Chinley Primary School

Chinley Primary School Buxton Road, Chinley, High Peak, SK23 6DR

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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 Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve equally well in Reception and in both key stages. Key Stage 2 pupils’ attainment has risen considerably in the last two years.  Pupils are taught well. Teachers link subjects and activities carefully to provide regular opportunities for pupils to apply their basic skills in interesting ways and to make learning enjoyable.  Teachers and teaching assistants employ a good range of grouping methods and questioning techniques in most lessons to ensure that all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, work well together and that no one is left out.  Where teaching is outstanding, teachers have high expectations for pupils’ progress and the methods they use ensure that all groups of pupils are fully challenged throughout the lesson.  Pupils’ very positive attitudes contribute well to their successful learning. Their well developed communication skills, coupled with the strong

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

bonds of friendship they form with each other, ensure that all pupils make good use of opportunities to work together.  Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional in lessons, assemblies, other public areas in school, and in the playground. Pupils are well trained in how to manage potential risks. They feel entirely safe in school.  Parents are fully justified in the favourable views they express about the headteacher. The school has improved rapidly under his outstanding leadership. This improvement is underpinned by robust systems and very effective training to raise the quality of teaching.  Governors have improved their effectiveness significantly since the previous inspection.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Leaders have not yet secured outstanding teaching throughout the school.  In some lessons, teachers do not use time or methods well enough to move pupils’ learning on at a brisk pace.  Marking in mathematics does not consistently provide effective support for pupil’s learning.  Some staff with allocated management responsibilities have not fully developed their role in checking the school’s work and in driving improvements.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 15 lessons taught by nine teachers or teaching assistants. Two of these lessons were observed together with the headteacher.  Samples of pupils’ work in English and mathematics were analysed. Inspectors listened to pupils reading.  Meetings were held with school staff, a group of pupils, three governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the 17 questionnaires completed by staff and the 51 responses by parents to the online questionnaire Parent View. Responses to the school’s own recent surveys of parents’ views about the school were also analysed. An inspector spoke informally to some parents at the beginning of the school day.  Inspectors looked at a range of evidence including: the work in pupils’ books; monitoring records; school improvement plans; the school’s own data on pupils’ attainment and progress; consultants’ reports; and policies, procedures and records relating to safeguarding, behaviour

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Inspection team

Derek Aitken, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Elizabeth Macfarlane Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools. All pupils in this village school are taught in single-age classes.  Most pupils are from White British backgrounds. No pupil is currently at an early stage of speaking English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium, which is additional funding for certain groups such as those known to be eligible for free school meals, is well below average.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action, school action plus or a statement of special educational needs are broadly average.  The school runs a before- and after-school club- Early Birds and Night Owls Club- (EBNOC), which is managed by the governing body.  There is a pre-school nursery on site. This is not managed by the governing body and was not part of this inspection.  The headteacher joined the school in January 2012.

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Information about this school

