Chapmanslade Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are proud of their school.

Parents are overwhelmingly positive. Many parents comment on how much staff care about the well-being of each pupil. Relationships between pupils and adults are warm and respectful.

As a result, pupils feel safe.

Pupils follow the school rules, 'ready, respect and safe.' Adults have high expectations of pupils, who are successful in meeting these.

Pupils behave well. Adults celebrate this by putting pupils' names on the 'recognition board.' Pupils listen attentively and produce high-quality work.

Pupils are polite and courteous. Children in early years cooperate with each other and take turns. Duri...ng social times, pupils play well together.

They particularly enjoy the 'active wall', which helps them to keep fit.

Pupils understand the difference between falling out and bullying. They say that bullying is rare.

They have many ways to communicate concerns with adults, including a worry box. Pupils know that adults will help them to resolve any issues quickly.

Pupils enjoy the range of extra-curricular clubs and activities, including musical theatre, cheerleading and choir.

They speak with pride about representing their school in sporting competitions.

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

The new leadership team is providing clarity and direction. Leaders continue to drive improvement at the school with great determination.

With the support of the local authority and diocese, leaders work well to develop important areas of the school. This has led to improvement in the quality of the school's curriculum. Leaders know there is still more work to do.

Those responsible for governance provide challenge and support in equal measure.

Leaders are ambitious for pupils. They have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum.

In subjects such as mathematics, they have identified the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and in what order. From Reception Year, children develop a secure understanding of number, which provides strong foundations on which new knowledge builds. For example, children know how to combine two numbers to make numbers to 10 in different ways.

This prepares children well for their progression into Year 1. Adults support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities effectively so they can learn alongside their peers.

In some subjects, leaders have not identified the essential knowledge that pupils need to remember and use regularly.

This makes it difficult for teachers to design learning and check precisely what pupils must know. Some pupils develop gaps in their learning and do not build their knowledge as well as they could. For example, in French, pupils struggle to speak in sentences or phrases with the vocabulary they know.

Leaders have implemented an effective phonics programme recently. Staff benefit from the training they receive. From Reception Year, children learn the sounds they need to help them read.

They learn phonics in a systematic way. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. Staff accurately identify pupils who are at risk of falling behind.

However, some pupils who may have fallen behind do not receive the extra help they need in a timely manner. This means they do not catch up as quickly as they should. Older pupils read a wide range of high-quality texts.

They discuss, in depth, the techniques that authors use to engage the reader.

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning. These start in Reception Year, where children are curious and ask questions.

Adults support pupils with complex needs proficiently. They make good use of 'the nest', where staff help pupils to regulate their behaviour. Leaders have rightly prioritised training for staff to help manage pupils' social and emotional needs.

The personal, social, health and economic curriculum supports pupils' understanding of how to be a responsible citizen. Pupils know that sometimes their peers struggle with their emotions. They understand the need for additional support from adults and access to different resources to help them.

Pupils are inclusive. They learn about tolerance and acceptance. They say that everyone is welcome at their school.

Pupils value the time they have to reflect in collective worship or visit the prayer garden where they can 'rest their minds'.

Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, including when online. Pupils spoke about the social awareness day and internet safety days that help them to learn how to stay safe.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are clear procedures and policies in place to ensure that pupils are safe. Leaders make sure that everyone is up to date with training.

Staff know the pupils well. They notice the 'small things' and report any concerns without hesitation. Leaders work closely with pupils and their families.

They make sure that pupils and their families get the support they need when they need it. Leaders complete the appropriate checks to ensure that adults, including volunteers, are suitable to work in school.

The school has suitable policies in place to raise awareness among staff and parents about the dangers of sexual harassment, online sexual abuse and sexual violence.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some pupils who fall behind in phonics are not given the support they need in a timely manner. This means that they do not keep up with their peers. Leaders need to ensure that there is a systematic approach in place so that these pupils get the support they need to read with fluency and confidence.

• In some wider curriculum subjects, the essential knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn has not been identified. This means that there are gaps in what pupils know. Leaders need to identify the key components they want pupils to know and remember and then check pupils' understanding.

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