Clavering Primary School

Clavering Primary School

Address: Stortford Road, Clavering, Saffron Walden, Essex, CB11 4PE Unique reference number (URN): 114967

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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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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' attendance. They work hard to ensure that pupils attend school regularly. As a result of this work, there are notable improvements in attendance for all groups of pupils. Staff know pupils and their families well. They put careful support and nurture in place to overcome barriers to attendance to ensure that pupils attend school and are ready to learn. This care ensures that pupils who need additional support to come into school are able to do so.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have created a highly effective culture that ensures that pupils’ behaviour in school is commendable. Relationships are respectful and kind. There is a strong sense of belonging at this school. Pupils’ behaviour across the school is impressive. They live out the school ethos fully in their interactions with others. In lessons, pupils show a real sense of enthusiasm and love of learning. They want to do well and are resilient. Staff use carefully considered strategies to support those pupils who need extra help to manage their emotions. This helps to ensure that pupils meet staff's high expectations of behaviour consistently. Bullying is rare. When it does take place, leaders address it swiftly and effectively.

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Early years Strong standard

The provision in the early years is of a very high quality. Leaders have carefully designed a curriculum to ensure it meets children's needs well. They check what children know from the moment they start their transition into school. Leaders use this information to adapt the curriculum so that it meets children's needs precisely. Staff identify gaps in children's learning swiftly and implement support to close them quickly. This, alongside effective teaching approaches, ensures that children make rapid progress from their starting points. The school's work to promote children's communication and language development is a strength. Children progress quickly using a wide range of vocabulary.

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Early years Strong standard

Children engage well in a safe, purposeful learning environment. Children follow rules and routines with confidence and independence. This supports their development across all areas of learning. Staff know children very well and use effective high-quality interactions and modelling to extend language, thinking and independence. Reading is a priority. Staff use stories and rhymes skilfully to embed a love of reading. Children develop a suitable pencil grip. Many children form letters accurately. Staff work closely with families, making sure they know each child individually. As a result, children feel they belong and thrive. Children are very well prepared for Year 1.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The school's carefully considered personal development programme reflects the needs of the school community. This includes learning about local risks, for example water safety, as there is a local ford. Pupils know how to stay safe online and offline. They have a mature understanding of how to manage risk. This ensures that pupils can keep themselves safe.

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Expected standard

Pupils flourish as they build healthy relationships and make informed choices. They reflect thoughtfully on their own beliefs and experiences while respecting the views of others. The school's whole offer, including focused assemblies, deepens pupils' knowledge about fundamental British values, such as tolerance and respect. Leaders review and adapt the curriculum regularly so that learning remains relevant. Pupils can clearly explain how learning about physical and mental health helps them manage challenges positively.

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Expected standard

Leaders ensure that a wide range of opportunities extend learning beyond the classroom. Visits, clubs and wider experiences enrich the curriculum. These broaden pupils’ understanding of the world around them. Pupils praise the activities on offer that enable them to pursue their interests and learn new skills. These include cricket, learning a musical instrument and art. Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are actively encouraged to take part. Pupils value opportunities to contribute to wider school life through leadership roles, such as head boy or girl and sports ambassadors. They are keen to show responsibility through their roles and do so in a mature manner.

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Expected standard

The school's pastoral provision is a notable feature. Staff know pupils extremely well. There are positive relationships with pupils and their families. Pupils know that adults listen to them and provide support when needed. Learning mentors support pupils who may be experiencing difficulties. Staff's support results in pupils overcoming anxiety and friendship issues.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, pupils achieve well. They typically achieve as well as, or better than, pupils nationally in end of key stage tests and assessments. Pupils' achievement in phonics is particularly noteworthy. Their performance in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above national figures. Disadvantaged pupils and those with barriers to learning usually achieve well. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities generally make good progress from their starting points. Overall, pupils are well prepared for their next steps in education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils learn key knowledge in reading, mathematics and writing well. On occasion, pupils' misconceptions in these key areas are not addressed as swiftly as they could be.

