Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery

Clifford Road Primary School Clifford Road, Ipswich, IP4 1PJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher leads the school well. He is ably assisted by a strong team, including very effective ‘phase’ leaders in charge of year groups.  Leaders have improved the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement since the school was last inspected.  Pupils who left Year 6 in 2014 did so with standards that were well above average, having made good progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Teachers know their pupils well and plan lessons carefully to build upon what pupils already know.  Teachers use their good subject knowledge to plan lessons that pupils find interesting and motivating.  Teachers give pupils many opportunities to develop their writing in subjects other than English.  Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils have excellent manners and are cooperative and polite. Pupils treat everyone with respect.  Pupils are keen to learn. They do their best to achieve well in lessons.  Pupils feel safe and are cared for well. They know

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

how to keep themselves safe and who to talk to if they have any concerns.  Teaching in the early years is outstanding. Children in the early years, especially those who are disadvantaged, get off to an excellent start.  Governors know the school well. They provide good support and challenge to the leadership team.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers occasionally give the most able pupils work to do that is too easy in mathematics.  Pupils sometimes lose their concentration in class and need reminders to get on with their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited every class and observed teaching in 18 different lessons. Four of these observations were made jointly with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. One inspector also observed a Key Stage 1 assembly.  Inspectors held discussions with senior leaders, phase leaders, the Chair and other members of the Governing Body, and a representative from the local authority.  Pupils met with inspectors, both formally and informally. They talked about their life at school and shared their views on the quality of teaching in reading, writing and mathematics. A number of pupils from Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6 read to inspectors.  Pupils’ completed written work in books was scrutinised. The school’s new assessment processes were looked at and information on current pupils’ attainment and progress was analysed.  Inspectors considered the effectiveness of the school’s website. They also reviewed a number of school

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Information about this inspection

documents, including: the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans; leaders’ reports on the quality of teaching; records relating to behaviour, attendance, safety and safeguarding; local authority monitoring visit notes; external reviews commissioned by the school and minutes of governing body meetings.  The school has recently collected the views of parents via a questionnaire. Inspectors considered these responses, alongside the responses they received from the 45 parents and carers who completed the online Parent View questionnaire and additional letters sent to the inspection team during the inspection.  School staff members were invited to complete an inspection questionnaire. The 17 responses returned were also considered by the team.

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Inspection team

Judith O'Hare, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Clifford Road is larger than the average-sized primary school.  There are two classes in every year group. Children attend part time in the Nursery and full time in Reception.  The large majority of pupils are White British. Other pupils come from a range of ethnic backgrounds. A broadly average, but increasing, proportion of pupils joining the school speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is average. The pupil premium is additional money the school receives to support pupils in the care of the local authority and those known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further improve the quality of teaching by ensuring that teachers:  keep all pupils fully focused in all lessons  set suitably challenging work for the most-able pupils in mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 This is a caring school community where all feel welcomed and valued. Strong leadership and management, by the headteacher, deputy headteacher, phase leaders and governors, are leading to rapid whole-school improvements in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 Changes made to teaching staff have improved consistency in the quality of teaching across the school. This has had a positive impact on pupils’ achievement. Systems in place to check the quality of teaching are rigorous. Leaders only reward teachers when good teaching results in their pupils making sustained good progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject and other leaders undertake their roles diligently. They track pupils’ progress carefully and spot quickly pupils at risk of falling behind. Teachers take prompt action to provide additional support where this is needed.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders check closely the performance of disadvantaged pupils. Leaders review their use of pupil premium funding regularly. They check carefully to ensure this money is used appropriately and is effective in closing gaps in eligible pupils’ attainment compared to others.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have developed and implemented their own approach to assessment following the removal of National Curriculum levels. The new system is helping teachers to identify what pupils can do well and to set them clear targets for their next steps in learning. Work sampled during the inspection confirmed that the school’s assessments are accurate.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils enjoy the topics they study at school. The wide and varied curriculum is enhanced further through regular visits to places of cultural and historical interest. Learning in the classroom prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain and is supplemented by other activities that help pupils understand democracy and the importance of the rule of law. Leaders ensure that all pupils are treated equally and that they are taught that discrimination of any kind is not to be tolerated.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of other faiths and cultures. They respect others whose background or religion is different from their own. The good range of extra-curricular activities available enables pupils to mix socially. This promotes tolerance and respect, and contributes well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has used its sports funding successfully to improve teaching in physical education and to increase pupils’ engagement in regular exercise, both in and out of school. Teachers work alongside a specialist coach to improve their skills. Older pupils have had the opportunity to become sports leaders. This is having a positive impact on behaviour and attendance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Safeguarding policies and procedures meet all statutory requirements. Visitors and staff are checked assiduously. Pupils say they feel safe and parents agree.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority works closely with the school and provides good support. For example, Key Stage 2 teachers have been trained as assessment moderators. This helps the school to ensure the accuracy of all judgements made on pupils’ work and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors undertake their roles and responsibilities diligently. They have received extensive training including, for example, in data analysis. This has helped them to challenge school leaders over past and current pupils’ attainment and progress and how this compares with other schools.  Each member of the governing body has a programme of regular visits to school. They use this time to observe teaching at first hand, to talk to staff and pupils, and to gauge their views. As a result, governors have a good understanding of the quality of teaching. Governors make careful checks to ensure that decisions made about teachers’ pay awards and promotion are linked appropriately to the impact of teaching on pupils’ progress.  Governors know how all additional funding is spent and how this benefits the pupils concerned. Governors, together with senior school leaders, ensure that all safeguarding arrangements meet

