Clifton upon Teme Primary School

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

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Mrs Cathryn Throup Headteacher Clifton upon Teme Primary School Pound Lane Clifton-upon-Teme Worcester Worcestershire WR6 6DE

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 7 November 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 the school was judged to be good in December 2012.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

You, staff and governors have created an environment in which every child feels valued. Parents are very supportive, with the overwhelming majority of parents who took part in the online survey and those that I spoke to recommending the school. This is because they believe their children are happy and taught well. One parent who I spoke with at the start of the day said, ‘I love this school, the headteacher and staff genuinely care about my child.’ You and governors share the same high level of commitment and drive required in order to bring about continued improvement. This is reflected in the confidence that staff and parents have in the school’s leadership.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

The children come first and are central to the school’s work. You have created an inclusive community where innovation is welcomed and every small step to success is celebrated. The passion that is shared by you and all other stakeholders is clear.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

Your school is a smaller than average primary school and consequently you and your staff know each child individually. Likewise, the children all know each other from the youngest to the oldest and they support one another throughout the school day. Your school is a very caring and nurturing environment. This was reflected in a conversation I had with a pupil who commented that, ‘I feel really happy and safe here.’

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

Pupils behave well and have positive attitudes towards learning. During lessons they work hard and support one another when working collaboratively. Their manners are impeccable, showing courtesy at all times and moving sensibly around the school. Pupils are happy and say that behaviour is good. This is reflected in the behaviour record and the online pupil questionnaire. Pupils feel that when unacceptable behaviour occurs it is dealt with swiftly and the necessary action taken to eliminate reoccurrence.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

Since the last inspection, you have been successful in addressing most of the areas for improvement identified. Teachers are now focused on linking progress and challenge for all pupils and ensuring high expectations at all times.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

You have looked closely at the quality of feedback that teachers provide in line with the school’s policies in order to move the pupils’ learning forward.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

All procedures and policies are in place to ensure that the promotion of safeguarding is a strength across the school. You have provided all staff with the appropriate training and have developed a shared understanding that the safeguarding of pupils is everyone’s responsibility. By building relationships with outside agencies you have further strengthened safeguarding and provided deeper layers of support to ensure that all pupils are safe.

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Short inspection of Clifton upon Teme Primary School

You have been very proactive in addressing a number of safeguarding concerns that you encountered when you first took up the position of headteacher and this has ensured an environment where all pupils feel safe and parents appreciate that their child’s safety and well-being are absolute priorities for you and your staff.

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Inspection findings

 The school has been successful in improving the attainment of pupils in writing by the end of key stage 1. Teachers have raised their expectations and enabled pupils to improve their writing skills by placing a strong emphasis on extending vocabulary and reading for pleasure.  Middle leaders have been successful in further raising standards in reading, writing and mathematics. This is particularly evident among the very youngest and the very oldest pupils where the teaching is strong. Initiatives have been put in place to ensure that this good practice is reflected across the whole school and all teachers are very committed to ensuring that every child receives the highest quality of teaching.  Teachers provide effective feedback, which enables pupils to address weaknesses in their work and make strong progress. This is further enhanced by the level of challenge being appropriately matched to the needs of the different pupils.

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Inspection findings

However, this challenge is not consistent across all year groups, leading to variable rates of progress particularly among the more able pupils.  Teachers know the pupils well and are able to plan effectively for individual needs. This is further enhanced by the ongoing assessment that takes place during lessons and the use of searching and challenging questioning by teachers and support staff. Pupils respond well and are very keen to talk about their learning and are able to demonstrate their understanding of a particular task.  Leaders are aware of historical factors that have had an impact on the progress across key stage 2 and have taken decisive action to rectify this. As a result of these changes, leaders are confident that future progress across this key stage will be strong. This is supported by evidence seen in lessons and books.  Leaders have taken steps to improve the provision for pupils who have special

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Inspection findings

educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. There is now a highly qualified and experienced special educational needs coordinator in place, who is addressing areas of concern within the provision for these pupils. The school now systematically reviews the provision for these pupils and as a result there is evidence of this having a positive impact on their well-being and progress. This is still to be fully embedded across the whole school.

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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 improvements made in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment of writing and mathematics are consistent for all pupils  there are high levels of challenge for all pupils, especially those who are most able, to ensure strong progress in English and mathematics  the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is fully embedded across the whole school to enable these pupils to make strong progress.

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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 Worcestershire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, I met with you, your middle leaders, other members of staff and governors. You and I conducted lesson observations to observe the quality of teaching and learning. During this time, we took the opportunity to look at pupils’ books together. I also spoke with a number of pupils about their learning and their experiences of being a pupil at your school. I looked at displays around the school and saw further examples of pupils’ work. I scrutinised the single central record to check that it complies with the government’s requirements. I held discussions with you as the designated safeguarding lead, looked at behaviour logs and reviewed attendance information. I met with the special educational needs coordinator and a number of governors. I spoke with staff and looked at the staff questionnaire results. I reviewed the 24 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, and spoke with a number of parents at the start of the school day. I reviewed the

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