The Clinton Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 15 July 2025

The school and trust leaders have not done enough to arrest the decline in pupil achievement across the school. This means that pupils do not receive an acceptable standard of education. Teaching does not ensure that pupils build knowledge sufficiently well over time. Furthermore, pupils do not build confidence, resilience and independence appropriately for their ages. Consequently, pupils are not prepared well for the next stage of their education. This is a welcoming, calm school where pupils feel safe. They are kind and considerate. Pupils value the close relationships they have with staff. Pupils know they can speak to a member of staff if they have any concerns. However, many pupils report feeling unsettled due to ongoing changes within the school, such as Key Stage 2 pupils having to relocate to another school pending the appointment of a new teacher. The school aims to develop pupils' character with a regular focus on different character virtues. Pupils engage with a range of activities linked to the school's 'Change Maker' award, which encourages them to contribute positively to their community. They speak with pride about raising funds for local and international charities, and enjoy opportunities to discuss and debate wider societal issues. Events such as the harvest festival help to foster a sense of community and belonging.

What the school should improve

• The trust has not taken effective action to stabilise the recent turbulence in staffing at the school. Consequently, staff are stretched beyond capacity. The trust must take urgent action to stabilise the staffing at the school and provide much needed capacity at leadership level so that all aspects of the school's provision improve rapidly.
• The school does not make sure that teaching of the curriculum is adapted effectively to the needs of pupils with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND do not progress well through the curriculum. The trust should ensure that it enables pupils with SEND to learn subject curriculums and to achieve well.
• The school does not use assessment effectively enough to check what pupils know and remember. As a result, staff do not design tasks which are ambitious or take into account what pupils already know and can do. This means pupils do not build knowledge securely. The trust needs to ensure that teachers use assessment effectively to check pupil understanding and support them to design tasks that help pupils to know more over time.
• In the early years, the quality of the activities to help children learn are variable. This means that opportunities for children to deepen or consolidate their knowledge are less effective than they could be. The trust should ensure that children's learning is maximised in all activities, so that they achieve as well as they should and are ready for the next stage of their education.
• Staff do not have the expertise required to deliver some curriculum subjects as intended or to improve pupils' reading. This means pupils do not make progress through the curriculum or develop their reading as well as they should. The trust should ensure that all staff have the subject and pedagogical expertise they need to deliver the curriculum effectively and ensure that pupils' reading develops sufficiently well. HMCI strongly recommends that the school does not seek to appoint early career teachers. The position regarding the appointment of early career teachers will be considered again during any monitoring inspection we carry out.

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