 The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make more teaching outstanding and further improve pupils’ progress by ensuring that:  all teachers make good use of time in lessons and select their methods carefully to enable pupils to learn at a brisk pace  teachers’ marking in mathematics clearly identifies for pupils the mistakes they have made and shows them how they can improve their work.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the skills and expertise of staff with allocated management responsibilities fully to enable them to provide senior leaders with highly effective support in checking the school’s work and in driving improvements.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 All groups of pupils achieve well in their time in the school. Year 6 pupils in 2013 attained high standards in reading, writing and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment when they start Year 3 is nearly always well above average. Their progress has accelerated in the last two years. In 2013 over half the Year 6 pupils achieved the higher Level 5 in reading, writing and mathematics combined. The proportions of pupils achieving the highest Level 6 in writing and mathematics were well above national averages.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The proportions of pupils in Year 6 in 2013 who made or exceeded the progress expected nationally over Key Stage 2 were very favourable in writing and mathematics and favourable in reading. Staff are currently exploring new approaches and resources to extend fully the skills of the most-able readers.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join Reception with skills and aptitudes that are broadly typical for this age group. More-able children quickly learn to read fluently and describe processes, for example the construction of puppets, logically and persuasively. A successful emphasis on developing children’s thinking and communication skills ensures that they join Year 1 as confident learners.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Less able readers in Year 2 enjoy reading, although they do not all read fluently. They persevere and deal with unfamiliar words confidently and correct themselves if necessary. They summarise stories in their own words and know how their reading targets can help them to improve.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well, partly because the work they receive is closely matched to individual targets which are regularly reviewed.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There were too few pupils in Year 6 in 2013 known to be eligible for the pupil premium for their performance to be compared without potentially identifying them. Their progress is similar to their classmates.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There are some minor variations in rates of progress in different year groups and subjects in Key Stage 2. For example, pupils, including those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, make faster progress in mathematics in Year 6, where the teacher uses time well and chooses just the right method that suits pupils’ preferred learning styles, than in Years 3 to 5 where this is less frequently the case.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils develop their talents to a high standard in singing and in the playing of musical instruments.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is typically good, and sometimes it is outstanding. The best teaching features teachers’ high expectations for pupils’ progress and matches tasks expertly to pupils’ abilities. They select methods carefully and have a good repertoire of strategies to explain and to demonstrate new ideas.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In most lessons teachers extend the skills of more-able pupils well. The Year 6 teacher’s precise questioning enabled pupils to correctly identify two of Winston Churchill’s wartime speeches as ‘morale-boosters’ and ‘rallying-cries’ to the nation. These pupils then worked successfully on open-ended research tasks to explore Hitler’s options for invading Britain.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Reception staff use ‘why’ questions regularly to probe children’s thinking and to develop their reasoning skills in extended answers. Early reading skills are taught well and reinforced imaginatively, as observed during the inspection, in a music lesson and an assembly led by Year 2 pupils.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers link subjects and activities carefully to provide numerous opportunities for pupils to apply their basic skills in new ways and to make learning enjoyable. The current World War 2 topic, for example, forms the backdrop for Year 6 pupils’ gymnastics lessons and a creative re- working of a play production based on the ‘Santa’ story.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Writing and mathematical skills are taught well. Clear planning ensures that each new step pupils take is solidly based on their prior learning and experiences. Teachers train pupils to check their work regularly against their personal targets to improve, for example their punctuation, use of expressive language and accuracy in calculations.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers and teaching assistants employ a good range of grouping methods and questioning techniques to ensure that all pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, work well together and that no one is left out.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In some lessons, pupils make less progress because teachers do not use methods or time well enough to move pupils’ learning on at a brisk pace or to ensure that pupils can complete the work planned for the lesson.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make good use of marking to help pupils improve their standards of writing. Marking in mathematics in some year groups does not always identify clearly pupils’ mistakes or show them effectively how to improve their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding in lessons, in public areas in school, in assemblies and in the playground.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Children settle quickly to work in Reception, select tasks and activities confidently and work capably on their own or in pairs to solve problems. They listen and concentrate well and persist with tasks until they are satisfied with the results of their efforts.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes are almost always exemplary in class. Even when teaching is less effective, pupils’ enjoyment of learning, coupled with their wide general knowledge, good recall of information and well developed communication skills, incline them to be fully ‘switched on’ in lessons and draw every ounce of learning from them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils respond equally well to rewards, competitive ‘mini-challenges’ in mathematics lessons and opportunities for working collaboratively, for example in scientific research projects.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Most pupils have grown up together since pre-school days, have formed strong bonds of friendship with each other and enjoy each other’s company very much. They applaud enthusiastically each other’s successes and help one another out in case of difficulty. They treat new arrivals with respect and consideration.  Pupils have very few concerns about behaviour and no pupil has been excluded in the last five years. Pupils say that bullying in any form is extremely rare and that any disagreements are quickly resolved between themselves or with adult help. Parents are unanimous in their belief that their children are safe and well cared for and that pupils behave well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils are fully aware of the school’s system for summoning adult helping in the event of any accidents. E-safety lessons alert them to the necessity of keeping safe on social media websites. First-aid training, visits from the police and anti-bullying lessons given by the learning mentor enable them to identify, avoid and manage risks well.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable are carefully monitored and well supported through the school’s links with outside agencies and a suitable range of internal interventions including nurture groups. The impact of actions taken is clearly evaluated.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The EBNOC is a well organised resource which is much appreciated by both parents and pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attendance, while remaining above average, has risen over the last 2 years.

