Claverley CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Claverley CofE Primary School Aston Lane, Claverley, Wolverhampton, West Midlands WV5 7DX

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Outcome

Claverley CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils embody the school’s motto of ‘Encourage one another and build each other up’. To pupils and staff, this is not just a phrase but something they demonstrate day in and day out. Pupils are kind, caring and have excellent manners. This shines through, both in the classroom and on the playground. At playtimes, all pupils are included. One typical pupil view was: ‘If anyone is by themselves, friends will always check on us. We are never alone.’ Pupils know and understand the school’s clear behaviour system, but they say sanctions are rarely used. Most pupils say they sometimes need a ‘little reminder and that is enough’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils. They rise to these and achieve well. Pupils are proud of the knowledge they acquire and confidently discuss their learning. For example, older pupils talk in detail about why the Anglo-Saxons invaded Britain and the impact this had on history, while younger children discuss the stories and rhymes that they love.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their confidence and resilience. They attend clubs and take on leadership roles such as school councillor. All pupils are given the opportunity to represent the school at some of the many sporting events across the year.

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

The school has ensured that an ambitious curriculum is in place for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn. Key knowledge is revisited, and links are made to other curriculum areas. This includes in early years, where children learn the important concepts to ensure they are prepared for their next steps. For example, in mathematics, children in Reception learn about ‘heavier’ and ‘lighter’, while pupils in Year 28 January 2025

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1 develop the concepts of ‘balanced’ and ‘equal’. Pupils develop a strong body of knowledge that prepares them well for future learning.

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The school knows pupils and families extremely well. Strong relationships are built as soon as children enter the early years. This helps staff to quickly identify the needs of pupils with SEND. Targeted support helps pupils with SEND to successfully learn alongside their peers.

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Reading is prioritised as soon as children enter the school. The school has a consistent approach to teaching phonics. Skilled staff deliver the phonics scheme with confidence. They quickly identify any pupils who may be at risk of falling behind their peers and ensure they are given support to catch up. This helps pupils to become confident and fluent readers. Older pupils enjoy reading. They talk fondly about the books their teachers read to them at the end of the day. These books also sensitively introduce pupils to a range of topical issues including war, refugees and differences in society.

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The school has put in place opportunities for pupils to apply their learning. Teachers check that pupils remember what they learn through well-considered end-of-unit tasks that allow pupils to apply their knowledge. Teachers have strong subject knowledge, and they encourage pupils to use subject-specific vocabulary accurately. However, in some lessons, teaching does not include sufficient checks on pupils’ understanding. Consequently, some pupils move on to new learning when they are not ready, while others are not moved on to new learning quickly enough. When this happens, pupils’ learning is less secure.

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Pupils are articulate and knowledgeable about the wider world. The school ensures pupils are taught about equality, diversity and inclusion through the curriculum and carefully planned opportunities, such as assemblies and visits. Pupils talk considerately about faiths and cultures and how these should be respected, for example taking your shoes off when visiting a Mosque. Pupils demonstrate these values in their school. These opportunities help pupils to be fully prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils enjoy attending school, and as a result, attendance is high. Levels of persistent absenteeism are low. In addition, the school has very few incidents of poor behaviour. Despite this, the school continues to carefully monitor patterns and trends of behaviour and attendance to ensure that any possible issues are dealt with quickly, before they escalate.

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Governors have a thorough understanding of their roles and responsibilities. They recognise the many strengths of the school but continue to strive for further improvement. Staff are proud to work at the school. They value the consideration leaders give to their workload and well-being. Parents and carers share this highly positive view of the school. 28 January 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers do not check pupils’ understanding well enough to ensure that the work matches what pupils can do. This means that sometimes the work is too easy, while for other pupils it is too hard. The school should ensure that staff check pupils’ understanding to ensure that pupils get work that is matched to their needs.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in July 2015.

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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. 28 January 2025

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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). 28 January 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  Before- and after-school provision is run by a private nursery that is located on the school grounds.  The school is in the Diocese of Hereford. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in January 2025.

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Information about this inspection

 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with senior staff in the school, the chair of the governing body and other governors. 28 January 2025

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 The lead inspector met a representative from the local authority and spoke to a member of the diocese.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils about their learning, listened to pupils reading and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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 the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school, in lessons and at playtime.  An inspector met with parents at the school gate. Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments, as well as the responses to the staff and pupil surveys

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Inspection team

Eve Morris, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Susan Ray Ofsted Inspector 28 January 2025

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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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