Clifton Primary School

Clifton Primary School Burslem Street, Hull HU2 9BP

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is an outstanding school

 The headteacher leads her school exceptionally well with determination and ambition. She is meticulous in her pursuit of excellence. Everyone shares her vision, which is why outcomes are especially high and staff and pupils are happy and motivated.  Leaders drive forward improvements and are fully committed to ensuring all pupils reach their full potential. Tracking and assessment of progress is thorough and accurate.  Teachers and teaching assistants have high expectations of what pupils can and do achieve. They have created a positive climate of success, where pupils strive to be the best they can be.  Staff work together well, providing a rounded approach to meeting the social, emotional and academic needs of pupils.  The early years provision is exemplary. Children are engaged, motivated and make rapid progress through a rich diet of learning experiences.  The whole-school focus on developing speaking

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This is an outstanding school

and listening skills is successfully increasing pupils’ proficiency to articulate their thoughts and develop a wider vocabulary.  The exciting, well-planned, broad and balanced curriculum inspires pupils to extend their knowledge and deepens their interest in the topics they cover.  Standards in reading, writing and mathematics surpass national averages by a significant margin. Pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points.  The attainment and progress of pupils who are disadvantaged or have special needs and/or disabilities are well above those seen nationally. This is because support for all pupils is exceptional and meets their needs.  Parents are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They are pleased with the quality of their children’s education.  High expectation across the curriculum leads to pupils being very well prepared for their next stage of education.  Pupils behave extremely well, applying themselves

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This is an outstanding school

diligently to their work, and enjoy positive relationships with each other and adults.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Continue to further develop and strengthen leadership roles within the school, so that key leaders are well placed both to support the school’s own staff and to take on wider responsibility, disseminating best practice to others.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 Leaders are uncompromising in their pursuit of excellence. The headteacher successfully develops all staff and pupils so that they can be the best they can be. The strap line, ‘Aim High’, is adhered to by everyone, resulting in all pupils achieving exceptionally high outcomes. The strong and stable workforce share the vision, are passionate about the community they serve and want the best outcomes for all pupils.  The headteacher is meticulous in her approach to raising standards across the school. Accurate self- evaluation feeds into effective school development planning which is tightly focused on the important key priorities identified to drive further improvements. Rigorous assessment systems and tracking provides a clear picture of where pupils are performing well and where interventions need to be put in place. Performance management is used effectively to keep expectations high and improve the quality of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

teaching, learning and assessment.  Leaders work well together, sharing best practice, trying out new initiatives and analysing what works well and why. The deputy headteacher’s work on improving reading standards resulted in major changes to the way that reading is taught. The impact of these changes is now evident in the outstanding rates of progress being made by pupils across the school.  Phase leaders are knowledgeable, committed and have high expectations both for themselves and for the team they lead. They work alongside colleagues, developing best practice, monitoring the quality of their work and providing developmental feedback. They provide strong leadership, leading by example and checking that standards remain high across their team. They are held fully accountable by the headteacher through weekly meetings where action plans are evaluated and school improvement priorities are constantly checked and monitored.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 The holistic approach to learning is at the heart of what the school does well. Leaders ensure pupils are in school, are ready to learn and have appropriate support for any emotional issues they are experiencing. The walking bus, free breakfast club and strong focus on well-being are fundamental to the success of the learners. Pupils know they are cared for, feel safe and, because staff know them well, want to do their best so that they please their teachers.  The whole staff team feel part of a community of learners who are determined to improve the life chances of the pupils in their care. Everyone – teachers, teaching assistants and pupils – constantly strives to do better. No one is satisfied unless they have reached their personal best.  The curriculum is exceptionally well planned to take account of pupils’ interests and to broaden their experiences and knowledge. Teachers make learning come alive for pupils through a wide range of