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The leadership and management are good

 Under the headteacher’s outstanding leadership the school has improved rapidly. This judgement is fully endorsed by parents who commend not only his approachability but also his knack for finding the right solution for any pupil who needs extra help to improve their learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 Systems and procedures for checking pupils’ progress are well organised and accurate and they are applied consistently. Staff know pupils’ needs well and step in quickly and effectively to support individual pupils.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ targets are regularly reviewed and readjusted in the light of robust assessment information. These targets are fully shared with teachers and this enables them to modify their lesson planning to ensure all groups of pupils achieve well. Challenging targets for the attainment of Year 6 pupils were met or exceeded in 2013.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher, checks the school’s work thoroughly. Senior leaders know exactly what aspects of pupils’ skills need further development and they seek creative solutions to tackle relative weaknesses. For example, recent partnership work with a local secondary school has drawn on that school’s expertise in working with Level 6 readers.

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The leadership and management are good

 Training has been used well to improve teaching, for example in helping pupils to develop collaborative learning skills. The procedures for managing teachers’ performance are well documented and based on an increasingly wide range of evidence. Actions taken are concerted and closely linked to school priorities. Staff morale is strong.

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The leadership and management are good

 Last year senior leaders analysed in detail the progress of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium. They are now using this information to increase resources in mathematics for these pupils to accelerate their progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The development of staff with allocated responsibilities is a ‘work in progress’. These ‘middle leaders’ have not yet acquired the full range of skills and expertise necessary to enable them to monitor the impact of teaching and learning thoroughly in their subjects, and to take a lead role in driving improvements.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school, across the full range of its work, promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The ‘Little Rotters’ eco-group, and global representatives working with a school in Delhi make useful contributions to developing pupils’ awareness of citizenship values.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders have drawn up a well focused action plan to spend the recently allocated national sports funding. External specialists have been employed, in part to train the school’s own staff. Clear success criteria have been established, linked to health and academic targets.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has aligned its levels of support to the school very effectively since the previous inspection, reducing these as the school has increasingly shown a strong capacity to secure improvement independently.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have improved their effectiveness significantly since the previous inspection. Carrying out ‘learning walks’, reviewing pupils’ books, and regularly interviewing pupils and staff have given them an accurate overview of the school’s work.  Clear lines of communication have been established between senior leaders and governors. This has sharpened governors’ awareness of the school’s areas for development and enabled them to play an enhanced role in securing improvement. Plans are well advanced, for example to enable governors and senior leaders to check jointly whether sports funding is spent wisely.  Governors know how and why pupil premium funding is spent in particular ways, and examine with senior leaders its impact on the achievement of eligible pupils.  Governors review targets for the headteacher’s performance carefully. They make clear links between the performance of teachers and pupils’ achievement, and ensure that pay rises and

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The leadership and management are good

promotion are appropriate.  Governors ensure national requirements for safeguarding are met fully.

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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 112527 Local authority Derbyshire Inspection number 424959

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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 Foundation Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 204 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Phil Ockenden Headteacher Peter Lambert Date of previous school inspection 31 January 2012 Telephone number 01663 750367 Fax number 01663 750367 Email address info@chinley.derbyshire.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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