Chiddingstone Church of England School

School report Chiddingstone Church of England School Chiddingstone, Edenbridge, TN8 7AH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected Select This inspection: Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Early years provision Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils are excellent ambassadors for their school, of which they, staff, governors and parents are justifiably very proud.  Pupils are well-rounded individuals who really enjoy learning and are happy, confident and excited by all their experiences at school. This is reflected in their above-average attendance.  The headteacher provides excellent leadership for the school. She is very well supported by leaders at all levels, and by the governors. This contributes very effectively to the school’s continuing improvement.  All leaders and staff, including governors, are strongly committed to meeting the academic and personal needs and aspirations of every pupil.  Outstanding teaching and a rich, vibrant and innovative curriculum inspire and motivate pupils to become independent and resourceful learners.  All groups of pupils make outstanding progress from their starting points. By the time they leave the school, attainment is significantly above

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

national levels and pupils, including disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, achieve exceptionally well.  Children make an outstanding start to school in the early years because of excellent teaching, care and leadership.  The Christian ethos of the school, the well- established links with the neighbouring church, and the rich and stimulating curriculum make an outstanding contribution to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. They are very friendly and polite and considerate and caring towards others.  Outstanding safety arrangements ensure that pupils feel safe and are extremely well looked after.  Governors have an excellent knowledge of the school. They are highly ambitious for the school and hold leaders to account for their work. They have made sure that they have the skills and information to do this very effectively.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 14 lessons, some of them together with the headteacher. In addition, inspectors talked to pupils about their work, looked at books, listened to some pupils read and observed pupils at playtimes and lunchtimes.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other staff with key leadership responsibilities. Discussions took place with pupils, governors and an educational adviser who works with the school.  The inspectors looked at a wide range of documents including: the school’s own check on its performance and the quality of teaching; the school improvement plan; information on pupils’ progress; and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Inspectors looked at the 73 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View and an email response from a parent. They also took into account 12 questionnaires returned by staff.

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Inspection team

Margaret Coussins, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional government funding for disadvantaged pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for children who are looked after. In 2014 there were no disadvantaged pupils in Year 6.  The school meets the current government floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.  Provision is made for the early years in a Reception class which children attend full time.  The school provides a daily breakfast and after-school club for its own pupils.  Chiddingstone Church of England School converted to become an academy school on 1 December 2011.

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Information about this school

When its predecessor school, Chiddingstone Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be outstanding overall.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that pupils’ work is always neat and well presented.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides highly effective and inspirational leadership. She is very well supported by the deputy headteacher. Senior leaders have high expectations for staff and pupils. Leaders, together with the governors, have created an extremely successful school in which pupils learn, thrive and flourish exceptionally well.  There is a shared vision and ambition amongst all staff to provide the best possible learning and experiences for pupils. There is a strong sense of shared responsibility and commitment. Staff share a goal of excellence and have high expectations for themselves and their pupils. Consequently, teaching is outstanding, pupils achieve exceptionally well and their behaviour is exemplary.  Leaders rigorously check on how effectively staff are teaching and how well pupils are learning, by regularly observing lessons, looking at pupils’ work and checking on pupils’ progress. Arrangements for

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The leadership and management are outstanding

managing teachers’ performance are well established and effective. Teachers know they are accountable for pupils’ progress. Where any weaknesses are identified, leaders take rapid and very effective action to bring about improvement.  Subject leaders, and others who have responsibility for particular areas of the school’s work, are highly effective. These members of staff know their subjects, and other areas for which they are responsible, extremely well, as well as the quality of teaching and the progress made by pupils. They provide effective support and training for staff to continually improve their performance.  Additional funding available for disadvantaged pupils is used very effectively. This helps pupils to participate in all aspects of school life, both socially and academically, so that they learn and develop as well as other pupils.  The school makes excellent use of the extra primary physical education and sport funding to enhance the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

already strong provision in the school. This helps to develop the skills of staff and pupils, and to provide a wide range of sports. Pupils have high levels of participation in sports. They reach high standards, so that individual pupils and teams enjoy great success.  Leaders and governors have a very strong commitment to providing equal opportunities for all pupils. They check that all groups are making the best possible progress. They also ensure that pupils learn without any type of discrimination, and they foster good relations throughout the school community and beyond.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted extremely well. This underpins all the school’s work and is reflected in the pupils’ attitudes and conduct at work and play. Through the curriculum, close links with the church and the school’s values, pupils learn about, and have respect for, differences in faiths, cultures and backgrounds. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain as the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school’s values foster a culture of respect and tolerance for all. Leaders ensure pupils understand British values such as democracy and mutual respect, and the need for rules in school and the wider community. By the time pupils are in Year 6, they can express mature and well-considered thoughts relating to topics such as faith, disability, cultural diversity and the environment.  The school provides a rich and broad range of subjects. The curriculum has been designed to fire the imagination and interest of pupils by providing a memorable range of exciting and stimulating opportunities for learning. The curriculum is very effectively enriched with a wealth of additional opportunities, including many trips, visitors to school and a wide range of clubs. To support pupils’ development in learning Spanish and experiencing the culture, the school organises trips to Spain for pupils in both Years 5 and 6.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 Most parents who responded to Parent View are confident in the leadership and management of the school and the overwhelming majority would recommend the school to others.  The school is vigilant in safeguarding pupils. Staff provide a high level of care for the safety of the pupils. The school’s robust systems meet government requirements, and all staff and governors understand the procedures and how to carry them out.  The governance of the school:  Governance is highly effective. Governors have an accurate understanding of how well the school performs in comparison with other schools nationally. They are extremely well informed about the achievement of pupils and closely monitor the performance of all groups of pupils.  Governors have an excellent level of expertise and offer skills in a range of areas. As a result, they are able to offer very good levels of challenge and support and very effectively hold leaders to account for

