Churchfields, the Village School

Churchfields, The Village School Bradford Road, Atworth, Melksham, SN12 8HY

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  The school has built well on strengths seen at the last inspection. It is improving strongly and there are significant strengths in some aspects of its work.  Pupils achieve well in all phases of the school and at both sites. From their above average attainment on entry, pupils do especially well in reading, mathematics and oral communication.  The school makes excellent use of the pupil premium funding, including for disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. As a result, their achievement is outstanding.  Teaching is consistently good and occasionally outstanding. The quality of marking, advice on how to improve and use of pupils’ targets to motivate progress are exemplary. Teachers’ excellent relationships with pupils help promote outstanding behaviour management.  The headteacher has gained the total commitment of all members of the school community and established high quality

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

teamwork. As a result, the amalgamation of the two schools has been highly successful.  Staff and members of the governing body support self-evaluation and development, especially improvement in the quality of teaching, well. There is good awareness of where improvement is still needed, with plans in place to address remaining weaknesses.  Pupils’ personal development is outstanding. Their behaviour is excellent, as are their attitudes to learning.  The high regard the school gives to ensuring pupils’ safety is seen in the excellent policies and procedures in place and swift response to any potential hazard.  The school’s outstanding partnership with parents and carers has ensured that they give excellent support to their children’s learning.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment in writing is not as good as in other important subjects because of shortcomings in pupils’ spelling and their ability to write in different formats and use a wide range of effective vocabulary.  Teachers do not always plan lesson activities that allow pupils to do their very best and this limits the achievement of some higher attainers.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed six lessons, of which three were joint observations with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector made a number of other short visits to lessons in all classes and heard a sample of pupils read.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils on both sites, members of the governing body and staff, including senior and middle managers, and a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of the responses to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View). A small number of parents and carers at both sites who were bringing their children to, or collecting from, school were also spoken to.  The inspector observed the school’s work and scrutinised a number of documents including the school’s records on current pupils’ progress, behaviour and attendance. Documents relating to planning and monitoring and safeguarding were also looked at.

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Inspection team

Diane Wilkinson, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Churchfield is a small school based on two sites in the villages of Atworth and Monkton Farleigh. All pupils are taught in mixed age classes.  A very small minority of pupils are supported by school action, school action plus or a statement of special educational needs. This is below the national average. Very few pupils come from other disadvantaged groups and only a small minority are known to be eligible for the pupil premium. This is also below the national average.  Since its last inspection the school roll has increased by a third and a higher proportion of pupils than is seen nationally joined the school after Reception or left before Year 6. There has also been a high turnover of staff, including a change in headteacher.  The school has met government floor standards in English and mathematics (these are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress required by the government).

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in writing and increase the proportion of pupils exceeding the levels expected for their age through improving pupils’ ability to:  spell accurately  write effectively in a range of formats  use adventurous vocabulary to enliven their work.  Improve the quality of teaching so that the majority is outstanding by:  ensuring that all lesson activities closely match the levels at which different pupils are working and enable all higher attaining pupils to do their very best.

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Inspection judgements

 Outstanding relationships with the Crawlers Toddler Group and Hollyhocks Nursery help ensure children are especially well prepared for school. Attainment on entry varies, but is generally above that expected. Reception children’s good progress ensures the large majority exceed the levels expected for their age by the end of the year.  The school’s effective tracking of all year groups indicates that progress in Years 1 to 6 is good. Excellent support for pupils at risk of underachieving, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, ensures their achievement is outstanding, with virtually all reaching at least the levels expected for their age by Year 6. The school is quick to assess all pupils who join, including those who do so other than in Reception so these pupils achieve as well as their peers..  Progress in reading is outstanding. Younger pupils quickly learn the sounds in words

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Inspection judgements

(phonics) successfully so they confidently build up new words. Reading is given high priority consequently; by Year 6, almost all pupils achieve, and the majority exceed, the expected level for their age. Their excellent reading skills support learning across a range of subjects and pupils are enthusiastic about different genres and authors.  Teachers lead outstanding discussions in lessons and value all pupils’ responses whatever their age or ability so that pupils achieve high oral communication skills. Pupils become very confident and extremely thoughtful and perceptive as a result.  In writing the large majority of pupils attain the levels expected, but far fewer than in reading and mathematics exceed them. This is largely because for some higher attaining pupils their spelling and other aspects of writing are not good enough to achieve the higher levels. Addressing this is a current priority for the school.

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Inspection judgements

 Rapidly accelerating progress in mathematics last year saw attainment swiftly improving. Younger pupils’ use of number lines helps ensure these pupils have an excellent understanding of place value. Older pupils work very effectively with high quantities, decimals and negative numbers. Pupils become very confident in applying their mathematical skills across a range of subjects.  Pupils’ excellent attitudes to learning and outstanding relationships with staff enhance their progress in a range of subjects such as history and physical education.

