Cliddesden Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Cliddesden Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Cliddesden Primary School are proud and happy learners. They love their school and enjoy its family feel. It is common to see older and younger pupils playing and learning together.

This is evident on the busy playground where pupils laugh and smile as they enjoy table tennis, ball games and the outdoor gym.

Leaders want the very best for pupils and have made significant improvements to the curriculum over the last two years. These developments are well-established and help pupils to make sense of the world around them.

The reading curriculum, in particular, h...as raised the bar, helping pupils to consider and understand cultures, lifestyles and careers that were previously unknown to them.

Pupils and staff enjoy positive relationships. Classes are calm and focused environments where pupils can learn in peace.

Occasionally, a little calling out occurs, but staff are quick to tackle this. Pupils rarely fall out but trust staff to help them should they need it. Pupils are not fearful of bullying as they know it will be addressed without delay.

Any pupil who finds themselves alone is quickly scooped up by others. Everyone is included and kept safe at Cliddesden.

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

Leaders have developed a curriculum that is ambitious and broad.

Pupils gain an impressive body of knowledge in a wide range of subjects. Leaders have set out in plans precisely what it means to get better in any given subject. For example, pupils develop their knowledge of comparison in geography and product development in design and technology.

However, the plans in subjects outside of reading and mathematics do not always consider what pupils have learned in Reception. This means that some learning is repeated or missed rather than built upon.

Staff present new information and tasks clearly and check pupils' knowledge carefully in reading and mathematics lessons.

Staff quickly adapt their approach if pupils are struggling. However, in other subjects, leaders have not clearly set out exactly what key knowledge needs to be assessed in order for pupils to access their next steps in the curriculum.

Pupils throughout the school read well because leaders have placed reading at the heart of the curriculum.

Children in Reception are taught phonics from the off. They learn new sounds in a logical sequence and revisit their phonics knowledge daily. This helps children to remember the building blocks of reading and how to blend sounds together to form words.

As pupils progress through the school, they hone their skills, reading often at home and at school. Older pupils put their knowledge to good use, tackling intricate texts eagerly. They are able to explore and discuss complex characters and plot lines easily because their reading is fluent.

Pupils behave well in class, listening to their teachers and their peers. When pupils are given a task, they set to this quickly meaning that time is not wasted. Pupils contribute often and delight in sharing their ideas.

Occasionally, this enthusiasm bubbles over and pupils call out in class. Staff respond to this quickly, helping pupils to remember that everyone will get their turn to speak. At break, pupils burn off their energy in the vibrant and busy playground.

Pupils share with each other and include others in their games.

Leaders weave a wide range of trips and visits through the curriculum. Pupils in key stage 2 visit the Houses of Parliament to learn about the history of democracy in England.

All pupils in the school visit the Southampton City Art Gallery to broaden their knowledge of painting and sculpture. Pupils learn about those with different views and lifestyles to their own. Visits from local Islamic leaders and dance workshops focusing on Ghanaian and Nigerian culture enrich pupils' understanding of diversity.

By reading and analysing books such as 'The boy at the back of the class' by Onjali Rauf, pupils learn the difficult journeys that refugees undertake for education and safety.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Leaders work closely with staff and families to identify pupils' strengths and barriers to learning.

They use this information effectively, formulating tailored plans to help these pupils to access and understand the curriculum. As pupils grow and develop, their plans evolve. The constant review of pupils' SEND provision and support is a strength of the school.

Leaders and governors have made staff well-being a high priority. Governors check in on staff to ensure that their workload is manageable and appropriate. Leaders ensure that staff are able to put their families first.

Staff described the caring and collaborative culture of the school and high morale.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Procedures for checking and training staff are well established and thorough.

Staff, governors and leaders all play their part, making sure that any concerns are passed on and considered quickly and efficiently. Leaders use the information well, working with external agencies when needed and providing appropriate support to families.

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe.

For example, pupils, particularly those with SEND, learn which adults they can trust and how to identify and manage risks. Pupils know how to stay safe online and how to call for help if needed.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In subjects, other than reading and mathematics, staff do not always have a clear understanding of what content pupils have already grasped.

This means that pupils sometimes unnecessarily repeat or miss key content. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans build pupils' learning from Reception to Year 6 and precisely identify what pupils must know before moving on and how staff will check this is understood.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2011.