Clore Tikva School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school.

They talked to us in a very positive way about all the subjects they study. They feel that the work they are given challenges them. They are polite and behave well in lessons and at playtimes, rising to the staff's high expectations.

Pupils said that they feel really safe at school. They appreciate the measures staff take to keep them safe, such as the fire and lockdown drills. Pupils report that there is very little bullying at the school.

On the rare occasions that it does occur, staff deal with it swiftly and effectively.

Pupils' personal development is a high priority for leaders and governors. The school's key valu...e of 'love your neighbour as yourself' underpins this.

Equality of opportunity is woven into the fabric of the school. Interfaith work, for example in the form of the 'Hope not Hate' initiative, is very strong. As a result, pupils stated that they are really proud to attend a school where they can learn about other beliefs and meet those who practise them.

Many parents expressed extremely positive views about the school, including about how it promotes their children's personal development and emotional well-being.

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

Leaders have worked extensively on developing subject plans since the previous inspection. These clearly set out what pupils must learn in each year group.

This learning builds from year to year so that, by the time pupils leave Year 6, they have the skills and knowledge they need to move on to secondary school.

Excellent links between subjects strengthen pupils' learning. For example, Year 6 pupils were enthused by the links between history, geography, art, music and writing in their recent topic on the Antarctic.

They were rightly proud of the music they composed and the soap carvings they produced. They developed a comprehensive knowledge of the area, its history and its current fragility due to climate change.

Adults have very high expectations of what pupils can do.

There are excellent measures in place to ensure that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and disadvantaged pupils, meet these expectations and achieve well.

Teachers are overwhelmingly positive about the training and support they receive. Leaders ensure that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to deliver well-planned lessons.

This is already abundantly evident in subjects such as mathematics, reading, Ivrit, history and geography. There remains some work to do in science to ensure that all staff have the same high level of subject knowledge.

Leaders ensure that reading and basic number skills are prioritised in the early years.

Teaching is effective and activities are well planned, both inside and outside. Consequently, children leave Reception with confident reading skills and a secure understanding of number. This prepares them well for Year 1.

The focus on reading continues in Years 1 and 2. Pupils start in Year 1 with a good grounding in phonics. The books pupils take home are carefully matched to help them practise what they have learned.

By the time they enter Year 3, the vast majority of pupils are fluent readers with good comprehension skills.

Leaders successfully promote a love of reading. Pupils told us that they will continue to read for pleasure into adulthood.

They said that they really like it when teachers read to them.

Pupils enjoy their learning because teachers present subject knowledge in an engaging way. Teachers help children to develop qualities and skills such as confidence and taking responsibility, which help them learn.

For example, during a phonics lesson in Reception, children got up quickly and quietly to replace their whiteboard pens, losing no learning time in the process. These positive attitudes contribute to the conducive atmosphere in classes.

Leaders identified that there were some pupils who had a high number of absences.

They brought in a range of measures to address this. These are beginning to have a positive impact in individual cases. However, the school's figures remain too high.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development exceptionally well. This lies at the heart of all the school does. Governors explained that they want pupils to be proud of their heritage and also to be active and compassionate citizens in modern Britain.

To this end, stereotypes are regularly challenged within the curriculum and more broadly, for example in assemblies. Consequently, pupils have a strong understanding of gender equality and LGBT issues and a deep respect for those of different faiths.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have tightened safeguarding processes further since the previous inspection. The site is very secure and pupils said this makes them feel safe. Pupils and staff alike understand how to stay safe because leaders give them timely and accurate information on safe behaviour.

For example, pupils pointed out to us the posters about online safety.

Procedures for dealing with first aid and supporting pupils with medical needs are very thorough. The detail with which staff complete risk assessments ensures that all pupils, including those with very specific needs, can be included safely in all aspects of school life.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Leaders have established a well-sequenced curriculum that is broad and balanced. They have developed teachers' subject knowledge effectively in a number of subjects, including reading, mathematics, Ivrit, history and geography. However, teachers' subject knowledge is not equally strong in all subjects, for example in science.

Leaders need to continue to develop staff's subject knowledge so that it is equally strong in all subjects. . The measures leaders have put in place to improve attendance have met with some success.

Case studies show that absence rates have significantly reduced for some individuals. However, the rate of persistent absence is still too high overall, particularly for disadvantaged pupils. Leaders need to continue to improve attendance, so that more pupils come to school more often.