Creswick Academy Review 2026: A two-form entry primary in Peartree with a clear improvement agenda

For this school, does not include Key Stage 2 outcome percentages or scaled scores, and it also does not provide a FindMySchool England rank or local rank for primary outcomes. That means it is not responsible to give a performance verdict based on numbers, because the core attainment measures are not present.

What can be said, using official evidence, is that the predecessor school’s December 2022 inspection found the curriculum had been designed to be ambitious from Nursery onwards, but that teaching consistency and staff subject knowledge were variable, creating gaps in what pupils knew. That is the most concrete external benchmark available for the site’s recent academic story.

If you are shortlisting on outcomes, the practical next step is to look for the academy’s first published results and its first inspection report under the current URN, then re-check progress against the improvement points listed in 2022 (staff subject knowledge, subject leader monitoring, and governance capacity).

The strongest evidence here is about approach rather than headline scores. Reading was treated as a priority, with daily phonics sessions and books matched to pupils’ stage of reading development. The nuance, and it matters for parents, is that phonics delivery quality was not yet fully consistent across staff at the time of inspection.

Curriculum design was described as sequenced, setting out what pupils should learn and in what order, including from Nursery. Where this becomes meaningful is in implementation: when staff subject knowledge varies, pupils can end up with “patchy” understanding, especially in foundation subjects where teacher confidence is often the limiting factor.

For pupils with special educational needs and disabilities, the report described accurate identification of needs and detailed support plans, with pupils generally able to access the curriculum alongside classmates. That is encouraging, but it sits alongside the wider teaching-variation point, which suggests families should ask specifically how support plans translate into day-to-day classroom instruction, not only additional interventions.

In practical terms, ask two things. First, what transition work happens in Year 6 (visits, pastoral handover, shared SEND planning). Second, what the typical spread of secondary destinations looks like for recent cohorts, particularly if you are considering selective routes or schools with narrower catchments.

Creswick Academy is in Hertfordshire, so Reception applications are handled through the local authority’s coordinated process rather than by applying only to the school. The county’s published timeline for primary admissions for September 2026 entry includes: the online system opening on 03 November 2025, the deadline on 15 January 2026, and national allocation day on 16 April 2026.

The Reception entry route shows 66 applications and 34 offers, with the school marked as oversubscribed. That equates to around 1.94 applications per offer. For parents, the implication is straightforward: you should plan as though you might not get a place unless your preferences and circumstances are well aligned with the oversubscription criteria (for example, sibling rules or distance, depending on the published admissions arrangements).

The clearest official message is that pupils felt safe and knew they could share worries with adults, and that leaders had built effective procedures for staff to share safeguarding concerns. The same report confirmed safeguarding arrangements were effective.

Beyond safeguarding, the personal development picture was judged Good in the predecessor school’s most recent inspection outcome, and pupils were described as having opportunities to take responsibility, including roles such as Fairtrade committee members and house captains. That is often a decent proxy for a school taking character education seriously in a practical, not just slogan-led, way.

The official evidence here is more about breadth and participation than named clubs, but there are still useful specifics. Pupils were described as enjoying special events, visits and clubs that “bring learning alive”. The implication for families is that enrichment is not treated as an optional extra, it is part of how the school tries to make learning stick.

For leadership and pupil voice opportunities, the Fairtrade committee is a concrete example of a pupil group with a defined purpose, and house captain roles suggest the school uses structured responsibility to develop confidence and contribution.

If extracurricular breadth is a priority, ask for a current termly clubs list, and check the balance between sports, creative activities, and academically-tilted clubs (for example, computing, reading groups, or problem-solving activities). The predecessor school’s inspection included deep dives in subjects including computing and physical education, which suggests these areas were considered significant enough to scrutinise.

Creswick is a two-form entry primary with a modern site. A published recruitment pack for the predecessor school described the building as opened in 2004, with expansion to two-form entry completed in 2010, including facilities such as a hall, library, music studio, and extensive grounds used for PE and outdoor learning.

Wraparound care is an important practical for many families. The predecessor school’s inspection noted an on-site breakfast and after-school club. (Operational details can change after conversion, so confirm current hours, pricing, and booking arrangements directly with the school.)

Nursery provision

The school is recorded as having a nursery class. In the predecessor school’s inspection, nursery provision was described as a strength, with meaningful teaching and activities aligned to the knowledge children were learning, and with a clear link into readiness for Reception.

The main watch-out, historically, was consistency across early years, particularly where Reception staff subject knowledge was less secure and this limited the quality of interactions that move learning on. For families with children entering through Nursery, it is worth asking how the academy now ensures consistent early language, phonics foundations, and early maths, and what staff training or coaching is in place.

Nursery fees and session structures can vary considerably and should be checked on the school’s official materials. Government-funded early education hours may be available for eligible families.

• A new academy with limited published track record under the current URN. Creswick Academy opened as an academy on 01 September 2024, and there is not yet a published inspection report for this URN. This is a normal transition issue, but it does mean parents are relying on a mix of predecessor evidence and current-school communication until newer external reporting arrives.

• Teaching consistency has been the key improvement lever. The most recent published inspection for the predecessor school highlighted variation in staff subject knowledge and teaching quality, leading to gaps in pupils’ learning. Ask what has changed since then, and how leaders now check that curriculum intent becomes consistent classroom practice.

• Oversubscription is present. The figures show 66 applications and 34 offers for the Reception entry route, and labels the school oversubscribed. That is not a reason to avoid the school, but it is a reason to plan carefully, meet deadlines, and understand the oversubscription criteria early.

• Early years quality can be uneven in some schools during periods of change. Nursery was described as a strength in the predecessor school’s inspection, but Reception consistency was flagged. If your child is starting in Nursery or Reception, focus your questions on staff stability, phonics delivery, and how the school supports early language development.

Creswick Academy looks like a sizeable, two-form entry primary with the space and structure to offer more than a minimal curriculum, and a values-led culture that has been used to raise expectations around behaviour and learning habits. The most recent official evidence for the site shows a school in improvement mode, with strengths in behaviour, personal development, safeguarding culture, and nursery practice, alongside a clear need for more consistent teaching quality.

Who it suits: families in Welwyn Garden City who want a mainstream primary with nursery provision, wraparound options, and a school that is openly focused on improvement rather than complacency. The main challenge is judging trajectory with limited published data under the current academy URN, so it rewards parents who do their homework and ask detailed, implementation-focused questions.