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the school’s performance.  Members of the governing body are fully involved in evaluating the school’s strengths and areas for further improvement. They receive detailed analysis of pupils’ attainment and progress through regular headteacher’s reports and their own reviews of published information. Leaders give frequent presentations to the governing body on all subjects and aspects of the school’s work.  Governors have an excellent understanding of the quality of leadership and teaching and fully support the headteacher in expecting nothing less than good or better teaching. They know how successful leaders are in tackling any relative underperformance and ensure that pay progression is linked to pupils’ progress. They ensure that the school’s high level of performance is maintained by setting the headteacher challenging targets each year.  Governors have a very clear understanding of how the pupil premium and sports funding are spent and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the impact they have on pupils’ achievement and well-being.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding. Pupils behave equally well in and out of lessons, including at break and lunchtimes and when working with adults.  Pupils are proud of their school and appreciate the caring atmosphere and all that their teachers do for them. A group of pupils agreed with one who said, ‘It’s like being in one big family, we all know each other and we’re all friends.’ They live up to and promote the school’s values extremely well.  Pupils treat adults and one another with courtesy and respect. This creates a happy and harmonious atmosphere throughout the school, both indoors and outside. Pupils are friendly, confident, articulate and extremely well mannered. They are very welcoming towards visitors.  School records show that incidences of poor behaviour are extremely rare and that outstanding behaviour is typical over time. This is supported by many commendations received by the school when pupils have

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Behaviour

been on trips and visits or engaged in sporting tournaments with other schools.  Pupils have excellent attitudes to learning, which helps them make rapid progress in their work. They work very hard, with determination and resilience, both on their own and with others. They talk knowledgeably and enthusiastically about what they are learning and are keen to live up to the high expectations that their teachers have of them.  Pupils make an excellent contribution to school life. They thoroughly enjoy taking on responsibilities, such as the roles of head boy, head girl and prefects. Older pupils take their roles of buddies to younger pupils very seriously, for example in helping them with reading. Several Year 5 pupils who were reading with Year 1 pupils agreed that ‘It’s good for the younger ones because it helps them learn to read, but it’s good for us too because we learn skills ourselves like being patient and helpful and teaching others what we

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Behaviour

know.’  Pupils and a very large majority of those parents who responded to Parent View agree that pupils are well behaved. Attendance is high and pupils are punctual to school.  Pupils who attend the breakfast or after-school club benefit from a safe, healthy and social start or end to the school day.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is outstanding. Pupils say they feel very safe and most parents agree that their children feel safe and are well looked after. Almost all parents agree that children are happy at school.  Highly positive and trusting relationships between pupils and staff mean that pupils are confident to talk to adults should they have any worries.  Pupils say they are not aware of any bullying in school. Year 6 pupils act very effectively as anti-bullying ambassadors. Pupils have, however, a very good awareness that bullying can take different forms, including prejudiced-based and cyber-bullying. They say that they know that if they had any concerns, staff would listen to them and take them seriously.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe in school and the dangers they need to be aware of out of school to stay safe. The school is diligent in ensuring that pupils, staff and parents are very much aware of

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teaching is skilful and enthusiastic, and is very successful in motivating pupils to learn. All staff have excellent relationships with pupils. As a result, pupils learn exceptionally well because they feel valued and confident to try things out and express their own ideas.  Teachers’ expectations are high, and teachers provide work for pupils that is challenging and stimulating. Consequently, pupils attain above average standards and make excellent progress.  Reading, writing and mathematics are taught outstandingly well through meaningful and relevant activities. Pupils understand the purpose of their learning and have many opportunities to apply their skills in meaningful, relevant contexts across different subjects.  Teachers plan exceptionally well to ensure that work is at the right level for pupils of different abilities. They use assessment information well to match work to the needs of all pupils so that all groups make

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

rapid progress.  Teachers challenge pupils to think more deeply and extend their learning through skilful questioning. This enables teachers to spot any misconceptions and deal with them straight away.  Stimulating classrooms and displays of work in classes around the school celebrate pupils’ achievements as well as supporting learning very effectively. Staff and pupils use displays and technology to great effect to support teaching and learning.  Staff are excellent role models for pupils in setting high standards. Very occasionally, however, they accept work from some pupils that is not as neat or well presented as it should be, which does not encourage pupils to set high enough expectations for themselves.  Teachers’ marking and feedback give pupils excellent guidance on how to improve their work. Pupils say they value and learn from this. Pupils know their targets for learning and how well they are making

