Clarendon Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Clarendon Primary School Knapp Road, Ashford, Surrey TW15 2HZ

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Outcome

Clarendon Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Clarendon Primary School are keen to live up to the school’s motto about achieving their best. They are firmly committed to the school’s value of kindness and enjoy coming to school. This is reflected in their strong and improving attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe, and they learn how to resolve problems should they arise. They know that staff care about their welfare. Pupils appreciate having access to quiet spaces like the ‘sunshine room’, and they know that they will be listened to if they need to talk.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In class, pupils focus well. Staff set high expectations for pupils and support them to reach these. Pupils are considerate of one another on the playground. Older pupils help to organise playground games. This helps to ensure that the spaces and equipment are shared and enjoyed by all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about the activities and visits they can experience at school. These range from learning to play a musical instrument to participation in popular residential trips. Leaders pay particular attention to making sure that pupils who are disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit fully from what the school provides.

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

An effective approach to reading is at the heart of the curriculum. The school devotes substantial efforts to ensuring that pupils make a strong start with reading. When pupils need more time to practise their reading, staff ensure that they receive it. Weaker readers also benefit from extra help targeted at specific sounds. This supports pupils to be confident in learning new words. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Learning in each subject builds on the skills and knowledge that children develop from early years. For example, children in Nursery develop different types of brush strokes when painting. This supports them to create more complex artworks as they move up the school. Teachers know where pupils should be in their learning each year. They check pupils’ understanding and use this to refine what they teach next. This also enables the school to identify and support pupils with SEND effectively.

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Teachers provide clear explanations by, for instance, using examples and models to support pupils’ learning. In mathematics, this helps pupils to feel confident in exploring a range of solutions. In early years, staff guide children through structured activities such as pattern and number recognition. Teachers reinforce important vocabulary to strengthen pupils’ understanding. By revisiting crucial aspects from previous learning, teachers help pupils to recall it with increasing confidence.

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Teachers set tasks and activities that enable pupils to put their learning into practice. In some subjects, not all pupils consistently produce high-quality work. When this happens, pupils do not develop their knowledge in all aspects of the curriculum as fully as they could.

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Leaders are aware of gaps in attainment, especially among disadvantaged pupils. The school has actively addressed these and, overall, pupils achieve well. Likewise, pupils with SEND achieve strongly from their starting points. Pupils’ writing indicates that they are deploying their knowledge of English well. The school prepares them well for the next stage in learning.

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The school sets clear expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils have a clear understanding of rewards and sanctions, and they feel that the behaviour system is fair. In class, off-task behaviour is rare, and any low-level disruption is addressed swiftly. In early years, adults lead activities that are well structured and purposeful. Children rise to the demands of this and focus well. Outside of adult-led activities, routines and expectations are less securely embedded. This results in some children not fulfilling the learning that leaders intend. The school works effectively with families to address barriers to attendance. This has led to a sustained reduction in absence, particularly for vulnerable pupils.

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The school provides enriching opportunities for pupils’ wider development. These are accessible to all, through subsidised activities and clubs. Pupils’ social learning has been prioritised by leaders in recent years. They ensure that pupils learn how to resolve disputes and respect the views of others. Pupils have the chance to explore issues of right and wrong in a supportive environment. They learn about different faiths and backgrounds, capitalising on the diversity of the school community. Museum visits and cultural experiences are enjoyed by pupils and add to their learning experience.

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Staff feel that leaders are approachable and considerate of their well-being. Likewise, the school engages well with parents and families. For example, the school offers useful guidance about supporting learning at home. Governors fulfil their roles effectively. They are closely involved in overseeing how the school’s curriculum is developing. Provision for disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND is scrutinised carefully. This contributes to the positive experience these pupils, and all pupils, have in school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, there are times when pupils do not fulfil all the aspects of each task set by teachers. This results in some pupils not developing their knowledge of all aspects of the curriculum as fully as they could. Leaders should make sure that pupils complete tasks fully in order to build their knowledge and understanding as strongly as possible.  In early years, routines and expectations are not as securely embedded as they are elsewhere in the school. As a result, when children are not taking part in adult-led activities, they are not always learning as well as they could. Leaders should make sure that they strengthen the routines in early years so that children use their independent time as effectively as possible.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in March 2018.

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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. 7 and 8 November 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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Karen Handley and Matt Edwards (co- chairs) Headteacher William Neale

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with senior and middle leaders, including the headteacher. The inspector also spoke with a representative from Surrey local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: art and design, early reading, and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also discussed the curriculum and provision for pupils with SEND. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, governors, 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.

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Inspection team

Daniel Botting, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 7 and 8 November 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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