Clifton Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school The new headteacher provides exceptionally strong leadership. He and senior leaders are ambitious for all pupils.

They focus on the right priorities to move the school forward. Governors provide effective strategic direction and support and challenge senior leaders well in their work to improve the school. Although many are new to post, middle leaders are clear about the areas for development.

They are enthusiastically driving improvements in their curriculum areas. Teaching across the school is good. Teachers' good subject knowledge enables them to plan work that is interesting and engages pupils in their learning.

Pupils' progr...ess has now recovered after a dip in recent years, especially in reading. Work in pupils' books and school assessment information show that across the school, standards are rising. Leaders have successfully improved mathematics teaching and now provide pupils with more opportunities to use and apply their skills and knowledge.

The curriculum is broad and rich. Pupils spend time developing skills in subjects other than English and mathematics. The curriculum is supported by a variety of visits and extra-curricular activities that pupils enjoy.

Pupils' personal development, behaviour and welfare are good. Pupils have positive relationships with adults in school, which enables them to learn well. There is a strong safeguarding culture across the school.

Pupils feel safe and appreciate the many ways in which the school helps them learn to stay safe. Leaders correctly identify and work to remove the barriers to learning for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). As a result, pupils with SEND make strong progress from their different starting points.

Pupils' overall attendance has improved and the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent has also reduced. Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They say their children are well cared for and safe.

From low starting points, children in early years make good progress. Sometimes adult interactions do not provide opportunities for children to think deeply about what they are learning to do. This limits the progress children make.

Occasionally, work is not well matched to pupils' individual needs and pupils depend on adults telling them what to do.

Information about this school

Since the last inspection, the school has increased in size and is now a four-form entry primary school. This is significantly larger than the average-sized primary school.

The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is higher than that found nationally. There are more pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds than found in most primary schools nationally, and the vast majority of these pupils speak English as an additional language. There are more pupils with SEND than are found in most primary schools.

An increasing number of pupils have an education, health and care (EHC) plan. Following the retirement of the executive headteacher and head of school, a new headteacher was appointed in September 2018. The chair of the board of governors' role is shared between two governors.