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Inspection judgements

 Effective support and monitoring of teaching ensures the government’s Teachers’ Standards are achieved without exception across both sites. The higher turnover of staff has been managed especially well so that teaching is never less than good, with excellent behaviour management ensuring pupils always concentrate well and work hard.  Good account is taken of the age range in each class, for example ensuring that Reception children are provided with the wide range of activities appropriate for their age. Teaching assistants are especially well deployed to ensure pupils’ individual needs are met, including those newly arrived at the school and those eligible for the pupil premium.  Regular checking of pupils’ progress in lessons and high quality marking ensure pupils receive very good advice on how to improve. Pupils are skilled at checking their own and each other’s work and constantly refer to their personal targets, strongly determined to

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Inspection judgements

achieve them.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs benefit from the high quality support provided by teachers and classroom assistants during lessons and also special group work. As a result, they achieve exceptionally well.  Whilst planning generally provides effectively for different ability groups, only a minority of teachers finely tune it to target pupils on the cusp of reaching higher attainment levels. Consequently, not all pupils do the very best they are capable of.  In a few lessons higher attaining pupils spend too long on whole class activities where teachers explain things these pupils already know, which limits their progress.  Reading is exceptionally well taught, including by classroom assistants who play a major role in ensuring that those pupils who find this difficult rapidly catch up. Parental and carer support for reading at home or in school is excellent.

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Inspection judgements

 Very effective staff training and a new programme of work have improved mathematics teaching especially well. However, until recently in writing, although teachers have had high expectations for the majority of pupils, for some higher attaining pupils the challenges set were less aspirational which limited their achievement.

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Inspection judgements

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

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Inspection judgements

 Pupils’ excellent behaviour and attitudes to school are a major reason for their good and improving achievement. Attendance is consistently above average, with the school very successfully decreasing the number of poor attenders.  Relationships between pupils and with adults are outstanding. Bullying in any form, such as name calling, is extremely rare and always dealt with swiftly and successfully.  Pupils’ moral awareness and social skills are excellent so that pupils work exceptionally well cooperatively and develop a strong awareness of, and empathy for, pupils from different backgrounds, religions or cultures.  Pupils are unfailingly polite, friendly and helpful to adults and each other. They are extremely thoughtful and reflective and exhibit a maturity far beyond their years. Their capacity for taking on responsibility is excellent. Staff are effective in ensuring there is no discrimination.

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Inspection judgements

 The policies, systems and procedures, including rewards and sanctions to encourage good behaviour and support those who find this difficult, are exemplary.  Pupils and their parents and carers know the former are safe and exceptionally well looked. A range of activities, including those related to the Forest School, help ensure pupils are very confident at assessing risks and are well aware of hazards, for example when using the internet. This also encourages pupils to tackle challenging lesson activities and learn well from their mistakes.

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Inspection judgements

 The headteacher’s exceptionally strong drive and ambition are successfully shared with the whole school community. There is a very effective commitment to continuous improvement, with staff at all management levels and members of the governing body constantly seeking ways in which to improve provision and pupils’ progress.  A strength of self-evaluation is the effective links made between pupil outcomes and the impact that provision has on these. This is then linked well to school development planning and teachers’ performance management. Both of these are successfully helping to move the school forward, providing it with a good capacity to improve further. This is clearly evident in the fact that aspects in writing and in teaching which require improvement have already been identified and strategies put in place to address them.  The headteacher and governing body have very successfully embedded the amalgamation

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Inspection judgements

of the two sites so pupils, parents and carers and the two village communities strongly benefit from this.  The local authority provides good support for improving the quality of teaching, both through effective in-service training and in monitoring lessons. This has had a very positive effect on the teaching of mathematics over the past year and is currently strongly focused on achieving the same results in writing.  Highly effective policies and procedures ensure that the school fully meets statutory requirements with regard to safeguarding, for example through the vetting of staff and child protection. Good links with the Snapdragons before and after school club support the care of pupils well.  The rich, interesting and motivating curriculum engages and inspires pupils to achieve well academically and make excellent progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Strong links with the local villages and use of the rural community enhance

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Inspection judgements

learning considerably. New programmes of work to improve achievement in mathematics have been very successful, but those to improve spelling and other aspects of writing are too new to show any significant effect on learning.  The provision for pupils with a disability or special educational needs is managed and monitored exceptionally well so that highly effective programmes are in place to support these pupils’ excellent achievement.  Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted especially well, including through links with the local churches. Pupils are highly reflective and gain a wide range of knowledge about their own and other cultures.  The school’s engagement with parents and carers is exceptionally effective, not least in the range of activities staff provide to ensure that parents and carers are fully informed on how to help children at home. Parents and carers are very appreciative and especially supportive

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Inspection judgements

of the school.  The governance of the school is good:  members of the governing body provide a strong level of challenge to the headteacher and staff with management responsibilities  members are very committed to their role, evaluating the own effectiveness regularly and currently focusing on playing a more proactive role in target setting. They fulfil their statutory duties well, including with regard to the allocation of resources for the pupil premium, ensuring all pupils have equality of opportunity and improving the school through performance management. There is clear evidence that these are successfully helping to raise achievement.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupil’s needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupil’s needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school

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Grade Judgement Description

is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 130388 Local authority Wiltshire Inspection number 403615

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Voluntary controlled Age range of pupils 4-11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 147 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Max Luff Headteacher Steven Bennett Date of previous school inspection 25 March 2008 Telephone number 01225 703026 Fax number 01225 703026 Email address admin@churchfields.wilts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work-based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille,

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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