Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery

Chase Lane Primary School and Nursery Chase Lane, Dovercourt, Harwich, CO12 4NB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher and acting headteacher, ably supported by senior leaders, provide principled and focused leadership. This has ensured that teaching is good and pupils achieve well.  Children get off to a good start in the early years because of the high quality teaching and care they receive. From their different starting points, pupils make good progress. By the end of Key Stage 2 pupils reach standards that are never less than average overall and are often above average in reading, spelling, grammar and punctuation.  The provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is a strength of the school, and leadership in this area is outstanding  The music and sports teaching in the school provide an outstanding contribution to its broad and rich curriculum. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well through the many stimulating experiences available, both inside and outside the classroom.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Governance has improved since the last inspection. Governors know the school well and provide a good balance of challenge and support.  Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and around the school. This has a positive impact on their learning. They are polite, friendly and unreservedly welcoming to visitors.  Pupils feel safe at school and have the confidence that the adults and their friends will take care of them.  Attendance is above average and this reflects how much pupils enjoy coming to school.  The majority of parents are positive about the school and say that their children feel happy and safe there.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet good enough to make achievement outstanding because teachers do not always provide enough challenge, particularly for the most-able pupils in mathematics.  Some phase leaders are not yet making a fully effective contribution to improving pupils’ achievement in their areas of responsibility.  Teachers’ marking does not always give pupils clear guidance on how to improve their work, particularly in Key Stage 1.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 28 lessons or parts of lessons, including two joint observations with the acting headteacher. Inspectors observed teaching in all year groups.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in books and on classroom displays. They listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors attended a nativity performance and two assemblies.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and talked to them at breakfast club, during lessons, in the playground, in the dining hall and as they moved around the school.  Inspectors took account of the 34 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and spoke informally with parents and carers at the start of the day. Letters received from parents were also reviewed.  Questionnaires completed by the 31 members of staff were taken into consideration.  Many school documents were reviewed. These included: development plans, policies, records of monitoring, safeguarding and planning records, information for families and governing body documents.

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Inspection team

Ruth Dollner, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Chase Lane is a larger-than-average primary school.  Children attend the Nursery on a part time basis. There are two Reception classes which pupils attend full- time.  The school is led jointly by the headteacher and, whenever he is away from the school developing the work of the local SCITT (School based Initial Teacher Training), by the acting headteacher.  The large majority of pupils are from a White British background.  At 32.2%, the proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium is above average. This is additional government funding for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and those in care.  At 15.6%, the proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is slightly below average.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club called ’Sunny Club’.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for

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Information about this school

pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management by making sure that all phase leaders plan effectively and take precise action to improve the quality of teaching, and therefore pupil progress, in their areas of responsibility.  Improve teaching to help more pupils make rapid progress by ensuring that:  the school’s marking policy is consistently and effectively applied across all classes and in all subjects so that pupils get clear guidance about how to improve their work, particularly in Key Stage 1  work set for the most-able pupils in mathematics consistently challenges them and helps them to achieve what they are capable of  the outstanding practice which exists in the school is shared more widely across all classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is well led by the headteacher in partnership with the acting headteacher. They have both shown great determination in their drive to keep moving the school forward. The support they get from governors and all the staff, especially senior leaders, is a strength of the school.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are proud to work at the school and their desire for pupils to do well and feel well cared for, is at the heart of all their work. There is a very positive ethos across the whole school that ensures pupils behave well and are keen to learn. Discrimination of any kind is quickly challenged and the school goes ‘the extra mile’ to ensure all pupils enjoy the same opportunities to succeed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s evaluation of its own performance is accurate, showing leaders’ clear understanding about what is working well and the appropriateness of the priorities they have identified for further improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders evaluate teaching accurately, using a range of evidence to inform their judgements, and set challenging targets for teachers which are sharply focussed on pupil achievement.

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The leadership and management are good

 Music and sports provision make an outstanding contribution to the rich, broad and balanced curriculum on offer. Achievement in music and sports is outstanding. As one nursery parent put it, ‘my child is always coming home singing another new song she learnt at school’. Pupils from the school often win local competitions in a range of sports and provide musical performances for the local community.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is successfully fostered through the daily life of the school and through the rich curriculum operating within and beyond the school day. The range of sporting events and activities available to pupils contributes to their good behaviour and helps them to learn and play well together. Pupils work hard to raise money for charity, and recently raised three thousand pounds for ‘pink day’.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leadership of English and mathematics is very strong and has brought about improvements in achievement in these areas. The leadership of the school’s provision for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is also a strength of the school and is leading to good progress for these pupils. The very effective and dynamic leadership in the early years has ensured that children make good progress in the Nursery and in Reception classes.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school is developing its preferred approach to assessment to reflect the changes introduced by the new National Curriculum and is seeking guidance locally and nationally to support this.

