Crowle Church of England First School has been judged to be a good school in its recent Ofsted inspection. In their report, the inspectors highlighted the fact that the “pupils love school” and that they “thrive and achieve well”.

Crowle First School has 66 pupils aged between 5 and 9 and is part of the Diocese of Worcester Multi Academy Trust. It was inspected by Ofsted in October when inspectors met with subject leaders for English, mathematics and history, carried out lesson visits and looked at pupils’ books. Meetings were held with teachers and pupils to discuss teaching and learning.

The resulting report said: “The family atmosphere here means that staff know all the pupils very well. The school’s vision is that pupils are supported to become caring, confident and committed to learning. This underpins everything staff do. As a result, pupils thrive and achieve well…The headteacher and other staff have ambitious aims for all pupils to achieve their very best. Pupils respond well to this challenge.”

Headteacher, Martina Abbott said: “Crowle First School offers children a wholly holistic education. We have very high academic expectations of every child in the school, but recognise that you only get this when first and foremost children are safe, confident and happy. I am so proud of all the children, parents and staff at Crowle First School and feel this positive Ofsted report is a true reflection on all that we do. We continue to strive to be the best we can possibly be, every day!"

The report praised the school’s teaching of reading, writing and maths, with the majority of children achieving well in these areas compared with other pupils nationally. Teachers identify pupils at risk of falling behind in reading, helping them to catch up quickly and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported with their work.

Ofsted also said: “Pupils enjoy interesting activities beyond the classroom. [They] sing in church or take part in writing, sporting or spelling competitions. Older pupils act as playground buddies or run assemblies for the whole school. Trips to places of worship help to broaden pupils’ horizons. Pupils build confidence and resilience from the day they start school. They know that they can learn from their mistakes [and] are encouraged to set goals and keep trying until they achieve them.”

Claire Davies, CEO of the Diocese of Worcester Multi Academy Trust said, “Crowle is a delightful school, with staff and Governors all prepared to go the extra mile to ensure their pupils are happy, safe and achieve of their best. We are so pleased with this superb outcome.”

By Sam Setchell