Chalk Ridge Primary School

School report Chalk Ridge Primary School Sullivan Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, RG22 4ER

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

 In the last two years, too few pupils have made good enough progress. Most reach broadly average levels of attainment overall, and lower in writing.  There is not a sharp enough focus on pupils’ learning and progress when measures to improve teaching are being planned.  The school’s judgements about the quality of teaching do not give enough consideration to the impact on pupils’ learning.  Governors have not held the school to account to the extent that they should.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to practise writing at greater length, and in different styles.  Teaching in Years 3 to 6 has not led to good progress by pupils, especially in writing.  Not all teachers set a brisk enough pace for learning, or make highly effective use of time.  The match of tasks and questions to pupils of different abilities is not always challenging enough, particularly for the most able.  Marking does not offer pupils enough feedback

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because:

about improvement; teachers do not provide opportunities to put their advice into practice.  Teachers’ use of targets does not help pupils to understand clearly the next steps in learning necessary to reach higher levels of attainment.  Teachers do not consistently clarify for pupils the precise purpose of lessons or the criteria by which they will judge successful learning.  Teaching assistants do not always have a clear role when teachers work with the whole class.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The leadership and members of staff have created a positive ethos in the school.  Senior leaders communicate an ambitious vision for the future of the school, and are intent on further improvement.  The school’s tracking information shows that pupils mostly make good progress in reading.  Pupils are happy at school and are well cared for, and parents and carers readily acknowledge this.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning, and behave well in lessons and around the school. They feel safe and say there is little bullying.  Parents and carers are confident in the school, which has done much to engage them.  The curriculum and the extra-curricular programme meet pupils’ needs and interests, and support their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 18 lessons, of which four were joint observations with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. Inspectors also heard a sample of pupils in Years 1 and 2 read.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, members of the school’s staff, and three members of the governing body, and a telephone discussion took place with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors analysed the 61 responses that were on Parent View by the end of the inspection.  Inspectors observed the school’s work, and looked at a range of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current attainment and progess, planning and monitoring documentation, records relating to behaviour and attendance, and documents relating to safeguarding and the management of the performance of staff.

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Inspection team

Chris Grove, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gerida Montague Additional Inspector Liz Thomas Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a primary school that is much larger than average in size.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium (which provides additional funding to support children in local authority care, children from service families and pupils known to be eligible for free school meals) is well below average. There is currently one child who is looked after by the local authority and none from service families.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is well below average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school holds the Rights Respecting School (Level 1) and the Hampshire Trailblazer awards.

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Information about this school

 The breakfast club, which is managed by the governing body, formed part of the inspection.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of good and better teaching by ensuring that teachers:  regularly provide good challenge to pupils’ reasoning and thinking through a better match of tasks and questions to all groups of pupils, especially the most able  set a more consistently good pace to learning, and make more effective use of time, in order to sustain pupils’ readiness to learn  make more consistently clear for pupils the precise purpose of lessons, and the criteria by which successful learning will be judged  ensure that teaching assistants are always productively deployed when teachers are working with the whole class.  Raise pupils’ attainment and accelerate their progress in writing, especially at Key Stage 2, by:  ensuring that pupils have more regular opportunities to write at greater length, and in a wider range of styles  helping pupils to understand how to improve the quality of their work through better feedback

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

from marking, and better opportunities to respond to the advice given  enabling pupils to develop a clearer understanding of the next steps in their learning through more effective reference to the targets necessary to reach a higher level of attainment.  Increase the effectiveness of leadership and governance by:  ensuring that the school’s improvement planning and its self-evaluation are more sharply focused on improving the outcomes for pupils  developing the skills of governors to hold the school to greater account for its performance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and governance may be improved.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 When children first enter the school, their knowledge and skills are generally as expected for their age. Although pupils consistently make good progress to reach well above average attainment by the end of Year 2, their progress has slowed thereafter in more recent times. As a result, pupils’ overall attainment in 2011 and 2012 has been only broadly average by the end of Year 6.  There was improvement in Year 6 pupils’ mathematical attainment in 2012. However, attainment in English was lower because pupils did not perform well enough in their writing.  The school’s current evidence points to some improvement in attainment in writing by the end of Year 6. Nevertheless, school information indicates that pupils in all year groups make slower progress in writing by comparison with other subjects. This evidence confirms the pattern in recent years of pupils’ slower progress in writing in comparison to reading and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

One reason is that pupils do not have consistently good opportunities to acquire the skills of writing more extensively, or in a greater variety of styles. However, a well-judged instance was observed in Year 6, where pupils had recently written attractively produced booklets.  Pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs make similar progress to that of their peers.  Children make good progress in the Reception classes, so that by the end of the year they reach expectations in all areas of learning, including reading, writing and early work about numbers.  The small proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, and variability in numbers, for example, two pupils from Year 6 in 2011/12 and five pupils in 2012/13, make comparisons across years difficult. The very small proportion of eligible pupils in 2011 attained lower results than all others in English, but slightly higher results in mathematics. However, in 2012, the gap