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils are courteous and polite. They have good manners and most behave appropriately, both in class and between lessons; for example, in the school playground and dining areas.

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Behaviour

 Pupils understand and respect the school’s behaviour policy. They like receiving rewards that recognise them for making good choices and doing the right thing. School records show that incidents of unacceptable behaviour are increasingly rare. Most parents responding to the online questionnaire said that behaviour is good.

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Behaviour

 Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. They take pride in producing neat and accurate work.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ attendance has improved and is now average. This is because leaders take effective action; for example, following up quickly on all absence from school and by not authorising holidays in term times. Punctuality is good. Good attendance and punctuality are recognised regularly in school assemblies and in newsletters to parents.

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Behaviour

 Pupils enjoy taking on roles and responsibilities and there are many opportunities for them to do so, including working as librarians, organising play-time activities for younger pupils and helping in the dining hall. There is a voting system for election to all posts of responsibility, including membership of the school council.

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Behaviour

 Low-level disruption in lessons is rare although, when work set is too easy, particularly in mathematics, pupils lose their concentration and need reminders to remain on task.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Most parents believe the school looks after their children well and that they are safe in school.

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Safety

 Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe; for example, when using the internet. Pupils learn about ‘stranger danger’, fire and road safety during ‘personal safety day’. All pupils in Key Stage 1 and 2 have received basic first aid training.

