Clifford Community Primary School & Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 26 November 2024

Pupils enjoy coming to school. Older pupils are aware of the newly introduced school values of 'be kind, be honest and be respectful'. Adults want the best for pupils and are kind and caring. In some subjects, pupils do not develop the detailed knowledge and skills that they need. They do not learn as well as they could. This is because teachers are not clear about what order to teach the curriculum in. Sometimes learning is not adapted carefully enough for some pupils. The school has developed a new approach to learning in some subjects. Pupils can listen carefully and work hard in these subjects. However, some pupils do not demonstrate that they have positive attitudes towards their learning and do not behave well enough in lessons. Staff are beginning to expect more from pupils, but this is inconsistent. Pupils enjoy working together. Younger pupils sometimes find social times, such as playtimes, difficult. Pupils enjoy trips, including the Year 6 residential. They spoke enthusiastically about writing about being evacuated, following a visit to the on-site Clifford Road Tunnels, which is a heritage site under the school.

What the school should improve

• Some subjects lack precision in their curriculum content and sequencing, meaning that lessons are occasionally not delivered in an effective order to build pupils' knowledge and skills systematically. As a result, pupils struggle to connect prior learning with new content. When delivering the curriculum content, staff are sometimes unsure about what to check and how to use their assessments to inform subsequent teaching. The school needs to ensure that precise curriculum guidance is put in place to ensure lessons are well sequenced, clearly understood by staff, and supported by effective assessment practices.
• The current support for pupils with SEND lacks the precision and rigour needed to ensure meaningful progress. As a result, gaps in pupils' foundational knowledge are not being addressed well enough. The school needs to ensure that there are robust systems in place to ensure that support is consistently meeting pupils' needs and driving their achievement.
• Leaders have introduced new behaviour expectations, but not all staff apply them as intended. Some pupils do not listen, complete work or engage productively during social times as well as they should. This inconsistency hinders their learning and social development. The school should ensure consistent reinforcement of these expectations to support positive behaviour, both in class and during social activities.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)