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Achievement Expected standard

Pupils generally recall the curriculum well. In personal, social and health education, they develop a depth of understanding. However, in a few subjects, other than English and mathematics, pupils' knowledge is not as detailed as leaders intend.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that there is a broad, balanced and well-sequenced curriculum for pupils to learn throughout the school. This helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills well. Leaders focus on developing high-quality teaching. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. Teaching is generally effective and informed by teachers’ knowledge of pupils’ needs. Leaders have worked hard to ensure that teachers make adaptations for pupils where needed to ensure they can access the curriculum well. However, in a few cases, these adaptations are not precise enough to ensure all pupils can access learning as well as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Early reading and phonics are taught well. Staff have a clear understanding of the scheme used to ensure pupils make a positive start to learning to read. Overall, mathematics and writing skills are developed well. Staff promote and implement the development of communication and language effectively. This is a strength. Pupils articulate themselves well with a wide range of vocabulary from an early age.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders know pupils well. As a result, staff identify barriers to learning swiftly. The school quickly identifies the support that pupils need to thrive socially, emotionally and academically. This means that, typically, pupils' needs are met effectively, and they make appropriate progress. Some pupils join during the school year. When this happens, leaders check whether they need extra support. This means that these pupils access help quickly. Leaders design support plans precisely. Leaders ensure that, generally, staff have the expertise needed to adapt the curriculum in line with pupils' needs and to help them to meet their targets.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders implement support appropriately. They measure the impact of this effectively. This means support is responsive and changes according to pupils’ emerging and evolving needs. As a result, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and vulnerable pupils typically achieve well.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Disadvantaged pupils are included in all that is on offer at the school through the effective use of additional funding. Leaders use additional funding well to improve attendance and ensure that pupils have access to wider opportunities. Pupils, regardless of their different needs, are welcomed and included at the school. This helps them to achieve well and supports their wider development.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders are ambitious for the school. They have high expectations, and staff and pupils rise to these. Leaders have a secure understanding of the school's context and make adaptations where needed to ensure that pupils can progress appropriately. They foster a sense of community. Leaders know pupils and families well and build positive relationships from the start. This enables pupils to thrive. Leaders have established a culture where pupils feel safe and benefit from positive daily routines. Leaders are strategic in their thinking. They identify the right priorities for school improvement, and these have impact, for example by taking appropriate actions to raise attendance and improve writing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors know the context of the school well. They assure themselves that leaders’ understanding of the school is accurate. Governors provide challenge and support. They visit the school, talk to pupils and assure themselves that leaders' actions are having the impact intended. Governors fulfil their statutory duties with commitment. Staff are unanimous in their praise for school leaders. Leaders are considerate of staff's wellbeing and workload. Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the school's professional learning programme, which supports them to develop their skills and expertise so that they can do their jobs well. Staff value the opportunities that they have to advance their careers. Early career teachers speak highly of the support they have received to develop their expertise and improve their teaching.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders have developed positive relationships with families and the community. As a result, most families feel involved in their child's education. This positive engagement supports pupils’ learning, wellbeing and success. Many parents and carers are very positive about the school. They recognise that staff really get to know their children well, enabling them to pursue interests and learn well.

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

Pupils love coming to school. They arrive enthused and keen to learn. Pupils are proud to be part of this warm community. They value the trusting relationships with adults, which help them to feel safe and ready to learn. Pupils know that staff care for them. Children in early years benefit from clear routines. These help children settle quickly into the school day. Pupils quickly get the support they need to help them learn. Pupils attend and achieve well. They feel a sense of belonging to the school. They feel safe and confident to be their true selves.

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

Pupils behave extremely well. Bullying is rare. Pupils trust that staff will deal with any issues that occur quickly and effectively. They listen attentively and do what staff ask of them. Pupils rarely need reminders, as expectations of behaviour are high. They learn in a positive culture, where learning is valued by all. Pupils play together well, respect each other and include everyone. They know it is ‘cool to care’, and interactions between them demonstrate this. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities of looking after each other, for example, having ‘Friends in 5’ and buddies in the early years. This helps everyone to feel part of the school.

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

Pupils enjoy a wide range of opportunities outside of the curriculum. They are enthusiastic about the residential visits, trips and clubs that the school offers. They engage positively with many activities, such as sports and music. This helps pupils to pursue and explore their interests. There are opportunities for pupils to have leadership roles in school, for example as sports ambassadors. This helps pupils develop confidence. At the end of key stage 2, pupils achieve well. They leave school well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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Next steps

Leaders should continue to embed approaches to ensure that pupils' misconceptions are addressed quickly so that all pupils can make progress rapidly. Leaders should continue their work to develop staff's expertise in adapting learning to ensure that all pupils consistently achieve as well as they can across the curriculum.

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Team inspectors:

Luke Wildig, Ofsted Inspector Vicki Webber, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 9 September 2026

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Ray Gooding.

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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 (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, other staff, governors and pupils during the inspection. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also spoke with parents and carers at the start of the school day.

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About this inspection

Inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The school provides wraparound care for pupils from the age of 3 to those in Year 6.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: Rosalind Allsop 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 6 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 needs support 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

2023/24 (final) 67% 61% 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

2023/24 (final) 78% 74% 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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Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

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average

2023/24 (final) 67% 73% Close to average

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average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

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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

2022/23 (final) 67% 59% Close to average

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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

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 .

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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