The Claypole Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Claypole Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are thriving at this happy, friendly school. Pupils enjoy their learning and being with friends.

Leaders provide pupils with rich opportunities to learn and develop. One pupil told the inspector, 'the school is full of friendly faces - children and staff'. Pupils said that they feel safe.

The school's positive ethos is immediately apparent. Staff have high expectations of pupils. Pupils are proud to make a positive contribution to the life of the school.

They like being reading champions, play leaders and members of the pupil parliament.
<...br/>Pupils are a credit to the school. They are polite and well-mannered.

Classrooms are calm and purposeful places of learning. Pupils work and play happily together. Pupils want to do their best.

Pupils have a clear understanding of difference and equality. One pupil told the inspector, 'we treat everyone with respect'.

The majority of parents and carers are happy with the school.

One parent, whose comment was typical of many, said: 'The school is a happy, welcoming and caring place. The extra activities that are offered to complement classroom learning are just as valuable as the specific lessons covered.' Parents like that the school staff are so approachable and how staff support pupils' development.

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

Curriculum leaders understand their role and have a clear vision for the curriculum. Leaders have established an ambitious curriculum that is set out from Reception to Year 6. Leaders are reviewing the curriculum to ensure that it is consistently well-sequenced and helps pupils to build their knowledge and skills over time.

In almost all curriculum areas, leaders have thought very carefully about how to get pupils ready for what they will be taught in subsequent year groups. Leaders' approach is non-complacent. They frequently review their curriculum thinking and the teaching in school to ensure that it is of the highest quality.

Leaders have focused on improving teaching through purposeful professional development.

Staff regularly assess what pupils know in all curriculum areas. However, leaders' checks do not always focus on progression of knowledge and skills from the early years to Year 6.

Leaders are currently developing more efficient ways of checking what pupils have learned. Leaders have rightly identifed that on occasions, the checks teachers make on the quality of the curriculum do not inform future planning.

Leaders have ensured that there is a sharp focus on developing pupils' language across the school.

This approach starts in Reception where children delight in new vocabulary. Carefully considered routines help children to know what is expected of them. Staff efficiently model ways of communicating to help older pupils develop a wider range of vocabulary.

Staff have strong subject knowledge. They check pupils' learning during lessons, using skilled questioning. They present learning so that most pupils remember what they have been taught.

For example, in mathematics, children in Reception recognise the total number of circles on the board without counting them. Older pupils apply accurate knowledge of place value when rounding decimal fractions.

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum.

Leaders have adopted a clear and systematic approach to the teaching of phonics. Highly trained staff deliver this scheme. Teachers ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds that they have learned.

Pupils who are at risk of falling behind get the support they need to catch up. As a result, pupils are learning to read fluently.

Leaders have introduced new systems to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

These systems ensure that pupils get the right support to enable them to succeed. Leaders work with teachers and staff to identify any additional needs quickly. They ensure that pupils with SEND receive well-planned additional help.

Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. They behave well and focus during lessons. Staff quickly establish the routines in the early years.

Children are taught to follow instructions. They understand the school routines.

Promoting pupils' personal development is a priority for leaders.

From the early years, children learn about healthy relationships and friendships. Pupils learn how to keep safe. They learn how to make decisions about school life and how to carry out roles of responsibility well.

Alongside a range of clubs and extra-curricular activities, leaders ensure that pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders work very well with staff. They consider staff's well-being and workload.

Staff are overwhelmingly positive about leaders and the support they provide. Staff are proud to work at this school. Governors and representatives of the local authority know the school well.

They understand the school's strengths and collectively tackle areas of improvement.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

Leaders support pupils' welfare. Leaders provide regular training for staff. Staff know how to spot pupils who may be at risk.

They pass on concerns promptly. They work well with external agencies to provide additional help when needed. Record-keeping is comprehensive.

Governors regularly check the school's safeguarding procedures.

Leaders ensure that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe, including when online. Pupils know who to go to if they have a concern.

They know that staff take their concerns seriously.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some curriculum subjects, pupils cannot recall some of their previous learning. This is because teachers' checks, and subsequent opportunities for recapping this learning, are less well developed than they are in other subjects.

Leaders should refine the strategies to check learning in these subjects so that teachers' checks can more accurately ascertain what pupils know and remember. Teachers will then be better informed about the future content to be taught to pupils and, in turn, be better equipped to build on pupils' previous learning.

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 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 would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2012.

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