Cleeve Prior CofE (Controlled) Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Cleeve Prior Primary School is a small, friendly and welcoming place.

Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. As a result, pupils are happy here. The school is like a family.

Pupils behave very well and enjoy taking on leadership responsibilities. This means that they have a deep sense of belonging.

The school teaches pupils what it means to be kind to one another.

Older pupils help younger ones to settle in and help them play well together at lunchtimes. Pupils feel safe in school.

Pupils appreciate the wonderful school environment, where they play and learn together.

The school has high expectations of its pupils. It he...lps each individual pupil to flourish academically and personally.

Instability in leadership and some lack of oversight by the governing body have limited the effectiveness of leadership in the school.

However, the school has ensured that pupils' learning, personal development and behaviour have not suffered during this period of change.

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

The leadership and management of the school are not as effective as they should be. There have been several recent changes to membership of the governing body and to staffing, including to staff in leadership positions.

Sometimes, there has not been enough oversight of the school. As a result, some school systems have not been followed well enough, for example keeping attendance registers accurately. At the time of this inspection, the local authority and diocese formed an interim executive board (IEB) to support the school to stabilise its leadership.

The school has taken actions to reduce staff workload. Staff appreciate this and feel that their well-being is taken into consideration when decisions are made.

Pupils achieve well in their subjects because the school has high aspirations for every single pupil.

Teachers check on pupils' learning effectively. Their subject knowledge and the well-designed curriculum mean that they can pinpoint what each individual pupil needs to know next. This means that pupils achieve very well in their end of key stage 2 assessments.

Pupils' work clearly shows that they make strong progress through the curriculum, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities. There are suitable processes in place to identify if pupils have any additional needs and the support they might require.

Teachers make sure that pupils master the basics in lessons so that more complex work is more easily grappled with.

They use appropriate resources and tasks to ensure that pupils know and remember more of the curriculum. Pupils are given the time and space to refine their work so that they produce work that they can be proud of.

Pupils across the school read well.

This is because the school focuses effectively on anyone who finds learning to read a challenge. As a result, pupils who were previously behind their classmates have caught up. Older pupils read widely and with enthusiasm.

Pupils attend regularly and are punctual to school. They behave well in lessons and at social times. Pupils typically say that this means they work in disruption-free classrooms and can get on with doing their best work.

They do what teachers ask of them and have positive attitudes towards their learning and the school.

Staff and pupils have excellent relationships. Pupils feel confident and comfortable in school.

They have been taught what bullying is. They are clear that it seldom happens, and they know what to do if it does. Pupils have absolute confidence in adults to support and sort out any problem that might occur.

The school makes sure that pupils participate in an appropriate range of activities to develop them personally. The curriculum teaches pupils about healthy relationships, kindness and community. Pupils visit lots of places to help bring the curriculum to life.

Pupils know that a recent trip to a gurdwara has taught them that people may live in different ways, have different beliefs and eat different food, for example. As a result, pupils are tolerant of the beliefs of others.

Pupils contribute to the local community and enjoy doing so.

For example, they have planted trees locally, sung in a choir at a local home for the elderly and regularly raised money for charities. Older pupils are proud to take on leadership positions. Pupils who train to be 'peace makers' help teach younger pupils how to be kind.

They resolve low-level disagreements and seek the support of staff when required. Younger pupils value this layer of support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Governors have not made sure that leadership is as effective as it should be. This means that there has been a lot of change, some uncertainty about leadership and some systems and processes were not followed well enough. The governing body, with the support of the IEB, should take swift action to ensure that leadership is fully effective and hold leaders to account by having a thorough understanding of how well the school's systems and procedures are adhered to.