Chalk Ridge Primary School

School report Chalk Ridge Primary School

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Sullivan Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4ER

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 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 has secured improvements in the quality of teaching across the school since the last inspection. She has had good support from her senior leadership team and middle leaders in raising pupils’ attainment. As a result, pupils’ achievement has risen since the last inspection.  Governors review the work of the school carefully and hold the school to account effectively for the progress pupils make.  At the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment has risen in all areas and is close to national averages. Pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 in 2014 rose in reading, writing and mathematics and was above national averages. The school continues to improve.  The progress pupils make between Year 2 and Year 6 has accelerated. Pupils now make good progress from their starting points.  The attainment of the most-able pupils in writing has improved due to better teaching and the support provided by a local secondary school.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The quality of teaching has improved since the last inspection and is typically good. The behaviour of pupils around school is good. In class, they demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and try hard.  Pupils feel safe. All of the adults they work with look after them very well.  The pupils’ spiritual, moral and social development is good. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern democratic Britain and their next stage in education.  The sporting, musical and creative aspects of the curriculum are promoted particularly well.  Early years provision is good. Children enjoy their learning in a safe setting.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all of the teachers provide sufficiently clear guidance when marking pupils’ written work. As a result, pupils do not always make the necessary corrections or improvements to their work.  Pupils’ awareness of the wide range of beliefs and faiths present in Britain is not as extensive as other aspects of their cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in 17 lessons, one of which was jointly observed with the headteacher.  Meetings were held with senior leaders. The lead inspector met with the Chair of the Governing Body and other governors. He also met with a representative of the local authority.  The inspection team listened to pupils from Year 2 and Year 6 read and they scrutinised a sample of workbooks from a range of year groups. Discussions were also held with groups of pupils.  The inspectors examined a wide range of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress. They also looked at planning and the school’s records on teaching, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  There were 59 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View. The views of staff were considered through the 25 staff questionnaires.  The school held its Key Stage 2 sports day on the first day of the inspection and Reception children visited

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Information about this inspection

a local bird sanctuary on the second day.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school has two classes in each year group. All pupils attend on a full-time basis.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is much lower than the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils supported by the pupil premium is also much lower than the national average. This additional government funding is used to support those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after.  Most pupils are from a White British background. There are few pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and the proportion of pupils who do not speak English as their first language is very low.  The school met the government’s current floor standards in 2014, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement by ensuring that teachers provide all pupils with high quality marking of their work so that pupils clearly understand how to improve it over time  Deepen pupils’ understanding of the faiths and beliefs represented in modern Britain.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher has worked effectively since the last inspection to improve the school and has successfully developed a culture of high expectation.  Ably supported by senior and middle leaders, the headteacher has successfully brought about necessary improvements in the quality of teaching. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve in lessons have risen. Work is more challenging and pupils make better progress over time. As a result, pupils’ achievement has improved.  The headteacher has given greater responsibility to middle leaders and they have risen well to this challenge. They check the progress of pupils carefully and take an active role in developing the skills of class teachers and assistants. As a result of this guidance and training, teaching is now more effective than in the past.  Teachers have their own improvement targets that link to how well their pupils achieve. These influence

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The leadership and management are good

their opportunities for salary advancement and promotion. Senior leaders review these targets regularly and effectively. The governing body knows who has or has not achieved their targets.  Senior leaders review the progress made by pupils more rigorously than previously. Those who may make slower progress from their starting points receive better support. This has enabled different groups of pupils, whatever their ability, to make good progress from their starting points. The progress of pupils eligible for pupil premium funding, disabled pupils or those who have special educational needs is similar to, or better than, that of others in the school. The school’s effective provision ensures all pupils, including the most able, have an equal opportunity to succeed.  Regular monitoring by senior leaders focuses effectively on the progress pupils make through looking at pupils’ books and by reviewing teachers’ assessments, alongside lesson observation. The outcomes of this

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The leadership and management are good

are moderated in discussion with local authority representatives.  The school has received good support from the local authority. Working effectively with senior leaders and governors, local authority advisers have helped improve the quality of leadership at all levels. The school’s use of external advisers to provide training and guidance has been effective.  The curriculum in all years engages the interest of the pupils. Along with focusing on the basics, it has a good emphasis on the arts, music and sport. This year, the most-able pupils in Year 6 have enjoyed support to develop their writing from a teacher at the local secondary school. This is having a positive impact and the school’s information indicates a higher proportion of pupils will achieve the highest levels in writing. Pupils’ creativity is reflected in the excellent displays around the school  The school makes good use of the primary school sport premium funding. A partnership with a local

