Clifton Green Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve progress in reading and mathematics for all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, by:
  • implementing effectively the use of the school’s recently introduced pupil progress tracking system further developing pupils’ mathematical knowledge, ensuring that recently introduced approaches to teaching number, problem solving and reasoning are consistently established across the school
  • further embedding the consistency of the teaching of reading, particularly pupils’ comprehension skills
  • ensuring that pupils’ attainment in grammar, punctuation and spelling improves.
• Improve children’s attainment in reading, writing and mathematics in early years so that a greater proportion are well prepared to start Year 1.
• Improve the effectiveness of leadership by:
  • using available information to arrive at accurate self-evaluation judgements, particularly in relation to pupils’ outcomes and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment
  • further developing the skills of leaders new to their roles, including the deputy headteacher, and subject leaders for English and mathematics
  • developing the level of challenge provided to leaders by governors, particularly in relation to pupils’ outcomes and the effectiveness of the spending of additional funding such as the pupil premium and physical education (PE) and sport funding. An external review of the school’s use of pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders’, including governors’, actions have taken too long to improve pupils’ progress. Consequently, pupils have not made enough progress in reading and mathematics. Strategies to improve pupils’ phonics and writing outcomes have had a more positive effect.
• Leaders use a range of evaluation approaches to check the effect of their actions, including the impact on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. However, some self-evaluation judgements are too positive and need to take greater account of pupils’ progress along with what leaders find during visits to classrooms.
• Recent refinements made to recording pupils’ assessments and the evidence from observing the quality of teaching are intended to improve leaders’ analysis of the quality of teaching and learning. Developments in leaders’ monitoring and evaluation cycles have also been introduced. It is too early to determine the effect of these changes in supporting leaders’ evaluations.
• A structured programme of training and professional development is in place. All staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire believe that leaders use professional development to encourage, challenge and support teachers’ improvement.
• The recently appointed deputy headteacher has made an effective start to the role. She has supported developments in recording pupils’ progress and improving the curriculum. Her support, working alongside the subject leader for English, has helped to begin to address the areas for improvement in this subject. These developments are generally in the early stages of implementation and it is too early to determine their impact.
• The subject leaders for English and mathematics are relatively new to their roles. The subject leader for English has begun to take relevant action to improve pupils’ progress in her area of responsibility and check for improvement. This has had a positive effect on writing but the actions to improve reading are not consistently applied across the school.
• The mathematics subject leader has benefited from leadership training and he can identify the priorities for improvement in his subject area. He has implemented actions to address the areas for improvement and begun to check on these. The developments in mathematics, such as improved approaches to teaching aspects of the subject and the introduction of new resources, are not fully embedded across the school.
• A broad and balanced curriculum is in place. A wide range of extra-curricular activities enriches this. The school has some specialist teaching in PE and music. It also makes effective use of staff skills, for example in cookery lessons provided by the school chef. Leaders are currently reviewing the curriculum offer and teachers piloted a revised curriculum in the summer term. However, while long- and medium-term planning was in place for this autumn term, teachers were still developing the detail of their curriculum plans at the time of the inspection. It is too early to evaluate the implementation or impact of this revised curriculum.
• Pupils’ spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is strong. Pupils develop respect and tolerance for people who come from different backgrounds from themselves and have a clear understanding of British values. A wide range of visits and visitors supports pupils’ cultural development. Consequently, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Spending of pupil premium funding has resulted in a variable impact on pupils’ outcomes. By the end of Year 6, disadvantaged pupils’ progress has lagged behind that of other pupils nationally, particularly in reading and mathematics. There have been improvements in relation to disadvantaged pupils’ attendance and reductions to persistent absence for some of these pupils. This is helping to remove barriers to their progress. Recent increased governor challenge and scrutiny of the impact of pupil premium have started to sharpen the focus on how effectively this funding is spent.
• Additional funding for PE and sport for primary schools is used appropriately. Consequently, pupils have the opportunity to engage in a wide range of competitive sports and an increased range of activities that support healthy lifestyles. Staff benefit from working alongside a PE specialist which enhances their skills and builds capacity to teach this subject well across the curriculum. Some measures for the impact of this work were not fully completed at the time of the inspection. Governors do not keep a close enough eye on the effect of this spending. Leaders and staff deliver good provision for pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The inclusion leader has a good understanding of the needs of these pupils and ensures that they receive relevant support. Effective partnerships with parents enable them to contribute to plans for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. Consequently, additional funding for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is spent to good effect.
• Engagement with the community and parents is a major strength of the school. Leaders and staff go the extra mile to work with parents effectively. Parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and who talked to inspectors were overwhelmingly positive about the school.
• The leadership team recognises the need to improve pupils’ outcomes, particularly in reading and mathematics. A detailed school improvement plan is in place to address the school’s priorities. Leaders are working collaboratively with the local authority and a local authority plan to support the school’s improvement is in place. It is too soon to see the impact of this work.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a good understanding of the community the school serves and an overview of the school’s priorities. They are keen that pupils receive a good education. Visits into school are developing governors’ understanding of how their strategic decisions have an effect in school. However, governors do not challenge senior leaders sufficiently in relation to pupils’ outcomes and leaders’ self-evaluation judgements. Governors are keen to improve the effectiveness of their work and have commissioned a review of governance to be completed this term.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders, staff and governors give the highest priority to keeping pupils safe and there is a strong culture of safeguarding across the school. Leaders complete careful safeguarding checks for all staff, governors and volunteers. Staff and governors receive regular and appropriate training, so they know the school’s procedures and how to keep pupils safe. The inclusion leader ensures that vulnerable pupils and their families are well supported. Links with other agencies are well managed. All parents who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View, believe that their child is happy and feels safe in school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Over time, the teaching of reading and mathematics has not enabled pupils to make good progress in these subjects.
