Clifton Green Primary School

Inspection Report Clifton Green Primary School

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121283 Unique Reference Number York LEA 280973 Inspection number 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 Inspection dates Mrs Anna Dawson CfBT Lead Inspector Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Kingsway North School address Primary Type of school Clifton Community School category York, Yorkshire YO30 6JA 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 01904 627270 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01904 655841 Fax number 341 Number on roll Mrs L Comer Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs S Audsley Headteacher 13 March 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 280973 15 November 2005 - 3 to 11 16 November 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average urban school on the outskirts of York. Most pupils come from relatively disadvantaged social backgrounds. Few pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds. A very small minority are learning English as an additional language. Some 33% of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities, which is above average. Overall, attainment on entry is low. This is the first inspection for this new school. The headteacher was appointed in 2001. The school has gained 'The Healthy Schools Award'; Artsmark Gold; the Investors in People Award and the Basic Skills Quality Mark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005

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Grade: 2

This is a good school with some outstanding features. It provides a good education for its pupils and gives good value for money. The inspectors agree with the school's self-evaluation. The headteacher supported by the deputy headteacher and a highly effective governing body, has outstanding vision for improvement and has raised standards and the quality of provision considerably since the school was formed in 2001. Teaching and learning are good. Provision for children in the nursery and Reception classes is good. Given their starting points children make good progress and most work just below the expectations for children of this age by the end of their Reception year. This good progress is continued throughout school and results in standards that are broadly average in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. However, in Key Stage 2, the development of pupils' writing skills is a weakness.

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Grade: 2

In information and communication technology (ICT), although pupils have learned the expected skills, they do not consistently apply them in all subjects. Pupils' personal development is good. The pupils enjoy school and take pride in their exceptionally good learning environment. The school takes good care of them all equally well. The school looks after vulnerable pupils extremely well. There is an interesting curriculum with outstandingly good opportunities for pupils to follow their interests. Based on the school's progress since it opened it has good capacity to improve.

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What the school should do to improve further

The school has already identified that it needs to: • improve pupils' skills in writing in Years 3 to 6 • provide more opportunities for pupils to apply their ICT skills in subjects.

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Grade: 2

From low attainment on entry, pupils make good and sometimes outstanding progress throughout the school and reach standards which are close to those nationally expected by the end of Year 6. The school shows an improving trend from 2001 because challenging targets are set and the pupils are successfully meeting them. Most children enter the nursery with poor skills. They get off to a flying start in the nursery. As a result of effective teaching, most attain the standards just below the expected standards for this age by the end of their Reception year. This good progress is continued and by the end of Key Stage 1, pupils attain broadly average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. Throughout Key Stage 2, given their relative starting points, the pupils' good progress is continued. The 2005 national tests show that standards are close to those expected nationally but better in mathematics and science than in

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Grade: 2

English where pupils' skills in writing are below average. This is in part due to insufficient opportunities for pupils to write in all subjects. However, it does reflect the good progress of these pupils who started in Key Stage 2 in 2001 with standards that were exceptionally low. Good attention is given to those with learning difficulties 2 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 and/or disabilities who make good progress towards their targets. Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds also achieve well and make similar progress to others. Those learning English as an additional language, quickly learn to speak English because of the good help they receive.

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Grade: 2

The personal development and well-being of pupils are good. Pupils feel safe and confident and enjoy school and talk enthusiastically about the opportunities on offer both during and after school. They are appreciative of their school, a typical comment is 'it is colourful and a good place to learn'. This is reflected in their improving attendance which matches the national average. The provision for pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils respect one another's feelings and cultures, which contributes well to the good relationships within the school. The pupils respond positively to the high expectations that the staff hold for good behaviour. Pupils gain a good awareness of community by, for example, their recycling project and by taking part in local events. They are proud to be members of the school council and their opinions are listened to, taken into account and acted upon. For

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Grade: 2

example, pupils have chosen colour schemes for classes and a water fountain when the school was refurbished. They have been involved in the setting up of an adventure play area. Healthy eating and a healthy lifestyle are encouraged and as a result, the school has gained the Healthy Schools Award. Pupils' basic skills and economic skills are developing well. For example, they make and sell items at the school fayres and enjoy supporting fundraising activities for charity.

