Cranmore Infant School

Overview

Cranmore Infant School is described as a “happy and lively place where pupils flourish.” Leaders have designed an “ambitious programme of study” that builds logically from Nursery, with a particular strength in teaching reading. The school fosters positive attitudes towards learning, helping pupils develop “resilience, reciprocity, resourcefulness and reflectiveness.”

Strengths

• Pupils enjoy attending and feel safe, trusting adults who are “patient and attentive to individual needs.”
• The approach to teaching reading is “well organised and successful,” ensuring all pupils become better readers.
• Staff provide immediate help to struggling pupils through useful checks, such as using small whiteboards.
• The curriculum is adapted effectively to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• Staff morale is high, with leaders working hard to promote staff well-being.

Areas to improve

• The approach to assessing what pupils know and remember in some subjects is “not yet fully developed,” meaning leaders do not always know if pupils are learning the intended curriculum well.
• There is variation in staff expertise; some teachers do not always choose activities that help pupils learn as well as they might, and leaders should continue to develop staff’s understanding of how to teach the curriculum well.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, with leaders maintaining an “‘it could happen here’ attitude” and ensuring all adults understand procedures for keeping children safe.