• Some teachers do not develop pupils’ reading comprehension skills effectively. However, recent improvements to the teaching of reading are beginning to have a positive effect. The use of good-quality texts that are matched effectively to pupils’ interests and ability is increasing pupils’ motivation. Teachers are focusing on developing pupils’ understanding of key vocabulary and the texts they are reading. At present, these approaches are not consistently used across all classes.
• Work to raise the profile of reading is increasing pupils’ enthusiasm to read for pleasure. There is an attractive library in the centre of the school. Some teachers have created inviting reading areas in classrooms. For example, in one classroom, a former stock cupboard has been converted into a welcoming reading area with reading books imaginatively displayed.
• Recent developments in the teaching of mathematics are helping pupils to gain a more secure grasp of key mathematical facts such as multiplication tables. The development of new approaches to the teaching of number work, reasoning and problem solving is becoming evident across the school. However, much of this work is at an early stage of implementation.
• Phonics teaching is planned to match pupils’ needs effectively. This has a positive impact on younger pupils’ phonics skills. However, this development of early reading skills is not effectively built upon and by the end of Year 2, pupils’ reading attainment is not high enough.
• A clear focus on the teaching of English grammar, spelling and punctuation is evident in some year groups but this is not consistent across the school. Sometimes, weaknesses in pupils’ skills are not picked up promptly and the opportunity to address these are missed. As a result, pupils’ outcomes in the assessments at the end of Year 6 are below the national averages and weaknesses in these aspects are evident in pupils’ work.
• Leaders have introduced a new pupil progress recording system which aims to provide a more accurate way to check pupils’ progress. Teachers have received relevant training and leaders plan to evaluate this approach as it is used throughout the year.
• Relationships between adults and pupils are positive in lessons. Pupils work cooperatively in small groups and generally work hard on individual work. Teachers use a range of strategies to gain pupils’ attention and to make effective transitions between tasks. This means that little learning time is lost as the conditions for learning are positive.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils can explain their learning confidently. The provision of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility, such as through the student council, ensures that leaders consider pupils’ voice when developing aspects of the school.
• Assemblies are used well to develop pupils’ reflection skills and to engender personal qualities, such as tolerance and respect for diversity. For example, the community liaison teacher encouraged pupils to reflect about the theme of ‘journeys’, making good use of quotations from Nelson Mandela. The assembly began with enthusiastic singing of the school song, ‘Better Never Stops’, which demonstrates pupils’ pride in their school.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms that bullying can take, including online bullying. Pupils identified that while bullying did take place, this was rare, and they are confident that it will be dealt with well.
• The school’s curriculum, range of clubs, and before- and after-school provision cater well for pupils’ physical and emotional well-being.
• The additional support that some pupils receive in the key stage 1 nurture group and the key stage 2 ‘Hornbeam’ provision has a very positive effect on meeting the social and emotional needs of pupils attending this provision. This helps these pupils succeed personally, socially and academically.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils generally behave well in lessons and their conduct at other times of the day is good. They move around the school sensibly. At playtimes and lunchtimes, they socialise well. Pupils engage in active games or enjoy quieter group activities with their friends. Staff provide good levels of supervision, and by wearing high-visibility tabards, staff are readily visible for any pupils should they have concerns.
• Revisions to the school’s behaviour policy have improved pupils’ behaviour overall. This has also resulted in a fall in the number of pupil exclusions.
• Leaders’ focus on reducing persistent absence and raising attendance levels has reaped benefits. In the last academic year, there were improvements in both areas. Focused work by the school’s inclusion team has supported pupils and their families to improve levels of attendance. As a result, fewer pupils are now having their education affected negatively by poor attendance.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Outcomes for pupils require improvement because pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not make good progress in reading and mathematics.
• 2018 provisional results show that by the end of Year 6, pupils’ progress, including disadvantaged pupils’ progress, in reading and mathematics, remained below provisional national averages. This has been the case for the previous two years.
• In key stage 1, pupils’ attainment in reading and writing lags behind the averages found nationally. In 2018, the provisional results show that the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in reading and achieving the greater depth in reading and mathematics fell from the results in 2017.
• Review of the school’s pupil progress records shows that pupils’ progress in reading and mathematics is variable across key stage 2. Pupils’ books from last academic year show that the strategies recently introduced for teaching reading and mathematics are beginning to have a positive effect on pupils’ knowledge and understanding in some year groups.
• In 2017, the proportion of Year 6 pupils achieving the expected standard in English grammar, punctuation and spelling assessment was below the national average. The school’s provisional 2018 results show the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard has fallen from the previous year.
• Pupils’ progress in writing is good. Leaders’ focus on improving the teaching of writing and involvement with a local authority initiative have had a positive effect on pupils’ progress. Provisional 2018 results show that pupils’ progress by the end of Year 6 was just below provisional national averages, and disadvantaged pupils made stronger progress. Similarly, there were improvements in Year 2 pupils’ writing attainment.
• Improvements in pupils’ writing outcomes by the end of each key stage are reflected across the school in the school’s pupil progress information and the work seen in books.
• In the previous two years, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has been higher than the national average. In 2018, there was a slight dip in the school’s results. Leaders’ analysis shows that this was largely due to some changes to the Year 1 cohort. By the end of Year 2, almost all pupils have achieved the expected standard in phonics knowledge.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress and their needs are well planned for. The school’s analysis of the 2018 provisional attainment information shows that the attainment of these pupils was at least in line with the expectations from their starting points.
• The proportion of Year 6 pupils achieving good progress and the expected standards of attainment in reading and mathematics is below national averages. Therefore, not enough pupils are well prepared for moving to secondary school in these subjects.

