Cippenham School

School report Cippenham Primary School Elmshot Lane, Cippenham, Slough, SL1 5RB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Pupils achieve well because they are encouraged to see their potential as learners, aim high and work hard.  Good progress is made by all groups of pupils, including the most able, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs.  Pupils’ attainment has risen rapidly in the last two years and most pupils are currently working at average levels for their ages.  Wall displays in classrooms support learning and celebrate achievements made by pupils in their learning. In corridors they help to celebrate the sporting, artistic, spiritual and cultural life that enriches the pupils’ experiences at this school.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe is outstanding. Pupils show high levels of respect to adults and to each other and say they feel completely safe in school.  Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. This makes a strong contribution to their good learning.  Pupils’ attendance has risen steadily due to the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school carefully tracking absence and strategies to engage with families.  Leaders have been highly successful at raising the expectations of teachers and pupils. Teaching in the school is now consistently good  The successful leadership team is clear about what they need to do to improve the school further. They have taken decisive and effective action to manage the very high proportion of pupils who join the school throughout the year and to raise pupils’ achievement.  Governors have a very clear and accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They are fully committed to ensuring the school continues to improve and have demonstrated high expectations of pupils and staff at all levels.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The progress of pupils is not consistently rapid in the school as teaching is not yet outstanding.  A few pupils sometimes lose time waiting for others to catch up because the work is too easy for them.  Teachers do not always make sure that pupils make improvements to their work following teachers’ marking and comments on how to improve, particularly in mathematics.

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Information about this inspection

 All staff were observed teaching and in total 27 observations across a range of subjects were conducted; 13 lesson observations were conducted jointly with the headteacher and senior staff.  Inspectors visited classrooms with senior staff to look at how well disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are learning. Inspectors also visited a wide range of lessons with senior staff to look at pupils’ progress in mathematics, English and a range of other subjects.  Meetings were held with the headteacher and other senior leaders, groups of pupils, the special educational needs coordinator, the teacher responsible for the sports premium, teachers responsible for literacy and numeracy across the school, the Chair of the Governing Body and four other governors.  Inspectors held informal discussions with parents and carers. They also took account of the 57 responses to the online survey, Parent View, and the 21 questionnaire responses from staff.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors took account of a wide range of documentation including: the school’s improvement plan, self-evaluation, information about the progress and attainment of individual pupils and specific groups, information about the performance of teachers and other staff, attendance records, safeguarding information, the sports premium action plan, records of behaviour, governing body minutes and the school’s checks on how well it is doing.  Inspectors spoke to pupils about the spiritual, moral, social and cultural life of the school and reviewed school displays.  Pupils’ work from across the curriculum, including homework, was scrutinised and inspectors spoke to pupils in their lessons and during their free time.  Inspectors observed the teaching of phonics (letter patterns and the sounds they represent) and heard pupils from Year 1 and Year 2 read.

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Inspection team

Michael Merchant, Lead inspector Additional Inspector David Beddard Additional Inspector Helena McVeigh Additional Inspector Carol Worthington Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Cippenham Primary School converted to become an academy school in April 2012. When its predecessor school of the same name was previously inspected by Ofsted in November 2011, it was judged to be satisfactory.  This is a larger than average-sized primary school.  The very large majority of pupils come from a wide range of minority ethnic groups.  An above average proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is above average. Pupil premium is additional funding from the government for some groups of pupils, including those known to be eligible for free school meals and those in the care of the local authority.  An average proportion of pupils are supported at school action because they are disabled or have special educational needs. An average proportion have a statement of special educational needs or are supported at school action plus.

