courageous and Creative’ in their daily interactions. Pupils feel included in all aspects of school life. They know that everyone can access everything. Leaders ensure this by making adaptations to activities where needed. Pupils get on well with each other, help each other and play cooperatively. They are happy and confident. Pupils know that adults will help them sort out friendship or personal worries. Pupils say bullying is rare, but staff deal with it quickly if it does happen. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or with special educational needs and/or disabilities, attend school very well. Pupils are tolerant and respectful of others’ beliefs and backgrounds. Assemblies, participation in community events and the curriculum help pupils to understand what it means to be a good citizen in modern Britain.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that staff use their checks of pupils' learning to improve and address any misconceptions pupils have in writing, particularly in spelling and grammar. Leaders should further develop how adults support and extend children’s play in the early years, making the most of every opportunity for learning and developing their speech, language and vocabulary. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well in all subjects and year groups, and that all teachers have high expectations, so that all pupils achieve as well as they can.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Gaynor Hart.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

During the inspection, inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and pupils. They also met with representatives from the governing body and the local authority.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The headteacher joined the school in September 2025.

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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Team inspectors:

Pamela Matty, Ofsted Inspector Donna OToole, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2023/24 (final) 64% 61% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 64% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2023/24 (final) 75% 74% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 79% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2023/24 (final) 68% 72% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 75% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 75% 73% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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gap

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 4.5% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 4.8% 5.5% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.2% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (3 term) 11.7% 13.0% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 11.4% 14.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 18.3% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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