Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Carole Spruce Principal Humberston Cloverfields Academy St Thomas Close Humberston Grimsby Lincolnshire DN36 4HS

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Following my visit to the school on 10 January 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since your predecessor school was judged to be good in June 2011.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. The positive partnerships between you, the academy trust, governors and other school leaders provide a shared, ambitious vision for the pupils at your school.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

The school’s conversion to academy status has opened up a wealth of opportunities to support the continual improvement of teaching and learning. There is agreement among leaders, staff and parents that the school has been re-invigorated with fresh ideas, focused staff development and opportunities to share great practice.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Parents have overwhelming confidence in the support leaders and staff give their children, academically and emotionally. Comments such as ‘I am so happy that my children come to this school’ are common. Parents generally feel well informed about their child’s learning and feel that leaders ensure their children are safe, well cared for and supported effectively in making good progress.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Strategies in place have built firmly on the recommendations from the last inspection. You are relentless in your drive to improve the quality of teaching so that it is consistently good or better. Regular checks on teaching and learning, along with training, sharing good practice, careful resourcing and precise improvement actions result in pupils making at least good progress throughout school. Where any dip in performance occurs, such as in reading results at the end of key stage 2 last year, you galvanise your team into action to quickly and thoroughly address this. Everyone has a good understanding of the school improvement priorities and their part in improving outcomes for pupils.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

You and your team are rigorous in your approach to delivering teaching in the basic skills, but you balance this effectively with a vibrant and practical curriculum which provides memorable learning for pupils. Strong teacher subject knowledge and an ambition for preparing pupils well for future careers results in pupils gaining wide curriculum experiences which they speak animatedly about.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Pupils value being part of this school and are enthusiastic about school life. They attend school regularly and arrive on time. Pupils’ attitudes to learning in class are excellent.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

The promotion of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural understanding runs through the whole curriculum. Leaders articulate their moral values clearly and pupils know what is expected of them and why. Pupils learn about other faiths and beliefs and why it is important to demonstrate tolerance and respect.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Leaders have a good understanding of which children and groups are currently performing above, at, or below national expectations. However, regular analysis of the progress that pupils make across the year from their starting points is not as developed, so pupils who need further support and challenge are not always identified quickly. Middle-ability pupils in particular are not always challenged to deepen their learning.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

As the designated safeguarding lead you make sure that all policies and procedures are in place and up to date and that everyone has a clear understanding of how to keep pupils safe.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Training and information for staff is frequent. Staff understand how to recognise important issues and the school has an effective system in place for recording and monitoring concerns.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

Pupils have regular teaching about safety, in lessons and assemblies. Pupils I spoke to demonstrated a clear understanding of how to keep safe online and what to do if they had a concern. In school, pupils feel safe and promote the school’s values of respect and friendship. Pupils reported that there was no bullying, and said that where fall-outs occur they are quickly resolved.

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Short inspection of Humberston Cloverfields Academy

As in the last inspection, care and support for pupils are strengths of the school. Pupils’ emotional needs and well-being are carefully considered. This culture of care for one another exists across adults and pupils. Pupils see it as their responsibility to look out for each other, offer support and model good behaviour.

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Inspection findings

 This school continues to be a good and improving school because of strong, determined leadership. You and the governors have successfully steered the school into an effective partnership with the academy trust, where you share the desire to ‘put learning first’. As a result, pupils make good progress, as well as demonstrating excellent behaviour.  All leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The trust supports the school well in addressing areas for improvement. The school improvement plan targets key areas for action based on accurate self- evaluation. Plans include proposed academic and social outcomes for pupils. School leaders, the trust and governors work effectively together to monitor progress against these targets.  There is a continual drive to further improve teaching and learning. Staff are enthused by the training and development they are able to undertake and rightly

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Inspection findings

feel that it is having a positive impact in their classrooms. Opportunities to work with colleagues within school, across the trust and with local schools are valued highly. Staff have been able to share their expertise across the academy too. Consequently the quality of teaching and learning is good and sometimes better.  In September 2015, the on-site nursery joined the school and became part of the trust. Foundation staff in Nursery and Reception now work together closely with leaders to provide effective progression and continuity for the children. Children make good progress through their time in the early years. The implementation of shared strategies, such as the phonics programme, is deepening and embedding this learning.  This is a welcoming and inclusive school. Leaders and staff carefully plan for and support pupils who have a wide range of needs. Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress from their starting

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Inspection findings

points. Communication between leaders, teachers, parents and other agencies is regular and effective in ensuring the provision meets the needs of all pupils.  In recent years, pupils at the end of key stage 2 have achieved standards that are above those of pupils nationally in reading. In 2016, the proportion of pupils achieving the new expected standard was close to that seen nationally. Nevertheless, you recognise that your pupils, with focused support in specific areas, can make better progress. A raft of exciting and carefully devised strategies have been put in place to support both a love of reading and skill development in areas such as reasoning. During my visit pupils were eager to show me their double decker ‘Reading Library Bus’, which is on-site and accessed by all pupils each week. Pupils spoke with excitement about how they had been involved in book resourcing, explaining that ‘most of the books are for you to

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Inspection findings

enjoy and some are focused on improving your learning’. Training for teachers and support staff, for example teaching inference in text, is already having an impact on learning – there are clear structures which the children understand and are starting to apply successfully.  Pupils’ progress and attainment in phonics continues to be strong. Pupils read aloud with confidence and enjoyment, including lower-ability pupils. They use phonics to support their reading of new words and apply these skills carefully in their writing.  Teachers know the national expectations well and provide good support to those pupils not yet meeting these standards. Because checks on the progress pupils are making from their starting points are not robust enough, sometimes teachers do not always fully challenge the middle-ability pupils to deepen their learning. Leaders are aware of this and have started work on devising a system that will

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Inspection findings

check the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils more carefully.  Disadvantaged pupils have a wide range of different starting points, and make good progress overall from these. Leaders use the pupil premium funding effectively to support the learning and well-being of these pupils.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 the progress pupils are making from their starting points is checked regularly and carefully  middle-ability pupils are challenged in their learning to deepen their understanding and reach higher standards

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for North East Lincolnshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection I looked at specific aspects of the school’s work, including leadership, the quality of teaching and learning (in particular reading), the support for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, and safeguarding arrangements.

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Information about the inspection

You and I worked closely together throughout the inspection, observing teaching and learning, looking at pupils’ work and discussing the school’s strengths and priorities for improvement. I listened to pupils read, looked at the quality and variety of curriculum displays and read school documentation. I met with senior and middle leaders, representatives from the governing body and the academy trust, staff, pupils and parents. I noted the 68 responses on Parent View. I observed pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning in class and assembly.

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