Clifford Road Primary School 'requires improvement' as rating downgraded by Ofsted

Why it matters: The inspection, carried out on 26 and 27 November 2024, marks a significant change for the school, which was previously rated 'good' in January 2014 and again in a short inspection in July 2019.

The big picture: The school, which has 436 pupils aged 3 to 11, was assessed across five key areas – all of which require improvement:

• Quality of education

• Behaviour and attitudes

• Personal development

• Leadership and management

• Early years provision

Key shortcomings: The report found that:

• Teachers lack clarity on curriculum sequencing, leading to gaps in pupils' knowledge

• Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) needs more rigour

• New behaviour expectations are not consistently applied

• Early years pupils need more opportunities to practice writing skills

• Some pupils struggle with behaviour during lessons and social times

Yes, but: The inspection also highlighted some positives:

• Pupils enjoy coming to school

• Staff feel supported by new leadership

• The school offers varied extracurricular activities, including sports, choir and music

• Safeguarding arrangements are effective

What's next: The school has appointed a new headteacher, Cieran Dadds, who joined in September 2024. Early changes to mathematics and reading are showing "green shoots of improvement," according to inspectors.

The bottom line: While facing challenges across multiple areas, the school has begun implementing changes under new leadership and has effective safeguarding measures in place.