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Information about this school

 High numbers of pupils join or leave the school other than at the usual times.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the typical quality of teaching to outstanding and further accelerate pupils’ progress in all lessons by making sure that:  all teachers use time effectively to ensure that every pupil makes very rapid progress and learns successfully in every lesson  pupils can regularly make improvements to their work following guidance from teachers and other adults.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although it varies from year to year, children generally join Reception with skills and knowledge which are below those expected for their age. Over the past two years most children, including those who speak English as an additional language, those from minority ethnic groups, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have made good progress as they pass through Reception and Key Stage 1.  Good quality teaching ensures that precise attention is paid to children’s ability to blend sounds and letters into words (phonics). Children are developing excellent social skills because they are making choices and fostering self-confidence through working with others. By the time they reach Year 1, many children are working towards a good level of development.  By the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment, overall, is broadly average, and is getting better year on year.  The progress of pupils who left Year 6 in 2013 was not consistently strong for all subjects,

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The achievement of pupils is good

including mathematics, where some pupils did not show the progress they should have.  The reasons for this slip have been identified and quickly addressed so that both attainment and progress have improved sharply. Detailed information presented by the school provided firm evidence to show that all groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics are now making good progress across all year groups.  Pupils throughout the school enjoy reading and do so widely and across all subjects. As a result, pupils’ standards in reading are improving year on year and pupils make strong gains in their reading and writing skills from their below average starting points.  The great majority of Year 2 pupils who did not meet the phonics screening check last academic year are on track to meet this standard before beginning Key Stage 2. As a result, they will be well prepared for their next stage of learning.  The high numbers of pupils who join the school speaking English as an additional language

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The achievement of pupils is good

make good progress at developing their speaking, reading and writing skills. This is because all teachers regard themselves as teachers of English as an additional language and they, and other adults, play an important role in supporting such pupils.  The school’s close attention to ensuring that all pupils achieve well extends particularly to disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. Well-targeted support for these pupils enables them to overcome many of their difficulties and make the same good progress as their classmates.  Pupils who are potentially vulnerable are looked after exceptionally well and make great gains in their learning. Key to this is the highly effective ‘Hub’ which provides carefully targeted and very well delivered support for these pupils.  Until recently, there was some difference in the rate of progress made by pupils supported by the pupil premium and others in Year 6. In 2013, for instance, such pupils were three terms

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The achievement of pupils is good

behind others in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. Pupils who are known to be eligible for pupil premium funding benefit from well-judged extra support. The school has provided individual help and guidance, additional tuition as well as financial support to enable them to participate in out-of-school activities and courses. This support has effectively eliminated the attainment gap between these pupils and others so that pupils known to be entitled to free school meals make very similar gains and reach similar standards to others in the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is consistently good. However, teaching is not yet typically outstanding to ensure exceptionally good progress across all year groups and subjects.  Teachers have well-established, positive relationships with pupils, so that pupils are calm, settled and ready to learn. Pupils are keen to meet teachers’ high expectations of behaviour and learning.  Teachers have high expectations of their pupils and want them to do as well as they possibly can in lessons and over time. Pupils, including the most able, respond to these expectations and typically try hard to rise to the challenges set for them. This was well displayed in a very successful Year 6 mathematics activity. Pupils were captivated and enthused by the sheer speed and demand of the mental arithmetic tasks set by the teacher. They relished the intellectual demand of the activity and took great pride in completing the task.  Pupils eagerly grasp all opportunities to work according to any methods adopted by teachers or

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The quality of teaching is good

by themselves and relish sharing information and helping each other to learn. In most lessons, pupils are eager, show great enthusiasm for their learning and try hard when faced with difficult problems.  Pupils’ progress slows and lesson time is wasted when they sometimes have to wait for others in the class to catch up with them. Occasionally, they are given extra work when they complete a task. This does little to extend their thinking or strengthen their skills as it does not extend their thinking or learning.  Pupils have regular opportunities in Key Stages 1 and 2 to write at length. The high quality guidance they receive from their teacher helps to improve their next piece of writing and further expand their vocabulary.  Teaching assistants guide and question pupils effectively, particularly disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. They help these pupils to make good progress alongside