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The leadership and management are good

secondary school helps provide pupils with the opportunity to enter a range of tournaments and leagues in the local area. Professional coaches work alongside staff leading lessons. This has helped raise the skills and confidence of staff to teach high-quality physical education lessons. The school reviews the impact of this work carefully and shares this information with members of the governing body.  The school’s work to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral and social awareness is good. Pupils have a good sense of what is right and wrong and the work of the school promotes good behaviour. Pupils understand the need to get along with each other and do so very well. The school provides pupils with opportunities for pupils to reflect on key issues and current events, such as holding its own vote alongside the recent General Election. Pupils are aware of some religions, but their understanding of the range of different

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The leadership and management are good

faiths and beliefs in the United Kingdom is less well developed. Incidents of intolerance and discrimination are very rare indeed. The school rigorously challenges discrimination in any of its forms. Overall, the school helps pupils effectively to understand the values of modern Britain.  The school’s links with parents are good. Parents have opportunities to visit the school and join lessons to see what the pupils learn. Newsletters and the informative website provide parents with a good picture of life in school.  The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures are effective and keep the pupils safe in school. The school and the governing body review the relevant policies annually. Governors check this aspect of the school’s work carefully to ensure statutory requirements are met.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has undergone changes since the last inspection and is an effective team that

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The leadership and management are good

scrutinises the work of the school closely. Governors have undergone training to develop their skills in a range of areas. They are able to compare how well the school performs against national averages. They regularly review the progress made by different groups of pupils, including those who receive additional support.  Governors scrutinise the reports from external advisers. They compare these with the information they gather from senior leaders’ reports and their own meetings with key members of staff. Governors have a good understanding of the link between pupils’ achievement and the opportunities teachers have for promotion and salary advancement. Through their work, they have a good understanding of the quality of teaching and how the school tackles any underperformance.  Governors review the financial position of the school to ensure that resources, including specific funding, such as the primary sport premium funding, are used to best effect.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils try hard in lessons and show positive attitudes to learning.  Work in pupils’ books is well presented, tidy and pupils’ handwriting is neat. This indicates the pride pupils have in their work.  Pupils are very polite towards adults and each other. They hold doors open for adults; for example, one pupil came back along a corridor to open the door for the headteacher and an inspector. Pupils have a clear understanding of the reward systems and what happens if their behaviour falls short of the school’s expectations. The relationships they have with all members of staff are positive. Adults foster good relationships in class and during breaks and lunchtimes.  Pupils are active during break times and play well together.  Pupils elect ambassadors from their class to represent them in regular meetings. These meetings enable pupils to discuss ideas on improving the school. The ambassadors decide the charities that the school

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Behaviour

supports each year. They also represent the school on significant events, such as laying a wreath at the town’s war memorial on Remembrance Sunday.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  The pupils themselves say they are well looked after and feel safe in school. Pupils have a good understanding of aspects of personal safety when using the internet, for example. They have a clear understanding of why they must be careful when using social media sites or playing games online.  Pupils understand what constitutes bullying and are insistent that acts of unkindness are rare. They say they do fall out with each other at times and have disagreements, but that these are minor and they normally sort things out for themselves. If they do have any worries or concerns, they can go to an adult to talk things through.  Pupils’ attendance is in line with the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching has improved since the last inspection and ensures that pupils make good progress.  The headteacher has successfully raised expectations across the school. Teachers’ personal targets are now more challenging and the expectations of what pupils should achieve are clear. Middle leaders provide good support to help teachers build their skills. Teachers take greater responsibility for the progress of all groups of pupils in their class and review the progress they make rigorously.  Middle and senior leaders review teachers’ lesson planning carefully to ensure activities provide challenge for all groups of pupils in the class.  Teachers develop pupils’ reading skills effectively, using a range of strategies, including regular opportunities for pupils to read in different ways. Activities in reading sessions help develop pupils’ comprehension skills, alongside their ability to read fluently. Teaching assistants listen to the pupils read

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The quality of teaching is good

regularly and help develop pupils’ understanding of the sounds linked to groups of letters (phonics).  Teachers focus carefully on developing pupils’ writing. For example, in one lesson, a group of lower ability pupils was helped to use ‘good’ adjectives when writing a story. The group worked with a teaching assistant who used a range of strategies to help each of them write clearly. The pupils had a bank of words to choose from to extend their pieces of work. As a result of these different approaches, the pupils made good progress on the task.  In mathematics, teachers plan lesson activities with care to meet the different needs of the pupils in the class. Different groups of pupils work on different tasks that help develop their particular skills and enable them to make good progress. In one lesson, pupils used a range of resources to solve problems in a logical and organised manner. The teacher regularly checked the progress made by the pupils to ensure

