Cholsey Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are very keen for pupils to develop as individuals. Leaders place the school's 'CARE' values of curiosity, aspiration, respect and enthusiasm at the heart of the school experience for pupils.

Leaders track each pupil's personal development regularly. This includes considering attributes such as 'ability to form relationships', 'self-belief', and 'sustaining focus'.

Pupils' character development is reflected in their behaviour and conduct.

Pupils' behaviour in class is calm. Around the school, pupils demonstrate good manners, such as holding doors open for others. Pupils also behave well outside and play together well.

Leaders trust pupils to ...show their own leadership skills. There are traditional roles, such as house captains, school councillors and sports leaders. 'CARE ambassadors' enhance this provision further.

These are pupils who volunteer to support other pupils to have constructive, social and happy lunchtimes.

Pupils develop a strong sense of the needs of others. Pupils speak inclusively about people from different backgrounds.

Leaders ensure that pupils develop their own understanding of how to keep themselves safe. This enables pupils to become more independent as they grow older. For example, Year 6 pupils learn about various safeguarding issues, including cyber-safety and county lines, when they visit 'Junior Citizens'.

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

Leaders aspire to deliver a high-quality education for all pupils. There are strong, shared values, which all governors, staff and pupils know and understand. Leaders have implemented a clear and sequenced curriculum for all subjects.

This is now enabling better outcomes for pupils in all subject areas.

Leaders have prioritised improving pupils' reading this year. Leaders have implemented the phonics programme successfully.

Teachers have good phonics knowledge and deliver phonics lessons with clarity. Teachers ensure that pupils, especially in the younger year groups, have books they can read and understand. Some pupils do not learn to read as fast as they could.

When this is the case, leaders put support into place to help those pupils. However, this support needs greater clarity and consistency between classes.

The curriculum in all other subjects is increasingly effective.

In mathematics, despite previous historically low outcomes, there have been purposeful improvements. Many pupils now learn mathematical content and strategies effectively. In the wider curriculum, pupils make good progress in learning knowledge and skills in most classes.

For example, some pupils can confidently recall their learning in computing, history or religious education (RE). Teachers check how well pupils are learning during lessons, especially in mathematics and English. Staff address any gaps or misunderstandings they identify in these subjects.

However, this is not the case in all subjects. Subject leaders are developing a better understanding of the quality of teaching and pupils' achievement in their subjects, but this could be more effective. For example, assessment processes in many wider curriculum subjects are not yet robust.

Subject leaders have also had training on how to monitor the impact of their subject curriculum, but this is not yet effective in all subjects. This means that curriculum adaptations are not always made quickly enough so that all pupils can learn as well as they should in those subjects.

Provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well led.

Leaders have implemented some effective processes that help to identify the individual needs of pupils with SEND. This enables pupils with SEND to access and achieve more in lessons. Leaders and teachers track how well the individualised provision meets pupils' needs.

Pupils' behaviour is calm and courteous. Leaders ensure that the procedures all staff follow are clear. The vast majority of children conduct themselves well in classrooms, around the school and outside.

Some pupils need more support for their behaviour. Leaders create plans based on the individual behaviour needs of pupils. They check these regularly to ensure they have the impact that leaders intend.

Pupils' wider development has many strengths. Leaders have embedded the relationships and sex education and health education curriculum. Pupils receive useful and age-appropriate learning around growing up.

Pupils have the opportunity to learn a variety of musical instruments, and many pupils participate in the annual music concert. While there are many sports clubs, the amount and variety of inter-school fixtures and competitions are limited. Pupils learn early enterprise skills.

For example, at the summer fete, the group who raised the most money at their stall won a small prize.

Staff know that they work in a supportive environment. They feel that leaders and colleagues communicate well.

Governors underpin this with a strong understanding of the school's current needs. They are outward looking and plan carefully for its future requirements.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

All staff understand the actions to take to keep pupils safe. This is because training is thorough and regular. All staff contribute to records that detail the concern, how leaders respond and the outcome.

Recruitment procedures are robust, with all appropriate checks made on staff and visitors.

Pupils say they feel safe at school. They know that they can seek support from trusted adults, when needed.

Pupils talks confidently about their learning of safe online practices. This includes the concept of 'SMART', while older pupils understand about scams and mobile phone safety.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that assessment processes are fully in place in all subjects.

As a result, leaders do not know whether all pupils achieve as well as they could in many subjects of the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure that they know how well pupils understand and remember all the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn in all areas of the curriculum. ? The quality of subject leadership and monitoring is developing.

However, some subject leaders have not fully checked that pupils' learning in their subject area is as effective as possible. Leaders need to support subject leaders further so that they have the knowledge and skills to check what is working well and what needs further development. This will help to ensure that all pupils achieve as well as possible.

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