Chilworth CofE (Aided) Infant School

Chilworth CofE (Aided) Infant School Dorking Road, Chilworth, Guildford, GU4 8NP

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 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 an outstanding school.  For a number of years, pupils in Year 2 have reached well above average standards because of the excellent progress they make across the school, particularly in reading and mathematics.  Adults keep a close check on how well pupils have understood what they are learning. They adapt their explanations or the tasks pupils are working on, to make sure that all pupils learn successfully.  Teaching is never less than good and is often outstanding. All adults make sure that pupils get frequent feedback about their work, which helps them to know exactly what they need to improve. Pupils are routinely expected to respond to this feedback.  The linking of letters and the sounds they make (phonics) is particularly well taught and pupils quickly become confident readers.  Pupils write for a range of purposes but sometimes their progress is hampered by un- exciting tasks.  Mathematics is also taught very well; pupils

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

have lots of opportunities to develop their confidence when working with practical resources.  Pupils make an excellent start to their learning in Reception because they are expertly taught.  Teaching assistants are a highly effective part of the teaching team and contribute very well to the learning of pupils and the memorable experiences which so engage all pupils  Pupils behave exceptionally well and their high enthusiasm for learning helps to promote their excellent academic progress.  Governors and the headteacher make sure that all the statutory requirements are met, including those for keeping pupils safe.  Pupils are extremely well looked after at school, and are exceptionally well informed about how to keep themselves safe, particularly around water or in the woods.  There are well-established systems to keep track of how well pupils are learning. Any issues are picked up very quickly and highly effective

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

strategies are put in place to address these quickly.  The strong vision for ensuring all pupils achieve the very best they can is well developed by leaders, and high expectations are shared widely by everyone working in the school.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection was undertaken by one inspector. He observed nine lessons or parts of lessons taught by three teachers, as well as sessions led by teaching assistants. Most of these observations were undertaken jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector looked at documents provided by the school, including teachers’ records of learning for recent and current pupils. He also reviewed the practice, procedures and policies to make sure pupils are kept safe.  The inspector also looked at the work pupils were doing in lessons, as well as work they have completed so far this academic year. He spoke to pupils about their work and what they think about their school. The inspector also talked to pupils during their free time and over lunch and observed their behaviour and safety.  There were meetings held with members of the governing body, with teachers and with a sample of pupils. The inspector also spoke informally to parents before and after school, and to

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Information about this inspection

volunteers in the school during the inspection. The 51 responses to the online Ofsted survey , (Parent View), were also considered. The 11 responses to the staff questionnaire were also reviewed.

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Inspection team

Andrew Saunders, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a small infant school, with one class for each year group.  Almost all pupils are White British. A very small number of pupils are from a range of different minority ethnic backgrounds. Very few pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is below average. The proportion of pupils supported at school action is low. The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational need is below average.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is much lower than the national average. This funding supports those pupils known to have been eligible for free school meals, children in the care of the local authority and pupils who have a parent serving in the armed services. The school does not have any pupils from the latter two categories.  All of the teachers have joined the school since the previous inspection. The headteacher is a

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Information about this school

Local Leader of Education and supports two other schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all pupils consistently make the same rapid progress in writing as they do in reading and mathematics, by:  giving pupils more time and opportunities to write about real-life situations, particularly through the tasks pupils are given for homework  increasing pupils’ confidence to identify for themselves what they need to do to improve their writing and strive for the very highest standards.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Standards at the end of Key Stage 1 have been above average for some years. In 2013, pupils in Year 2 reached standards which were the highest for at least five years. Standards in writing, though above average, were not quite as high as those in reading and mathematics.  From their individual starting points, pupils make excellent progress because they are extremely well taught and thoroughly enjoy learning. The school’s records about pupils’ progress, the work in their books, and parents’ views about their children’s progress show that this picture is typical.  When they join the school in Reception, children’s skills and knowledge are at the level expected for their age, although a few are more advanced. The excellent resources, expert team of adults, and the ambitious expectations the adults have of these children mean that they become curious learners, with a drive to find things out for themselves. They love grappling with very

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

challenging work, such as using their confident phonics skills to tackle unfamiliar and often complex words when they are reading.  Pupils’ deep thirst for knowledge continues in Year 1 and 2, and rapid progress is maintained. Any pupil who may be at risk of falling behind or not reaching the high standards the school expects is quickly identified. The range of effective strategies used to support them quickly helps them to catch up. The most able pupils are provided with exactly the right opportunities they need to make excellent progress and reach the highest levels.  Pupils currently in Year 2 are well on their way to reach even higher standards than seen previously, because they are given lots of feedback that helps them know exactly where they have succeeded, and what they need to do next. Pupils show very positive attitudes, and readily respond to teachers’ feedback. They are developing good confidence to evaluate their own work

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

and to decide what they need to do next for themselves. However, this is a recent development and is not always promoted as much as it could be, particularly in writing.  The needs of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are carefully considered and support is closely tailored to the needs of each pupil. Alongside the caring ethos of all the adults in the school, this means they are very well supported and make similar progress to their classmates.  Pupils who are supported through the pupil premium also make excellent progress. They are at least in line with other pupils in the school, and slightly ahead in their writing and mathematics.  Other groups of pupils, including the few learning English as an additional language, all achieve similarly well because all pupils are given equal opportunities to succeed and thrive.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers set high standards for themselves and increasingly help each other to develop the very best practice in all aspects of their teaching. Adults bring tremendous enthusiasm and energy to their teaching, which means that pupils are eager to learn; pupils said that learning is great fun at their school. Teachers use their excellent understanding of the subjects they are teaching to make sure that pupils build accurate knowledge and understanding in English and mathematics.  Adults know the pupils exceptionally well and use the detailed information they have about pupils’ learning and progress to plan work which challenges all groups of pupils. The most able are sometimes given extra input to help them understand more challenging concepts, or they may be expected to get on with less explanation so that they develop their curiosity and resilience to learn for themselves. This promotes their strong progress and high-level confidence.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers generally make sure that the work they prepare for pupils to do is exciting as well as challenging and engages boys and girls similarly. Teachers and teaching assistants go out of their way to make sure the classroom environment and stimulating resources provide inspiring ideas to assist pupils’ learning.  For example, Year 2 pupils gasped with anticipation when asked to write stories about an undersea adventure appropriate for Reception-age children. The music and images provided by the teacher fired pupils’ imaginations and they made an excellent start on their stories. Occasionally pupils’ progress is not as rapid when they are given more mundane exercises to do which do not engage them quite as well.  Last year a new policy was introduced about marking and feedback. All adults working with the pupils make sure that they follow this closely and that pupils benefit from feedback as soon as

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

possible. Adults celebrate what pupils have been able to do, and give them explicit ideas about what they need to improve. For example, during an impressive lesson in Year 1 where pupils used a familiar story to give the character some instructions, pupils of all abilities developed their writing skills rapidly because of the feedback they were given, and because they responded immediately.  The teaching of phonics (the sounds that letters make) is a strength of the school and all adults are well trained so that they use a consistent approach. Pupils are given lots of opportunities to practise their reading in the topics they learn about. Some of these opportunities are very imaginative, such as the ‘magician’ who helped children in Reception to identify rhyming words; their excitement was palpable.  Teachers regularly discuss and review the targets they have set for pupils, and these are often increased to make sure there is always something more to strive for.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 There are clear expectations about what pupils should learn at home, largely focused on practising reading, spellings and some mathematics. Older pupils also get projects to do, but homework does not always develop pupils’ writing often enough. There is plenty of useful guidance available to help parents understand how they can support their children’s learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. They are delightful; they chat confidently to adults and are kind and courteous to each other. During free time, they play very happily. If any pupil feels sad or lonely, the ‘playground buddies’ notice this and quickly step in to help them cheer up, join in with a game, or sort out small disagreements.  Pupils say there is always an adult available to talk to if they are worried about anything. They feel very safe at school, and have an excellent grasp of how to keep themselves safe. The school’s own swimming pool means they develop great confidence around water.  Teachers treat pupils with great respect and pupils respond in kind, both to adults and to each other. The strong emphasis on understanding the balance between pupils’ rights and the responsibilities they have means that pupils have a good grasp about equality of opportunity. Pupils are very accepting of one another’s strengths and needs. They appreciate the culture and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

beliefs of others that may be different to their own.  The school’s work to keep pupils’ safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils are well informed about different forms of bullying and, although it is very rare, know what to do should it occur.  Pupils’ highly positive attitudes towards learning mean that they quickly follow up on the advice that adults give them, which helps ensure they make such excellent progress. Pupils are building good confidence to identify their own improvements, but this is not yet consistently the case.  Attendance has improved steadily and is above average. Pupils love being at school. Parents and carers say that children talk about their learning at home and are really keen to get to school in the morning.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher has ensured that changes in staff have sustained strengths and built on the high quality of teaching and pupils’ successful learning. She has very high expectations of adults, the pupils and herself, and leads by example. The high calibre of the headteacher’s leadership enables her to support other local schools as a ‘Local Leader of Education’.  The headteacher’s ambitious vision for the school is shared across the whole community. There is a strong sense of teamwork, with everyone pulling together to do the very best they can for all pupils. The close tracking of pupils’ progress, together with well-focused performance management systems, means that leaders can keep a close eye on achievement. The challenging targets set for teachers help develop their excellent practice.  The headteacher and teachers have identified the key issues the school needs to tackle and regularly review the strategies to address these. For example, there has been an increasing

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The leadership and management are outstanding

focus on developing pupils’ writing skills and this is now having an impact on the data so that these standards are rising to match those in reading and mathematics.  The curriculum is very well planned and gives pupils a wide range of experiences to develop their skills. In particular, the school makes exceptional use of the local area, for example for a visit to the historic gunpowder mill, and the use of the local woods for ‘forest school’. The latter gives pupils extraordinary opportunities to investigate nature and the world around them. It also helps pupils to be very confident about keeping themselves safe in lots of different situations.  The additional funding to promote sports and physical education is used very well. The teaching of physical education has improved because the teachers have benefitted from training in gymnastics, football and swimming; other training is planned. The school has also made sure

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that there are appropriate resources so teachers can make the most of this training. The use of the swimming pool and links with other schools ensure that pupils benefit from a wide range of physical activities that help them to be healthy.  Parents and carers who spoke to the inspector said that they feel the school is an excellent asset to the community. Governors are justifiably proud of the place the school holds as the hub of the local community. The school ensures that equality of opportunity is promoted well and that no discrimination is allowed.  The local authority provides the school with a very light touch support that includes an annual audit to ensure that the school’s self-evaluation of its effectiveness is accurate.  The governance of the school:  Members of the governing body are well trained to understand the performance of the school, through the data about pupils’ achievement, the quality of teaching, the financial management

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The leadership and management are outstanding

of the budget and the quality of leadership. They have an accurate view about the school and check the information they are given by others through their own evidence gathered while visiting the school. They provide the school leadership with excellent support alongside robust challenge, to make sure that pupils are getting the best possible opportunities for learning. The governors work diligently with the headteacher to make sure that all procedures and requirements for keeping pupils safe are in place, are understood by all, and that they are regularly reviewed to keep up to date with best practice.  Together with the headteacher, they keep a careful track of the funding for the pupil premium and ensure that it is effective in raising the achievement of those eligible. They have also made sure that the additional funding currently given to the school to improve physical education is used well.  The members of the governing body work closely with the headteacher to make sure that any

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The leadership and management are outstanding

decisions about pay awards are informed by evidence of the quality of teachers’ work and its impact on pupils’ progress and only the best are rewarded.

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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 125167 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 431438

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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 Infant School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 80 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patricia Allen Headteacher Maggie Mackie Date of previous school inspection 10 March 2009 Telephone number 01483 562476 Fax number 01483 453291 Email address info@chilworth.surrey.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

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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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