Croscombe Church of England Primary School, led by interim headteacher Christopher Partridge, has received a mixed review in its recent Ofsted inspection.

The school was rated as 'Requires Improvement' overall, yet the report highlighted several positive aspects, particularly regarding the pupils' conduct and engagement.

The Ofsted report acknowledges the school's efforts in overcoming past difficulties, stating, "The school is recovering from a challenging time. While there is now a clear vision in place for the school, there is still a long way to go."

Pupil behaviour and engagement were recognised as strengths, with the report mentioning, "Pupils attend well. They are polite and welcoming to visitors. Beyond the classroom, pupils socialise happily."

The school's involvement in community events and the leadership opportunities provided to pupils were positively noted. "Pupils take pride in the responsibilities they hold," the report said, highlighting the development of pupils' confidence and independence.

However, the report did raise concerns about the effectiveness of the recently introduced curriculum and the staff's ability to teach it. "In many subjects, the implementation of the curriculum is only just underway. Staff do not have the necessary expertise to teach the curriculum effectively," the report noted, indicating a need for staff development and training.

Another area of concern was the inconsistency in applying the behaviour policy, leading to occasional low-level disruption in classrooms. The report advised, "There is work to do to ensure that behaviour expectations are understood by pupils and are consistently applied by all staff."

Regarding pupils' personal development, the report observed, "The school has not ensured that the curriculum to support pupils' personal development is taught as intended by all staff."

On a positive note, the school's safeguarding arrangements were found to be effective, and there was recognition of the school's accurate identification of areas needing improvement.

You can read the full report here.