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The leadership and management are good

 The pupil premium funding has been used exceptionally well to improve the achievement of disadvantaged pupils across the school. Carefully targeted additional teaching by teachers and teaching assistants has ensured that these pupils make progress which is broadly in line with their classmates. Gaps in attainment are closing.

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The leadership and management are good

 The additional primary sports funding has also been used exceptionally well to provide specialist coaching and equipment for a range of activities including golf and rugby. Improvements in teaching and teachers’ confidence in teaching a range of sports, including football and cricket, have been secured through training. Pupils have a very positive attitude to sports and understand the benefits it gives them in terms of health and in developing relationships.

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The leadership and management are good

 Parents receive a good level of information about the school through the website and through regular newsletters.

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The leadership and management are good

 Not all phase leader roles are fully developed. Some phase leaders understand the priorities for improvement well enough but have not yet been able to increase the proportions of pupils who make really rapid progress in their areas. In contrast, the early years phase leader has a clear understanding of what needs to be done, and her actions have brought about significant improvements in provision and in pupils’ achievement. The special needs co-ordinator, similarly, has precise and effective plans to support the pupils she is responsible for. She makes sure that plans are implemented consistently by all staff and that they have a good impact on pupils’ progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 Support from the local authority has been good in supporting the school in evaluating its strengths and weaknesses

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governance has improved since the last inspection and is good. Governors have an accurate view of the school’s performance and pupils’ achievement. They bring a range of skills to their work and they evaluate any gaps in their collective skills and seek appropriate training.  They are well-informed both as a result of the information that the leadership team provides but also through the questions they ask to challenge leaders. This indicates great improvement since the last inspection.  Governors make sure that the statutory duties of the governing body are fulfilled with regards to safeguarding, and their checks on procedures for managing the performance of leaders and teachers are timely and effective.  The recently appointed Chair of Governors has a clear plan for improving governance even further by restructuring the way meetings are run to allow more time for questions. Governors visit the school

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The leadership and management are good

regularly. The governor responsible for monitoring the impact of pupil premium recently wrote an impressive and comprehensive report on its use and impact to share with other governors. Governors are proud of the way the schools’ sports funding has enhanced the existing excellent sports provision in the school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. This has a strong and positive impact on their learning. Pupils try hard in lessons and enjoy the well-planned activities and opportunities that the school provides.

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Behaviour

 Pupils’ enjoyment in coming to school is reflected in their above-average attendance rates. Pupils love their school and say it is ‘lots of fun’. They have a wonderful sense of humour and are keen to share stories and anecdotes about their lives and their school. They are polite and welcoming and always keen to have a chat with visitors.

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Behaviour

 Pupils work well together in lessons and play equally well together in the playground and in the ‘Sunny Club’, both of which are secure, safe and well-maintained areas of the school. Pupils treat both these areas respectfully. They chat happily together at lunchtime.

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Behaviour

 There have been no exclusions during the last two academic years.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.

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Safety

 Pupils feel safe at school and say that they feel very well cared for by adults. All pupils have an adult they know they can go to if they need support or help. The school’s arrangements for safeguarding pupils are well-managed and regularly reviewed.

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Safety

 Pupils have a good understanding about the different forms bullying can take and they say that the very rare incidences of bullying which occur in the school are dealt with effectively by the staff.

