Chase Side Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy here.

They work hard and behave well. This is because staff have high expectations of them. Pupils are confident and keen to share their learning and experiences of school with visitors.

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and respectful. This makes pupils feel well cared for. They are kept safe in school.

Although incidents of bullying are rare, pupils understand bullying and are confident about reporting it. Staff deal with bullying effectively. Parents and carers who completed the online surveys agreed that their children are safe, and that behaviour and bullying are well managed.

Pupils enjoy lunchtime and after-schoo...l activities that develop their interests in sports, performing arts, gardening and cookery. They are keen to take on extra responsibility and contribute positively to school life and the wider community. For example, the school council recently redesigned the school website and actively promotes walking or cycling to school.

Similarly, pupils have participated in the Enfield Town Partnership arts festival and have sung Christmas carols at the local church.

The curriculum in most areas has been well designed to support pupils to learn and remember more over time. As a result, pupils produce high-quality work in a range of subjects.

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

Pupils learn to read fluently. This begins in the Nursery, where children enjoy listening to and joining in with familiar stories, songs and rhymes. Staff have been well trained to teach phonics.

From Reception onwards, children learn and practise the sounds they need. Pupils who struggle with reading are quickly identified. These pupils receive focused support so that they become more confident and accurate when reading.

The curriculum matches the scope and content of what is expected in the national curriculum. Leaders have identified the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn. In most subjects, this has been well sequenced so that pupils can revisit important elements.

Leaders provide teachers with clear guidance on how to check what pupils have learned. Teachers make effective use of this information when identifying what pupils need to learn next. As a result, pupils typically build their understanding well over time, and apply this to more difficult learning.

For example, in mathematics, children in the early years practise counting forward and back each day. This supports them to understand addition and subtraction. Older pupils go on to use this knowledge successfully to order fractions.

Similarly, in art, pupils build their understanding of printing through using simple blocks to print single colours. They then apply this knowledge effectively when making their own printing blocks to print more complex shapes in different colours.

However, in a few subjects, the knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to learn and practise are less clear.

Pupils do not develop a secure understanding of what they have been taught. As a result, they struggle with more difficult concepts later on.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported to access the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff have been trained to understand and plan effectively for the pupils with the most significant needs. This supports these pupils to build confidence and be successful in their learning.

Pupils behave well in lessons when working alone or with others.

They move around the building calmly and play together sensibly in the playground. Leaders have prioritised improving pupils' attendance and punctuality. They are rightly focused on challenging and supporting families in making sure their children attend school regularly and on time.

Pupils' personal development has been carefully considered. Pupils discuss with confidence what they have been taught about 'stranger danger', online safety, and discrimination. The curriculum has been designed to help pupils understand the importance of healthy relationships.'

Wellness' programmes, which started during the partial closure of schools due to COVID-19 restrictions, have continued. Pupils are knowledgeable about maintaining their physical and mental health, and about how they can seek support if needed.

Leaders, including governors, have acted swiftly to address the weaknesses raised during the previous inspection.

They have prioritised training for all staff. This has ensured that staff are knowledgeable when planning and delivering most areas of the curriculum. Staff are proud to work at Chase Side.

They value the opportunities that they have to develop professionally, and said that leaders manage their workload well. Teachers at the start of their careers feel well supported by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff understand how to report any concerns that arise, because they have been well trained. Leaders regularly seek advice and guidance from the local authority and other agencies. This ensures that pupils and their families receive the support they need.

The curriculum helps pupils understand how to stay safe. For example, pupils have attended workshops on the risks of gang affiliation and county lines. They have also been taught about appropriate language, and understand that sexist, racist or homophobic language is inappropriate.

Pupils are confident about expressing when they feel uncomfortable about language that they might hear.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, the essential knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn are not clear. As a result, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to practise what is important.

This means that they struggle to remember and apply their understanding to more difficult work. Leaders should ensure that in all subjects, and topics within subjects, there is a sharp focus on the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. This will help pupils to build their understanding over time.

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