Chawton Church of England Primary School

Chawton Church of England Primary School Chawton, Alton, Hampshire, GU34 1SG

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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

 Pupils’ achievement is good. They make rapid progress and reach average levels of attainment at the end of Year 6 in reading, writing and mathematics.  Most able pupils achieve well. A significant proportion attain above the national average in both Key Stages 1 and 2.  Those with special educational needs or disabilities make rapid progress from their starting points as a result of the good support that they receive.  Teaching is good and pupils enjoy learning. They try hard to complete their tasks and appreciate the effective marking and feedback provided by staff.  Children make good progress in the early years provision. Adults provide a calm and nurturing environment in which children are happy to learn.  Pupils usually play well together and care for each other. Behaviour is good. Pupils say that they feel safe. Attendance is above the national average.  All parents who responded to Parent View would

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

recommend the school to another parent.  The headteacher and other leaders and managers have been effective in maintaining the good achievement of pupils. They have established a culture of high expectations.  Governors know the school and local community well. They have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They have high ambitions for continuous improvement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils’ handwriting skills are not always systematically developed in Key Stage 2.  The early years outside provision does not develop children’s skills in all the areas of learning.  Parents find it difficult to find information on the school’s website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed 10 lessons and part lessons, all of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspector listened to pupils reading in Year 2 and Year 6.  Books in every year group were scrutinised, including children’s work in the early years provision.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the Chair and other members of the Governing Body and school staff. There was also a discussion with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector took account of 33 responses to the on-line questionnaire, Parent View.  The inspector observed the school’s work and analysed a large range of documents and policies, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress and its planning and monitoring documents. Records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding were also examined.  The views of staff were analysed through the 18 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Elizabeth Bowes, Lead inspector Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Chawton Church of England Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are supported through pupil premium funding is well below average. This additional funding is allocated to those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and pupils who are looked after. There are very few pupils eligible for support in all year groups, including Year 6.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs on the school roll is lower than average. There are currently no pupils with an education, health and care plan.  The vast majority of pupils are from a White British background.  In 2014 the school met the government floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Children in the early years provision attend full time.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Enhance the quality of pupils’ handwriting skills, particularly in Key Stage 2, by ensuring it is systematically developed through the classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the effectiveness of the school’s website so that parents are able to easily access information.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure the early years provision’s outside area is used to develop children’s skills in all areas of learning.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher, has maintained the good achievement of pupils that was evident at the previous inspection. She has created a culture of effective teaching and learning where pupils thrive and flourish.  The school’s understanding of its strengths and weaknesses is accurate. Leaders regularly check the effectiveness of teaching. All teachers are aware of their strengths and areas for improvement because of ambitious targets that are set by the headteacher. There is a clear link between salary progression and how well pupils have done. This is helping to continue to improve the quality of teaching as well as raising pupils’ achievement.  Those who are middle leaders, including those who are responsible for subjects, are effective in their roles and work well together as a team.  The curriculum focuses on developing pupils’ skills through a series of interesting topics. It has a positive

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The leadership and management are good

impact on pupils’ achievement and well-being. Cultural development is well planned; for example, all pupils from the Reception class to Year 6 learn French. Social skills and self-confidence are carefully developed throughout the school. Pupils go on residential trips to a range of places, including outdoor activity centres. All pupils are taught the difference between right and wrong. Spiritual development is enhanced through visits to the local church and other religious establishments. Pupils enjoyed taking part in a music marathon where they raised money to build a clinic in Bangladesh.  The school makes good use of the local area, including Jane Austen’s house. Pupils report how much they like the walks along the South Downs Way, where they learn about the history and geography of the area. Investigations into sunken roads and river studies make learning fun and exciting. Good links with a school

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The leadership and management are good

in a different part of Britain prepare pupils well for life in modern Britain and give them a greater awareness of how others live. Pupils have a good understanding of democracy; for example, they vote for the members of the school council.  The school promotes equality of opportunity well. All are treated with respect and courtesy and the school works hard to ensure good relations. Discrimination of any kind is not tolerated.  Additional funding for disadvantaged pupils has been used effectively. Gaps between their attainment and their peers are very small. In many cases disadvantaged pupils do better. This is because leaders and teachers carefully check the progress of each pupil to make sure that they are all making good progress.  Primary physical education and sports funding is used effectively to employ a specialist teacher. There are also links with a range of other schools regarding sports tournaments. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the Friday

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The leadership and management are good

night club, hosted at the local secondary school, where they take part in a range of sports. There is an increased participation in sports and this has enhanced pupils’ well-being. Recent successes have included reaching the finals of the south of England small schools football tournament and the Hampshire cricket finals.  The local authority has provided a light-touch level of support. Recently it has worked with enhancing the skills of middle leaders.  The school has effective safeguarding procedures that meet statutory requirements. The school site is secure and leaders carry out careful checks on all adults who work with pupils.  Parents find it difficult to find information on the school website.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a clear understanding and knowledge of their roles and responsibilities. They are very well trained and check pupils’ performance carefully. They have a good understanding of the quality of

