Crook Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 4 May 2023

Pupils describe adults in school as welcoming, kind and helpful. Pupils are happy and relaxed. They make the most of all the school has to offer. Leaders and teachers expect pupils to be the absolute best they can be. Pupils respond to this by working hard, having a go and not giving up. They pursue 'gems', awarded for showing a school value or characteristic. Pupils collect rubies for being kind or helpful, and sapphires for listening and refusing distractions. The pupil with the most gems receives a book token each half term. Pupils know that they are safe because they trust adults implicitly to look after them. They are aware of site safety and the many locked doors that are fob access only. Pupils are proud of the school. They love the climbing frames, displays and mud kitchen outside, and the wall of school leavers' names written on the huge mural of people and places in Crook in the school entrance. Behaviour is good. There are no reports of bullying, and pupils trust teachers to deal with any misbehaviour swiftly and fairly. Occasional 'falling out' does happen between pupils. Pupils say they use their 'diamond gem power' of independence to try to resolve issues themselves.

What the school should improve

• A few foundation subjects are not sufficiently well planned. In these subjects, the essential substantive knowledge that pupils need to know at the end of each unit is not sharply defined. Key concepts that link learning are unclear. As a result, some pupils find it difficult to link new knowledge and build on what they already know. This makes it harder to remember new knowledge in these subjects over time. Leaders must ensure that all curriculum areas are carefully structured, planned and sequenced so that pupils can achieve well across the curriculum.

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