Read the super article below celebrating our school, written by South Leeds Life.
We reported in September on Clapgate Primary School’s recent Ofsted report which found the school to be Good and Outstanding in two areas.
A short report cannot fully cover the range of work the school does, or even everything the Ofsted Inspectors say to the school, so we visited to find out what makes the school unique.
Headteacher Natasha Singleton and Assistant Headteacher Sadie Procter talked about the many extras they add to the curriculum and environment at Clapgate to ensure that children’s “primary life” is the best it can be. Sadie shared how the school regularly considers:
“What we can offer our children from when they start at 5 years old to when they leave at 11 years old. What’s that journey like, and how do we get the best out of our children? What do we put in through each year for the children to get the best out of school by the time they leave.”
The school values outdoor learning, and every child has a weekly outdoor learning lesson.
The school has class allotment plots, a campfire area, a wildlife pond, and animals: chickens and two goats called Pedro and Pablo. Classes take it in turns to look after the animals for a week, and the post of Head Goat Keeper is a high-status role with a formal application process.
Another important area is the arts. The school employs a specialist art teacher who works across all year groups. During the inspection, Ofsted inspectors commented that the art work they saw was extremely high quality. The school is collaborating with Opera North to deliver the In Harmony music programme, which enables every child to develop their musicality and to learn an instrument. Natasha explained:
“We truly value the arts, both to support the child’s general development, the attention to detail, the pride, the perseverance, all those skills they’re developing, but then also just because we think the arts are a wonderful thing for children to engage in.”
Amongst the many conversations the Ofsted Inspectors had with school leaders, they commented:
“You have children who are at times enchanting, but more importantly they’re in control of themselves. They’re calm, your work on oracy is helping them express themselves, they’re curious, they’re engaged, they want to learn. You’ve created this environment by getting behaviour right. You had a vision, you said it has to be this way and you insisted on it being this way.”
Oracy is another important strand of the Clapgate approach.
“We expect children to talk all the time in their learning. Children are given stem sentences to help them develop their ability to explain their thoughts. They are expected to work with a partner constantly, sharing ideas. They are given all the language of debate and conversation – we give them the tools to be powerful speakers. There’s an oracy curriculum that they work on across all their lessons and we’ve noticed a huge improvement in the children’s ability to articulate their thoughts” said Natasha.
Whether it is looking after the animals, being a member of the arts council or school council, or representing the school’s football teams, children are proud to be part of Clapgate.
There’s something exceptional about Clapgate Primary, and that’s why children there are thriving. As an Inspector said:
“The things you have achieved, you are relentless. There is so much enthusiasm, passion, ambition and desire for these children’s personal development- it is tangible”
