Clifton CofE Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Clifton CofE Primary School Cross Side, Clifton Village, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 2GJ

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Outcome

Clifton CofE Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

However, inspectors have some concerns that one or more areas may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and proud to attend their school. Pupils told inspectors that, ‘Staff and children respect you and your talents.’ Pupils say that they feel safe and that staff help them. Pupils learn how to stay safe in different circumstances, for example when online.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, leaders and staff have worked together to develop the curriculum and raise expectations, for example in mathematics. In physical education (PE), pupils benefit from a well-planned curriculum. This helps them to know more and remember more. However, the curriculum is not well planned in all subjects. There are limited class-based curriculum plans for English. As a result, it is not clear to teachers what pupils should learn from one year to the next.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. They respect and value each other’s differences. They say that bullying does not happen very often. If there are any issues, pupils know that staff will sort things out quickly. Pupils appreciate the school’s positive values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents comment positively about the school. They value the caring ethos and the support their children receive.

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

Leaders have ensured that in some subjects, such as PE and mathematics, curriculum plans are clearly mapped out. These curriculum plans set out the important knowledge and skills that pupils should gain, from early years to Year 6. Leaders have made sure that the PE curriculum is sequenced to enable pupils to revisit and build on their previous 9 July 2021

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learning. Pupils were seen to build on their previous knowledge as they used their hands to form ‘baskets’ to catch a ball. This built on their previous learning.

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Leaders have developed a mathematics curriculum that enables pupils to know more and remember more over time. They make sure that pupils revisit their learning, through well- sequenced lessons. Year 1 pupils were seen to use their knowledge of number bonds to calculate change from 20p. Year 2 pupils were building on their prior learning and were using their knowledge of place value to solve problems. Pupils clearly knew which digits were tens, and which digits were ones.

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Teachers make sure that children start learning to read as soon as they join Reception. Staff use phonics well to model sounds accurately for pupils. They have the knowledge they need to teach phonics. If pupils fall behind, teachers provide extra support. Pupils say that they enjoy reading. However, once pupils move beyond Year 1, some reading books are not well matched to pupils’ needs. As a result, some pupils struggle to apply their phonics knowledge and do not develop their reading fluently enough.

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Teachers use their subject knowledge to support pupils’ learning well when curriculum planning is strong. They ask questions to check on pupils’ learning and address pupils’ misconceptions. They adapt the curriculum to enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to access the learning.

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Leaders ensure that pupils learn a broad range of subjects. However, they have not made sure that all subjects are well designed. They have not set out the key knowledge and skills which pupils should learn over time in all subjects. As a result, some pupils’ learning is disjointed and does not build on prior learning well enough. For example, older pupils remember recent learning in history about the Second World War, but they struggled to remember previous learning about the ancient Egyptians. Teachers are not always clear about what they want pupils to learn. Some pupils confuse their learning in geography with learning in history.

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Senior leaders recognise the need to build the capacity of curriculum leaders. The leadership roles and responsibilities of subject leaders are being clarified. Leaders are developing the curriculum and its implementation. They are introducing ways to check the curriculum to make sure it sets out high expectations for all pupils as they progress from one year to the next.

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Leaders promote pupils’ personal development well. Pupils learn the importance of respect and tolerance. They learn about positive relationships and of different families, such as single parent and adoptive families. Pupils learn about different faiths, customs and beliefs. However, leaders have not ensured that pupils have a secure understanding of British values, such as democracy.

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Leaders and governors do not place enough emphasis on monitoring and supporting staff workload and well-being. Governors have not maintained a sharp enough oversight of this aspect of the school’s work. Governors fulfil their safeguarding responsibilities. 9 July 2021

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In discussion with the headteacher, inspectors agreed that curriculum planning and its implementation will serve as a focus for the next inspection.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have embedded a culture focused on pupils’ welfare and well-being. Staff are trained to understand their responsibilities and spot the signs of abuse or neglect. They know how to report their concerns. Leaders take appropriate action to safeguard pupils. Leaders work with external agencies to ensure that pupils receive appropriate support when needed. Leaders make sure that safeguarding records are thorough. They ensure that all pre-employment checks are completed before adults start working with pupils.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about risk and how to keep themselves safe in different situations. They learn about fire safety and how to keep themselves safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious and is not coherently planned in all subjects. This means that it does not set out the specific sequence of knowledge and skills that pupils should learn and when. Pupils therefore do not make sufficient progress in these subjects. Leaders must make sure that all subject curriculums are ambitious and well sequenced, clearly identifying key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn as they progress through the school.  Reading books for some Year 1 to Year 6 pupils are not consistently well matched to pupils’ reading skills. As a result, they struggle and do not progress well to read fluently. Leaders need to make sure that books are consistently matched to pupils’ reading skills.

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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 second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2011. 9 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. 9 July 2021

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.clifton.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 March 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school in the Diocese of Derby.  The new headteacher took up the role in November 2020.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, curriculum leaders and teachers.  Inspectors did deep dives in three subjects: reading, mathematics and PE. They met with curriculum leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work, listened to pupils read and met with teachers and pupils.  The lead inspector met with three governors, including the chair of the governing body. He also held a telephone discussion with a representative from the local authority. 9 July 2021

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 Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and 15 written comments from parents. They also considered the 38 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  Inspectors reviewed school documents relating to safeguarding, and other school documents, including information about the school’s curriculum.

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Inspection team

Damien Turrell, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirsty Norbury Her Majesty’s Inspector 9 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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