Chesterton Community College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive in this warm and inclusive school. They are happy and safe in a school where they are known as individuals.

Staff take time to find out about pupils' interests and their successes out of school. This helps create a sense of community, where pupils feel they belong. Consequently, pupils enjoy attending school and do so regularly.

Pupils' behaviour is impeccable because they share a belief that only the highest standards of conduct are acceptable. Together, staff and pupils foster a climate of respect and positivity. Everyone is welcomed, included and valued.

The school has an extremely high level of ambition for all pupils. This is matched in equ...al measure by pupils' own determination to succeed. Pupils work hard.

Pupils achieve exceptionally well, as reflected in published outcomes. Many sixth-form students secure offers from and places at some of the country's most prestigious universities.

Pupils' academic learning is enriched by a myriad of opportunities to embrace new interests.

Regular productions, concerts and public performances showcase pupils' artistic and musical talent. Pupils proudly represent the school in sporting competitions. Many pupils enjoy life-defining experiences, such as visits to Kenya or the battlefields of Europe or completing their Duke of Edinburgh's Award.

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

The school aspires to provide pupils with a 'world class' educational experience. To achieve this, it has developed a highly ambitious curriculum. Pupils learn the knowledge they need to become the subject experts of the future.

The curriculum routinely goes beyond the depth of the national curriculum.

Pupils are thirsty for knowledge. They are excited to learn more because of their teachers' infectious enthusiasm for the subjects they teach.

Teachers skilfully help pupils apply what they already know to help them learn new, increasingly complex ideas. New knowledge is broken into small pieces. Teachers explain these in a way that pupils easily understand.

Teachers guide and prompt pupils to draw these small pieces together. Pupils also learn vital learning skills to help them secure and use new information. This helps them produce written work of an exceptional standard.

Pupils confidently use technical and subject-specific language with accuracy. Pupils become proficient problem solvers. They apply knowledge with ease in different contexts.

Pupils clearly articulate the deep understanding of the topics they have learned.

Teachers are highly proficient at adapting their approaches. This supports pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), access the curriculum as intended.

Teachers have a detailed knowledge of individual pupils. They know pupils' interests and their potential barriers to learning. Teachers use this information to amend how they teach.

Staff carefully check what pupils know. They identify how well pupils have understood what they have been taught. Teachers fix any misconceptions or misunderstandings immediately.

Consequently, pupils, including those with SEND, learn extremely well.

The school has ensured that reading is at the core if its curriculum. Pupils who find reading difficult are quickly identified.

Experts in reading design individual programmes to help these pupils. Pupils are supported by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, including sixth-form students. They rapidly catch up and become confident, fluent readers.

The school has extended its ambitious curriculum to provide for students in its recently opened sixth form. Students benefit from being able to choose from a broad offer of subjects. The school has invested in enhancing teachers' knowledge and expertise in order to teach these new courses.

Consequently, students benefit from exceptional teaching. Students develop a rich insight of the complex and often abstract topics they learn. Students, including those with SEND, achieve highly.

Pupils have a strong desire to learn. They enjoy a school culture that respects this right to learn. They share an understanding of what excellent conduct looks like.

Older pupils mentor younger pupils to help them meet these standards. This means that learning is rarely disrupted. Pupils celebrate the diversity of their school community.

They are proud of and celebrate the differences that unite them.

The school's personal development provision is exceptional. Pupils are well prepared to become positive members of modern society.

They routinely demonstrate important values like tolerance. They respect that others may have views different to their own, and why this is important in a democratic society. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe.

They know the importance of maintaining healthy minds, bodies and relationships. The careers programme interweaves through all aspects of the school's curriculum. Access to relevant and detailed information helps pupils make well-informed choices for their future.

Governors and trustees play a key role. They have a deep understanding of and pride in the school's strengths but remain determined not to let things stand still. They robustly hold leaders to account for the impact of their actions.

Staff are proud to work at the school. They are highly valued and respected by the school and the trust.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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