The Crescent Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe in this school. They value the relationships they have with adults.

Pupils' attitudes to learning are generally positive. The school has an inclusive and respectful culture, with a strong community feel. Staff encourage the celebration of diversity and difference.

This is reflected, for example, in the books that pupils read.

Leaders have introduced new strategies to improve behaviour. Because of this, staff and pupils say that behaviour is better in classrooms and around the school.

Pupils are clear about the rules and think they are fairly used. Leaders create a nurturing environment. Staff provide support for those who ne...ed it.

Pupils appreciate this support. They feel that bullying is almost always dealt with well. It is not tolerated by teachers.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. However, this is not always enacted by teachers. Pupils enjoy their learning, but they sometimes cannot clearly remember what they have recently been taught.

Pupils say that they have a chance to express their viewpoints in lessons and are respectfully listened to. Leaders have created opportunities for praise and reward and a clear culture of reading. The class that wins the 'reading cup' in the weekly assembly have rewards, for example an 'own clothes' day.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have made early reading a priority. Teachers are confident in teaching phonics. Routines are well established in the classroom.

Pupils read books which match the sounds they have learned. Interventions are in place to help pupils catch up if they need it. Careful planning in phonics helps the smooth transition from early years to the rest of the school.

Many pupils we spoke to enthusiastically discussed the books they were reading for pleasure.

Academy trust curriculum templates have been adopted and adapted by the school. These plans are generally well-sequenced and cover national curriculum ambitions.

However, implementation of these plans has only just started, and the impact is yet to be seen in a number of subjects. Some subject leaders are unaware of the most important information they want pupils to know. Key knowledge has not always been emphasised over time and some pupils do not always remember what they have learned.

For example, Year 4 pupils could not explain the chronological context of the year 79AD when discussing the destruction of Pompeii. Furthermore, pupils do not always finish their work and so do not remember key information. For instance, in science pupils do not remember how particles in solids, liquids and gasses would be different.

Leaders have, this term, introduced a new approach to assessment. The knowledge that pupils are expected to learn is organised into a document for each subject. This is not yet being used effectively in all classrooms.

Pupils are uncertain about the documents' purpose.

Leaders ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities can access the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers monitor and track pupils carefully, providing additional intervention and support for those who need it.

They have introduced strategies to help pupils understand how they are feeling in lessons. This is helping pupils to learn more effectively.

Personal, social and health education is well planned from reception to the end of key stage 2.

For example, understanding of diversity and community is built on year by year. Pupils receive a range of opportunities and experiences beyond the classroom. The school identifies experiences they want pupils to have by specific ages.

These include experiencing the theatre, learning to cook a healthy meal and visiting a famous landmark in London.

Learning in the early years is well planned and gives pupils the knowledge they need to succeed. Additional plans are in place to help pupils catch-up on missed learning due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

For example, teachers are focusing on effective use of scissors for cutting. However, learning links between the early years and later years are not always made clear. In most subjects, early years is not part of the curriculum planning.

Not all middle leaders are aware of the links their subjects have to the early years curriculum.

Leaders understand what they need to do to adapt planning, develop teaching and improve pupils' understanding. Guidance is being provided to the high number of new staff, including middle leaders.

However, it is too early to see the full impact of this. In particular, monitoring of individual subject areas by middle leaders is underdeveloped. Good use is being made of the extensive support from the trust.

This includes monitoring, curriculum resources and support from trust lead teachers. Governors understand their role and have a clear understanding of school priorities. Staff and pupils recognise that behaviour has significantly improved.

This means that teachers can teach without disruption. Leaders and staff engage well together. They respond effectively to concerns about workload.

Staff feel they can ask for help if they need it.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their pupils well and are aware of their contextual safeguarding needs.

Clear systems are in place to identify any concerns. Staff are confident and clear about how to report these concerns; they are vigilant to the needs of the children.

Leaders have provided mental health support and they look at this as part of their curriculum.

The school uses different agencies to support the needs of pupils. They have invested in workshops to support pupils and have employed a family liaison officer to work with families.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Long-term curriculum plans are in place but many of these are very new or recently introduced.

Because of this, pupils are not always confident in recalling what they have learned. While some subject leaders have clearly identified the key knowledge needed, this is not the case in all subjects. Classroom teachers need clarity about this knowledge in all curriculum areas.

Pupils' learning needs to consolidate and build on this over time. ? Early years provision is a strength of the school. However, leaders have not explicitly linked learning from the early years to the rest of the key stages in all subjects.

Not all middle leaders can discuss connections in their subject areas with the early years. This means that there is a disconnect in curriculum planning across the school. Leaders need to formalise the connections through key knowledge and vocabulary between early years and the rest of the school.

• Too much variability in teaching is impacting on what pupils know and remember. While monitoring routines are well established at a senior level, this is not consistently the case with middle leadership. This is an important priority, to ensure that the implementation of all curriculum plans is effective.

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