Clewer Green CofE First School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Clewer Green CofE First School Hatch Lane, Windsor, Berkshire SL4 3RL

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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Outcome

Clewer Green CofE First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive headteacher of this school is Howard Seymour. The school is part of Windsor Learning Partnership Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Gavin Henderson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by David Oliver.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this kind and nurturing school. They learn how to look after themselves and each other. Pupils celebrate differences and relish the opportunity to learn about different cultures and faiths. The school’s values, such as ‘courage’ are woven through school life. This means that pupils become habitually courageous in their approach to learning and wider life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly ambitious for pupils. Here, the rules and routines of the school have embedded a culture of learning. This means that pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They develop a thirst for knowledge and challenging work. Pupils behave well throughout the school, including during playtimes where they are ably supported by pupil leaders.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leadership roles such as ‘librarians’, ‘story tellers’ and ‘school councillors’ are prized positions of responsibility. These teach pupils a range of skills, from organising events, gathering others’ opinions and public speaking. The school knows individual pupils’ strengths and difficulties. This means that staff work sensitively and supportively with pupils to draw out their interests and talents, so that, by the time pupils leave the school, they have a strong sense of self and the confidence to face new challenges. 11 and 12 February 2025

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

The school has come through a period of significant change in leadership. During this time, the school has made substantial improvements to enable pupils to achieve as highly as possible. For example, there is now increased rigour in how staff teach phonics and how staff support pupils to become fluent in their times tables. This means that pupils learn to read rapidly and develop a love of reading more quickly. Pupils are also now increasingly able to apply their knowledge of times tables to harder mathematical problems.

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

Throughout the period of rapid improvements in the school, trust and school leaders have prioritised staff well-being and workload. Staff are confident in the direction of the school and the reasons behind the changes. They recognise the positive impact of their work on pupils’ achievement and development.

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

The school has relentlessly high aspirations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The curriculum is designed to ensure that pupils build deep knowledge, making use of links between subjects where appropriate. Literature is embedded thoughtfully throughout the curriculum. Pupils love reading the carefully chosen range of high-quality texts. They learn to read precisely, fluently and with enthusiasm. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. These pupils receive appropriate and effective support so that they can access the same learning as their peers and achieve well.

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

Staff have secure subject knowledge. They explain and model ideas well to pupils. In the early years, children benefit from the many opportunities to develop their knowledge of number, fine motor skills and creativity. Children concentrate well on activities and maturely share equipment between themselves. Lessons across the school revisit previous learning and important vocabulary that pupils need to know. Staff check what pupils know frequently. However, during whole class explanations and discussions, staff do not check what pupils understand as effectively as they could. This means that opportunities to identify pupils’ misconceptions are sometimes missed.

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

Pupils want to achieve highly, and they respect everybody’s right to learn. Pupils lead impressive whole-school assemblies to showcase their learning through experiments and performances. These instil curiosity and wonder in other pupils, promoting positive attitudes to learning across the school.

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

The school’s exceptional personal development provision provides pupils with a ‘toolkit’ of life-long skills and knowledge to prepare them for the outside world. The school has considered the challenges that many pupils face and developed this wider curriculum to teach them how to overcome these. Pupils have an impressive knowledge of mental health including the anatomy and function of the brain. They use this to manage difficult work and to think about, and adjust, their own behaviours or responses. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Pupils pride themselves on contributing to school life and the wider community. They enjoy opportunities to perform in school productions, sing as part of the choir at local attractions and visit the community care home to share stories with residents. Pupils are interested in the views of others and the world around them. This is enhanced through sessions such as ‘Wild Worship’ where pupils explore nature and engage in reflection. Thought-provoking experiences, such as these, ensure pupils are ready to make the most of whatever comes next after Clewer Green CofE First School.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes staff do not check what pupils know and understand as effectively as they could. This means that some pupils do not have as much opportunity to practise using and embedding new knowledge. Therefore, some pupils’ misunderstandings are missed more easily and not addressed as rapidly as they could be. The school should ensure that staff consistently and systematically check what pupils have understood when introducing new knowledge and when checking prior learning.

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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 to be 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 predecessor school, Clewer Green CofE First School, to be good for overall effectiveness in July 2015. 11 and 12 February 2025

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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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Clewer Green CofE First School is part of the Windsor Learning Partnership Trust.  Clewer Green CofE First School converted to become an academy school in April 2020. When its predecessor school, Clewer Green CofE First School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good for overall effectiveness.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The executive headteacher took up their post in September 2024. They were also interim headteacher from October 2023.

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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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has 11 and 12 February 2025

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taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the executive headteacher, head of school and other senior staff.  The inspector met with the CEO and other trust officers as well as the chair and members of the local governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with pupils and observed them at social times.  The inspector met with groups of staff, including support staff.  The inspector took account of the views expressed by parents and carers through Ofsted Parent View, as well as staff views through the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Alexandra Aldridge-Gibbons, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 11 and 12 February 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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