Setting

CfBT Inspection Services Suite 22 West Lancs Investment Centre Maple View Skelmersdale WN8 9TG T 0300 123 1231 Text Phone: 0161 618 8524 enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk www.ofsted.gov.uk Direct T 01695 566939 Direct F 01695 729320 Direct email: glaw@cfbt.com

p.1

Mr D Brown Headteacher Clifton Green Primary School Kingsway North Clifton York North Yorkshire YO30 6JA

p.1

Education act 2005 to Clifton Green Primary School, York

Following my visit to your school on 15 May 2013, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to report on the findings of my visit. Thank you for the help you gave me and for the time you made available to discuss the actions you are taking to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

p.1

Education act 2005 to Clifton Green Primary School, York

The visit was the first monitoring inspection since the school was judged to require improvement following the section 5 inspection in February 2013. It was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.1

Evidence

During the visit, meetings were held with the headteacher, the Chair and Vice-Chair of the Governing Body, the senior leadership team and two representatives of the local authority. I reviewed a range of documentation including the school’s improvement plan, lesson observation records, reviews of staff performance, a small sample of pupils’ work and teachers’ marking, and information about pupils’ current achievements in class. In addition, I undertook a tour of the school and had a brief conversation with the staff during the morning break.

p.1

Context

Since the section 5 inspection, which judged the school to require improvement, the acting assistant headteacher has been appointed to a substantive post, effective from April 2013. A deputy headteacher has been appointed and will join the school in September 2013.

p.1

Main findings

Senior leaders and the governing body have been resolute in their determination to improve the school so that it is good or better when it is next inspected. They have taken decisive action to develop and implement their plan to tackle the areas for improvement identified in the February inspection. Robust tracking systems to monitor pupils’ achievements in lessons are in place. A key strength of the strategies implemented is that they are straightforward, clear and therefore readily understood. Monitoring, review and evaluation activities undertaken so far are reflective and used well to refine targets and actions.

p.1

Main findings

A significant number of lessons observations undertaken by the headteacher show that the quality of teaching is improving. Staff performance reviews take account of the quality of teaching and appropriate improvement actions – including relevant training opportunities, sharing good practice and peer coaching - are helping teachers to know what good and outstanding teaching is. Improvements in the way teachers assess pupils’ work, track their progress and set targets is making sure that pupil progress meetings between teachers and senior leaders are increasingly being refined and focused on individual pupils. As a result school leaders are confident that the actions being taken are leading to improvements in the quality of teaching and having a positive impact on pupils learning.

p.2

Main findings

Governors are receiving much more regular and detailed information that enables them to monitor the impact of the actions the senior leadership team are taking and to support and challenge leaders more effectively. Governors are committed to making a difference to the school and demonstrate a clear intent to improve their ability to do so through the range of local authority training they have accessed and completed in recent months.

p.2

Main findings

The wider staff team have been fully consulted in the development of the school improvement plan and other key strategies. Pupils have also been provided with opportunities to have their views taken into account. This inclusive approach has sustained a swift pace of change and contributed to high morale amongst staff and an increasingly positive approach to learning among pupils.

p.2

Main findings

Parents have been provided with honest explanations and kept well informed about the school’s progress. The Ofsted Parent View results (accessed 16 May 2013) indicate that almost all of the 57 parents who completed the questionnaire consider their children to be happy and making good progress and most believe that Clifton Green is well led and managed.

p.2

Main findings

Senior leaders and governors are taking effective action to tackle the areas requiring improvement identified at the recent section 5 inspection. HMI alerted the school to the Ofsted getting to good seminar taking place later this term and recommended that representatives of the school participate. The headteacher and representatives of the governing body expressed their keenness to attend.

p.2

Main findings

Ofsted will continue to monitor the school until its next section 5 inspection.

p.2

External support

Specialist advice and generous support provided by the local authority has helped to address the shortfall in senior leadership capacity the school has experienced to date and bolstered the headteacher and governors ability to tackle teaching and learning priorities confidently. Links have recently been established with a headteacher at a local school with similar circumstances in order to provide additional support and advice for the headteacher until the deputy headteacher takes up the substantive post in September 2013. I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body and the Director of Children's Services for York and as below.

p.2

Her Majesty's Inspector

The letter should be copied to the following:

p.3

Her Majesty's Inspector

 L Comer - Chair of the Governing Body  York local authority  The lead inspector.

p.3