Staff and pupils at Cromwell Community College in Chatteris are proudly celebrating the news that they have secured another ‘Good’ rating, following a recent inspection from Ofsted.
The school, which was the first all-through school in Cambridgeshire, educating children from the age of 4 to 18, was visited by Ofsted in September 2023, where inspectors found the school’s overall effectiveness to be ‘Good’ – a judgement which it has upheld since 2016.
The report celebrates the positive behaviour of students and the warm and welcoming culture enjoyed across the whole school, citing it as a “calm and harmonious environment” and called out various aspects of the sixth-form provision as particular highlights.
Jane Horn, Executive Headteacher of the school, which is part of The Active Learning Trust said: “I am delighted that we continue to be rated as a ‘Good’ school by Ofsted. The grading reflects the commitment and hard work of our staff, and it also celebrates the success of our students, who continually demonstrate our school values of care, respect, courtesy and community. We are a very happy and proud school family at Cromwell.”
The report praises the teachers for their use of the curriculum to “deliver quality learning experiences”, stating that “secure subject knowledge, along with well-considered examples to explain concepts and knowledge, support pupils to achieve well.”
Inspectors were particularly impressed with the teaching in the school’s sixth form, noting that students were able to discuss complex concepts and engage confidently in learning activities. The report states that “Sixth-form students benefit from high-quality teaching. They are challenged to think deeply, and expectations are high.”
The careers programme is commended in the report, which states that “pupils are well prepared for their next steps. They are able to make informed choices with input from academic and technical institutions alongside local and national employers.”
Early Years provision is highlighted as another strength. The report notes that learning is well supported by carefully crafted play activities. “As a result, children learn well and are well prepared for Year 1” states the report. The school’s commitment to reading is highly praised, with inspectors noting that “teachers deliver phonics well and have a secure understanding of how pupils learn to read.”
It continues: “Pupils in the primary phase have a deep love of reading and books. They enjoy speaking about what they are reading. Books are matched to what pupils know. Pupils in all phases who struggle with reading receive support through bespoke interventions.”
Attitudes about respect and tolerance are applauded in the report. Inspectors observed that “pupils learn about a range of topics and local issues in an age-appropriate way. This includes learning about different cultures, religions and lifestyles.”
The school’s commitment to its staff was evident during the inspection and the report states that staff “feel supported and are proud to work in the school.” Governance and Safeguarding measures were also highly praised in the report.
Chief Executive Officer at The Active Learning Trust, Lynsey Holzer, said: “I am thrilled that Cromwell Community College has once again been awarded a ‘Good’ grading from Ofsted. This is very well-deserved and is recognition of the hard work and dedication shown by Jane Horn and her team, who ensure the school offers students a safe, supportive and engaging learning environment. Congratulations to you all!”
