John Clare Primary School

John Clare Primary School

Address: West Street, Helpston, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, PE6 7DX Unique reference number (URN): 145270

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Achievement Strong standard

All pupils achieve extremely well. Over time, pupils have left the school at the end of Year 6 having secured the knowledge they need to set them up for secondary school. Pupils learn and develop to an equally impressive standard. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities consistently learn well. The youngest pupils master the important building blocks of reading, writing and mathematical knowledge. This prepares them for later learning as they move through the school. This means, for example, older pupils complete complex mathematical problems with ease, because they have a wealth of prior knowledge at their fingertips to draw upon.

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Achievement Strong standard

This depth of knowledge extends into other subjects. Pupils learn rich and detailed knowledge across the curriculum. Pupils develop a wide and ambitious vocabulary. They use this to describe geographical features correctly, talk about periods in history fluently, and accurately compare pieces of music.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils' attendance levels are very high. Leaders closely monitor pupils’ attendance. If they spot that a pupil is starting to miss too much school, they act swiftly. Working with pupils and their families, they improve pupils' attendance quickly. This is particularly the case with some pupils who have individual barriers to attending school as regularly as they should. Leaders use their detailed knowledge of pupils to put in place strategies that help pupils to overcome any issues and attend well. This fine work positively impacts the small proportion of pupils who need it, considerably improving their attendance.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils' behaviour is similarly impressive. A culture of respect is established throughout the school. Pupils pay close attention in class and consistently display highly positive attitudes towards their learning. This creates an environment where all pupils learn. Pupils’ have integrity and do the ‘right thing’. Their high levels of self-control and independence means that they look after their whole school. They proudly keep their classrooms tidy and are orderly in corridors. Bullying is almost unheard of and unkindness is never ignored. On the rare occasions that bullying occurs, staff help pupils to resolve issues if they arise.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Leaders have designed an ambitious and coherent curriculum. Their curriculum thinking is astute and their decisions are evidence-based. Recent changes have led to an ever- strengthening curriculum. Teachers teach this curriculum consistently very well.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers have deep and rich subject knowledge. They draw upon this to explain concepts and new ideas with real clarity to pupils. Teachers check with precision how well pupils understand what has been taught. Where they identify misconceptions, teachers correct these swiftly.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive highly tailored support and guidance. Teachers make skilful adaptions to their teaching and resources, to help pupils learn well and meet their needs. Staff teach phonics expertly. They apply their highly effective knowledge of how pupils learn to read and make close checks to see if any pupil is finding learning to read tricky. If this is the case, skilled staff provide the right teaching to help pupils catch up if they need to.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

A shared and consistent approach to teaching across the school has led to consistently high-quality practice. Leaders continue to work with teachers to continually refine individual aspects of teaching, as they seek to bring about ever improving standards in classroom practice.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff skilfully guide children in the Reception Year to quickly find their feet when they start school. Children develop warm and trusting relationships with staff. This helps them to feel safe and ready to explore. As a result of the high-quality provision, children soon become independent, resilient and curious. They learn very well in their first year of school. This is because staff rightly prioritise the important skills in reading, writing and number that children need to learn. This learning, mixed with a broad curriculum across all areas of learning, prepare children fully for Year 1.

