Clawton Academy

Inspection of Clawton Primary School Clawton, Holsworthy, Devon EX22 6QN

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 October 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Maryl Steyn. This school is part of Alumnis Multi- Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Neil Moir, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sian Kate Jenkins.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Clawton Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Clawton Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Since joining the trust, leaders have guided the school through a period of significant staffing and leadership changes. The school is now stabilised. Staff and the trust are determined for all pupils to be successful. The curriculum has undergone many changes to ensure that staff have high expectations of pupils. This work is making a difference to the quality of education pupils receive. However, it is early days. Pupils do not build their knowledge well enough across the curriculum. Some pupils do not quickly become accurate readers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from high-quality pastoral support. This helps pupils feel safe and welcome. Parents and carers value the care the school provides to their child. Equality is important to pupils. One pupil said, ‘Everyone treats others equally here.’ Staff have warm relationships with pupils to help them learn in a nurturing environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The support in place for pupils beyond the academic is a strength. The development of character is a high priority for the school. ‘Character virtues’ underpin the school’s offer. Pupils focus on different virtues throughout the year. For example, pupils develop an understanding of active citizenship by learning about the virtue ‘inspiring fundraiser’. Pupils use their fundraising activities to help others in school and beyond the school gates.

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

The school’s work to develop an ambitious curriculum is ongoing. In some subjects, the curriculum does not make clear how pupils can build on their prior learning. In these subjects, some staff do not have the expertise they need to present important knowledge clearly to pupils. Staff do not always help pupils to close gaps in their knowledge. This stalls progress through the curriculum for pupils. The school has prioritised training for staff in these subjects, which has resulted in some improvements to teaching.

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

For subjects that are further ahead on their journey, the school has identified with precision the knowledge it wants pupils to know and remember. As a result, teachers are clear about what to teach and when. This is helping pupils to build their knowledge more securely.

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

The checks on pupils’ understanding are not precise enough to enable staff to support future learning. Some pupils have unknown gaps in their knowledge or make repeated errors in their learning that go unaddressed. Consequently, pupils do not learn the curriculum well, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. The school has introduced a variety of teaching strategies to help pupils learn. For example, pupils revisit prior learning more regularly to help them remember important knowledge. This helps pupils to recall their learning more securely.

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

Some pupils, including those who have fallen behind, do not get the help they need to learn to read quickly enough. They do not benefit from reading books that match the sounds they know. This reduces their opportunities to practise and to become confident 15 and 16 October 2024

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and fluent readers. As a result, they find their learning across the curriculum more challenging. However, the school promotes an enjoyment of reading. Through carefully considered texts, the school exposes pupils to a breadth of genres and builds their understanding of diversity. Children begin to learn to read formally when they start in Reception. The school trains staff to strengthen the teaching of the phonics scheme and works with the local English hub to improve the teaching of reading. This helps some pupils to quickly grasp the basics of reading.

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Children in the early years get off to a strong start. The school designs learning activities that capture children’s interests and follow a precise curriculum. Children sustain high levels of concentration. They learn with confidence and show curiosity about the world around them. This starts in pre-school, where children enjoy exploring paintbrushes and colours while chatting with their friends. As a result, they are well prepared for their next steps.

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Pupils’ behaviour is calm and orderly. Most pupils show positive attitudes to their learning and want to do well. The school provides additional support when necessary, which helps pupils who might struggle to manage their behaviour. The school supports families to promote high attendance. As a result, attendance is above national figures.

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The school considers carefully how to develop pupils’ understanding of the wider world. For example, pupils visit Bristol to compare city living to their life in a Devon village. To be well prepared for life in modern Britain, the school teaches pupils about the importance of the fundamental British values. Pupils understand the need for the rule of law to keep everyone safe.

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Those responsible for governance have an accurate view of the school. They help to bring about improvements in the school’s provision for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils do not always read books matched to the sounds that they know. As a result, these pupils do not have as many opportunities to practise reading and to become confident and fluent readers quickly. The trust must ensure that pupils get the precise support they need, including the opportunity to read books matched to the sounds they know, in order to learn to read successfully.  In some subjects, strategies to check gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not used effectively. As a result, staff do not routinely identify gaps in pupils’ learning and are not consistently able to adapt their teaching to address those gaps. The trust needs to 15 and 16 October 2024

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ensure that gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified precisely so that staff can adapt subsequent learning to support pupils to know and remember more.  The school has not ensured that staff have the subject expertise they need to deliver the new curriculum effectively, including presenting important knowledge clearly to pupils. In the subjects where this is the case, pupils do not build their knowledge securely. The trust must continue to strengthen staff’s expertise so that pupils receive the advice and guidance they need to develop their understanding of the subjects they study.

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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’ 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). 15 and 16 October 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Clawton Primary School is part of Alumnis Multi-Academy Trust.  The headteacher was appointed in January 2023.  This is a smaller than average-sized primary school. Pupils are organised into three mixed-age classes. In addition, the pre-school accepts children from two years old.  The school provides a before-school club.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 15 and 16 October 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors spoke with school leaders, curriculum leaders, parents, governors and representatives from the trust.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector listened to pupils read to a trusted adult.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, the inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff. There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Esther Best, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Craig Hayes Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 October 2024

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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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