Chorleywood Primary School

Chorleywood Primary School Stag Lane, Chorleywood, Rickmansworth, WD3 5HR

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Overall effectiveness

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

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Good teaching and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning enable pupils to attain standards of work which are well above those usually found.  Staff give good attention to pupils’ different needs and plan work accordingly.  Pupils behave well and have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe.  The headteacher provides sensitive and exemplary leadership. She has brought together an effective team of staff who work hard for the pupils. Staff enjoy working at the school.  Assemblies, a wide range of activities and community links contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Staff have been encouraged to lead aspects of the school’s work, and have responded well. They work hard to keep subjects under review and have contributed effectively to the improvements made in teaching and learning.  The school has an accurate view of its strengths and where further development is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

needed.  The governing body plays a key role in the school’s development. Governors are active in both supporting the school and also holding it to account.  Parents are very supportive. They think highly of the school, and the vast majority say they would recommend it to others.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Attainment in writing, although above average, is not always as high as it could be. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write creatively, and their spelling and handwriting could be improved.  Boys’ writing is not as good as that of the girls in the lower part of the school.  Teaching, although good overall, is not yet consistently good or outstanding.

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Information about this inspection

 Eighteen lessons or parts of lessons were observed. Two joint observations were undertaken with the headteacher.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, various members of staff, members of the governing body, including the Chair and Vice-Chair, a group of pupils and local authority advisory staff.  The inspectors heard pupils read and observed the teaching of reading skills.  They sampled pupils’ work in different year groups, examined records of pupils’ progress and read the school’s self-evaluation and school improvement plan. A range of other documentation was examined, including that relating to safeguarding.  The views of staff were sought and 31 responded to a written questionnaire.  The inspectors looked at the 107 responses from parents on Parent View, the government’s website for parents’ views about their children’s school.