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The leadership and management are good

teaching and offer challenge when they feel that achievement needs to improve. They understand the link between teachers’ pay and performance. Governors reward good teaching and would tackle any underperformance appropriately.  Governors have very good links with the local community. This enables pupils to have interesting experiences, such as visiting the local Chawton House library.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Around the school they are courteous, friendly and welcoming to strangers. In most classrooms they behave well and listen to the teacher’s instructions carefully. Most pupils consider that behaviour for learning is always good. However, a few pupils do not consider that behaviour for learning is always consistently good. This is why behaviour is not outstanding.  School records show that instances of poor behaviour are rare. Pupils understand the consequences that poor behaviour can have on their learning. Those who find good behaviour more difficult are well supported by learning assistants, who provide sensitive support.  Pupils show respect for one another and for others. An example of this was during the Remembrance Day service when pupils read out the life stories of each of the war dead commemorated in the village. The school is keen that pupils have a clear awareness of the needs of others. An example of this was when

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Behaviour

pupils in Year 6 visited a night shelter in Winchester with the collection of goods from the harvest festival.  Within school, pupils are keen to take on additional responsibilities, such as playing the music in assembly.  Attendance at the school is above the national average.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  All parents who answered the questionnaire Parent View considered that their children were safe at school. Pupils say that they feel safe. They enjoy learning in the outdoor environment, such as when they investigated mini-beasts in Chawton Park.  Pupils are given a good awareness of the danger of strangers and how to keep safe when using the internet. They know how to keep themselves safe when crossing the road or using a bicycle.  Pupils know about the different forms of bullying. They say that there is very little bullying, that any incidents are usually related to name-calling and that teachers always sort out any concerns. According to parents and pupils, cyber-bulling and other types of bullying such as homophobic bullying are not issues in this school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good. Pupils are often fully engaged by well-planned and interesting activities that are provided for them in reading and mathematics. However, handwriting is not always taught in a systematic way across the school. Most lessons are challenging and pupils enjoy working on the set tasks.  Teachers’ marking of pupils’ work is always of a high quality throughout the school. It is used to help pupils understand how successful they have been in their work and how to improve it. Pupils report that the quality of teachers’ advice really helps them. They frequently have the time to revisit their work and make improvements.  Teachers and leaders have worked hard to ensure that the most able are always fully challenged. For example, in mathematics they are given tasks that deepen their understanding of concepts. In both Key Stages 1 and 2, those who are most able often complete additional homework, such as when they are

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The quality of teaching is good

researching a topic.  Teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning because they are well deployed and briefed by teachers. Each assistant has had specialist training in a specific subject such as phonics, speech and language and mathematics. This is having a positive impact on the progress of pupils.  The school’s comprehensive and reliable tracking system is well used by teachers. It clearly shows any pupils who are not meeting the challenging targets that the school sets for them.  Displays around the school celebrate pupils’ achievements in sports and music. Pupils report that displays in classes help remind them of important facts in their learning.

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is good

 Pupils make good progress throughout the school from their various starting points. By the end of Year 6 most achieve in line with the national average.  Those pupils who are most able achieve well. At the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 a greater-than- average proportion of pupils achieve the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics. The most able pupils attend master classes to enhance their skills in English and mathematics at the local secondary school.  There are too few pupils eligible for pupil premium funding to report their attainment without them being identified. The school, however, makes good use of the additional funding in the different year groups. Often there are no gaps in their attainment when compared to their peers’. School records show that on many occasions these pupils make better progress than their peers and pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.

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is good

 The few pupils who have disabilities and special educational needs achieve well. The school provides good support from both teachers and specially trained teaching assistants.  Evidence in pupils’ books shows that pupils’ skills in handwriting are not built up in a methodical way in Years 3 to 6. As a result, handwriting in Year 6 is not always as good as it should be.  In the Year 1 phonics reading check, a higher proportion than found nationally met the expected standard. This reflects the success of the school’s phonics (letters and the sounds they make) programme. Pupils enjoy reading and talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors. They achieve well because they read frequently both at school and home.  Mathematical skills are carefully developed in lessons. Pupils report that they enjoy mathematics because they can quickly see how well they are doing. Many pupils in Year 6 were keen to complete their 14 times

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is good

table.  Pupils’ artistic skills are strong. The natural environment provides a strong stimulus for art and design. For example, pupils created a leaf man after reading a story by Lois Ehlert. Skills in singing and in playing musical instruments are well developed through the orchestra and choir.

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is good

 In Reception all groups of children, including those with disabilities and special educational needs, make good progress from their starting points. This ensures a smooth transition into Year 1. Teachers provide a range of stimulating activities that allow children to rapidly make good progress. Early reading, writing, mathematical and speaking skills are well developed.  Parents appreciate the well-organised induction system. They also like the way that they can stay a while in the class every day to ensure that their children are settled and happy. All parents who spoke to the inspector were very positive about their child’s experiences in the early years provision. They praised the interesting range of visitors that enhance their children’s learning. An example of this was when a vet came in to talk about how ill animals are treated.  Children’s behaviour is good and they are developing beneficial attitudes to learning. They play well

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is good

together and respond well to the tasks that teachers set for them. Parents consider that their children feel safe in school.  Strong, positive and caring relationships promote children’s emotional and physical well-being.  Clear record keeping over the years has ensured that children make good progress. The leader of the early years has a good awareness of the strengths and areas still left to develop. The main area in need of development is the outside area. This is because the range of activities does not always ensure all the children’s areas of learning are fully developed.

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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 116281 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 448799

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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 controlled Age range of pupils 4−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 132 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Timothy Ganner Headteacher Lynne Burge Date of previous school inspection 12 July 2010 Telephone number 01420 544381 Fax number 01420 544381 Email address adminoffice@chawton.hants.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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