Clough Head Junior and Infant School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Clough Head Junior and Infant School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this small rural school.

Pupils are encouraged to show empathy for others. They are keen to offer help and support to their peers. Pupils are safe and cared for.

Older pupils support children in the early years. This helps to develop positive relationships. Pupils enjoy spreading kindness throughout the school.

The school has high expectations for pupils' behaviour and achievement. Pupils are quick to settle to their learning. They benefit from calm and purposeful lessons....

Pupils progress through the curriculum well. They develop a love of learning.

The school is part of the Heights Federation.

The motto of 'Three schools, one heart, working together to reach new heights' is central to pupils' school experience. Pupils speak with great enthusiasm about their joint residential trips in Year 4 and Year 6. They enjoy meeting pupils from other schools in the federation.

These rich experiences help pupils develop important communication skills. They enjoy making new friends. This helps them to prepare for the transition to their next stage of learning.

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

The school's well-designed curriculum helps pupils develop important knowledge and skills. The school has developed effective ways to check what pupils remember. Teaching spots when pupils have misconceptions.

Staff are quick to address these. In many subjects, pupils use previous learning to help them to access new ideas. For instance, Year 2 pupils apply their division skills to new learning about fractions in mathematics.

However, in some subjects, teachers do not adjust tasks so that pupils can build on what they already know. This means that pupils do not have as many opportunities to connect their learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) enjoy the same ambitious curriculum as their peers.

The school ensures that staff know how to support pupils with SEND. The school uses strategies to enable pupils to access new learning. For example, when needed adults carefully introduce new vocabulary to pupils before they start a new topic.

This builds pupils' confidence. Such strategies help pupils with SEND progress well through the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy learning to read from the moment they join the school.

Well-trained staff help children develop their phonics knowledge in the early years. The school checks that pupils know and remember letters and the sounds they represent. Staff identify any pupils who need extra support.

They swiftly provide interventions to help pupils close any gaps in their reading skills. The school carefully selects books to help older pupils develop an understanding of the wider world. For example, pupils in key stage 2 learn about the hardship of being a refugee.

Such texts enable pupils to understand the challenges some people encounter. This helps pupils to develop respect for others.

Children in the early years benefit from carefully planned activities.

For example, children learn about London as part of understanding the wider world. They enjoy developing their fine motor skills when drawing different landmarks. Children improve their gross motor skills when they build a model of the Tower of London with wood.

They excitedly describe looking after Ronnie the Respectful Rhino. Children receive this soft toy for demonstrating values such as resilience. They explain where they have taken Ronnie over the weekend.

This helps them to develop valuable oracy skills.

The school's clear routines and consistent approach helps pupils meet the high expectations for behaviour. Pupils receive rewards for their positive behaviour that contribute to a whole-school reward scheme.

Pupils learn teamwork and feel proud to help with school rewards, like a movie afternoon.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy in their personal, social and health education lessons. Pupils describe how they should eat a balanced diet.

They use strategies, such as breathing techniques, to help manage their emotions. Pupils enjoy meeting a wide range of visitors. For example, pupils learn about fire safety when the fire brigade visits.

These important opportunities help pupils develop an understanding of how to keep safe.

The school provides pupils with a memorable school experience. Those responsible for governance provide effective challenge and support.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They know that leaders are considerate of their well-being and workload. As a result, adults who work in the school feel valued.

Staff benefit from opportunities to collaborate with other adults in the federation. Staff value these professional development opportunities.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• On some occasions, the tasks that pupils are set do not enable them to apply and secure their learning in sufficient depth. This means that some pupils do not progress as well through the curriculum as they could. The school should ensure that tasks better enable all pupils to connect their learning and deepen their understanding.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

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

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in February 2020.