Chickerell Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school This is a rapidly improving school. Strong leadership from the headteacher and other senior leaders has led to improvements in the quality of teaching and, consequently, pupils' outcomes. Leaders have a secure understanding of the school's strengths and areas that require further improvement.

Development planning is focused sharply on the appropriate priorities, and is checked regularly for the impact that actions are having on driving up standards across the school. The quality of teaching is consistently strong across all phases of the school. Teachers and teaching assistants take responsibility for their own performance and for the impact their... teaching has on pupils' learning.

Pupils' progress has strengthened considerably since the previous inspection and is now broadly in line with national averages. Disadvantaged pupils, and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), make progress which is at least as strong as other pupils. However, despite this stronger progress, the attainment of pupils in reading and writing is not yet consistently in line with national averages.

Pupils' behaviour is strong. They are polite, courteous and respectful. Leaders have put in place a robust assessment system which provides accurate information about pupils' attainment in English and mathematics.

However, assessments in other subjects, such as science, lack the same level of precision. The governing body provides effective governance. They have an in-depth understanding of the school and use the first-hand information that they gather to hold school leaders stringently to account.

Governors' plans for the spending of additional funding lack precision. This is limiting their ability to evaluate the effectiveness of individual initiatives. Leaders have established an engaging curriculum that meets pupils' needs and develops their skills and understanding.

Pupils talk confidently about their learning, but their awareness of other cultures is more limited. The school's safeguarding arrangements are effective. Staff are proactive and vigilant in keeping children safe.

However, procedures for ensuring that employment checks meet statutory requirements lack rigour. Children get off to a strong start in early years. They make good progress across both the Nursery and Reception Years, and often from low starting points.

Information about this school

Chickerell Primary Academy is a larger-than-average sized primary school in Dorset. There are two classes per year group from Reception to Year 5. In Year 6, pupils are currently being taught in three separate class groups.

The school also has a Nursery with early years provision for 24 children at a time. The school converted to become an academy in January 2013, and governance is provided by a local governing body. Although not part of a multi-academy trust, the school is an associate member of the Acorn Multi-Academy Trust.

This provides the school with external support and challenge as well as staff training. The vast majority of pupils are White British. The proportion who speak English as an additional language is well below the national average.

The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported through pupil premium funding is well below the national average. The proportion of pupils with SEND is broadly in line with the national average, as is the proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. At the time of the inspection, no pupils were attending alternative provision.