Cleeve Prior CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cleeve Prior CofE (Controlled) Primary School Main Street, Cleeve Prior, Evesham, Worcestershire WR11 8LG

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this initial (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a full inspection were carried out now. The next inspection will therefore be a full (section 5) inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff, pupils and families work together well at Cleeve Prior CofE (Controlled) Primary School. Staff provide a warm welcome to pupils at the start of the school day, greeting them all by name. There is a strong caring ethos which makes pupils feel safe. Pupils have a sense of belonging. They trust the adults who support them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play and work together happily. They have large friendship groups that include boys and girls of different ages. Older pupils look after younger ones and are positive role models for them to follow. Pupils say that bullying is not a problem. They are confident that adults would sort matters out quickly if bullying ever happens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning a broad range of topics. Teachers plan lessons for mixed-age classes where all pupils learn about the same theme. Pupils remember lots of information about the subjects that they study. However, the curriculum is not yet sufficiently planned to ensure that all pupils gain the knowledge and skills that they need in each subject.

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

The school has been through a period of considerable change. Staff changes, along with the pandemic, have disrupted school improvement work. Leaders have only recently begun to place enough emphasis on developing the school’s curriculum. The new leadership team, along with governors, are aware that the school’s curriculum offer needs to be improved. They are making this work their primary focus but there is still much more to do.

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

In some subjects, such as mathematics, the curriculum sets out clearly the information that pupils need to learn each year. Teachers’ plan lessons that revisit key concepts that pupils already know. This helps pupils to build secure subject knowledge. However, 16 November 2021

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curriculum plans in many other subjects are not specific enough. In these subjects, curriculum leaders have not set out how subject content builds on what pupils have learned previously. Plans are not always clear about the exact knowledge and vocabulary that pupils are expected to remember each year. This makes it difficult for staff to check that pupils remember the things they need to and limits pupils in reaching their full potential.

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Leaders have recently introduced a new approach for teaching pupils to read. Pupils who are still learning to read have a daily phonics lesson. These lessons are arranged in small groups. Staff teach content that is well matched to pupils’ reading ability. Teachers know how to teach phonics well. They provide clear explanations and select appropriate activities to help pupils learn. This is helping pupils to become better readers. However, some pupils are still behind where leaders expect them to be. Leaders acknowledge this and continue to make reading a priority in their action plans.

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Adults work together well to identify pupils who need extra help in accessing the curriculum. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported by staff who care about them. Parents of these pupils appreciate this care and say that their children do well at school. However, staff do not always have the expertise necessary to provide effective support for pupils with more complex needs. Sometimes, their choice of strategies does not help pupils to do well with their learning.

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Leaders have acted quickly to introduce new procedures for managing behaviour. They introduced these procedures following a sharp rise in pupil suspensions last year. These procedures now emphasise positive behaviours and reward pupils for doing the right thing. As a result, behaviour has improved, and suspensions are declining. The school is calm. Pupils treat each other with respect. Younger children in the early years learn how to share their things and take turns. However, when the curriculum is not well matched to pupils’ abilities, some pupils lose concentration. This distracts them and others from learning.

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Pupils benefit from a range of wider opportunities that build their character and prepare them for the future. For instance, some pupils work as leaders in the ‘worship crew’. These pupils take the lead in assemblies and help to promote the school’s spiritual ethos.

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Leaders, including those responsible for governance, work hard to promote the well-being of staff. They consider the challenges that teachers face and endeavour to provide them with time to complete additional leadership tasks. As a result, staff are happy in their roles and want to help leaders to further improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that the school’s procedures reflect the very latest guidance on how to keep children safe. The necessary policies are in place. Staff have received appropriate training and know that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. Adults are alert to signs 16 November 2021

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that a pupil might need help and report any concerns promptly. Leaders work well with external agencies to support families when needed.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe through the curriculum and school assemblies. For example, they are shown how to keep themselves safe when working online as part of the computing curriculum.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum plans in some subjects are not sufficiently specific. They do not set out the important information that pupils are expected to know and remember each year. This limits pupils in reaching their potential. Leaders should ensure that curriculum plans set out clearly the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils are expected to know and remember.  Some pupils are distracted from their learning when the work set is not well matched to their abilities. This limits pupils from learning. Leaders should ensure that work is well matched to pupils’ abilities, so they focus fully in lessons.  Pupils with SEND do not always receive effective support in lessons. This means that some of these pupils don’t learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that staff who support pupils with SEND have the expertise needed to support pupils with the most complex needs well.

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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, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as 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 on 9 and 10 March 2011.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection. 16 November 2021

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

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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.

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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. 16 November 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10199806 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Jonathan Marshall

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School details

Website https://cleevepriorprimaryschool.com/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a small Church of England voluntary controlled school with 28 pupils on roll.  The number of classes reduced from three to two in September 2021. All pupils are taught in mixed-age classes.  A new executive headteacher and new head of school started in September 2021. The head of school was appointed from within the school.  The school is within the Diocese of Worcester. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher and two teachers. One of these teachers is the head of school. 16 November 2021

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art.  For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector also looked at curriculum plans of some other subjects.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at lunchtime. They spoke to pupils about their opinions of behaviour at the school.  The inspectors looked at documents related to safeguarding procedures. This included reviewing records of pre-employment checks carried out on staff.  The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Melanie Callaghan-Lewis Ofsted Inspector 16 November 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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