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

progress towards meeting them.  Reading is promoted exceptionally well across the school. Pupils enjoy discussing the texts they read. A group of pupils agreed with the comment by one that ‘When you discuss a book together, you can clarify your own thoughts and get other opinions that might make you see things differently.’  Writing skills are systematically and thoroughly taught. Teachers regularly expect pupils to write for a wide range of purposes and to apply the grammar, punctuation and spelling skills they are learning. Writing is often of a very high quality, imaginative and engaging for the reader.  Teachers ensure that pupils develop an extremely secure grasp of mathematical skills because they regularly apply their skills in real-life problem solving situations. For example, Year 5 pupils made excellent progress linking their learning of percentages to marketing problems.  Strong teamwork between teachers and skilled teaching assistants ensures that additional help given to

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

disadvantaged pupils, disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs meets their needs very effectively. This promotes these pupils’ learning extremely well and helps them to make rapid progress. Staff are relentless in working to remove any barriers to learning, and expectations are high for all pupils.

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is outstanding

 All groups in the school make excellent progress. Pupils achieve outstandingly well to reach standards that are well above average by the end of both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  Children start in the Reception Year with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age in all areas of learning. They make outstanding progress in the early years because of the excellent provision.  In 2014, by the end of Year 2, pupils’ attainment was above average and considerably above average in writing. There was a slight dip from the previous year because a smaller proportion of pupils reached the higher level in reading and mathematics.  By the end of Year 6 in 2014, standards were significantly above average in reading, writing and mathematics. Although standards were above average in grammar, punctuation and spelling, they were not as high as in the other areas, with relatively few pupils reaching the higher level.

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is outstanding

 Currently, across the school, the most able pupils are challenged very well and are making excellent progress. Leaders responded promptly to the dip by the end of Year 2 and have raised pupils’ attainment in Key Stage 2 in grammar, punctuation and spelling. Pupils’ work and the school’s accurate information on progress indicate that attainment is on track to increase further in 2015, and that they are achieving extremely well in both key stages.  Pupils across the school enjoy reading. They read for pleasure and for research purposes. Pupils have a wide range of skills that they use to read fluently, confidently and with great expression. By Year 6, pupils are reading a range of books with a deep level of understanding that enables them to extract a great deal of enjoyment and information from the text. Pupils of all ages talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors and types of writing, and can give considered opinions for their preferences.

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is outstanding

 Pupils have lots of opportunities to use their writing skills to learn in other subjects as well as in English, which promotes their excellent progress. They enjoy writing and know how to structure their writing to keep the readers interested. They use punctuation very effectively and use increasingly complex sentences for effect and clarity. They are equally skilled in writing imaginatively as well as factually.  Pupils have a very good grounding in basic skills in mathematics that helps them make excellent progress. More opportunities to apply their skills to real-life problems, a recent focus on place value and improved use of resources have improved pupils’ ability to solve problems and to develop a good level of understanding of mathematical concepts.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are identified early and make excellent progress from their starting points as a result of the extremely well-organised support they are given.

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is outstanding

 The very small number of disadvantaged pupils make similarly rapid progress to others in the school in reading, writing and mathematics because they are given effective support. This helps to close any gaps in attainment.  Pupils achieve extremely well across a wide range of subjects. They reach high standards, for example, in art, music and Spanish. They apply their excellent physical skills and teamwork to a range of sports with great success.

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is outstanding

 Children in the early years are given an excellent start to school. By the end of the Reception Year, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is well above the national average. As a result, children are exceptionally well prepared, academically, socially and emotionally, to continue their education in Year 1.  Teaching is outstanding. Children are given exceptionally rich, meaningful and stimulating experiences. Consequently, they are highly motivated and develop curious and enquiring minds and a love of learning.  Teaching consistently challenges children in a very supportive and caring way. Staff are very responsive to children’s needs. They place high emphasis on fostering independence, and promoting children’s health, safety and well-being. Children are confident to ask questions and learn to take considered risks in their learning and play.  Children’s behaviour is outstanding. Expectations are high and children learn to make good choices. They

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is outstanding

show a great deal of care and consideration for each other.  Both the indoor and outdoor areas provide a wealth of experiences for children in all areas of learning.  The leadership of the early years is outstanding, with a strong and successful emphasis on staff teamwork. Staff know the children extremely well. Assessments of achievements in learning are used very effectively to help plan the next steps. Staff ensure that children learn in a safe and stimulating environment, both indoors and outdoors. There are excellent links between home and school.

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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 137728 Local authority Kent Inspection number 453261

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 208 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Christopher Darlington Headteacher Rachel Streatfeild Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01892 870339 Fax number 01892 871205 Email address headteacher@chiddingstone.kent.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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