Pupils are happy and feel safe at this friendly school. Pupils get on with one another and the staff care for them very well. Bullying is rare. Staff deal with any issues swiftly and fairly. Pupils try to meet the school’s ‘rainbows’ aims, which include values such as respect, aiming high, nurturing and working together. Pupils enjoy the extra responsibility of being school council members. They have recently been raising money for charity. The ‘mini leaders’ help to set up play equipment at lunchtimes. Pupils have good links with the local community. They design the local well-dressing and make poppies for the nearby cenotaph. Staff have high expectations. They reward pupils through a new online system for behaving well and trying hard. Pupils achieve points that are exchanged for rewards. These include having a hot chocolate with the headteacher. Pupils look smart in the school’s uniform. There are strong routines in place that mean that pupils move sensibly and calmly around the school. Most parents are positive about the school. One parent said, ‘My child is thoroughly enjoying their time at Creswell and is making brilliant progress, both on a personal and academic level. All the staff are amazing!’ What does the school do well and what does it need to do better? Leaders have ensured that the broad and balanced curriculum is well suited to all its pupils. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Curriculum plans for all subjects have been well thought through and sequenced. Leaders want pupils to gain real-life experiences through educational visits and visitors to the school. These experiences and ‘hooks’ help to engage pupils at the start of a new topic. In geography, for example, pupils spend time learning outdoors in a wooded area. They then visit a larger, local forest. This work prepares pupils well for their next learning about rainforests. The teaching of early reading and phonics is a strength. Leaders have made sure that staff have received effective training. Staff have bought new books for pupils to enjoy. Pupils are encouraged to be ‘reading champions’ by reading often at home. Pupils take an active role in these phonics sessions. Children in a Reception class ended a session by enthusiastically reading aloud, ‘The hat is on a hen!’ Pupils who are falling behind are spotted quickly. They are given support to help them catch up. Pupils have a good attitude to school and are keen to learn. Leaders want pupils to be confident, resilient and tolerant. In Year 1 science, pupils enthusiastically sorted different materials to make a shield for a knight. In Year 2 mathematics, pupils stuck at and enjoyed the challenge of solving division problems.