About The School
Please read a welcome letter from our Chair of Governors and also a letter from the Diocese.
Please read our latest SIAMS inspection report here.
You can also view our latest Ofsted reports here.
Overview
Cranbrook Church of England Primary School is a one form entry school which serves the picturesque town of Cranbrook and some outlying rural areas. Our school community is committed to ensuring that all children reach their potential.
The school has a rising roll and currently has just over 200 pupils.
We have outstanding staff, supportive parents, talented and motivated pupils, skilled governors and a strong sense of purpose based on our motto: Learn, Grow, Shine.
Our Vision
We are very proud of our school and of the children who form our school community. Our Christian values are at the heart of our school vision and ethos. Children are taught to value themselves and others. They aim to achieve high standards through challenging themselves and identifying their next steps of learning. We have an outstanding and dedicated team, who are committed to identifying and meeting the needs of all children.
Our aim is to encourage children to appreciate that education involves not only trying to achieve their goals, but to also be good citizens. We try to help them achieve this through an innovative, creative, fun curriculum that goes beyond the classroom walls.
Our Values
Our vision is lived out through the use of our four school values which are rooted in Christian teaching – perseverance, ambition, respect and kindness.
Recent history
In recent years, the school has been completely turned around, moving from an ‘Inadequate’ Ofsted rating in 2013 through to a ‘Requires Improvement’ rating in 2015 before gaining a ‘Good’ rating in 2017, with Early Years provision classed as ‘Outstanding’ on the previous two inspections.
The school was subject to a Section 5 Ofsted inspection in June 2022 and we look forward to receiving the confirmed results in September this year.
The most recently published Ofsted report from 2017 notes ‘a clear sense of purpose to the school community’ adding that ‘staff are proud to work at the school and morale is high. Effective professional development, tailored to the needs of teachers, has improved the quality of teaching, learning and assessment since the previous inspection so that they are now good.’
Facilities
We are fortunate to have our own 'Explorers' Forest School on site, run by our Forest School Leader. We have developed our grounds and outdoor spaces to make the most of the woodland and fields within our school site. Pupils have regular opportunities to enjoy Forest School sessions across the year, as well as team building activities, and the use of the reflection area and prayer area. We also run a Forest School club weekly after school.
Other facilities include a community cafe space, a sensory room, a Library and a newly refurbished Computing suite. Recent investments have meant that every classroom now benefits from a new Interactive whiteboard, and the school has upgraded all of its laptops.
Curriculum
At Cranbrook Primary we follow a 'Creative Curriculum'. Each year group follows termly topics, which link in to a variety of curriculum subject areas in order to make learning exciting and engaging for our pupils. Trips, activities and visitors to the school often link in with these topics.
Our intent is also to ensure that the curriculum strongly reflects our four key values. These values celebrate the diversity and use the skills, knowledge and cultural wealth of the community while supporting the children’s spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, ensuring that children are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
What parents think
In our June 2022 parent survey, 95% of respondents agreed their child is taught well, 89% said the school has high expectations for their child and 88% agreed that their child felt happy and safe. In total, 94% of parents responding to the survey said they would recommend the school to others.