Chancel Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Chancel Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school and learn a lot.

They read, write and do mathematics every day and, by time they leave, reach very high standards in these subjects.

They also do well in other subjects, and are particularly proud of their achievements in art, sport and music. Pupils enter competitions and get many opportunities to learn from the best and show off what they can do.

This helps them to grow in confidence and aim high.

In subjects like history and geography, lessons are interesting and, with more careful planning, could be even better.

Pupils get on very ...well with the staff, make many friends and greet visitors with mature, respectful confidence.

Behaviour around the school is excellent. Pupils know that bullying of any sort is unacceptable and would be stopped if it ever happened. They feel safe in school.

There are plenty of school clubs, from sport to music to gardening, to name but a few. Pupils also take part in community events and carry out important jobs around the school. Older pupils help younger ones without any prompting from adults.

The school leadership sets high standards and staff say they feel valued for the hard work they do.

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

This school succeeds at teaching pupils to read. Phonics lessons start in Nursery and carry on every day.

By Year 3, most pupils are reading fluently. Anyone who still finds reading hard gets extra help from well-trained staff. On top of this, everyone reads in class and reading areas are exciting to look at and full of books.

Pupils get the same good deal in mathematics and writing. Like reading, standards are high. In these subjects, teachers know what should be taught and when.

They work well with one another so know a lot about pupils' different abilities. Teaching and support for the most able pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities usually hit the mark. However, some of the extra support designed to help older pupils catch up in mathematics has to plug gaps that should have been covered earlier on.

As well as English and mathematics, pupils study many other subjects and take part in local events. They do a lot of art, music and sport and enjoy success in competitions. A rich curriculum, and daily encouragement from staff, helps pupils to develop their talents and gain a positive, balanced outlook on life.

Beyond the school day, pupils can go to lots of different clubs, and most pupils do.

In history, lessons are exciting. During this inspection, I saw pupils preparing for a medieval feast, using virtual-reality headsets to look inside a pharaoh's tomb and being immersed in the sounds, sights and smells of the Great Fire of London.

These worthwhile experiences stick in pupils' minds but teachers could make more of them to make sure they remember the right things. Currently, some of the historical knowledge and skills teachers want pupils to learn get lost along the way. This is because tasks focus more on writing than on history and history lessons can turn into English lessons.

Staff know that there is some fine-tuning to do and are also looking at ways to strengthen geography.

This is clearly a solidly good school that is very well led. In fact, since the previous inspection, the school has gone from strength to strength.

A focus on staff well-being and workload has pulled the team closer together. Staff report that leaders have high expectations but also listen to their views and support them in their work.

Behaviour is super and the school day runs smoothly.

Pupils look out for one another and are quick to help if someone is unsure or upset about anything. At lunchtime, pupils remember their manners and older pupils give a helping hand to the younger ones.

Indeed, kind behaviour is the norm and special sessions, which often happen on a boat in the school grounds, help pupils to think about how their actions affect others.

They are taught how to spot bullying and say staff would stop it if it happened. Staff treat pupils fairly and know everyone's names. They notice and reward helpful behaviour and no one shouts.

There is expert oversight of provision for the youngest children, who are well cared for. In the early years classes there is plenty to see, do, touch, explore and talk about. Consistent routines help children to get used to school and they are kept safe, busy and happy.

They are extremely well prepared for learning in Year 1.

Parents say good things about the school and report that they are pleased with their children's education from start to finish.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

When any concerns arise, staff and leaders follow the proper processes and make sure the right people are involved. There is a healthy culture of learning from experience and all the right safeguards and procedures are in place to keep pupils safe.

Staff training is up to date, governors fulfil their duties and parents have confidence in the school's safety routines.

Pupils know that adults will listen and help them if they are worried about anything. If a pupil does not turn up for school, staff find out why.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In history and geography, pupils do lots of memorable activities and know what these subjects are about.

However, plans and tasks often focus more on English knowledge and skills than on history and geography. This means some subject specific knowledge can be missed. Leaders are already reviewing planning in these subjects to improve this aspect.

. Some of the catch-up support in mathematics makes assumptions about what pupils already know. This support sometimes focuses on what pupils need to do to get a task done rather than unpicking what it is they don't understand.

This is not a big problem and does not affect many pupils. However, in order to strengthen this aspect of the mathematics curriculum leaders should examine how well pupils' understanding of key concepts is checked and secured during their time in school.

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 school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, 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 convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the third section 8 inspection since we judged Chancel Primary School to be good in July 2011.