A Croydon primary school where students are “kind, respectful, and ambitious” has been told by Ofsted that it continues to be a good school.

John Wood School and Nursery on Dartnell Road was inspected by Ofsted on July 16 and 17.

The report was published on September 23.

Inspectors found that pupils “flourish” at the school because staff have “high expectations of them”.

They noted that pupils’ behaviour across the school is “exemplary”, and pupils “feel happy because teachers listen to them and help them to learn”.

Pupils were found to be “confident” to speak to an adult or place a worry in the “worry monster’s pouch”, knowing that the staff will help.

“This means they feel safe,” the inspectors noted.

At John Wood School and Nursery, pupils are “taught the importance of helping others”.

This was reflected when pupils visited a beach and litter-picked the area to help look after it.

Other pupils planted flowers in a local park for the community to enjoy.

Inspectors added in their report that “the school values pupils’ suggestions”.

For example, members of the school council are democratically chosen by their classmates, an the school council spoke with leaders to see if the school could have a pet to support pupils’ wellbeing.

As a result, Lilo and Stitch are now “the school’s resident guinea pigs”.

Ofsted inspectors were impressed by how reading was a priority at John Wood School and Nursery.

They found that children start learning to read “as soon as they join Reception”.

This because “the school wants pupils to read confidently and without delay”.

The early reading curriculum was described as “well-structured”, where pupils “build on previous learning”.

Staff have been trained to teach early reading “well” and have the “subject knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum effectively”.

If pupils find reading difficult, staff always gives them help to catch up.

The school was also praised for teaching pupils healthy and unhealthy relationships in an age-appropriate way.

Inspectors credited the school for having an “accurate understanding of what the school is doing well and what it needs to do even better”.

The report concluded with: “There are processes in place to check how well the school is doing.

“Staff are extremely proud to work here.

“They value the range of initiatives to support their wellbeing and manage their workload.”

Ofsted announced in September 2024 that it has dropped its one-word rating system to 'improve school standards and provide greater transparency for parents.'

The government believes that a single grade is too simplistic and does not adequately reflect performance across different areas.