Chalk Ridge Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy to attend this school. They are proud to welcome new pupils and have a shared appreciation of the school's highly positive culture.

The school has ensured that routines and expectations are well known, meaning at breaktime and lunchtime, pupils relax and enjoy each other's company. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and are interested in finding out more about them. They excitedly recall visits from the police and fire brigade who help teach them about staying safe.

Pupils respond positively to teachers and keenly participate in discussions and group learning. Children in early years are confident to share their ideas and questions, making the most... of the range of activities on offer.

Pupils feel safe at school and know who to talk to if they have concerns.

They know that adults will provide the necessary help if they need it. Pupils appreciate how they are taught to stay mentally healthy and the support available when necessary. Pupils identify 'friendship' and 'teachers' as two of the best aspects of the school.

They feel the support provided helps them to meet the school's high expectations.

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

The school is dedicated to providing high-quality education. Staff are ambitious for all pupils.

Clear expectations and positive relationships mean pupils feel valued and understood. As a result, they are respectful towards staff and each other. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well known.

Staff use their knowledge of these pupils to ensure they access the same learning as others. Pupils with SEND routinely learn alongside their peers.

Phonics teaching is strong.

Teachers use their expert knowledge to regularly check that all pupils have learned what they need to improve their reading. New readers have frequent opportunities to practise what they have learned. Extra help is quickly provided for any pupils who need it.

As a result, they rapidly catch up. There is a strong shared understanding of the school's chosen phonics programme. This helps pupils to make sustained reading progress across different classes and year groups.

Wider reading is a priority. Many pupils are enthusiastic readers. The school's reading rewards system and range of library books encourage pupils of all ages to read more.

Teaching methods are in place to help more experienced readers continue to develop their skills, knowledge and vocabulary, but these are not yet fully effective. For example, pupils record words they do not know but do not always have the opportunity to find out what they all mean. This slows their vocabulary development.

The school recognises this and is continuing to strengthen practice.

The school has recently redesigned its curriculum. It has clearly identified the key knowledge pupils need to know.

It has ordered the learning of this knowledge to ensure pupils can build on what they have previously learned. Teachers have a deep understanding of most subjects. This helps them teach pupils with a degree of precision and assess accurately what pupils have learned.

In these cases, learning is strong. However, in some subjects, teachers' knowledge is not so secure. This means that pupils' misconceptions are not always identified and addressed, leaving pupils with gaps in their knowledge.

The school is aware of this variation and continues to prioritise staff training and the checking of its impact to ensure the curriculum is taught as well as possible.

Children settle very quickly into the school's early years provision. The kind and welcoming environment, and routines, help children to feel comfortable.

Staff make sure that no opportunity for learning is missed. The school prepares children very well for their next steps. Early years children are very well prepared for the move to Year 1, meaning learning continues uninterrupted as they move into the main school.

Consistent use of the school's values helps to embed the school's positive culture. Pupils accept peoples' similarities and differences and are respectful of each other. They have an appropriate understanding of consent and keeping physically and mentally healthy.

Activities such as the recent interactive geography event help pupils to recognise issues on a global scale. However, the school is less effective at providing pupils with additional clubs and activities. This means that pupils, particularly the disadvantaged, do not always have regular chances to discover, nurture and develop wider talents and interests.

Leaders recognise that increasingly precise actions are now required to maintain the school's recent improvement. Governors understand their role in ensuring these changes benefit all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, staff do not yet have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum as intended. Because of this, not all pupils get the support they need, and they do not learn as much as they should. Leaders should ensure all staff have the subject knowledge needed to be able to teach the full curriculum as intended.

• The school's wider personal development offer, including opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests, is not as well developed as the academic curriculum. This means that pupils do not gain as much as they could from their wider personal development education. Leaders must ensure that the school provides sufficient opportunities for all pupils to benefit fully from their broader education.

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