Early years provision Good

• Children start in early years with skills and abilities that are often below typical for their age, particularly in personal, social and emotional development and communication skills. From their starting points, children make good progress in both Nursery and Reception. However, the proportion of children who achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception is below the national average. Leaders are focused on improving further the proportions of children who are ready to start Year 1.
• The leader of early years has a clear understanding of the learning needs of the children and the priorities for further improving the early years provision. Along with her team, she has implemented changes to improve the quality of learning in the indoor and outdoor areas.
• The quality of teaching in early years is good. Staff provide an effective balance of adult-led teaching combined with provision where children choose activities to support their learning.
• During adult-led sessions, adults teach phonics and mathematical skills effectively. Sometimes, opportunities to maximise learning in reading, writing and mathematics are missed where children are choosing activities themselves.
• Additional funding to improve disadvantaged children’s progress is targeted at appropriate areas such as improving children’s communication skills and their early reading development. However, the proportions of disadvantaged children achieving a good level of development are not approaching those of other children nationally and the use of this funding has had a variable impact.
• From starting their time in the early years provision, children are provided with clear guidance and support to help them develop socially and emotionally. As a result, children settle in quickly, cooperate well and develop caring approaches towards one another. For example, children were seen to help their friends when they were struggling to put on their coats or when they were unsure about how to complete an activity.
• Partnerships with parents are strong. Staff engage and communicate effectively with parents. Staff encourage parents to have an active role in assessments of their children.
• Children feel safe and secure. Safeguarding is effective, and all welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 121283 York 10042219 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Maintained 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 423 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Lynn Comer Mr Dave Brown 01904 555105 www.cliftongreenprimary.co.uk cliftongreenprimary@york.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 14–15 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.
• The school is currently piloting provision for a small group of two-year-olds.
• The vast majority of the pupils are White British.
• The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium funding is above that found nationally.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is well above that found nationally.
• The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan is well above that found nationally.
• The local authority has a plan in place to broker support for the school.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed learning in 23 lessons and part-lessons. The headteacher joined the lead inspector for two of the observations in lessons.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the subject leaders for English and mathematics, the leader of early years, the inclusion leader and staff with responsibility for behaviour management. The lead inspector met with five governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also met with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around school and reviewed the school’s promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The inspectors observed pupils in the playground and during lunchtime.
• Six pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read their reading books to inspectors and discussed how the school supported their reading development.
• Two groups of pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 discussed their opinions about the school and their learning with the inspectors.
• Inspectors took account of 262 responses to Ofsted’s online parent survey, Parent View, and 64 free-text responses from parents. Inspectors met with a number of parents at the beginning and end of the school day. Inspectors considered 51 responses to staff questionnaires and 18 responses to the pupil questionnaire.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including minutes from meetings of the governing body, information about pupils’ achievement, the school’s evaluation of its own performance and its development plans. Reviews were made of behaviour, exclusions and attendance records and information relating to safeguarding. The inspectors scrutinised samples of pupils’ work in their books, including, at the request of the school, books from the previous academic year.

Inspection team

Michael Reeves, lead inspector Jo Bentley Alexa O’Gara

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector