Chittlehampton Church of England Primary School

Chittlehampton Church of England Primary School Chittlehampton, Umberleigh, EX37 9QW

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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 Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress and achieve well in all subjects because they are taught well. Much teaching is outstanding.  Pupils of all abilities make good progress from their individual starting points in writing and mathematics. In reading, they make outstanding progress.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 6 has risen considerably since the previous inspection and is, currently, well above average. The standards they achieve prepare them very well for the next stage in their education.  In lessons, pupils’ attitudes towards their work are outstanding, demonstrating their love of learning. This is because teachers plan effective lessons that are well matched to pupils’ individual learning needs and aspirations in the mixed-age classes.  Pupils are extremely proud of their school and are keen to represent it in the community. They are highly respectful and act in a safe and considerate manner.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The inspirational leadership of the headteacher and the highly effective team of leaders have ensured that pupils’ achievement and the quality of teaching have continued to improve since the previous inspection.  The governing body is strong and highly effective. It provides excellent support and challenge to this small school, along with its partner school within the federation. Governors have successfully challenged staff to improve the quality of teaching and learning.  The school provides pupils with a very wide range of experiences that give excellent support to their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ opportunities to learn independently and their rate of progress are sometimes limited slightly by teachers’ unnecessarily long explanations to the whole class. This applies especially to more able pupils.  Teachers do not always provide pupils with written comments in their books of the next steps to take to improve their work. Consequently, some pupils are not always able to improve their work independently.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector visited eight lessons and observed two teachers, as well as teaching assistants working with small groups of pupils. Observations included looking at the teaching of phonics (linking letters and sounds) and science teaching. The headteacher joined the inspector for a number of observations.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, leaders of teaching and learning, staff, pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a range of documents, including the school improvement plans, priorities for development, achievement data and documents relating to safeguarding children.  The inspector took account of the 14 responses to the online Parent View survey, along with the 11 responses to the staff questionnaire during the inspection. The inspector also talked to some parents at the start of the school day.

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Inspection team

John Cavill, Lead Inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Chittlehampton Church of England Primary School is much smaller than average.  The school federated with Filleigh Community Primary School in 2010 and the headteacher leads both schools. He is supported in each school by a leader of teaching and learning. A single governing body is in place across the federation.  Children are taught in two classes. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage are taught in a Reception and Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) class. Pupils in Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6) are taught in the other class.  All pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is below average and the proportion of pupils supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is average. However, numbers are very small in each category.  Only a very small number of pupils are supported by the pupil premium, which provides

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Information about this school

additional funding for some pupils, including those who are known to be eligible for free school meals.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum standards expected for attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school uses the village hall for children to have their lunch.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching and learning to be outstanding overall, maximising opportunities for pupils, especially the more able, to think and learn for themselves, by ensuring that teachers:  limit the time they unnecessarily give to whole-class explanations and directions  improve the frequency and quality of written comments they put in pupils’ books to tell them what they should do next to improve their work, and make time for pupils to review and act on the guidance given.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainments in national assessments in Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics have been improving since the previous inspection and are well above the national average. This standard ensures they are well prepared for the demands of secondary education when they leave. Attainment in Key Stage 1 is above the national average.  Most children enter the Early Years Foundation Stage with skill levels that are generally similar to those expected for their age. However, the abilities of individual children in the small numbers in each year vary considerably. The good, and often outstanding, teaching that pupils, including the more able, receive throughout the school ensures they learn successfully, make at least good progress and achieve well.  Reception Year children benefit from working with pupils from Key Stage 1 as they are regularly challenged to undertake similar work, accelerating their progress well. Consequently, most

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The achievement of pupils is good

children achieve a good level of development before the end of the Reception Year.  Reading is taught very well and is a regular, and enjoyed, feature for pupils. Pupils develop good phonic skills and are able to apply these well, helping them to make outstanding progress in reading. Pupils’ ability in reading at the end of Year 6 is 18 months above what would normally be expected at that age. Pupils in Key Stage 1 whose reading the inspector listened to were able to read confidently, with great expression, demonstrating above-average skills.  Pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics is securely good, and their attainment is, currently, well above average in Key Stage 2. However, improvements in these skills are more recent and, therefore, not yet fully sustained over time. School information about how well pupils currently at the school are achieving predicts that the improvements made in reading, writing and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics are likely to be sustained in 2014, and possibly surpassed.  All pupils have, over the last three years, made at least the nationally expected rate of progress in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils progressing more rapidly than at the national rate was higher in reading and writing than in mathematics. However, fewer more able pupils progressed exceptionally well in mathematics because they have too few opportunities to make better progress by working independently.  There are few disabled pupils and pupils who have special educational needs, but regular and effective monitoring of their progress gives them appropriate additional support, delivered by effective teaching assistants. Consequently, all pupils make at least good progress from their individual starting points.  The very few pupils eligible for additional support through the pupil premium achieved at least as

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The achievement of pupils is good

well as others in English and mathematics in 2013. The funding is used well to support the individuals concerned, and demonstrates how well equality of opportunity is promoted in this truly inclusive school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Good teaching has been secured over time and much is now outstanding. This quality of teaching has ensured pupils achieve well and are very well prepared for their next stage in education.  Teachers plan learning in lessons well to reflect the wide range of abilities in each of the mixed- age classes. Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and demand they aim for high standards. Consequently, all pupils, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and those in receipt of the pupil premium, achieve well because the learning is supported well by teaching assistants. Some pupils achieve exceptionally well.  Parents and pupils unanimously agree that teaching is good and pupils say that teachers are caring and lessons are fun. Even in less successful lessons, pupils respond with excellent attitudes towards their learning, enjoy working together and are eager to succeed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The best teaching gives pupils the opportunity to think and learn for themselves. For example, in a Key Stage 2 English lesson, pupils were given opportunity to write their own script for the The Tempest, using the original story. The teacher guided and supported groups only where necessary and provided pupils with a list of success criteria to use to evaluate their own work. Consequently, pupils quickly engaged with the work, produced much well-thought-out text and made outstanding progress. Similarly in Key Stage 1, pupils were writing poems to describe planets in the solar system using calligrams. They were prompted to work unaided yet were challenged by the teacher and teaching assistant with highly effective questioning to reshape their ideas and writing.  Opportunities for pupils to work independently are not always provided, however. Occasionally, teachers’ directions and explanations are, unnecessarily, long and time is lost when pupils could

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The quality of teaching is good

be working more independently. In these situations, their progress slows – especially that of the more able.  Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often, resulting in their above-average standards. Books are taken home and reading logs contain comments from parents and teachers.  Pupils are challenged to achieve well in mathematics. In a Key Stage 2 lesson, more able pupils worked competitively in pairs to solve challenging problems involving estimation. The standard of the work they were undertaking is already above what would normally be expected at the end of Year 6.  Teaching in Reception is effective. For example, in a phonics session, children were developing an understanding of the sequence of vowels and consonants in words. The range of activities provided, including typing the words using computers, helped to develop the children’s reading and writing.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly and provide comments on the next steps to be taken to

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The quality of teaching is good

improve it. However, this advice is often given verbally and, while the quality of feedback is good, the guidance given does not always require pupils to review and improve their work independently or enable them to refer back to what was said to them. In some cases, they lack time to make the improvements expected.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning are outstanding. Even when teaching is not of the best quality, they are always ready and keen to learn and to share their successes with others and are eager to take on new challenges. In lessons, they contribute fully and respect their teachers and other adults highly. Their behaviour in lessons and around the school is exemplary.  Pupils are very proud of their school and come with a real excitement to learn. Their attendance has improved and is above average. Pupils are punctual coming to school. Parents who spoke to the inspector were quick to point out how delighted their children were when they returned to school after the holidays.  All pupils, including children in the Reception class, say that they feel safe in school and very secure. All parents agree with them. Pupils say that the adults in the school support them well and will deal quickly and effectively with any problems that they may have.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils say that there is no bullying at the school, a view supported by those parents who expressed a view. Pupils are fully aware of what constitutes bullying, including physical, emotional and cyber-bullying.  Pupils are given opportunities to demonstrate their leadership skills with activities to support the work of the school. Older pupils routinely support the younger ones on the short walk to the village hall for lunch and the ‘school ambassadors’ undertake extra responsibilities, such as, running lunchtime clubs, Christmas-card making and computer skills for the children in Reception.  The systems at the school to manage behaviour are very well understood by both staff and pupils. However, the procedures are only required very occasionally, as the vast majority of pupils are exceptionally able to manage their own behaviour.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher impressively leads the school’s improvements of teaching and achievement. His high expectations of what staff and pupils can achieve have helped the school to improve greatly since the previous inspection. All leaders and managers have successfully brought the two schools in the federation together without losing pace in the drive for improvement at either school.  A similar approach across the two schools has enabled leadership to be shared at all levels. Working closely together has enabled maximised impact to be felt on teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Systems are highly effective in ensuring that the performance of leaders, teachers and other staff is relentlessly focused on improving the quality of education and pupils’ achievement. All share a strong sense of purpose to improve the life chances of the pupils. Staff show strong drive and determination to continually improve their work, within a culture where high expectations of each

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The leadership and management are outstanding

member of staff are the norm. Staff training is coordinated across the federation to provide maximum effect on raising standards.  Leaders have successfully secured improvements in the quality of teaching. This has been achieved through effective training and support across the federation for teachers and other staff. Leaders use highly effective systems to monitor and manage the performance of teachers. Consequently, there is a close match between how well teachers are paid and how well pupils learn and make progress.  The curriculum provides pupils with exciting learning opportunities and ensures that subjects are taught in depth. Topics are planned to provide pupils with a wealth of opportunities to develop both their academic and personal skills. For example, they learn from topics such as mouth and foot painting to understand the challenges that disabled people have. An extensive range of visits

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The leadership and management are outstanding

and activities in Key Stage 1, such as baptising the class bear at the local church or using art to represent aspects of life on a canal boat, helps develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness exceptionally well.  The school’s self-evaluation is accurate and highly perceptive. Improvement planning focused directly on the learning needs of pupils is continuing to raise pupils’ achievement.  Leaders have planned well, using the primary school sports funding to increase pupils’ participation in sport across the school. Multi-sports for Key Stage 1 and football for Key Stage 2 provided by sports coaches are proving very popular. More equipment for physical education lessons at school is helping secure future sustainability. However, it is too soon to evaluate the full impact of these initiatives on pupils’ well-being and physical development.  The school works closely with parents, and those who expressed a view gave it their unanimous

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The leadership and management are outstanding

support.  The local authority provides only limited support to this good school, correctly recognising the outstanding way that it is led and managed.  The governance of the school: – The governing body has undergone major changes since the previous inspection. Roles and responsibilities of governors have been strengthened and each governor has a ‘portfolio’ – an area of the school and federation that they are ultimately responsible for within the governing body, meeting with the headteacher regularly. This practice has been instrumental in bringing about change and improving outcomes across all aspects of the school. Governors know how well pupils are achieving compared to national levels of attainment and progress. They understand what the quality of teaching is across the school and check closely arrangements for performance management of staff. They make sure that salaries and promotion reflect

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The leadership and management are outstanding

staff success in enabling pupils to make progress. Governors have drawn on the experience of individual governors from regular training. Governors are fully involved in making checks on all aspects of the school, including whether funding, including the pupil premium, is being spent effectively and is having the desired impact on pupils’ achievement. Governors use information about the school well and hold the school’s leaders rigorously to account from their understanding of the school’s strengths and areas to improve. They make sure that all pupils have the best opportunity to succeed and that achievement improves. Governors ensure statutory requirements relating to safeguarding are met.

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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 113449 Local authority Devon Inspection number 426807

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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 aided Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 47 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Jayne Hooper Headteacher Steve Mellor Date of previous school inspection 20 October 2008 Telephone number 01769 540286 Fax number 01769 540789 Email address admin@chittlehampton.devon.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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