Chisenhale Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this friendly and happy school because they have kind friends to play with. If pupils have a worry, they feel confident to talk to an adult who will listen and help them.

This helps pupils to feel safe.

The school values pupils' suggestions and opinions. For example, 'Rights Rangers' are pupils democratically chosen by their classmates who work with school leaders to improve the school.

The 'Rights Rangers' interviewed candidates for the role of school chef. They are proud of their choice and explain that school dinners are now even better than before.

Pupils behave well here.

This is because staff generally have high ...expectations for behaviour. Pupils' conduct is orderly when moving around the school and during social times. They are respectful to staff, other pupils and visitors and this makes the school a calm place to learn.

Pupils work hard to show the school's values. They demonstrate the value of respect because they have been taught the importance of maintaining eye contact with the person who is speaking and not interrupting.

There are a range of clubs here.

For example, pupils attend chess, choir and gymnastics clubs. These activities help pupils to develop their talents and pursue their interests.

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

Reading is given importance here.

Pupils have opportunities to visit the school library. When reading to pupils, teaching staff use their voices expressively to model the personalities of different characters in the story. These experiences promote a love of reading.

Children start learning to read within the first few weeks of joining Reception. This is because the school aims for children to read fluently as soon as possible. The reading curriculum is well structured.

Teachers have the subject knowledge needed to deliver the curriculum effectively and this means that pupils recall previously learnt sounds confidently. Pupils who need help to keep up with their peers are given the support they need. Books are carefully matched to the sounds that pupils know.

Therefore, pupils read with confidence.

The curriculum is well-designed and broad. The school has identified the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember from the early years to Year 6.

Staff typically have secure subject knowledge. For example, pupils in Reception confidently know numbers up to 20 because they have been taught what each number is made up of. In some subjects, however, the activities that pupils complete are not closely aligned to the knowledge and skills that the school intends for pupils to learn.

This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning. In addition, sometimes teaching does not identify what pupils know and understand. This means that some pupils struggle to link previous learning to their current learning.

This includes some pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Vocabulary development is a focus for the school. In Year 6, pupils are taught words such as 'wistful', melancholy' and 'concealed'.

This is because the school aims for pupils to use language confidently. However, in the early years sometimes staff do not model language effectively to extend children's vocabulary. This means that some children have limited opportunities to hear and practise new language.

The school is determined that pupils with SEND should achieve well and develop independence. There are appropriate processes in place to identify pupils with SEND. The school works closely with external professionals to meet the needs of these pupils.

This means that pupils with SEND are able to work alongside their peers.

Pupils behave well here. This is because they know what is expected of them.

Therefore, the curriculum is taught without interruption. Attendance remains a priority. The school are taking appropriate action to reduce the number of pupils who are persistently absent.

The personal, social, health and economic education is well structured. Children learn about risk from the early years. For example, children visit the local fire station and are taught how to call for help and assistance.

Pupils have been taught how to keep safe online and are given opportunities to learn about cycle safety.

The school provides opportunities for pupils to visit different places of worship. These experiences help pupils to respect difference and celebrate others.

Pupils learn about fairness. They have been taught that people might be treated differently because of their gender or race.

Governors are ambitious for all pupils to achieve well here.

They know the next steps the school needs to take to make it even better. Staff are proud to work here. They value the initiatives in place to help their workload and support their well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the activities given to pupils do not align closely to the knowledge and skills leaders want pupils to know and remember. This means some pupils develop gaps in their learning.

In addition, sometimes teaching does not identify what pupils know and understand. This means that some pupils do not deepen their subject-specific knowledge and understanding and find it hard to link previous learning to their current learning. The school should ensure that activities align to the intended curriculum and that teaching identifies what pupils know and understand so that pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum.

• Sometimes in the early years, language is not modelled effectively, to extend children's vocabulary and sentence structure. This means that some children have limited opportunities to practise and hear new language. The school should ensure that staff develop pupils' vocabulary to support their current and future learning.

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