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The quality of teaching is good

developing their self-confidence and self-reliance.  Teachers’ marking and guidance to pupils, although very effective in some classes and activities such as writing, lacks consistency across the school. Not all teachers provide clear enough advice for pupils about how to further improve their work and do not always make sure that pupils follow up this advice by applying it and showing their teachers that they have understood.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The youngest children in the Reception classes follow instructions carefully and greatly enjoy working and playing together.  Older pupils’ behaviour in lessons is also typically good. Pupils behave very well in the playground, in the dining hall, around the school and in lessons. They are polite and courteous to each other, to adults and to visitors, look after each other exceedingly well and are well able to listen attentively to each other and to take turns.  Most pupils are keen to learn, work hard in lessons, listen attentively and show great eagerness when working in any situation. They are particularly adept at searching out information and solving problems for themselves.  Minor incidents of poor behaviour are dealt with swiftly and effectively and these incidents are declining rapidly although a small number of pupils, to the intense annoyance of the others, can

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

engage in some silly, inappropriate behaviour at times.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. The atmosphere in the school is warm and welcoming and encourages all pupils to feel completely secure. Individuals speak with great feeling about how the school has helped them to overcome difficulties in their lives and learning.  Leaders and staff address any concerns of parents, carers or pupils with diligence and rigour and make sure that all pupils can live and work in the school without fear of discrimination or unkindness from others.  Pupils have a very clear understanding of the different types of bullying. They say that bullying is rare but, if it did happen, teachers and other adults would ‘stamp it out’.  Staff and leaders have ensured that the school has a range of effective strategies in place to make sure that pupils attend regularly and are on time. As a result, attendance is improving and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

is now above average and improving further.

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The leadership and management are good

 The strong and tenacious leadership of the headteacher, supported most effectively by a talented and energetic senior team, is one of the key factors in the school’s success and its strong capacity to sustain further improvement.  They have been instrumental in leading the school effectively and setting it firmly on a journey to excellence. Staff have high expectations and ambition for pupils, and have responded with eagerness and confidence to the challenge to improve pupils’ learning in lessons.  There is no hint of complacency and there is a determination from staff at all levels to sustain and build upon the gains of recent years. The school promotes equality of opportunity well and provides effective additional support for those at risk of falling behind.  Subject leaders and those responsible for areas of the school’s work value the support provided by their line managers to enable them to build their leadership capacity. These middle leaders

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The leadership and management are good

share in the monitoring of teaching and have clear action plans in place to drive improvement.  Learning, progress and the quality of teaching are checked regularly and are closely linked to teachers’ performance and pay increases. Leaders’ observations of teaching identify good practice, which can be shared and also trigger support when teaching requires improvement. New staff are extremely pleased with the help they receive. Staff questionnaires are 100% positive about leaders’ impact on improvement.  The school has used the new primary sports funding effectively to improve the quality and breadth of physical education and sports provision. The range of after-school sports clubs has been extended and specialist staff have been employed to improve pupils’ expertise in different sporting activities. There has been a sharp increase in participation in sporting activities.  The range of subjects and other activities is well planned to ensure good progress in the core

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The leadership and management are good

subjects. The exciting topics, seamlessly linked together, contribute strongly to pupils’ joy of learning.  Leadership is not yet outstanding because the drive of leaders to ensure excellence has not yet resulted in consistently outstanding teaching. Consequently, although pupils’ progress is good too few are making rapid progress across all year groups and subjects.  The governance of the school:  Governors are far-sighted and ambitious for the school, helping to shape its values and providing strong and unwavering support for its leaders and staff. Governors are very well informed about how well the school is doing and have a secure understanding of different types of school information. They have made sure that they have received up-to-date training so that they can interpret school information for themselves. Governors have a good knowledge of where the best teaching is in the school and have given their full support to the

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The leadership and management are good

initiatives of school leaders to improve classroom performance.  The governing body has made strong contributions to the discussions on how the pupil premium and other government funding should be spent. They have been vigilant in checking the impact on the pupils’ progress of the extra support and guidance provided for those eligible.  Governors are also very well informed and control the systems for managing staff performance and the way that pay rises are decided. They meet all their responsibilities very well, including national requirements for safeguarding pupils.

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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 138013 Local authority Slough Inspection number 426536

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 690 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Heather Clements Headteacher Nicky Willis Date of previous school inspection Not applicable Telephone number 01628 604665 Fax number 01628 660696 Email address office@cippenham-pri.slough.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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