Crich Church of England Infant School

Overview

Crich Church of England Infant School is described as a place that “exudes warmth” with a strong “family feel.” The report states that staff know pupils well and model “kind, polite, enthusiastic attitudes,” resulting in high attendance and good behaviour. Pupils attain highly in core subjects, though the report notes inconsistencies in curriculum depth across all areas.

Strengths

• Staff create a “nurturing environment” where pupils feel “safe and secure” and behave well.
• The “ambitious curriculum” leads to pupils gaining “secure knowledge and skills” in most subjects, with “strong” outcomes in reading, writing, and mathematics.
• Phonics is taught with “precision,” helping pupils blend sounds accurately and develop a positive attitude towards reading.
• The school effectively uses the “local environment and its rich heritage,” including regular forest school sessions.
• Staff adapt lessons so pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) “learn the same things as their classmates.”

Areas to improve

• The school must identify the most important knowledge in all curriculum areas to ensure pupils “recall it securely,” as some subjects lack systematic revisiting of key content.
• The school must develop its wider offer to provide a “greater variety of extra-curricular opportunities,” as the current limited provision prevents pupils from developing a wide range of talents.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”