Chadlington Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Chadlington Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school because of the exciting way that the curriculum is taught. They feel safe in school because it is a caring and supportive place where all pupils can learn.

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Pupils, including those with SEND, learn and achieve well. This is because of the effective delivery of the curriculum and the bespoke support teachers and support staff provide.

Behaviour is good.

The school is calm and pupils have positive attitudes to thei...r learning. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school and more widely, such as when using the internet. Pupils speak highly of the staff.

Adults swiftly address minor disagreements and any bullying.

Pupils love the different opportunities that challenge them to develop their broader skills. This includes working on the school radio to broadcast live shows.

Pupils enjoy a range of trips, clubs and experiences. Pupils say that this helps them to learn more in different subjects. They talk enthusiastically about being able to be part of the active school parliament.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, together with the staff team, have planned a broad and stimulating curriculum. This reflects high aspirations for every pupil, including those with SEND. Thoughtful targets set for pupils with SEND help ensure they are challenged across the full breadth of the curriculum.

Leaders have carefully structured the curriculum so that it is well sequenced. The structure makes it clear to staff how the subject content is to be learned. The curriculum also reflects leaders' high ambitions for pupils more broadly.

This includes pupils' personal growth beyond the development of academic knowledge and skills.

Teachers are familiar with pupils' knowledge and skills in reading and mathematics. This ensures that staff understand what pupils should be taught next and where pupils' understanding is more limited.

In a small minority of subjects in the wider curriculum, the assessment of what pupils know and can do is not as well developed. The checks on pupils' learning are not always specific enough to inform careful thinking about what pupils need to be taught next.

Leaders prioritise reading.

They make sure all pupils learn to read well. Staff have received the training they need to deliver the chosen phonics programme effectively. Children in Reception are quick to learn how to break down words into separate sounds.

They use this knowledge to then blend sounds into spoken words. Pupils take books home that help them to become fluent readers. This is because teachers match these books to the pupils' reading ability and what they are learning in phonics lessons.

Parents are supported to help their child with early reading at home. This helps pupils to become more confident. Staff support pupils well who find reading difficult or need extra help.

This helps pupils to keep up with the high expectations that leaders have. As pupils get older, they continue to be highly engaged in reading. Leaders provide demanding texts from a range of genres, which pupils enjoy.

One pupil summed up many pupils' love of reading saying, 'Reading takes me to a different place.'

Leaders quickly identify those pupils who may need additional help, including those with SEND. They engage with external partners and specialists where necessary to ensure that pupils get the help that they need.

Leaders and teachers review and adapt the curriculum to make sure that it benefits all pupils, including those with SEND. Teachers and other staff work together closely to ensure that pupils with SEND are well supported in lessons. Consequently, all pupils, including those with SEND, achieve well.

Staff ensure that the school rules are fair and consistently applied. Pupils work hard and concentrate well in their lessons. Children in early years listen attentively, share resources and engage readily in their learning.

Pupils across the school work and play very happily together.

Pupils' personal development has a high priority in this school. Leaders are mindful to help with pupils' emotional and mental health.

This aspect is supported by the school's effective programme for personal, social and health education. Leaders have also considered the long-term futures and aspirations of pupils by centring learning around different professions. This helps pupils to learn well and move successfully on to the next stage of their education.

Leaders have taken effective steps to manage staff's workload. Staff are keen to support each other and work well as a team. They show strong commitment to the school community and the school's values.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors keep pupils' well-being and safety at the forefront of their work. Safeguarding leaders ensure that staff receive frequent training and updates on pupils and specific safeguarding matters.

Staff are vigilant. They know what to do if they have any concerns about pupils' welfare.

Leaders work closely with external partners to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

The designated safeguarding lead and deputies follow up on support provided by other professionals to ensure that it is the most appropriate and effective.

The checks on staff ahead of their start to working in the school are thorough.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The checks on pupils' learning in a small minority of foundation subjects are not as helpful as elsewhere.

This means that staff do not always have the right information to inform their decisions about what pupils need to learn next. Leaders should decide how and what should be captured about pupils' skills and knowledge and ensure practice is consistent.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in May 2012.