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Early years Strong standard

Staff interactions with pupils are of a high quality. As a result, all children are able to access the learning environment around them. This includes disadvantaged children and children that staff quickly identify as having special educational needs and/or disabilities. Staff use their knowledge of how the youngest children learn and develop to ask children the right questions at the right time, to maximise learning. They model the language that they expect children to use. For example, children produce impressive writing about Larry the pig, who they met on a recent farm visit. This is because children learn and practise the key vocabulary that they need to write well.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school has a highly effective inclusion strategy. This starts with every pupil receiving high quality teaching as the norm. This is evident across classrooms. Leaders’ strategies and deliberate actions lead to pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receiving high-quality, individualised support and guidance. As a result, leaders adapt and refine provision skilfully as needed. Pupils benefit from this support as their barriers to learning are consistently removed. Similarly, pupils experiencing disadvantage learn and develop very well. Again, this is due to the sharp focus placed on them by leaders. Leaders use the additional funding that they receive to maximise the progress of disadvantaged pupils.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Staff work in close partnership with parents, carers, and external specialists. This ensures that pupils receive the right support at the right time. As pupils’ needs change and develop, their provision changes and adapts. This is because leaders keep a sharp eye on how well pupils with specific barriers are learning. Strategies are skilfully adjusted to make a sustained difference to the lives and experiences of pupils. For example, the individualised plans for pupils with SEND are reviewed regularly to make sure that the additional support for these pupils meets their current needs.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a deep and accurate understanding of the school. They know exactly what is working well and what can be made even better for pupils. They have high expectations of all pupils and provide a curriculum, teaching and experiences which enrich the lives of all pupils. Pupils are at the centre of any decision that leaders make. This means that pupils' best interests always come first. Trust leaders work in close collaboration with school leaders. They provide further knowledge and experience to the school, supporting and further strengthening key aspects of the school, such as teaching.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Trustees and members of the local governing board work together and closely monitor the school. They work strategically, and use the useful information provided by school and trust leaders to understand what is going on. They have created a kind and supportive working relationship with school leaders. Those responsible for governance ask difficult and challenging questions of leaders to ensure that pupils continue to get the best possible deal.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff are very proud to work here. Leaders look after staff wellbeing and take sensible steps to manage their workload. Staff receive regular and relevant high-quality professional learning opportunities that keeps their practice sharp. Leaders support staff to continually strive to improve.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The school sits at the heart of the local community. Leaders and staff build and maintain very positive relationships with parents and carers. This leads to close working, which means that parents are comfortable to have open and honest conversations about their children with staff, should the need arise.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders have shaped their personal development programme to meet the needs of their own pupils. Wider opportunities are plentiful. Leaders shape these to provide experiences that pupils may not otherwise encounter. These opportunities help pupils to build their understanding of people from different cultures and backgrounds to themselves. Pupils develop an appreciation of the arts through regular visits to, and participation in, theatre productions. Many pupils took great pride in their winning performance at the Oundle Music Festival. They also take part in the annual John Clare poetry competition, run in the local village.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a well-established personal, social, health education (PSHE) provision. Pupils’ learning across the PSHE curriculum positively impacts their approach to and view of the world. Older pupils speak openly about subjects such as growing up, safe use of mobile phones and global current affairs. This is because they develop the detailed knowledge they need to do this. This includes an understanding of tolerance, respect and democracy. All this is supported by the safe environment that staff create for pupils to discuss these issues maturely.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Older pupils delight in their responsibilities for others. As lunchtime ‘buddies’, sports ambassadors and members of the school council, they recognise the difference these roles make to the lives of others. Pupils are always available to help one another. For example, they offer a guiding hand to friends during roller disco club and make sure younger pupils arrive on time to the weekly Monday meet-up sessions. Whatever the time or place, pupils consistently act with kindness, independence and resilience.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Staff know pupils as individuals and know if a pupil is not themselves. Where pupils need additional support to help manage their emotions or feelings, staff provide this.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils achieve remarkably well here. By the time they leave at the end of Year 6, they are ready for the next stage of their life. They leave as well-rounded, kind and considerate young people, ready to make positive contributions to their community. Leaders’ ambition to guide each pupil to become a ‘good human’ is fully realised.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable. From youngest to oldest, they work in classrooms that are highly conducive to learning. Staff expect pupils to live up to their high expectations and pupils do just that. The school is not only filled with hard work and concentration, but fun, smiles and laughter. Pupils delight in the company of their friends, with kindness characterising these relationships. The oldest pupils keep a keen eye on their younger ‘buddies’, helping them to navigate the ways of the school as they begin their first steps in education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Staff know the needs of each pupil in great depth. This means that pupils who have particular barriers to their learning, such as pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities or pupils experiencing disadvantage are superbly well supported. As a result, pupils' barriers to learning are quickly and effectively broken down.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are safe in school, and they feel safe to share their views and opinions. They do this with confidence and consideration for others. This includes speaking out on the very rare occasions when pupils may have minor disagreements. These situations are swiftly resolved with the help of staff.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Opportunities to see and experience the wider world are rich and plentiful. Whether cooking on a campfire or building a small business enterprise, these opportunities prepare pupils for the realities of the world around them.

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Next steps

Leaders and those responsible for governance should continue to strengthen their already high-quality curriculum and teaching so that ever more pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged or have special educational needs and/or disabilities, achieve highly across subjects as they move through the school.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

This school is part of Soke Education Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Cathy Carlisle, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Laura Holland.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMI) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, a range other school staff, the chief executive officer of the trust and a group of trustees and members of the local governing board, during the inspection.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Sarah Nicolson The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

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average

2022/23 (final) 63% 60% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 73% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

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average

2022/23 (final) 70% 71% Close to average

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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