Clutton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Clutton Primary School Station Road, Clutton, Bristol, Somerset BS39 5RA

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 2023

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Outcome

Clutton Primary School continues to be a good school.

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Outcome

The head of school is Lucy Cowgill. There is also an executive headteacher, Dan Turull, who is responsible for this school and two others. This school is part of The Midsomer Norton Schools Partnership, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Alun Williams, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tony Wells.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to Clutton Primary School. They describe the school as a ‘family’ where everyone is kind and welcoming. Pupils understand how the school values help them to learn from their mistakes, give their best and be understanding of others. Parents talk positively about the role the school plays in the local community and the care and attention that staff show to pupils.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Staff reward good behaviour and manners. Pupils are polite and courteous. They show high levels of respect to adults and to one another. In the early years, children are eager to learn and settle to new routines well. There is a calm and purposeful environment in classrooms and around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Pupils talk about how their ‘talk to’ boxes enable them to share any worries or concerns they may have with a trusted adult.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs such as netball, cross country, sewing and book club. They value becoming house captains, eco councillors and members of the school council. They say these roles help them to set a positive example to others.

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

The school is ambitious for what all pupils can achieve. It has responded well to address the areas identified as needing improvement at the previous inspection. An ambitious 18 and 19 October 2023

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curriculum has been designed that considers what pupils need to know and when they need to know it.

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The school prioritises reading. Pupils enjoy listening to stories and talk about them enthusiastically. For example, they know how the books they read, such as ‘Holes’, help them to understand the consequences of their actions.

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The school ensures that staff implement the phonics programme effectively. Children in the early years learn and remember new sounds well. Books that pupils read match the sounds they know, which helps them to gain confidence and fluency. Staff routinely check if pupils are keeping up with the reading programme. If pupils fall behind, they receive the support they need to help them to catch up quickly. Pupils read with increasing confidence and fluency as they move through the school.

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In mathematics, teachers provide clear explanations. They model mathematical vocabulary well. This means, for example, that children in the early years can describe patterns in numbers confidently. As pupils move through the school, teachers ensure that pupils practise important mathematical concepts. Pupils become confident and build their understanding well because of this. For example, older pupils use their knowledge of multiplication well to solve more complex problems involving division.

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In some wider curriculum subjects, pupils’ knowledge is less secure. For example, in religious education (RE), some pupils can recall what they have learned about sacred texts and talk about the links between them. However, others struggle. This is because the checks on what pupils know, before moving on to new learning, are not always effective. This slows the progress that some pupils make.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the right help. Staff know the pupils well. Individual pupil plans are precise and regularly reviewed. The school works closely with parents and external agencies to meet pupils’ individual needs. As a result, most pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils are positive about their learning. They understand the school rules and behave well in lessons. Pupils of all ages play well together during social times. They move around the school calmly and sensibly. Children in the early years take turns and follow instructions well.

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The school has high expectations for pupil attendance. The procedures for managing and improving attendance are effective. The school tracks attendance closely. It intervenes early to stop pupils having too much time off.

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The provision for personal development is a strength. Pupils know why fundamental British values, such as the rule of law and individual liberty, are important in day-to-day life. They talk confidently about protected characteristics and why it is important to treat everyone equally and with respect. Pupils develop their sense of character by raising money for charities. This enables them to help others. 18 and 19 October 2023

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Trustees and local governors are ambitious for the school. They ask challenging questions to help the school improve. Staff value the training and collaboration with colleagues from other trust schools.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding in some areas of the curriculum are not fully effective. As a result, some pupils struggle to recall previous learning and do not build their knowledge well over time. The trust needs to ensure that the school uses assessment effectively so that pupils learn and remember the curriculum successfully in all subjects.

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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 predecessor school, Clutton Primary School, to be good in January 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. 18 and 19 October 2023

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In the report, ‘ disadvantaged pupils ’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 18 and 19 October 2023

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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CEO of trust

Alun Williams Headteacher Dan Turull (executive headteacher) Lucy Cowgill (head of school) Website www.cluttonschool.com

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CEO of trust

Date of previous inspection 1 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive headteacher and head of school have been in post since September 2021.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  The inspector discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school, subject leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, staff, pupils, representatives from the local governing body and the trust. The inspector also held a telephone conversation with a trustee from the trust. 18 and 19 October 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics and RE. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of pupils’ work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  The inspector spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspector spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.

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 The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. He also took into consideration the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Ben Jordan, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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