Croft Community School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 January 2026

Pupils are safe and happy at Croft Community School. Pupils enjoy learning and are motivated to do well. However, the quality of teaching that pupils experience is variable. In some lessons, learning is not well matched or adapted to meet pupils' needs. Misconceptions and gaps in pupils' learning are not identified or addressed quickly enough. This limits the progress that pupils make and prevents them from achieving all that they could. Pupils are part of a kind and caring school community. They benefit from highly effective pastoral care and support from staff. Staff know pupils well, and relationships are secure and established. The school environment is calm and orderly, and pupils are kind to each other. Pupils have plentiful opportunities to take part in enrichment activities. They are encouraged to explore their hobbies and interests. For example, many pupils choose to attend extra-curricular clubs, such as dungeons and dragons and horse riding. Older pupils benefit from meaningful opportunities to explore the world of work. Pupils conduct themselves very well. They are taught how to manage their own emotions and use these skills effectively. Staff model positive behaviour, and pupils respond with respect. Bullying is rare and dealt with appropriately. Pupils typically attend well. Leaders are successful in supporting pupils who are, or have been, persistently absent from school. Diversity is celebrated at Croft Community School. Pupils learn how to respect differences. Pupils plan key events linked to anti-racism and pride. They learn core life skills linked to independent living, such as how to use a knife and fork correctly and how to prepare healthy meals. Pupils are well prepared for adulthood when they leave school.

What the school should improve

• Leaders should further improve their knowledge and skills to inform their strategic oversight of the school's work so that they are better placed to bring about swift, effective improvement, particularly with regards to pupils' experiences in learning and their achievement.
• Leaders should ensure that staff deliver curriculums in line with leaders' expectations, in particular in their use of assessment to inform their design of lessons, including in subjects relating to personal development. This is to ensure that pupils are more consistently supported to develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum and achieve all that they can.
• Leaders should ensure that staff consider the range of individual needs, including those outlined in pupils' education, health and care plans, when making reasonable adjustments and adaptations to the curriculum so that learning is well matched to pupils' next steps.

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