Co-op Academy Clarice Cliff

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well looked after here.

Staff at this school are committed to supporting the well-being of pupils. The school provides valued support to families and pupils who need additional help.

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their school.

They are happy and confident, reflecting the school's values. They relish the many roles and responsibilities they take on, such as well-being and reading ambassadors. The school enables pupils to take an active role in making decisions about their education.

For example, the school council helps to plan the rewards and privileges that pupils receive to reward positive behaviour.

Staff expect pupils to ...behave well, focusing on three core values of being ready, respectful and safe. Pupils respond positively to these high expectations.

This helps to ensure that the atmosphere throughout the school is calm and purposeful.

The school's vision for the curriculum is clear and ambitious. However, the school's ambition is not fully realised.

In some areas of the curriculum, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

Pupils benefit from a well-designed enrichment programme. They enjoy a varied range of opportunities available to them beyond the academic curriculum, including after-school clubs and residential trips.

This helps pupils to develop their talents and interests, including sports and music.

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

Staff ensure that all pupils have the same opportunities to learn a broad range of subjects across the school. While they have high ambition for their pupils, staff do not consistently deliver the curriculum as planned.

There are inconsistencies in how some of the subjects are taught. For example, in some subjects, pupils are not given enough opportunities to make connections in their learning, draw conclusions or apply their knowledge to new contexts.

The school has made effective changes to improve the coherence and structure of the curriculum for mathematics and early reading.

Reading is a high priority for the school. Staff are relentless in ensuring that all pupils learn to read well. The school seeks to engage parents and carers as soon as children begin in the early years.

For example, the school offers workshops such as 'breakfast with books' to encourage a love of reading. Pupils learn to read accurately and fluently from a young age. There is a consistent approach to teaching phonics and staff teach the phonics programme well.

This starts in the early years. Staff provide immediate support the moment they notice that a child has not grasped the phonics content taught. This endorses the school's mantra of 'keep up not catch up'.

However, in some foundation subjects, teachers do not always pick up on pupils' misconceptions in pupils' written work swiftly and remedy them. Expectations of pupils' written work in these subjects is not consistently high enough. Some pupils struggle to quickly and easily express themselves in their written work.

Teachers' support to address this is not as effective as it could be.

Children in the early years get off to a strong start when they join the school. They settle in quickly because of the care and support they receive.

Children quickly learn the classroom routines and the importance of sharing and taking turns. The school has ensured that children in the early years benefit from a strong and effective curriculum. This helps to develop children's language and communication skills well.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Teachers have a good understanding of their needs. The school ensures that staff have the training they need to identify and support pupils with SEND effectively.

Staff work with pupils and parents to ensure that plans identify the right steps for pupils.

Staff work with parents effectively to emphasise the importance of high attendance. As a result, more pupils attend more regularly and arrive punctually.

Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They follow instructions and are keen to learn.

The school takes every opportunity to give pupils rich, varied experiences to appreciate their local heritage, as well as raising their aspirations.

This helps to prepare them well for their next steps. A broad range of trips and experiences reinforces pupils' social and cultural understanding. Pupils have a keen understanding of fundamental British values.

They know how to keep themselves safe outside and online.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They feel well supported by leaders and the trust.

They value the training they receive. They appreciate leaders' consideration of their workload and well-being when making decisions about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not provide pupils with enough opportunities to apply the knowledge that they have learned. As a result, pupils do not develop a secure depth of understanding. The school should ensure that all staff provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to apply their learning across all curriculum subjects so that they deepen their learning.

At times, staff do not pick up on and deal with pupils' misconceptions when they arise. When this happens, pupils' errors are not addressed and they do not learn effectively. The school should ensure that teachers address pupils' misconceptions promptly and help them to learn from mistakes.

• In some foundation subjects, some pupils do not write confidently and with fluency. This limits pupils' ability to record their work accurately and use their written work to reflect on their learning. The school should ensure that all staff support pupils to improve the fluency of their written work so that they achieve well.