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

practical and interesting activities. Journey books and whole-school displays provide evidence that teachers tackle challenging topics with skill. Recent events such as the Paris bombings and the national referendum vote have all been covered with sensitivity. Partnership with a school in Sierra Leone is helping pupils to broaden their understanding of what life is like in other countries.  Everyone is clear about how they can improve outcomes for pupils. Teachers know how they are performing because they are given termly monitoring grids which summarise all observations, book scrutiny outcomes and progress information. Any areas for improvement are highlighted and checked on throughout the next term. The continual cycle of improvement is further raising expectations and improving teaching, learning and assessment. Leaders are rigorous in their monitoring and hold teachers fully accountable throughout the year.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

 Leaders’ thorough and accurate assessments mean that they are well informed about how much progress every child is making. Their monitoring provides a detailed and accurate picture of the quality of teaching across the school.  Pupil premium funding is used exceptionally well. All pupils in receipt of funding make outstanding progress from their starting points. Meticulous tracking gives leaders and teachers a clear understanding of how well these pupils are performing and the headteacher is unapologetic in setting the highest targets and expecting pupils to reach them.  Sport premium funding is used well. Pupils have access to a wide range of sports competitions and after- school clubs. Previously, funding has supported the appointment of a specialist teacher to support class teachers and to improve their teaching. Teachers are now expected to teach physical education themselves to the same high standard, and funding previously used for the specialist teacher is now

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

being diverted to support resources and other needs identified from the action plan.  The governance of the school – Governors play an active role in the development of the school. They visit the school and check on what they are being told. They have a real sense of community, with the chair and vice-chair being ex-staff members who did not want to leave this warm vibrant school. – Governors provide challenge and support which is well documented in minutes. They receive regular high-quality analysis of information in a format that is easy to understand which gives them a full picture of how each group is performing compared to each other. They know that the use of pupil premium funding is effective because they can see the outstanding progress this group of pupils makes.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The safeguarding officer is diligent in her duties and plays a key role in tracking and monitoring pupils. Detailed safeguarding records are kept safely and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is outstanding

actions are taken promptly to ensure the safety of all children.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 High-quality teaching, learning and assessment over time are now resulting in outstanding outcomes for all pupils. Teachers have particularly high expectations of how pupils behave and of the quality of work they produce. Pupils are keen to meet these expectations.  Teaching is effective in all classes because teachers are confident in their ability to move learning on quickly. They receive constant feedback from leaders through regular checks on their performance against any areas they need to improve on. Positive feedback on their strengths reinforces what teachers are doing well and develops their confidence further.  The strong focus on teaching speaking and developing vocabulary is evident across the whole school. In a key stage 2 writing lesson, pupils began by talking about the Bayeux Tapestry, then acting out key scenes. The teacher skilfully displayed key vocabulary which pupils were expected to use and then apply

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

in their writing. This gave pupils a strong model on which to base their ideas and, as a result, outcomes at the end of the lesson were high.  Teachers are imaginative in their use of ‘real-life’ examples on which to base learning activities. In a lesson seen, pupils were enthusiastic about what they were doing, they knew that their work had a real purpose and wanted to know the answers. The teacher expertly matched the task so that all pupils were achieving and the most able were challenged.  Pupils know how to improve their work. Marking and feedback are used effectively to reinforce key learning points and to provide praise and encouragement. Pupils are shown how to improve their work from an early age and they quickly pick up on areas identified by teachers and make the required improvements straight away. Teachers check that pupils are not repeating mistakes and this is helping them to make exceptional progress.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

 Neat handwriting and presentation are embedded across the curriculum. Pupils apply the same high standards in all subjects. They are proud of their books and rightly so. The recent focus on handwriting has had a positive impact on the standards of presentation, which are particularly high.  Highly effective and relentless questioning throughout the lesson ensures that pupils understand what they are learning and helps to deepen their thinking. Teachers use a range of strategies to help pupils to stay focused and to be ready with an answer.  Teaching assistants are highly effective because they receive regular training which is helping them to keep up to date with the new higher national expectations. They work with teachers after school to review the day and plan for the next lesson. This is giving them a deeper understanding of what pupils need to do to improve further. As a result, they know the pupils well and understand how to support

