Croft Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 February 2026

Pupils experience a nurturing, happy and inclusive education. The school’s vision for ‘every child at Croft to achieve and thrive to be the best they can be’ is starting to be realised. Staff understand pupils’ needs thanks to the high-quality training they receive. If pupils face barriers to learning, for example due to special educational needs and/or disabilities or because they are disadvantaged, these are removed or reduced. Keeping up is prioritised over catching up. However, some pupils have gaps in their basic knowledge of reading, writing and mathematics. That said, leaders' actions are starting to have a positive impact on pupils' learning. Overall, most pupils are ready for the next stage of their education by the end of Year 6. Children in the early years start well. They leave the Reception Year well prepared for key stage 1. Pupils enjoy learning. They speak with confidence about their work across the curriculum. However, the quality of pupils' work is not consistently high. This is because staff do not always insist on the same high standards for all curriculum subjects. Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. Bullying is rare, and any falling out is dealt with quickly and effectively. Low-level disruption to learning is infrequent. Pupils work well together. They enjoy earning whole-class rewards. There are opportunities for pupils to take on leadership roles, such as by being wellbeing ambassadors or school councillors. These, along with various class jobs, develop pupils' sense of responsibility. Relationships throughout the school are warm and positive. Pupils trust that there are staff they can talk to if they have any worries. As a result, pupils feel safe at school and attend well.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should ensure that they securely embed curriculum and teaching improvements so that practice is consistently strong within and across subjects, leading to high standards of achievement in every area of learning.
• Leaders should ensure that they strengthen the quality of interactions between staff and children in the early years, so that children receive effective and consistent support to develop their learning and achieve as well as possible.
• Leaders should sustain and deepen their work to continue to drive rapid, measurable improvement across the school.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)