Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending Charlton-on-Otmoor Church of England Primary School. Leaders and staff share high expectations for their pupils. Pupils rise to these expectations and are enthusiastic about their learning.

Pupils and staff are proud to be part of this small village school. One parent commented, 'The school has a very strong culture of togetherness and community.'

From the minute they join the school, children learn to behave according to the school values.

They are polite and considerate to each other. The learning environment is vibrant... and stimulating. It provides numerous opportunities to learn vital language skills.

Pupils relish the chance to explore the trim trail and sports equipment at playtime. They learn to share and take turns.

Pupils told inspectors that bullying does not happen in their school.

They feel safe and have many trusted adults to talk to if they are worried. Bullying is dealt with swiftly by leaders on the rare occasions it does happen.

The eco-council is an important part of the school.

All pupils have the chance to join. Prospective councillors write their own manifesto and classes vote to choose their own representatives. The eco-council helps all pupils learn about democracy, citizenship and caring for the world.

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

Leaders and governors are ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They want all pupils to gain skills and knowledge across a broad curriculum. In some subjects, such as mathematics and geography, leaders have designed a well-sequenced curriculum from Nursery through to Year 6.

However, leaders' work to develop the curriculum in a few subjects is not yet complete.

In some subjects, leaders have broken down a series of lessons into smaller parts to help pupils build knowledge over time. In reading, mathematics and geography, this helps teachers check for understanding, including identifying misconceptions.

Teachers skilfully use this information about what pupils know and can do to inform their teaching. However, leaders have not yet identified the smaller parts of key knowledge across all subjects. Sometimes, teachers do not check that pupils have a secure understanding of the new knowledge before they move on.

The teaching of mathematics is strong. Children begin to develop confidence with mathematical concepts in the early years. Staff carefully structure activities to help deepen their understanding of numbers and shapes.

Pupils in older year groups learn how to solve complex computational problems. This helps them develop confidence and resilience. Teachers adapt activities in lessons to help make learning accessible and demanding for all pupils.

This means that pupils with SEND make good progress through the curriculum alongside their peers.

The teaching of early reading is a strength of the school. Children learn to love stories from the start of Nursery.

Older pupils read widely and confidently. Staff make reading activities highly engaging. Leaders ensure that the staff who teach phonics have expert knowledge.

Staff closely follow the school's chosen phonics scheme in an engaging and systematic way. Staff check pupils' learning and understanding of phonics routinely. Some pupils receive effective extra support to keep up.

The books pupils take home to read are carefully chosen so they match the sounds they are learning. This helps pupils get off to a strong start in reading.

The behaviour of pupils is positive.

Staff teach them to know right from wrong. Pupils are courteous and caring towards each other. The youngest children learn how to concentrate and follow instructions well.

These attitudes help pupils achieve across the curriculum. Leaders have recently introduced a restorative approach to behaviour management. Through this, pupils learn to take responsibility for their actions.

Staff help pupils to learn about consequences and feelings.

Leaders prioritise the wider development of pupils. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests.

Older pupils join in with the leadership opportunities available to them. They sometimes design and run clubs for younger pupils. Some lead the singing during assembly, while other pupils act as house captains.

These opportunities teach pupils mutual respect and responsibility. Community events are an important part of the fabric of school life. Pupils and staff benefit from the many opportunities to take part in community events, such as the village May Day celebrations.

Governors provide diligent support and challenge for leaders. Staff are really proud to work at the school. There is a strong sense of belonging and family in the small but dedicated staff team.

They relish the professional development opportunities given to them. Staff appreciate that leaders take into account their workload when making decisions and adapting policies.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Positive and caring relationships underpin safeguarding here. Leaders, including governors, are diligent in how they ensure that children are safe.

The recently strengthened safeguarding team is knowledgeable and approachable. All staff know how to identify any potential concerns and the importance of reporting them to the right people. Leaders follow up concerns in a timely and considered away.

Children learn how to keep themselves safe, through assemblies and personal, social and health education lessons. They know the importance of reporting concerns if they are worried.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, leaders have not yet ensured that the curriculum is well planned and sequenced.

This means that the order in which pupils should learn key knowledge and skills is not yet mapped precisely enough. Leaders and governors must ensure that the curriculum developments, already underway, are completed so that key knowledge and skills are identified and mapped in a coherent structure across all subjects. ? Teachers in some subjects do not always check pupils' understanding of key concepts and skills before moving on to new content or skills.

This means that, sometimes, pupils' knowledge is not secure. Leaders must ensure that teachers adopt a consistent approach to checking for understanding before teachers move on to new learning.

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

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

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2013.