Chandlers Field Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are safe and happy.

They model the school's values such as aspiration, perseverance, and 'together' excellently. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about democracy and value how they contribute their ideas to the life of the school.

Pupils love their leadership responsibilities, such as school councillors. They take part in election processes, voting and debates regularly, helping them to develop a strong sense of belonging.

Staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve.

Pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), learn the curriculum we...ll. The school is determined for all pupils to succeed across the full curriculum. By the end of key stage 2, pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.

Behaviour is positive both in lessons and on the playground. Staff have high expectations of pupils' behaviour and implement the school's new behaviour policy consistently and fairly. Pupils understand the school's behaviour system thoroughly.

Pupils know that they have trusted adults they can turn to if they have any worries. Staff and pupils have positive relationships. If any pupils find managing their own behaviour challenging, they receive effective support.

This helps staff to maintain a highly positive and respectful school culture.

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

The curriculum is highly ambitious, including in the early years. Lessons help pupils to build their knowledge effectively.

For example, in English pupils learn increasingly sophisticated vocabulary successfully. Pupils develop spelling, punctuation and grammar positively, learning from mistakes and constructing writing for different genres skilfully. Staff have the same high expectations for pupils with SEND.

They use visual aids and thoughtfully adapted resources to enable pupils to be successful. Subjects such as mathematics are planned and sequenced expertly, with clear, connected lessons that build cumulatively to ambitious end points.

Staff have strong subject knowledge.

They respond well to training that helps them teach the curriculum with increasing consistency across the staff team. In most subjects, staff check pupils' knowledge and understanding well to help adjust the curriculum and adapt lessons effectively. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND quickly.

However, at times, some staff do not check how well pupils have learned the curriculum effectively. Staff do not consistently correct pupils' errors and misconceptions across all subjects. As a result, some pupils do not build on their prior knowledge and learn as strongly as they could.

Reading is taught thoroughly. The school has a clear aim for every child to be a confident, enthusiastic reader. The use of 'challenge' texts for more advanced readers, for example, reflects the high ambition of the staff team to further develop pupils' knowledge and vocabulary.

Phonics is prioritised. Staff deliver the phonics programme systematically. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive help to catch up with their peers quickly.

By the end of key stage 2, most pupils become confident, fluent readers.

The school's specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND offers expert support for pupils who have high levels of need. Where necessary, the school works with external specialists such as occupational therapists to help individual pupils with SEND to be successful.

Pupils with SEND achieve well.

Most pupils attend school regularly. If pupils are at risk of lower attendance, the school has begun to do all that it reasonably can to help pupils be in school successfully.

There has been a significant positive shift in pupils' rates of attendance overall. Despite this, a small number of disadvantaged pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should. The school is aware of this and is continuing to develop supportive approaches aimed at uniting the community behind this priority area and making sure pupils do not miss out on the full educational offer that is available to them.

The school develops pupils' talents and interests positively, particularly in sports events. School clubs are popular, including netball, football and running. Pupils learn about different faiths and beliefs.

They learn to debate challenging issues, such as prejudice, in balanced ways. Educational visits help pupils to connect their learning meaningfully, as well as develop pupils' resilience and sense of well-being.

Governors understand their roles and responsibilities.

They ensure that resources are managed well and that leaders are held to account for the quality of education. The newly appointed leadership team have a clear understanding of the school's strengths and areas for development. This has led to significant improvement since the school's previous inspection report.

Staff feel valued and are committed to ensuring that pupils receive a high-quality education in a caring, understanding school environment.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some disadvantaged pupils do not attend school as regularly as they should.

Despite some recent improvement, rates of persistent absence are high for a small number of pupils. These pupils do not benefit from the full range of opportunities available to them throughout the curriculum or achieve as well as they could. The school should continue to work closely with families and ensure that pupils at risk of missing school receive the support they need to attend school regularly.

• At times, some staff do not check what pupils, including some pupils with SEND, know and can do as consistently and effectively as possible. As a result, some pupils, in some subjects, do not learn as well as they could. The school needs to ensure that staff check for gaps and address pupils' errors and misconceptions precisely so that pupils build their learning securely over time.