Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School Eastholme Drive, Rawcliffe, Clifton With Rawcliffe School, York, North Yorkshire YO30 5TA

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Outcome

Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at the school. They feel happy. They play and work together harmoniously. Everyone contributes to the warm and welcoming feel of the school. One parent said: ‘While this is quite a large primary school, it has a lovely, friendly and welcoming atmosphere.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders, including governors, want pupils to develop their character. Leaders provide activities such as clubs and residentials to support pupils to do this. Pupils are taught the importance of keeping themselves healthy, both physically and emotionally. They learn about nature and the world around them through their forest skills lessons. Pupils say that there is a lot to do and they enjoy the activities on offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are ready for secondary school when they leave Year 6. Nearly all of them have the personal and social skills that leaders want them to have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ conduct is exemplary. They are polite and courteous to each other. In the early years, pupils have clear routines. This helps them get off to the best start with understanding what is expected of them. Older pupils listen carefully to their teacher. These pupils concentrate on what they are doing. They know when they need to work quietly and when they can discuss their learning with their peers.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have made sure that pupils learn a wide range of subjects. Pupils study all the subjects in the national curriculum. Leaders and teachers are ambitious for all pupils. Teachers know how to get the best out of their pupils. Teachers understand the level of demand pupils should work towards in English and mathematics. Most pupils meet these expectations by the time they reach Year 6. 6 and 7 July 2021

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Leaders have curriculum plans in all subjects. These plans are more developed in some subjects than in others. For example, in science, leaders have set out what teachers should teach and when. Teachers know what pupils have been taught in previous year groups. Other subjects do not have the detail that teachers need in every year group. Leaders have identified this and have a plan for when they will write these plans. Some of this work has been delayed due to the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic.

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Pupils enjoy reading. They read more and more difficult books as they move through the school. Pupils pick up new words from the books teachers read to them. They use these words in their writing. Pupils can recall many books that they have enjoyed in the past.

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All children are taught phonics from the start of Reception. Pupils read books which are matched to the sounds that they are learning. This is helping them to be successful in their reading and most pupils make good progress through the phonics curriculum. However, there is no central plan for what should happen if pupils are not keeping up with phonics. Some pupils spend time in lessons which are too difficult for them. Teachers have realised this and have put in place additional sessions. These sessions mean that children are now starting to catch up.

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In writing, leaders have not been clear on the sequence of learning that the youngest children should follow. Some children struggle to form letters correctly. They make mistakes. These are not spotted by staff. Pupils who have not secured the basics in early writing take too long to catch up with where they need to be. These pupils exert a lot of effort in concentrating on their handwriting in key stage 2. This slows down the progress in other parts of their writing.

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Children in the early years concentrate on their learning well. Staff ask questions and make suggestions so that children improve what they are doing. Most children get off to a positive and successful start in their learning.

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Teachers support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) effectively. Leaders have precise information about pupils who may need extra help. Leaders challenge teachers to make sure that the everyday offer for pupils is right. Leaders train and advise staff. Staff are then able to support pupils with SEND. Leaders create plans for these pupils, with parents. They review these plans each term. Staff know if they then need to do anything differently. Because of these systems, pupils with SEND achieve well. They feel successful. 6 and 7 July 2021

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff understand their role in keeping pupils safe. Leaders have trained staff on what to look out for. If staff are concerned about a child then they know what to do. There are plenty of people to whom staff can talk for advice. If leaders have significant concerns, then they notify the right people quickly.

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in the school. They are comfortable talking to a member of staff if they are worried about anything. They know that they can talk about any issues they may be facing in their life. They have full confidence in staff to keep them safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have identified that not all subjects have detailed enough curriculum plans to support teachers in what they should teach and when. Pupils do not then make the progress that they could in every subject. Leaders should ensure that all subjects have curriculum plans which set out what should be taught and when in all year groups. These plans should show clear progression from one year group to another.  Leaders have not mapped out the sequence of knowledge and skills that they expect pupils to progress through in early writing. Too many children in early years do not have the basic skills of pencil grip and letter formation taught to them. They do not form letters correctly and this is not picked up by teachers. These issues then persist into key stage 1. Leaders need to plan out the building blocks of what pupils should be taught and when in early writing. Leaders should support teachers in how to implement

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

these plans and how to address misconceptions when they arise.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that a good school could now be better than good, or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School, to be good in January 2013. 6 and 7 July 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school here .

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 6 and 7 July 2021

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School converted to become an academy in June 2017. When its predecessor school, also called Clifton With Rawcliffe Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  A new headteacher has been appointed since the last inspection. The chair of the local governing committee is also new.  Three pupils at the school also attend an alternative provider. This provider is part of a local academy.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, both deputy headteachers and the school business manager. They met with three members of the local governor committee, the chair of the board of trustees, the chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust and a member of the multi-academy trust’s central team. 6 and 7 July 2021

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 Inspectors checked the school’s central record, the school’s log of safeguarding incidents and the school’s safeguarding policy. They talked to leaders responsible for safeguarding and to staff and pupils about their experiences.  Inspectors did deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and physical education. They also looked at leaders’ plans in art and design, and design and technology.  Inspectors spoke to leaders for pupils with SEND, safeguarding, behaviour and personal development.  Inspectors considered the views of 108 parents, 244 pupils and 66 staff through the online surveys. They considered 96 written views of parents and spoke to nine parents in the school.

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Inspection team

Matthew Knox, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Zoe Carr Ofsted Inspector 6 and 7 July 2021

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regulates and inspects to 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, 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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