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is outstanding

them in their learning.  All adults in school foster positive relationships with pupils. Pupils want to meet the high expectations that are set. They behave particularly well because the lessons are interesting and teachers know them well. Pupils are confident learners, are keen to give their own opinions and can justify their answers.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  All staff have a full understanding of the wide range of needs of individuals. There is a holistic approach to ensuring pupils are given all the support they need. The strong pastoral team is relentless in helping to identify and break down all barriers to learning. The free breakfast club is particularly well attended, giving pupils a positive start to the day and giving them a reason to come to school early.  Pupils are polite and caring to each other. Older pupils take on a wide range of responsibilities, including looking after younger pupils at lunchtime, preparing resources for assemblies and making sure the water bottles are filled up and ready every day.  Pupils are confident and self-assured, they speak about how wonderful their school is and are proud to belong. Assemblies reinforce positive values and pupils listen attentively, responding appropriately and

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Personal development and welfare

showing they understand the key messages.  Parents recognise that care and support are particularly strong. They speak about how sensitively staff support their children when they experience challenging times.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils are extremely well behaved at both breaktime and lunchtime. The wide range of resources and activities provided over lunchtime keeps pupils engaged in exciting activities. Pupils use the time well, either playing games, chatting to friends or performing song and dance routines which other pupils watch with genuine appreciation. The end of breaktime is calm and orderly, with lessons starting the minute pupils walk into the classroom.  Pupils show self-discipline and work well together or by themselves. They relish the challenge that well- planned work brings and focus intently on completing tasks and moving on to extension activities. Pupils are proud of their achievements and display extremely positive attitudes to learning.  Time is well utilised; pupils respond immediately to what the teacher says, they listen attentively, work hard and focus on their work. This is because they understand what they need to do and because

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Behaviour

teachers know them well. Staff and pupils enjoy positive relationships and because behaviour is exemplary, teachers can be more adventurous in the different learning opportunities they provide.  Attendance is improving and is now around the national level. Attendance monitoring is prioritised and key members of staff are prompt in chasing up all pupils who are not in school by 8.45am. The free walking bus collects pupils who are finding attendance challenging. Staff are relentless in their approach to improving attendance, and the number of pupils who are persistent absentees has fallen below the national level.

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ outcomes compare very favourably to those in other primary schools. In reading, writing and mathematics, their attainment and progress is well above the national average. In reading, particularly, pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the demands of secondary school.  In the context of high levels of disadvantage, the impact of high-quality provision helps pupils in receipt of pupil premium to make similarly outstanding progress from their starting points.  Challenge for the most able pupils is a consistent feature of teaching. This group achieves exceptionally well. The same is true for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities and for pupils for whom English is an additional language, again as a result of carefully tailored teaching.  High expectations, effective interventions and high-quality teaching culminate in exceptional outcomes for every child.  Outcomes for pupils in key stage 1 have remained in line with the national average. Tracking shows that

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

pupils who have been at the school from Reception achieve higher outcomes and demonstrate outstanding progress from the end of Reception. Many pupils are still in the early stages of English language acquisition and therefore the focus on speaking and listening skills is equipping them with the necessary skills they need to develop their potential at key stage 2. There has been a steady increase in the number of pupils who are reaching the higher levels at the end of key stage 1.  Outcomes in phonics (the sounds letters make) remain at around the national average. However, the positive impact of the new Nursery provision is beginning to show in internal tracking. Around one third of the current Reception cohort will be entering key stage 1 in 2016 with much higher phonics skills than have been seen previously.  The number of children reaching a good level of development at the end of Reception is now broadly in

