Horbury St Peter’s and Clifton CofE (VC) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Horbury St Peter's and Clifton CofE (VC) Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school with a clear vision and ethos. Pupils and staff are able to explain how the work they are doing is linked to the school's values. There is a positive and nurturing atmosphere which allows these values to be realised.

Pupils say they feel safe in school and know that they can talk to adults and get help or support if they need it. Staff show pupils how to speak with kindness and respect.

There are high expectations for how pupils should behave and conduct themselves.

Pupils behave with high levels of respect and politeness. ...They work hard in lessons and move around school in a calm and orderly way. Bullying rarely happens, but when it does, staff deal with it effectively.

Leaders are ambitious for what they want pupils to achieve. They have considered what pupils should be taught and the order it should be taught in. Leaders have also thought about the vocabulary pupils need in each year group and each subject.

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

Leaders are passionate about their subjects and want pupils to have this same feeling of excitement and enjoyment. They have created a curriculum which is closely linked to the school values. Pupils talk with enthusiasm about their learning in a range of subjects.

They talk about the regular opportunities they have to read independently and as part of the class. In lessons, it is clear what teachers want pupils to learn, but leaders are aware that there needs to be more regular checking of understanding to see what pupils know and remember.

Leaders understand the importance of teaching pupils to read.

They have introduced a new phonics curriculum which begins in Reception. Leaders are still in the process of making sure this is fully embedded. There are clear systems for identifying pupils who need extra help with reading.

These pupils are given the help they need to become fluent readers, but the additional support sessions they have are not always taught with the level of precision they need to be. Pupils talk about the books they are reading and why they have chosen them. Book corners are used regularly, and leaders consider which books pupils can read to promote an understanding of issues like diversity.

There are clear systems in place for identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) at the earliest opportunity. The support given to pupils with SEND is particularly effective for pupils with an education, health and care plan. Leaders are proactive in asking for external support from professionals when it is in the best interests of pupils.

However, it is not always clear how the support provided for some pupils with SEND is helping them.

Children in the early years get a strong start to their education. There are high expectations for how children should behave.

Routines are established to help pupils to become as independent as possible. Leaders are ambitious for children to be ready for the next stage of their education. Activities are well chosen to support children to learn.

Staff are knowledgeable about how young children learn and interact with children well to support learning.

The personal, social and health education curriculum helps pupils to keep themselves safe. Pupils learn the technical names of body parts in Year 1 and are taught about consent and privacy in age-appropriate ways.

Pupils understand that there are groups of people who may be discriminated against. They understand that there are different types of families and can talk about healthy relationships.

Staff feel supported by leaders at all levels.

They say that staff's well-being and workload are considered. There is an awareness that the work to develop the curriculum has increased workload, but staff say they have been given additional time to make these changes.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a culture of safeguarding in school. There are clear systems for identifying pupils and families who may need support. Leaders ensure that other professionals are involved with pupils and families when necessary.

Staff have strong knowledge about the community they serve. They are aware that some pupils are more vulnerable than others. Staff are aware of how important it is to be alert to potential instances of harmful sexual behaviour.

Pupils have the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe. They understand issues such as consent, privacy and online safety in an age-appropriate way.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that the phonics curriculum is delivered by all staff with consistency and fidelity.

As a result, pupils who are receiving additional support with their reading have gaps in their phonics knowledge which could be closed more quickly. Leaders should ensure that all staff have the most up-to-date training so that they know how to support the lowest attaining readers. ? The approach to assessment in the wider curriculum is unclear.

As a result, the data leaders receive does not give them a clear picture of the impact of the curriculum on offer to pupils, and teachers do not have a clear sense of what pupils know and remember in some subjects. Leaders should ensure that assessment strategies within the wider curriculum support teachers to systematically check understanding from pupils and inform leaders of where their focus should be in relation to school improvement activities. ? The support for some pupils with SEND is not as precise as it could be.

As a result, some pupils with SEND do not make as much progress as they could in some areas of their learning. Leaders should ensure that pupils with SEND have clear targets which are informed by assessments so that the impact of the provision they receive can be refined and enhanced where needed.

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 January 2012.