Claverdon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Claverdon Primary School Breach Lane, Claverdon, Warwick, Warwickshire CV35 8QA

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Outcome

Claverdon Primary School continues to be a good school. There is enough evidence of improved performance to suggest that the school could be judged outstanding if we were to carry out a graded (section 5) inspection now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school. They love learning and spending time together. Pupils respond well to the high expectations that staff have of them. Leaders ensure that the ‘4R’ values, where everyone is respectful, responsible, resilient and recognises success, are threaded through every aspect of school life. Pupils thrive academically and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have designed an ambitious curriculum that ensures all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), can gain and build knowledge in a broad range of subjects. Pupils are very interested in finding out about life outside of their village. They are keen to become ‘global citizens’ who can make a positive difference in the world. Pupils relish the opportunity to raise money for charities in the community and beyond, including a local foodbank and Water Aid.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can attend a variety of clubs, including sports, yoga and chess. Many pupils are also keen to learn to play an instrument, join the choir and take part in performances.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They have excellent attitudes to learning and take great care with their work. Pupils treat each other and adults with respect. Pupils feel safe and well cared for. They say that bullying is rare.

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

Leaders are determined that all pupils will achieve as well as they can in all subjects. Pupils experience a curriculum that they find very interesting. It is ambitious and carefully sequenced so that pupils can build on their existing knowledge. Leaders have set out the important knowledge that all pupils must acquire in each subject. They make sure that there are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit learning. This helps pupils to remember 27 and 28 June 2023

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more and deepen their understanding of what they have learned. Teachers check how well pupils are getting on with their learning by using questions, talking about work in books together and using mini quizzes. Pupils achieve well in subjects, including English and mathematics. Teachers ensure that pupils who are risk of falling behind in reading, writing or mathematics are supported to catch up with their peers.

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Children get off to a great start in the early years. Relationships between adults and children are positive. Adults know individual children well and have high expectations for what they can do. Children enjoy learning in the well-organised environment. They are very well prepared for Year 1.

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Staff benefit from high-quality training. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, which they use to explain new learning and to bring topics alive for pupils. Their enthusiasm rubs off on pupils. For example, in history, Year 6 pupils speak passionately about how the actions of the suffragettes changed the lives of women in the United Kingdom. They also understand that there are places in the world where women do not have the same freedoms. Leaders have set out the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils must learn in each year group and topic. Pupils make excellent use of this vocabulary in their writing, for example in science when reporting on the outcomes of investigations.

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Staff and pupils share an enthusiasm for reading. There are many planned opportunities for pupils to read, including a weekly visit to the well-stocked school library. Children learn to read as soon as they start in Reception class. They practise reading with books that are matched to the sounds they know. This helps them to read accurately and fluently.

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Teachers make the right adaptations to activities to ensure that pupils with SEND access learning alongside their peers. Individual plans are reviewed regularly to make sure that these pupils are getting the support they need to do as well as they can.

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Leaders are passionate about pupils’ personal development. Pupils gain an understanding of diversity and are extremely respectful of the differences that people may have. Pupils have a strong voice at the school. They are proud of the leadership responsibilities they have that allow them to make some decisions about what happens in school, for example as technology, environment or well-being ambassadors.

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Pupils learn about the importance of physical and mental health. They enjoy taking part in the daily ‘action for happiness’ that aims to put a smile on everyone’s face. Pupils are kind and care about others. They look forward to taking a turn as a buddy for new Reception class children.

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Governors have a broad range of knowledge and skills. They use these to provide effective challenge and support for leaders. Staff say that leaders do all they can to make the workload manageable. They appreciate the training they receive and they enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 27 and 28 June 2023

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There is a strong culture of safeguarding at the school. Leaders ensure that staff are well trained to identify any signs that pupils’ safety or well-being is at risk. Staff know how to report concerns, and they say that leaders respond quickly. Leaders ensure that the right checks are carried out on staff before they can start work at the school.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe as soon as they start in Reception. This includes learning about staying safe online, when they are out and about, and knowing what a safe relationship feels like. Pupils have trusted adults who they can talk to if they have any worries.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2014.

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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.

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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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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. 27 and 28 June 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Steven Timberlake

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School details

Website https://www.claverdonschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 February 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher and the chair of governors have taken up their posts since the previous inspection.  Leaders do not use any alternative provision.  There is a before- and after-school club on site. This is run by a registered provider.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other members of staff. The inspector also met with six members of the governing body and with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. The inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and pupils, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 27 and 28 June 2023

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 The inspector reviewed pupils’ work in a further range of subjects.  The inspector observed the behaviour of pupils during lesson visits, around the school and outside on the playground and field areas.  The inspector observed pupils in key stage 1 and key stage 2 read to a trusted adult.  To inspect safeguarding, the inspector scrutinised the single central record and the school’s log of safeguarding incidents. The inspector spoke to the designated safeguarding leads, staff, pupils and parents.  The inspector considered the responses, including written responses, to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire. The inspector also took account of the responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Jo Evans, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 27 and 28 June 2023

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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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