LATEST OFSTED REPORT
OFSTED Re-inspection deadline date: 26th March 2026
IN 2023 OFSTED SAID...
AFI 1: In some subjects it is not clear what pupils need to know and when they need to know it. This means that pupils cannot systematically build their knowledge and skills over time in all areas of the curriculum. The school must ensure that there is a precise order of learning in all subjects, setting out exactly what pupils will learn in small, sequential steps. The school must ensure that leaders check carefully the quality of education across the curriculum.
AFI 2: Sometimes expectations of pupils are too low, and they are given work they can already do. On other occasions, the work is too hard because pupils have not been taught the prior knowledge they need. The school must ensure that staff know how to meet the needs of learners in mixed-age classes so that pupils are moved on to new content at the right time.
AFI 3: The school does not ensure that pupils go back over key knowledge they have already been taught in all areas of the curriculum. Where this is the case, pupils do not remember what they have learned before in sufficient detail. The school must ensure that pupils systematically revisit important content, helping them to recall it securely so they can use it again.
SO WE DID...
Following the previous inspection, we undertook a full audit of every curriculum subject:
We have...
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Checked against National Curriculum requirements to ensure that our curriculum is not narrowed
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Clarified the school’s curriculum intent and implementation in all subjects, informing high quality teaching and learning, in order to secure good rates of progress for all children;
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We have systematically revisited progression documentation so that we could establish the precise order of learning for each year group
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Refined and improved our curriculum offer to ensure it is ambitious and designed to give All learners the key knowledge, skills, vocabulary and cultural capital they need to succeed well
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We have revisited for every subject our Intent, Implementation and Impact documentation (3Is), checking against the Ofsted Guidance reports and recommendations
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Ensured opportunities are available for children to systematically revisit and recall knowledge
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Further developed the teaching and learning cycles
Impact
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We have created a curriculum design document which outlines our pedagogy
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Our curriculum is carefully structured to ensure statutory coverage; our curriculum is not narrowed
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Timetabling reflects staff expertise
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Following the inspection, our School Improvement Plan has focused upon the Quality of Education, developing the curriculum so that it supports readiness for the next stage in learning with a rigorous focus upon mixed age teaching and learning
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In each subject, there is clear progression and planning of substantive and disciplinary knowledge and the use of vocabulary
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Unit planning in all subjects is carefully mapped across the yearly cycles with consideration given to the curriculum content to ensure that units are sequenced correctly, and that progression is not lost
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We have been outward facing, research driven, evidence based, to improve our own practice and develop our curriculum- accessed Continuous Professional Development (CPD) with external specialists e.g. maths Hub, NACCE Computing course for the teaching of Mixed Age Year groups, external educational professionals
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This supported the development of our lesson planning documentation, which specifically identifies the substantive key knowledge within lessons and plan for each year group with appropriate disciplinary knowledge, identifying prior learning and knowledge.​
Impact​
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Our curriculum is carefully designed and sequenced to ensure there is effective progression and sequencing
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Monitoring in all subjects demonstrates that pupils build knowledge and skills over time
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Assessments in all subjects are used purposefully; to inform teaching and learning, they identify prior knowledge and next steps in learning
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We have strong outcomes at end of year data in all core subjects at KS1 and KS2
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As a staff, we researched the Education Endowment Foundation’s (EEF) guidance to Mastery
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We joined the Nottinghamshire Maths Hub to develop our knowledge and understanding of Mastery.
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We have developed North Clifton’s Mastery approach to learning – this is evident across all subjects where there are now opportunities for pre-teach, activating prior knowledge, next day interventions corrective instruction, enrichments
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We have researched and developed assessment – our mastery learning model supports this in every subject
The impact of this is that pupils systematically revisit important content by activating prior knowledge
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Pupils are supported in aspects of learning they have not done well in, either following a daily lesson, a formative assessment or summative assessment. Books evidence next day interventions (NDIs) where misconceptions are addressed
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We have a strategic monitoring schedule linked to our School Improvement Plan (also externally monitored), which shows that across all subjects, pupils can recall knowledge from previous learning e.g. history, writing, science. Children are making substantial progress across all areas of the curriculum
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.
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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
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