LATEST OFSTED REPORT
1st November 2023
There were many incredibly positive conversations had with the Inspectors during their time with us and we cannot express how proud we are of your children and how they represented our school on what was a very important occasion for us all.
Our recent SATs results and the way that our Year 6 students transition into their secondary school lives speak for themselves, but our behaviour, safeguarding, reading, personal development, secret garden, geography, history, early years, close-knit family environment, school values and design & technology all also shine out as strengths, and were repeatedly mentioned by the Inspectors both on site and in their post inspection feedback meeting and report.
Having undergone an extended period of uncertainty when it comes to the leadership of the school, we are grateful to all of the staff who have taken their turn in steering the ship over the last few years. Whilst the official grading is not what any of us wanted, we are grateful to the Inspectors for offering us a “moment in time” view of where we are and what we need to continue to work on to ensure we offer our children THE very best start to their educational lives going forward.
With the very recent appointment of our new Head Teacher, Mrs Sanderson, who is our first full-time member of staff since Mr Christopher left in 2019, we have already begun our journey towards achieving an “Outstanding” grading at our interim inspection.
Our staff, children and Governing Body are incredibly proud of our little school, and we are pleased to know that, according to OFSTED’s Parent View Survey, 100% of our parents would recommend us to others. Thank you.
If you would like to discuss anything included in the report, please don’t hesitate to contact Ilona Sanderson (Head Teacher), Karen Grundy (Chair of Governors) 07976 433998 or Emily Mumford (Vice Chair of Governors) 07920 771485.
Message from Mrs Sanderson:
Firstly, I would like to thank all of the parents and carers who shared their positive comments with the Inspectors and also shared your views on Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents. Your input is greatly appreciated.
I would also like to thank all the staff and Governors, for their relentless hard work, leading up to, and during the Inspection. As acknowledged in the report, ‘staff have pulled together’ and Governors ‘have worked hard to put the school on a stable footing.’ It is heart-warming to read that despite a period of uncertainty regarding the school’s future, the welfare and care for the children has never been compromised – pupils ‘like attending this happy, friendly school’, with ‘a nurturing environment’.
Whilst acknowledging that the overall grading may be disheartening, the report recognises that we had already identified the right areas for improvement as we look forwards. We are also pleased that it reflects the determination of the leaders and staff within the school since the last Inspection, acknowledging areas of the curriculum that are now fully established and embedded. This gives us a validation that the path we are on is the right one as we continue to develop our whole curriculum.
Looking forwards, we will continue to work tirelessly to address areas identified for improvement, ensuring that our children receive the best possible education and allowing the children and community of North Clifton Primary to reach their full potential.
I fully believe, with your support, we can achieve not only a “Good” rating but an “Outstanding” one at our next Inspection. All of the ingredients are already very much within our school.
Ilona Sanderson
Head Teacher
Email: head@northclifton.notts.sch.uk