Clayton Village Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and inclusive school community.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Children make a good start to their education in the early years. Over key stages 1 and 2, pupils generally achieve well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Learning experiences are matched well to pupils' needs.

The school sets clear routines that support pupils' behaviour.

For example, pupils learn 'proud walking' so that they move quietly and safely around school. At social times, pupils usually play harmoniously. Staff supervise and manage any poor behaviour effectively.

Rel...ationships between staff and pupils are strong. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

The school provides a range of meaningful experiences to support pupils' social development.

For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 take part in social action projects. They learn communication skills and help groups in the local community, such as elderly residents in a care home. Pupils in Year 3 enjoy a range of shared experiences with pupils from two contrasting schools to learn about each other and become friends.

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

The school's curriculum has strengthened over time and sets out the knowledge that pupils will learn in all areas. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, it is not consistently clear what knowledge teachers should prioritise and help pupils to secure over time. When this happens, the implementation of the curriculum is less effective.

As a result, pupils do not remember their learning in as much depth.

Pupils learn to read quickly. The school deploys staff strategically so that all pupils benefit from a high level of support when learning to read.

Those pupils who need extra support get the right help from well-trained staff. The school encourages pupils to develop a love of books. For example, reading ambassadors in Year 6 help to run the school library.

They enthuse other pupils about books. Pupils have opportunities each week to share books and recommend them to one another. Most pupils very much enjoy reading.

Overall, pupils with SEND are supported to learn well. The number of pupils with education, health and care plans attending the school has increased dramatically in recent years. The school has responded quickly to provide effective support for these pupils.

The provision for a small number of pupils with SEND is occasionally inconsistent.

The curriculum in the early years is effective. Staff explain concepts well.

They help children to learn important vocabulary and skills. They continually reinforce positive behaviours, such as sharing and kindness. Children play well together.

The school provides children with activities so that they can explore the curriculum independently. These activities are usually effective and help children to strengthen their knowledge. Occasionally the activity choices are not carefully thought through and children do not learn as well as they could.

Some of the information that the school collects about different aspects of its work is not analysed effectively or used well enough to inform next steps. This sometimes hinders the school's work to make the required changes that would enhance its work further.

The curriculum for pupils' personal, social and health education (PSHE) prepares pupils well for life beyond school.

Pupils learn about topics such as how to stay safe online and how to manage their mental health. They are respectful of different backgrounds and cultures. Everyone is valued.

Overall, pupils remember the themes they study in the PSHE curriculum, though their knowledge occasionally lacks depth.

The school regularly hosts family breakfasts, where parents and carers can share food with staff and pupils. This helps staff and parents to build positive relationships and share information which benefits pupils.

For example, some pupils who struggled to come to school regularly have improved their attendance. Most parents are positive about the school. A few parents still believe that sometimes pupils are not supported quickly enough.

However, the school's work, for example around dealing with behaviour incidents such as bullying, is highly effective. This means that incidents of bullying are now very rare because the school manages them highly efficiently and responds promptly to any concerns raised.

The trust supports the school to improve continually.

For example, it provides opportunities for schools across the trust to work together, which staff appreciate and learn from. Trustees are committed to the school and have developed mechanisms to understand the strengths of the school and the areas still to develop.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school does not consistently make effective use of the information it gathers about different aspects of its work. When this happens, opportunities to make improvements are missed or delayed. The school should make sure that information is analysed effectively and used efficiently to inform next steps.

• In the wider curriculum, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to revisit and expand upon the most important knowledge they need to remember. Consequently, sometimes pupils' understanding across these subjects lacks depth. The school should identify clearly the important knowledge and concepts that pupils need to know in depth and make sure that teachers know when to provide opportunities to re-encounter this important knowledge across the curriculum and over time.