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

in performance widened to 4½ terms in English, and 6½ terms in mathematics.  The school makes appropriate use of its pupil premium funding for pupils in all year groups, for instance through additional one-to-one tuition in writing, and support for mathematics, both designed to enhance attainment. The funding also provides specialist social and emotional support for pupils who experience difficulties, and supports their participation in opportunities such as educational visits. This reflects the school’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and to tackling discrimination.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching has not led to pupils’ consistently good progress over time, and several aspects require improvement, especially in Years 3 to 6.  The planning of lessons does not always support learning well enough. Teachers do not consistently match tasks to the prior attainment of different groups of pupils. This sometimes results in insufficient challenge for some pupils, particularly the most able. Furthermore, teachers rarely pose different kinds of questions to pupils of different abilities, so that, for example, the more-able pupils are challenged to extend their reasoning and express their understanding. However, an example of effective questioning was observed in a mathematics lesson in Year 2, when pupils had to explain how they set about doubling numbers.  The pace of lessons is not always brisk enough. On occasions, for example, some classes of older pupils are expected to listen extensively to their teachers without enough opportunities for

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

active participation.  When teachers set tasks, they do not routinely state the time available, or how much time remains, so that pupils can judge how far they are on track to finish. On such occasions, the pace of learning slows.  Sometimes teachers set activities for pupils, without first specifying sufficiently the learning purpose, or clarifying the criteria by which successful learning will be judged.  Teaching assistants often support groups of pupils to complete the tasks set for them. However, there are occasions when teachers work with the whole class, without sufficiently considering how assistants could fulfil an active role.  Pupils’ writing is regularly and positively marked, often with reference to the objective for the task. However, teachers rarely advise pupils how they could improve the quality of their writing, or provide them with opportunities to apply advice given.  Although the school has arrangements to set pupils targets for improvement, they do not help

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

pupils sufficiently to make progress towards the next levels in writing, or in mathematics.  Teachers and assistants enjoy caring and trusting relationships with their pupils, and this does much to set the school’s positive ethos. For this reason, parents and carers who completed the online survey agreed without exception that their children are happy at school and are well looked after.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils respond well to the school’s positive ethos, and show good attitudes to learning. Most maintain a good focus on their work in lessons. They pay particularly good attention to teachers, are responsive to questions and participate readily in discussions. They mostly apply themselves diligently to their tasks, and cooperate well with others, for instance with their talk partners.  A very few pupils occasionally find it more difficult to sustain concentration, but teachers make sure that such behaviour is well managed. The ‘classroom charters’ give pupils ownership of agreed rules.  At break times and lunchtimes, pupils behave well around the school, and are polite and respectful towards teachers and visitors. There have been very few fixed-term exclusions in recent years, which indicates that there is little unacceptable behaviour.  Pupils understand the various forms that bullying can take, including cyber bullying. They say

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

that there is little bullying and no racism in school, and that where a difficulty arises they are confident adults quickly address the issue.  In discussion, pupils say that they feel safe. Parents and carers who took part in the online survey unanimously agreed that their children are safe at school.  Attendance is broadly average. Persistent absence is low, and is addressed appropriately.  The breakfast club provides a calm and happy beginning to the school day, providing enjoyable activities with good adult support for those who attend.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching are not yet good.  Senior and middle leaders conscientiously undertake a range of activities to monitor the quality of provision, with some positive impact in mathematics. However, the school’s improvement planning, including measures designed to improve teaching, does not focus sharply enough on the expected impact on pupils’ learning and progress. Similarly, when leaders make judgements about the quality of teaching, they do not give enough consideration to evaluating the impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Nevertheless, senior leaders communicate an ambitious vision for the school and its future development, and have high expectations of staff and pupils.  The curriculum is well balanced, and includes a close focus on reading, writing and mathematics. Breadth is achieved through attention to such subjects as science, art and history. French is

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The leadership and management require improvement

taught to pupils from Year 3. The Rights Respecting School award is testimony to the commitment to pupils’ personal development, and is exemplified by the roles of school councillors and the ‘Make a Difference’ team. The Trailblazer award reflects the focus on outdoor education. Both the curriculum and the programme of extra-curricular activities, involving a range of sports and music, and clubs for interests such as archaeology, computing, gardening and science, as well as the residential visits, do much to support pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The positive responses to the online questionnaire reflect parents’ and carers’ strong support for the school. The school’s website provides good levels of information, and helps parents and carers to be involved in their children’s learning.  School leaders maintain a rigorous focus on all issues concerning safeguarding and child

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The leadership and management require improvement

protection, which fully meet statutory requirements. They also ensure that vulnerable pupils are carefully supported.  The local authority has indicated to the school the need to accelerate pupils’ progress, especially in writing, to use the advice of its English inspector and to strengthen its self-evaluation. On this basis, it has given the school low-priority support.  The capacity to secure further improvement is shown by pupils’ higher standard of behaviour than when the school was last inspected. The effective focus on mathematics led to the rise in attainment in 2011/12, and the school is expecting this to rise further in the present year. The expanded leadership team is also beginning to extend capacity.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is very supportive of the school, has a secure understanding of its context and is proud of the positive ethos. Governors meet their statutory obligations. They undertake

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The leadership and management require improvement

the management of the headteacher’s performance, but are not well informed about how effectively other staff are appraised, or whether salary progression is merited. Although governors are clear about pupils’ lower performance in the last two years, they are less aware of the impact of teaching, or of the implications of national information about the school. They know how pupil premium funding is spent, but are less sure of the impact. The governing body subscribes to the local authority’s training arrangements, and individual governors report back on the training that they attend. Governors recognise the importance of holding the school to good account, but have not had sufficient training to do so effectively.

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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 pupils’ 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 pupils’ 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 is

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Grade Judgement Description

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 116057 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 413079

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 396 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Colin Davies Headteacher Donna Shave Date of previous school inspection 9–10 February 2009 Telephone number 01256 461733 Fax number 01256 812453 Email address adminoffice@chalkridgepri.hants.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, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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