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Inspection team

Peter Sudworth, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Buckingham Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school.  The school has a part-time Nursery (mornings only). Twenty-nine children currently attend it. As these children are drawn from a wider area than the school’s own traditional catchment, not all transfer to the Reception class. Just over half the children did so in 2013.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which provides additional government funding for pupils who are looked after by the local authority, known to be eligible for free school meals or from families with a parent in the armed forces, is below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported at school action is around the national average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is slightly lower than average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attainment in writing, particularly for boys in the younger classes, by:  providing regular opportunities for pupils to write independently so they can practise their punctuation and grammatical skills in longer, high-quality pieces of work  adopting a consistent approach to teaching spelling rules and the learning of words that pupils use regularly but spell wrongly  improving handwriting through making sure pupils write in a continuous joined script and so build up the speed of their writing.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching is always good or outstanding by:  sharing the best practice already in the school and elsewhere, for example by visiting other schools or looking at video materials  showing pupils consistently well what they have to do to get to the next level in their work through marking and target-setting.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 When children begin school in the Nursery and Reception classes, their attainment is above expectations for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Attainment is securely above expectations for the majority of children at the end of Reception.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 This good progress continues into both Key Stages 1 and 2. At the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment is above average in all areas. Key Stage 1 results in 2013 were the highest in five years. The percentages of pupils who reached the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics were much greater than seen nationally. Results in the national phonics (letters and the sounds they make) screening of Year 1 pupils have been above average since this screening was introduced two years ago.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Key Stage 2 pupils consistently exceed national averages in English and mathematics. Attainment has risen consecutively over the last three years. In 2013 results show that the pupils were the equivalent of three terms ahead of the national average by the end of Year 6. Around a quarter of the pupils reached the highest achievable level in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils supported by the pupil premium make rapid progress. The gap between their performance and that of other pupils has narrowed very significantly in the past two years. In 2013, their attainment was on average slightly higher than that of other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make good progress, and often reach the standards expected for all other pupils. Every Year 6 pupil made at least expected progress in 2013 and a significant percentage exceeded this, especially in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils have good speaking and listening skills. They listen attentively in class and use a good range of vocabulary when speaking. They also perform well in music. Pupils play a range of instruments including the ukulele. The wind ensemble plays competently and the large choir has a good repertoire of songs.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Writing is a comparative weakness. Boys do not do as well as girls in this aspect in Reception and Key Stage 1. More generally, pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length and standards in spelling and handwriting do not fully reflect the pupils’ abilities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mostly good. Teachers have good skills in teaching reading. Teaching assistants are used well in classrooms and they actively engage with groups of pupils to support learning in various lessons.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Staff enjoy very good and respectful relationships with pupils and manage them well. This supports the good progress pupils make. Disabled pupils are included fully in activities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers prepare lesson materials well and ensure they are readily available for the tasks that the pupils have to undertake. They make good use of modern technology to explain work and to share the content of each lesson. Pupils’ work is shown on a large electronic screen so that all pupils can analyse its quality. This approach helps pupils to learn together and assists their concentration.  Teachers track pupils’ progress regularly and use this information well to match work to pupils’ different abilities. In a Year 5 class, able pupils undertook challenging work based on rail timetables while others worked on a calendar activity. Early identification of pupils who have learning problems enables staff to plan special work for them. Small group and one-to-one teaching helps these pupils make similar rates of progress to others.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers enable pupils to challenge themselves in their learning by providing work at different levels of difficulty. Pupils usually choose wisely from these, helping to raise their expectations of what they themselves can do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers question the pupils well and keep them engaged in learning. In mathematics, for example, pupils have to respond to questions on individual whiteboards, and in English they draft sentences to specific criteria.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is generally good and usually accurate, but teachers do not always provide sufficient guidance to pupils about improving their work. There is inconsistency in providing targets for pupils to aim for in their work, and when provided they are not always referred to enough. Teachers are not always rigorous enough in ensuring that pupils get consistently clear messages on how to improve their spelling and handwriting.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils behave well in lessons and their attitudes to learning are very largely positive. All other evidence seen indicates that behaviour over time is typically good. Just occasionally, individuals can be too relaxed about their learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel safe in school because they trust their teachers and find all staff caring. They say that they like school because it is well organised with a good working atmosphere. Attendance is above the national average.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils understand the term ‘bullying’ but state that it is not usually a problem. They are aware of the potential dangers of cyber bullying.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils treat each other well. As one put it, ‘We know we should care about each other equally and with respect and also other people.’ They understand the school motto, ‘Happy and successful’ and see perseverance when you get something wrong as something to be proud of.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a say in the school’s future development. They have made suggestions, for example, for the improvement of the outdoor play equipment.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has driven the school forward extremely well during the past three years. Attainment and rates of progress have both risen significantly because of good attention to detail in improving the quality of teaching and regular, careful analysis of information about pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school development plan has the correct priorities for further improvements. There is a good level of consultation with staff and governors before it is written, and account is also taken of parents’ and pupils’ views. The school has an accurate knowledge of its strengths and areas for development.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject and team leaders have risen to the challenge in the responsibilities they have been given. They keep a good oversight of aspects of teaching and learning using a range of techniques, including asking pupils’ about their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The arrangements for checking teachers’ performance are good, and are linked to the national Teachers’ Standards. The objectives set out for each teacher are clearly written and include details of how success will be measured against pupils’ achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupil premium money is well spent, for example on employing extra staff for play therapy with individuals or boosting pupils’ academic progress. This has resulted in a very significant reduction in the gap between those who are eligible for the grant and other pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 The curriculum has developed well. Learning themes interest the pupils. Good use is made of literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects. Pupils wrote as evacuees in their studies of the Second World War. They use mathematics well in their science investigations. The good range of out-of-school activities support the pupils’ interests and include sport, music and gardening.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has just received the new government funding for physical education and sport. It intends to spend this on sports coaches to extend the range of activities for pupils and to work alongside teachers so that their skills are developed further in teaching this aspect.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has worked well with the school in the past three years. Advisers have visited at regular intervals to assess the school’s progress and to promote further development in different subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 While much has been done to improve the school, boys’ attainment in writing and some aspects of teaching are not yet as good as they could be. Spelling, handwriting and opportunities to write independently and at length have not received enough attention. The quality of teachers’ written comments to help pupils improve their work through marking and the setting of targets vary too much from class to class. Staff have not had enough opportunities to share best practice or learn from others beyond the school to improve their skills to the next level.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors visit the school regularly through their links with different classes and subject leaders, and so gain a correct view about the quality of teaching.  The good number of governors with an educational background helps to ensure that performance data are clearly understood. Governors challenge the school well and are not afraid to ask questions.  They make sure safeguarding arrangements meet current national requirements.  Governors are involved in the plans to spend the pupil premium money and know the impact it has on the achievement of eligible pupils.  Governors understand the arrangements for checking staff performance. They know that the outcomes will link to pay for teaching staff from next year, and that this already happens for teaching assistants.

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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 117093 Local authority Hertfordshire Inspection number 425244

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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 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 240 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Carla Avis Headteacher Rebecca Roberts Date of previous school inspection 24 November 2011 Telephone number 01923 282095 Fax number 01923 282095 Email address admin@chorleywood.herts.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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