Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of Clifford Road Primary School & Nursery Clifford Road, Ipswich, Suffolk IP4 1PJ

p.1

Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Requires improvement Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 26 and 27 November 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Older pupils are aware of the newly introduced school values of ‘be kind, be honest and be respectful’. Adults want the best for pupils and are kind and caring.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, pupils do not develop the detailed knowledge and skills that they need. They do not learn as well as they could. This is because teachers are not clear about what order to teach the curriculum in. Sometimes learning is not adapted carefully enough for some pupils.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed a new approach to learning in some subjects. Pupils can listen carefully and work hard in these subjects. However, some pupils do not demonstrate that they have positive attitudes towards their learning and do not behave well enough in lessons. Staff are beginning to expect more from pupils, but this is inconsistent.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy working together. Younger pupils sometimes find social times, such as playtimes, difficult. Pupils enjoy trips, including the Year 6 residential. They spoke enthusiastically about writing about being evacuated, following a visit to the on-site Clifford Road Tunnels, which is a heritage site under the school.

p.2

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

The school has had frequent changes in leadership recently and this has led to disruption to pupils’ learning. New leadership is now in place, and changes to mathematics and reading, although very new, are starting to show as green shoots of improvement. There is more to do to embed the positive changes already made.

p.2

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

The school has a curriculum in place from early years to Year 6, which sets out what pupils need to know and understand. However, in some subjects there is a lack of clarity about which order to teach things in and how to check learning. As a result, in some subjects, pupils do not build their skills and knowledge and link new learning to what they have learned before. Teachers do not always know how to check what pupils know and understand. This means they do not have accurate information to help them consider what they teach next, to ensure pupils deepen their learning. As a result, sometimes pupils have gaps in what they know and remember.

p.2

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

The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified, and the school has begun to put support in place. However, some pupils do not receive the carefully tailored support that they need. This means that some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they should.

p.2

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

Pupils enjoy access to a wide variety of books that help them to develop their reading. The phonics programme sets out what pupils need to learn, and the books that they read in school match the sounds they are learning. Some pupils in key stage 2 have gaps in their reading knowledge, but the scheme is helping them to fill these gaps. There are also 26 and 27 November 2024

p.2

3

recently introduced books, which are read daily to pupils across the school. This is helping pupils to develop a love of reading.

p.3

3

Staff in early years are warm and welcoming. They know the children well. Children are confident and happy. They enjoy being read a wide variety of books. Teachers design learning so that children develop key skills such as counting to 10, cutting and letter formation. However, children do not receive enough opportunities to consolidate and practise important skills, especially in writing.

p.3

3

Pupils benefit from a well-established personal, social and health education curriculum. They learn about different religions and enjoy visits from members of the local community to share festival food and dancing. Pupils’ understanding of fundamental British values, such as democracy, is underdeveloped. Pupils enjoy the range of clubs on offer, such as sports, choir and chess. They also have the opportunity to learn to play the violin, guitar, recorder and clarinet.

p.3

3

The school has recently introduced new behaviour expectations, but these are not embedded across the school. In some classes, staff do not set clear expectations for how pupils are expected to behave. At times, pupils do not listen carefully and behave well. On occasion, other pupils can find it hard to learn.

p.3

3

Overwhelmingly, staff enjoy working at the school and appreciate the support that new leaders have given them through recent changes and with workload.

p.3

3

Governors provide support and challenge. There are many aspects of the curriculum that are new or are being reviewed, but leaders are aware of what needs to be done to improve the quality of education and provision for pupils.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subjects lack precision in their curriculum content and sequencing, meaning that lessons are occasionally not delivered in an effective order to build pupils’ knowledge and skills systematically. As a result, pupils struggle to connect prior learning with new content. When delivering the curriculum content, staff are sometimes unsure about what to check and how to use their assessments to inform subsequent teaching. The school needs to ensure that precise curriculum guidance is put in place to ensure lessons are well sequenced, clearly understood by staff, and supported by effective assessment practices.  The current support for pupils with SEND lacks the precision and rigour needed to ensure meaningful progress. As a result, gaps in pupils’ foundational knowledge are not 26 and 27 November 2024

p.3

4

being addressed well enough. The school needs to ensure that there are robust systems in place to ensure that support is consistently meeting pupils’ needs and driving their achievement.  Leaders have introduced new behaviour expectations, but not all staff apply them as intended. Some pupils do not listen, complete work or engage productively during social times as well as they should. This inconsistency hinders their learning and social development. The school should ensure consistent reinforcement of these expectations to support positive behaviour, both in class and during social activities.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 26 and 27 November 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Chair of governing body Irene Wragg and Tim Fairbairn (co-chairs)

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 Following a period of turbulence within leadership, a new headteacher joined the school in September 2024.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school has a growing number of pupils who speak English as an additional language.

p.5

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.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision. 26 and 27 November 2024

p.5

6

 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.  The inspectors met with senior staff within the school, members of the governing body including the co-chairs, and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, geography, history and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors 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 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

p.6

6

the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the views of staff through Ofsted’s staff survey and of parents and carers through responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspector also gathered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.

p.6

Inspection team

Heather Hann, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Daniel Short His Majesty’s Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7