Cromwell Community College

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 September 2023

Pupils at Cromwell Community College enjoy coming to school. They are happy and feel part of a warm and welcoming school community. Pupils who join the school say that they are helped to settle in quickly. There are positive relationships between pupils and adults. This leads to a calm and harmonious environment, where pupils trust each other. In the rare cases where there are disagreements, pupils have faith in adults to help them resolve issues. Pupils know that all adults in the school want them to achieve success at the highest possible levels. Pupils, particularly those in the sixth form, value this ambition. The majority respond by working hard in lessons. As a result, many pupils produce high- quality work. The majority of pupils learn well. Most pupils behave well. They are polite and respectful to each other and adults. The majority of lessons proceed without interruption. When learning is disrupted, it is resolved quickly and consistently. Pupils understand the expectations of how they should behave. They equally understand the consequences if they fail to meet these expectations. Where small groups of pupils struggle to behave well, the 'bridge' resource supports these pupils to learn ways of coping, and consequently successfully be able to access the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• There are inconsistencies in how the curriculum is delivered across the phases in the school. At times, particularly in the primary phase, vital information or modelled examples are not communicated as clearly as elsewhere in the school. Questions are not focused enough to pinpoint gaps or misconceptions. This means that pupils are not able to access learning activities as planned. This can lead to disengagement and, on occasion, low-level disruption. The school should ensure that all teachers in all phases are able to deliver the intended curriculum content with the precision and consistency expected.
• While the school has provided a broad range of wider opportunities to pupils, it has not ensured that it is responsive to pupils' interests and broader development. This means that pupils miss out on developing new talents and interests that could benefit them in the future. The school should ensure that the extra-curricular provision is engaging, attractive and inspires a wide range of pupils, including those with SEND, to take up the opportunities.

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