Setting

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 1231 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Rebecca Leek Executive Headteacher Cliff Lane Primary School Cliff Lane Ipswich Suffolk IP3 0PJ

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School

Following my visit to your school on 27 May 2021, I write on behalf of Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Education, Children's Services and Skills to confirm the monitoring inspection findings. Thank you for the help you gave during the inspection and for the time you made available to discuss the actions that have been taken to improve the school since the most recent section 5 inspection.

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School

The monitoring inspection was carried out under section 8(2) of the Education Act 2005 and has taken place because the school has received two successive judgements of requires improvement at its previous section 5 inspections.

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School

This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. I discussed the impact of the pandemic with you and have taken that into account in my evaluation.

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School

Having considered the evidence, I am of the opinion that at this time:

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Leaders and those responsible for governance are taking effective action

in order for the school to become a good school.

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Context

You are the Director of Strategy for ASSET Education (the trust), and you were appointed as the substantive executive headteacher in January 2021 after supporting the school as an interim headteacher since November 2019. You

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

represent most of the trust support for the school. You have appointed a head of school. The head of school has recently returned from a planned period of absence.

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Main findings

Leaders and the trust have worked diligently and quickly to address the areas for improvement identified at the previous inspection. Due to the pandemic, some of these changes are more recent.

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Main findings

Leaders identified that the curriculum needed a full review. Leaders have reconsidered what the curriculum content is for reading, writing and mathematics and how teachers are teaching these subjects to ensure pupils achieve well. In the wider curriculum, some subjects required a new approach. Leaders acted upon this, evaluating resources, and working on new plans with teachers.

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Main findings

The new curriculum was implemented in September 2020. Leaders have provided training to support subject leaders to write well-considered plans. Teachers have had training to help them teach each subject effectively. Teachers are using the curriculum plans in each subject area to build on what the pupils have learned before. Pupils are beginning to benefit from this improved approach to their learning.

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Main findings

Subject leaders regularly check what pupils have learned and can remember. They use this information to review and revise their plans for future learning and ensure it meets pupils’ needs. Where needed, pupils are given additional support to bridge any gaps in their learning. This is helping these pupils to catch up.

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Main findings

Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported, both in class and through separate specialist interventions. Staff have been trained to provide support for each pupil’s needs. Pupils with SEND have timely well-planned support, which is helping them to access the curriculum and achieve well.

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Main findings

Reading has been a key priority for leaders. Staff support early readers to learn to read well. Books for early readers are carefully chosen by teachers to match the sounds that pupils know. Pupils develop confidence reading these books and are proud to share the progress they are making.

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Main findings

The library has been reorganised and there has been an increase in the books available to pupils in class. A range of high-quality texts are available that match the pupils’ range of reading abilities. Older pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they are reading, often introduced to them by their teachers. This is encouraging pupils to develop a love of reading and is resulting in pupils becoming more fluent readers.

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

Since the previous inspection, pupils’ attendance has improved. Leaders have worked with their community to set higher expectations about the importance of attending school regularly. Any persistent absence is closely monitored, and support is given to families where needed.

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PROTECT-INSPECTION

Leaders’ plans focus on the priorities for improvement. These plans provide leaders with milestones to check how the quality of education for pupils at the school is improving. Where this is not happening quickly enough, these milestone checks allow leaders to make swift changes to keep up the momentum of school improvement.

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Additional support

The trust has provided specialist help to support leaders and governors to make improvements to the quality of education pupils at the school receive. This support has led to improvements in the quality of education in each subject.

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Additional support

Governors are receiving the support and training they need from the trust. This is helping ensure that they hold leaders to account for the quality of education at the school.

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Evidence

During the inspection, I met with the executive headteacher, the head of school, other senior leaders, the trust chief executive officer, pupils, staff, and representatives of those responsible for governance to discuss the actions taken since the last inspection.

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Evidence

During the inspection I visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. I reviewed leaders’ self-evaluation plan, internal monitoring documents by subject leaders and attendance information. I took account of the 45 responses to the staff questionnaire, looked at the 105 responses on Ofsted Parent View and reviewed 99 parent free text responses.

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Evidence

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the chair of the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the ASSET Education multi-academy trust, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children's services for Suffolk. This letter will be published on the Ofsted reports website.

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