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Grade: 2

The quality of teaching and learning is good. Strong relationships underpin a blend of encouragement and a good range of teaching methods. These sustain pupils' concentration and result in a good pace to their learning. Pupils enjoy their lessons and 'step up to the challenge' of new learning. Good systems for assessment dovetail into lesson planning and individual education plans well. Overall, planning is good although there is some inconsistency between subjects. The best planning is finely tuned to the precise needs of pupils. Those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because tasks meet their needs and teaching assistants give good support. Pupils learning English as an additional language learn to speak and understand English rapidly because of the effective help and additional tuition they receive. Teachers manage all pupils' behaviour well and lessons are conducted in a quiet

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Grade: 2

atmosphere conducive to developing speaking and listening. Teachers check carefully that pupils understand new words and build up confidence in using English. Occasionally, when teaching is satisfactory, too little direct teaching takes place in the middle of lessons and teaching assistants are not well enough deployed to help 3 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 pupils. Marking, can also be improved to consistently make clear to pupils the next step in learning.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is of good quality and generally matches the needs of all groups of pupils. Accommodation is outstanding and used very well to support the breadth and balance in the curriculum. The inviting library helps to engender a love of books and promote achievement in reading. Basic skills are planned well as recognised in the improving standards and in the achievement of the Basic Skills Quality Mark. A good start has been made in linking subjects to provide a cohesive curriculum although the use of ICT in other subjects is not fully planned. As a result pupils do not fully understand how ICT can be a tool to their everyday learning. Excellent after school activities, visits to the local community and visitors who come into school increases pupils' enjoyment and gives extra opportunities for success in drama, music and sports. The Artsmark Gold accreditation shows the school's commitment to promoting the

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Grade: 2

arts. Pupils' personal, social and health education is of good quality with emphasis placed on emotional health, well-being and citizenship.

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Grade: 2

The school takes good care of all its pupils. There are effective procedures to ensure pupils' health and safety. Procedures are good for child protection. The school has outstanding provision to ensure that pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable overcome social and emotional barriers to learning. Staff such as the learning mentors and home/school support worker work closely with these pupils, their carers, parents and outside agencies to ensure pupils are learning as well as they can. There are effective arrangements for transfer to the high school. The 'Healthy Minds Project' boosts pupils' social skills and emotional development. This helps, for example, to reduce the anxiety that some pupils feel when moving to the high school. Parents and carers are welcomed into school and are very well informed about school life. A good number benefit from the courses on offer to promote their involvement in their

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Grade: 2

children's education. Parents have confidence in the school and are appreciative of the help given to their children. One parent, for example, said 'everyone at this school works very hard to make this a school to be proud of'.

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. She leads the school with a very clear vision for improvement, encapsulated in a school statement 'that each day the children will know more, understand more and will be able to do more than they could the day before'. The staff have developed into a skilled and committed workforce working well together 4 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 towards the school priorities. The senior leadership team have been very successful in working with the teachers to raise standards in English, mathematics and science since the school was formed. The school's self-evaluation procedures are strong. Self-evaluation is accurate and shared between the staff, pupils, governors and parents. The development of ICT and the further improvement of pupils' writing skills are

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Grade: 2

already targeted for improvement. There is consistent and thorough monitoring of pupils' achievements. Performance data from national and standardised tests are used well to plan for further development. The continuing professional development for staff is well established and as a result the staff are willing to try new initiatives and enhance effectively their teaching skills. For example, in gaining awards such as the Investors in People Award. The governing body is outstanding. It is very knowledgeable and extremely supportive of the school. They are particularly astute in managing and evaluating the budget so that best value for money is obtained for the pupils. They fulfil their statutory duties exceptionally well. 5 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Clifton Green Primary School, 15 November 2005 to 16 November 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA NA Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for talking to us about your school. We have found that Clifton Green Primary School is a good school with some outstanding qualities. The best things are: - your headteacher and people in charge of the school are excellent - you have many clubs, visits and extra teaching to help you enjoy learning - you have lots of space in which to work and play and an excellent library - the school looks after you all well and is always ready to go that extra mile for each of you. We have asked your teachers to help you get better at writing and use computers more in your lessons.

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