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Safety

 Pupils have a good awareness of different types of bullying and the harm this can do to others. Pupils say that if any incidents are reported they are dealt with swiftly. School records confirm incidents of bullying, including inappropriate name-calling, are few and far between.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils say teaching has improved. Following a number of temporary arrangements, new appointments have been made to the teaching staff. This has brought about greater stability. Teaching is now good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers, including in the early years, have good subject knowledge. They use this to plan interesting lessons that encourage pupils to try hard and to achieve well. Pupils enjoy the subjects they study and generally work diligently in class.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know their pupils’ strengths and weaknesses well because they track their progress carefully. Teachers make good use of this information to ensure all new learning builds on things pupils know, understand and can do. The tasks they set pupils to do are generally pitched at the right level of difficulty, although sometimes the most able pupils in mathematics find the work too easy.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants work effectively alongside teachers to support disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those who find learning more difficult. They make sure that pupils understand fully what they have been asked to do. The questions they ask help pupils to complete all tasks successfully.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of writing is particularly effective; pupils make good progress in this subject because they have frequent opportunities to write at length in subjects other than English. This is clearly evident in the quality of pupils’ written work in Key Stages 1 and 2. Pupils work very hard to achieve ‘Star writer’ awards which recognise excellent writing skills. All written work in pupils’ books and on public display is completed carefully. Pupils pay particular attention to ensure accurate spelling, use of punctuation and grammar.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy reading and do so well. Special ‘share a story’ events encourage them to read widely. The school library is a hive of activity at lunch times and after school. Reading for research is promoted well through topic work. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers mark pupils’ work frequently. They give pupils clear guidance on what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils respond to this marking as a matter of course. Good progress made over time is clearly evident in pupils’ work in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children in the Nursery and Reception classes make outstanding progress. In 2014, the proportion reaching a good level of development by the end of the Reception Year was above national results. This was also the case in 2013.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Standards attained in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 2 and Year 6 have been less consistent than those in the early years, although work seen in current pupils’ books and school records indicate that all pupils across the school are now making rapid progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The standards pupils reached by the end of Year 2 in reading, writing and mathematics in 2014 were the highest the school has achieved in the last five years and higher than at the time of the last school inspection.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress across Key Stage 2 is good. Attainment in the national tests at the end of Year 6 has risen steadily. Pupils’ good progress in Key Stage 2 is clearly evident in the school’s national test results in 2014, which were well above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics in 2014 was also above average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress from their starting points. This is because they are well supported in class and in other teaching situations. Additional support these pupils receive is targeted carefully to meet their precise learning needs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. The gap between the attainment of disadvantaged pupils and other pupils in the school is smaller than that found nationally. In Year 6 in 2014, these pupils were ahead of other pupils nationally in reading and mathematics, but about a term behind in writing. They left with similar standards to other pupils in the school in reading, but were a term behind in mathematics and three terms behind in writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils are now achieving well, with more making rapid progress than has previously been the case. Teachers set ‘chilli pepper’ targets to identify the easier and the more challenging tasks. Pupils’ response to this initiative is positive although, particularly in mathematics, pupils sometimes find the ‘hot chilli pepper’ tasks too easy.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Most children join the early years with skills and knowledge typical for their age, although with some gaps, most particularly in communication and language. They settle quickly into the Nursery and Reception classes and make excellent progress in all areas of learning. As a result, children are prepared very well to make a confident start to Year 1.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Staff make accurate judgements about how well children are learning. They identify quickly when help is needed and put support in place rapidly. Teachers keep detailed records of all activities in children’s ‘learning journeys’. They share this information with parents regularly so that parents are kept well informed about their child’s progress.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Teaching in the early years is outstanding. Adults place a high emphasis on ensuring that all planned activities help children to develop their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. In one activity, children in Reception checked each other’s orders on cafe menus and wrote them down carefully. Children in the Nursery had fun counting the coins they discovered in treasure chests.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Teachers in the early years have high expectations of all children, and set them suitably demanding tasks, including in mathematics, which is not always the case further up the school.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Children enjoy learning and discovering new things by themselves. The wide range of different resources, both inside classrooms and in the outdoor areas, means children have excellent opportunities to choose their own activities.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Behaviour and safety in the early years are managed very well. Adults make sure that children understand and respect all rules. Children enjoy excellent relationships with the adults who teach them. They listen carefully and follow all instructions without fuss; their behaviour is excellent. Children take turns politely when sharing equipment. They work and play happily with everyone. Unlike other years, teachers ensure that children’s concentration does not wander and that they are always occupied.

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The early years provision is outstanding

 Leadership and management are outstanding. The early years leader makes rigorous checks on the quality of teaching in Nursery and Reception. She ensures that all activities are pitched at the right level and that all children make maximum progress. There is a carefully planned programme of support to ensure that all staff keep their teaching skills up to date. Staff meet regularly to review children’s progress and to share good practice.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is failing

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Grade Judgement Description

to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 124654 Local authority Suffolk Inspection number 462040

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 450 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kris Hampel Headteacher Stephen Wood Date of previous school inspection 10 July 2013 Telephone number 01473 251605 Fax number 01473 221224 Email address office@cliffordroad.suffolk.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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