Fenland school retains its ‘good’ rating by Ofsted

A school has retained its ‘Good’ Ofsted rating following an inspection carried out over two days last month (September).

Cromwell Community College in Chatteris is celebrating its continued status as a school where pupils are happy and feel part of a “warm and welcoming school community”.

The report published this week found there are “positive relationships” between pupils and adults at the school which leads to a “calm and harmonious environment”.

It also found that most pupils behave well, and are polite and respectful to each other and adults.

Most lessons proceed without interruption and pupils understand the expectations of how they should behave. They equally understand the consequences if they fail to meet those expectations.

Where small groups of pupils struggle to behave well, the ‘bridge’ resource supports these pupils to learn ways of coping, and consequently successfully be able to access the curriculum.

The inspectors said the school has designed a curriculum “rooted in ambition for all pupils” including those with special needs.

However, they also found that not all learning across the school, particularly in the primary phase, is consistent.

The report said: “Information is, at times, presented in a way that confuses pupils. Questions do not provide assurances of how well pupils understand what has been taught. In these cases, pupils struggle with their learning. At times they disengage and occasionally this leads to pupils disrupting others.”

There was praise for teaching in the sixth form with the report stating: “Sixth-form students benefit from high-quality teaching. They are challenged to think deeply, and expectations are high. They respond to and often meet this challenge. Students are proud to take an active part in school life. They are positive role models for younger pupils in all phases.”

The inspectors said for the school to improve to the next level – ‘outstanding’ – it needs to address the inconsistencies in the curriculum, and ensure all teachers in all phases are able to deliver the intended content with “precision and consistency”.

And while the school offers a broad range of extra-curricular activities they are not always where pupils’ interests lie and so they are missing out on developing new talents and interests.

The school needs to ensure the extra-curricular provision is “engaging, attractive and inspires a wide range of pupils, including those with special needs, to take up the opportunities”.