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Safety

 The vast majority of parents are entirely confident about the care the school provides. All parents who completed the online questionnaire, ‘Parent View’ said that they would recommend the school to another parent.  School and local authority documentation indicate that the very small number of concerns about bullying raised by a small minority of parents are treated seriously and are dealt with effectively.  Case studies examined during the inspection and observations in classrooms provided evidence of the school’s successful work with disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. The care and support given to these pupils, to ensure that they, too, are safe in school, is outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Work seen in pupils’ books and on display around the school, as well as inspectors’ observations in lessons and the school’s own evaluations, all confirm that the teaching of reading, writing and mathematics is always at least good over time; some is outstanding.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers convey their high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour very clearly, and pupils respond very well. As a result, most pupils, including disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs and disadvantaged pupils achieve well from their different starting points. Teachers generally take good account of pupils’ varying needs when planning lessons but, occasionally, the work set in mathematics for the most-able pupils does not allow them to achieve all that they are capable of.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants provide valuable support for pupils’ learning. They are equally sensitive to pupils’ particular needs, particularly those who are disabled or who have special educational needs. They work closely with teachers and generally show good skills and initiative in moving pupils’ learning on.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of reading is a strength of the school. Pupils make very good progress in phonics in Reception and develop their early reading skills well. Similarly, in Year 2 guided reading sessions, teachers ensure that pupils of different abilities receive targeted teaching at just the right level. This is built on in Key Stage 2 so that pupils leave Chase Lane with very secure reading standards; they are consequently well-prepared for the next stage of their education and able and willing to ‘read to learn’.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils enjoy a rich curriculum and explore topics which interest and inspire them. The specialist music teacher provides an outstanding level of music teaching throughout the school, and there are extensive opportunities for pupils to engage in a very wide range of musical activities in school and out in the community. Inspectors enjoyed the wonderful, high quality nativity performance the school hosted during the inspection.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The teaching of sports is also a great strength of the school. Pupils are taught well in the extensive sporting activities that they are provided with, both within and beyond the school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Assessment is generally effective and timely in measuring pupils’ progress and helping them to keep track of how well they are doing. However, marking quality is inconsistent within and between year groups, and particularly in Key Stage 1, it does not always help pupils to move on quickly enough in their learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the early years with skills which are broadly typical for their age but which are often weaker in reading, writing and communication. By the time pupils leave Chase Lane the vast majority of them have developed the knowledge and skills necessary to cope confidently with the demands of the next stage in their education. By the end of Key Stage 1, attainment is in line with national averages. By the end of Key Stage 2 attainment is never less than average overall and is consistently strong in reading and key aspects of writing, including grammar, spelling and punctuation.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014 the proportion of pupils making the expected rate of progress from the start of Year 3 in reading, writing and mathematics was similar to the proportion that did so nationally. The proportions making more than expected progress in reading and writing were above those seen nationally. Current progress across Key Stage 1 is a little more variable because of recent staffing changes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2013, Year 1 attainment in the phonics screening check was above average. In 2014 attainment dipped slightly and was a little below average. Leaders are aware that the strong progress in Reception needs to be built on effectively in Year 1 if standards are to improve. They are recruiting staff to ensure improved quality of teaching and learning in this area.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Disadvantaged pupils who left the school in 2014 were less than a term behind their classmates in mathematics, broadly in line with their classmates in writing and were almost one term ahead of their classmates in reading. In mathematics they were almost two terms behind all pupils nationally. In reading they were over a term ahead of all pupils nationally and in writing they were less than a term behind pupils nationally. They made progress in line with other pupils in reading and writing but not in mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils who are currently in the school make progress which is in line with other pupils. Progress data in the current Year 5 and 6 class shows that the in-school attainment gap in English is negligible and, in mathematics, it is closing rapidly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils who are disabled or have special educational needs make very good progress. Standards for these pupils are still below the national average but in-school gaps are closing due to the effective support and intervention which the school provides.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The achievement of more-able pupils is generally good but is sometimes held back if they are given work which is too easy, particularly in mathematics. This prevents them from making the consistently rapid progress they are capable of.

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The early years provision is good

 Children start school with skills in reading, writing and communication which are comparatively weak for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and the Reception classes, and the proportion of children achieving a good level development when they leave the Reception classes is above average. In 2014 the percentage of pupils achieving a good level of development was well above that achieved in 2013. This represents good overall progress across the early years. Gaps still exist between the progress made by girls and boys in the Reception classes. The school recognises this and is working hard, and successfully, to close them.

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The early years provision is good

 Activities are imaginative and stimulating across all areas of learning, and there is a good balance between those that are adult-led and those chosen by the children. All activities are consistently matched to children’s needs and demanding enough to challenge and improve their skills. Teaching is good overall and some of it is outstanding. The teaching of phonics is a strength. This gives the children the skills to tackle reading and writing confidently and the confidence to ‘have a go’.

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The early years provision is good

 The leadership and management of the early years are very good. The Early Years Foundation Stage leader is extremely knowledgeable about how children learn best and ensures high expectations are met. Children’s good behaviour is encouraged and managed well and their well-being and safety are given absolute priority. Warm relationships between adults and children underpin the highly successful work of the early years team.

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The early years provision is good

 Parents receive valuable information about the progress children make and are appropriately involved in deciding on ‘next steps’ targets for their children. ‘Family Friday’ enables parents to come into school and share tips on how to support their children.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 115301 Local authority Essex Inspection number 448464

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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 Select Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 449 Appropriate authority The local authority Chair Mike Carran Headteacher and Acting Headteacher John Morgan and Jude Nash Date of previous school inspection 15 January 2013 Telephone number 01255 502416 Fax number 01255 241907 Email address admin@chaselane.essex.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 and 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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