Cippenham School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a harmonious school where pupils are kind and considerate to one another. There are warm, respectful, and inclusive attitudes between everyone. School rules and rewards systems are clear and consistently followed, this helps pupils to be safe and enjoy learning.

Pupils settle to work quickly, try their best and are proud of their achievements. They know that staff care about them. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns.

They also know that adults will help them sort out any difficulties they may have.

Various trips, such as to local places of worship and residential visits, strengthen and enrich pupils' learning. These experie...nces help them appreciate the world around them.

Pupils value the opportunities to develop their talents. They enjoy a wide range of clubs and activities. Pupils are proud of their school.

As a result, they are happy to take on leadership roles to make it even better.

The Trust checks on the school's improvement effectively and provides high-quality support. Leaders at all levels want the very best for all pupils, this is encapsulated by the school vision 'To be the best you can be.'



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

The school has recently put in place a carefully designed curriculum. Following low outcomes in 2022, the school has reorganised learning and ensured that pupils achieve well. The curriculum is ambitious for pupils and for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

The school is determined that pupils with SEND achieve their best. There are effective processes in place to identify pupils with SEND. Staff are well supported in this work by the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator.

This ensures that pupils receive the help that they need, when they need it. Teachers know when pupils need extra help and provide support quickly. They make appropriate adaptations to make sure pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They chose activities that help pupils to remember what they have learned in the long term. However, their approach to assessment is not yet consistent across all subjects.

This means that sometimes teachers do not always have an exact understanding of what pupils already know.

Children in the early years settle in very quickly due to the high-quality care and support that staff provide. Children enjoy a well-resourced and purposeful learning environment.

They display high levels of attention and curiosity when focusing on their chosen tasks. However, teachers have not yet identified precisely enough what vocabulary they want children to know by the end of Reception Year. Staff do not always use the conversations that they have with children to help them develop their communication during less structured times.

As a result, some children do not gain as much as they could from these interactions.The teaching of early reading is effective. From the start of Reception, teachers follow the phonics scheme rigorously.

Pupils practise their reading using books that accurately match the sounds they have learned, which helps with their fluency and confidence. Weaker readers receive carefully planned support to help them keep up. Books are a rich and plentiful resource which are showcased in the special age appropriate reading space in Reception and Year 1 called the 'little library'.

Pupils behave well. The school has ensured that there is a clear procedure for staff to use to manage behaviour. Pupils are motivated by the opportunities to be awarded important house-points.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been a factor in some pupils not attending school regularly and pupil absence is still too high. This means that pupils are missing out on crucial learning and experiences.

Relationships among pupils and staff reflect a very positive and respectful culture.

Pupils have a sound appreciation of fundamental British values, how to keep themselves safe and tolerance. Pupils also have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships. There is a strong emphasis on giving pupils a wide range of experiences which enriches their spiritual, moral, social and cultural appreciation.

Special quiet and named 'mindful' spaces in the school encourage pupils to be reflective. They hold mature attitudes about the difference between right and wrong, willingly volunteer for school leadership roles and co-operate well together.

Leaders at all levels know their school very well.

They use this knowledge to implement well considered plans for improvement. The trust provide high quality support and fulfil their statutory duties expertly. There is a sharp focus on working together to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.

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, teachers do not have a strong enough understanding of what pupils know and understand. This means that pupils are not always supported well enough to advance their learning.

The school should ensure that teachers' assessment strengthens so that they can respond more effectively to what pupils already know. ? In the early years, the school has not identified the specific vocabulary that children need to know and understand. This means that some children do not communicate as well as they could.

The school should improve their approach to language development in early years so that it is as strong as it is in other year groups. ? The attendance of some pupils remains stubbornly low. This means that these pupils are not able to benefit from the wide range of opportunities that the school offers.

The school should ensure that pupils attend more regularly.

How can I feedback my views?

You can use Ofsted Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child's school, or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

In the report, 'disadvantaged pupils' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route).

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