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Outcomes for pupils are outstanding

line with national figures and has increased over time. This represents outstanding progress from their entry levels, with most entering below typical expectations in speaking and reading. A strong focus on developing speaking and listening skills is really helping these children to improve their spoken language and providing them with a firm foundation for key stage 1.  The quality of work in pupils’ books demonstrates exceptional progress for all groups of pupils. This is because teachers use targets effectively and carry out detailed assessments of what pupils can do and what they need to learn next. Most-able pupils are challenged with activities which deepen their thinking and enable them to apply their knowledge.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 The early years leader displays a deep understanding of how young children learn. She is uncompromising and relentless in her drive to provide the best provision possible in order to give everyone a flying start to their education.  From their low starting points, children make rapid progress. Progress is particularly strong for those children who have attended the recently opened Nursery on site.  Leaders continually monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of what they are providing in order to improve outcomes for children. Practitioners are reflective and highly effective in how they adapt their teaching and questioning in order to make sure all children achieve their full potential.  The curriculum is exceptionally well planned and organised. Adults are responsive to children’s needs. They plan and execute stimulating activities which motivate, excite and enrich learning. Children are busy,

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Early years provision is outstanding

active and happy learners, who are developing positive attitudes to learning from a very early age.  Learning journals provide a rich evidence base of photographs, work samples and observations. They identify what children need to learn next and are regularly updated which gives an accurate picture of progress. The new online assessment system allows parents to share information and photographs about their children’s success at home, which is helping to provide a detailed picture about each child’s learning journey. Workbooks provide further evidence of progress made in writing and mathematics.  Parents receive a wealth of information about the progress their children are making. Parents are extremely complimentary about the work of the early years team. Some spoke of their determination to come to the school even though they have moved and have to catch two buses, because they recognise the quality of education provided and appreciate the positive relationships with staff.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Children demonstrate exceptionally positive behaviours and attitudes to learning. They show sustained concentration and high levels of engagement in all their learning. They are developing high levels of self- control, cooperation, independence and respect for others. Well-planned ‘forest school’ activities allow children to experience a sense of danger in a controlled environment. The space is used well to provide a sense of awe and wonder, foster self-reliance and learn about nature from well-informed adults.  The daily focus on key skills is helping children to become independent writers and readers. A higher proportion of children are now working at higher levels in phonics and more children leave Reception exceeding expected levels. Examples of children’s writing and labelling are all around the setting, both celebrating the learning and providing high standards for other children to follow.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make outstanding progress. Strong links with parents and external agencies ensure that children receive the support they need quickly.  Provision for children with English as an additional language is particularly strong. Children make exceptional gains in understanding and acquiring English over a short time. A strong focus on speaking skills and vocabulary work supports this group particularly well.

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School details

Unique reference number 117722 Local authority Kingston upon Hull Inspection number 10003799 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 302 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mrs Joanne Bickerton Headteacher Mrs Rachel Wilkes Telephone number 01482 325913 Website www.cliftonprimaryschool.co.uk Email address admin@clifton-pri.hull.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 4–5 April 2011

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Information about this school

 Clifton Primary School is slightly larger than most primary schools.  The school meets the government floor standards, which set out the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment in English and mathematics.  The proportion of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding is more than double the national average.  Just over half of the pupils are of White British heritage.  There are 21 different languages spoken at the school.  There are more pupils than nationally for whom English is an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is just above the national average.  The proportion of pupils with a statement or education, health and care plan is just below the national average.  The school serves an area of high deprivation.  The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning across a wide range of subjects. The headteacher and lead inspector conducted joint observations during the first day of the inspection.  Meetings were held with middle leaders, the headteacher and governors, including the chair of governors.  A joint work scrutiny was carried out along with three middle leaders where standards across the curriculum were analysed.  A range of documentation was studied, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school development plan, analysis of teaching and learning monitoring and assessment information.  Inspectors interviewed two groups of pupils and spoke to individual pupils throughout the inspection.  Twelve responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, were considered alongside speaking to a range of parents before and after school.  Staff responses to the online survey were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Janet Lunn, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Susan Birch Ofsted Inspector Linda Griffiths Ofsted Inspector Nicola Shipman Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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 (Carcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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