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The quality of teaching is good

they all understood how to calculate the answers.  Teaching assistants provide good support to the small number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who, as a result of the help they get, generally make good progress from their individual staring points.  Teachers recognise the need to challenge the most-able pupils, as well. Teachers use additional adult help effectively to extend the learning of the most able in what the school calls ‘cutaway’ groups.  Teachers mark pupils’ work regularly. However, not all give clear guidance on how pupils can improve their work further. Pupils, in turn, cannot, therefore, readily make the necessary corrections and, so, repeat similar errors in later work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In 2014, pupils’ attainment at the end of Year 2 rose in all subjects and was above national averages in reading and mathematics and average in writing. The proportions of pupils attaining the highest levels were in line with national averages and showed a marked improvement from the previous year.  At the end of Year 6, pupils’ attainment improved in all areas and was much closer to national averages. This continues a trend of steady improvement since the last inspection.  The school’s data indicate the attainment of the current Year 6 pupils is on track to improve in reading, writing and mathematics and show that pupils are making much better progress from their individual starting points.  The proportions of Year 6 pupils achieving the highest levels in 2014 were a little below that seen nationally. The school has worked hard this year to challenge and support the most able. School information indicates more pupils are achieving high levels in mathematics and in writing. A local

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The achievement of pupils is good

secondary school has provided expertise to develop the writing skills of the most able and the high quality work seen in pupils’ folders demonstrates the success of this work.  The school has a small number of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs. Through targeted support, pupils with additional needs make good progress from their individual starting points. Some pupils now receive little support and achieve as well as other pupils in the class.  The support provided to disadvantaged pupils through the additional funding is increasingly effective. In 2014, the gaps in the skills of disadvantaged pupils compared to other pupils in the school in reading and writing narrowed from the previous year. In reading, disadvantaged pupils were just over a term behind other pupils in reading and just under two terms behind in writing. In mathematics, it was nearly three terms. When compared with other pupils nationally, the gaps in reading were nearly two terms, in writing

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The achievement of pupils is good

two and a half terms and in mathematics nearly four terms. The school’s information and checks on pupils’ work indicate that gaps are closing more rapidly as a result of the impact of the additional support in place.  Pupils enjoy reading. They develop their skills quickly in the early years and continue to make good progress in Key Stage 1. Younger pupils, when faced with unfamiliar words, draw on their phonic knowledge to break down the letters in a word to successfully read it. Older pupils read with fluency and expression.

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The early years provision is good

 Early years leaders manage the provision well. They have a clear vision of how to sustain and improve the effectiveness of the adults working in the Reception classes. Training is used effectively to improve and further develop the skills of the staff.  Children join the school with skills that are generally typical for their age. They make good progress from their individual starting points in their first year in school because of good teaching. Consequently, the proportion of children who attain a good level of development was above that seen nationally in 2014. The school’s own information indicates this proportion will increase further this year. The Reception children achieve well and are well prepared for the next stage in their education and the move into Year 1.  In their lessons, children move freely between activities and, during the inspection, they were fully immersed in the particular tasks they chose to explore. Adults provided a number of focused activities, for

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The early years provision is good

example, model making. These activities were engaging and promoted good learning.  Teaching is good. It ensures that tasks enable children to work in a variety of ways. Children enjoy these opportunities and demonstrate good collaborative skills. Children are able to talk about what they are learning and they develop good social skills through sharing as they complete the activities.  Adults carefully observe children learning and they plan the next activities for different groups of children, based on the checks they make of the children’s progress. Staff share this information with parents through the children’s ‘learning journals’ that contain photographs and examples of the children’s work. The journals provide parents with good information on the activities and the progress their children make.  The support provided to children of different abilities in lessons is very effective. For example, in a phonics

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The early years provision is good

lesson, children learned the sounds that link to different groups of letters. The most-able were able to identify and count out the sounds in longer words. They then were able to go on to construct sentences correctly. They took care to make sure their work was neat. Less-able children were helped to spell out more simple words. Both groups made good progress on their tasks.  There is a wide range of varied activities that enthuses and interests the children. During the inspection, children from the Reception classes went to a local bird sanctuary and enjoyed an exciting visit that supported their work on the life cycle of birds.  The behaviour and safety of children are good. They are polite to each other. On the way to an assembly, they all thanked those holding the doors open along the corridor.  The Reception staff ensure children are safe and they are well looked after. All safeguarding policies and

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The early years provision is good

procedures that link to the early years are in place and reviewed carefully by school leaders and governors.

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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 116057 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 462434

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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 Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 386 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Julie Pierce Headteacher Donna Shave Date of previous school inspection 3–4 July 2013 Telephone number 01256 461733 Fax number 01256 812453 Email address adminoffice@chalkridgepri.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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