Clewer Green CofE First School

Overview

Clewer Green CofE First School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection. The report describes a ‘kind and nurturing’ environment where pupils ‘thrive’ and develop a ‘thirst for knowledge’. Leaders have maintained high aspirations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, ensuring they achieve well across the curriculum.

Strengths

• Pupils ‘behave well’ and ‘celebrate differences’, developing a ‘strong sense of self’ and confidence through valued leadership roles.
• There is ‘increased rigour’ in teaching phonics and times tables, enabling pupils to ‘learn to read rapidly’ and apply mathematical knowledge to harder problems.
• The curriculum is designed to ensure pupils ‘build deep knowledge’, with literature ‘embedded thoughtfully’ to foster a love of reading.
• Staff have ‘secure subject knowledge’ and explain ideas well, while prioritising staff well-being and workload during periods of change.
• Personal development provision is ‘exceptional’, giving pupils a ‘toolkit’ of life-long skills, including impressive knowledge of mental health and brain function.

Areas to improve

• Staff must ‘consistently and systematically check what pupils have understood’ during whole-class explanations to identify and address misconceptions more rapidly.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.