Cromford Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 November 2022

Pupils say that they enjoy school because 'everyone knows everyone here'. Parents also praise the school's caring ethos, saying that it has 'a lovely community feel'. Pupils who are new to the school settle quickly. Staff encourage all pupils to flourish by fostering their talents and interests. There is a range of clubs and activities for pupils to join. These include sports, music and crafts. Staff make good use of the outdoor spaces for popular activities such as den-building and other woodland pursuits. The older pupils are proud of the clubs they organise at lunchtimes. They work in groups to run reading, dance, drama and computer clubs for the younger pupils. All of these activities promote pupils' personal and social skills very well. Behaviour is good in lessons and at other times around school. Pupils treat one another with kindness and respect. Pupils state clearly that they feel safe at school. They rarely experience teasing or bullying. Pupils know staff will step in quickly to deal with any problems that may arise. Pupils have positive attitudes toward learning. They enjoy lessons, saying that the teachers explain things really well. Pupils know how to get help if they need it in lessons.

What the school should improve

• Leaders have rewritten the curriculum so that it sets out the important knowledge and skills pupils should gain as they progress through the school. To that end, leaders have created progression maps in almost all subjects. However, leaders do not check the implementation of the curriculum, or its impact on pupils, systematically enough. They do not have a precise enough overview of how well pupils know and remember what they have been taught. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum sets out what pupils should know in all subjects. Leaders and governors should ensure that they systematically monitor the impact of the curriculum so that leaders have an accurate overview and that governors can meaningfully hold leaders to account for the school's performance.
• Leaders have revised the school's approach to early reading and phonics. Until recently, pupils did not develop as fluent, confident readers as quickly as they should. Some staff have not yet received training. There are still some inconsistencies in how the early reading programme is delivered. Leaders should ensure that the recently improved outcomes in reading are sustained and that pupils develop quickly as capable readers.

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