The Chandler CofE Aided Junior School

School report The Chandler CofE Aided Junior School Middlemarch, Roke Lane, Godalming, Surrey, GU8 5PB

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 3 This inspection: Requires improvement 3 Leadership and management Requires improvement 3 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Requires improvement 3 Achievement of pupils Requires improvement 3

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics is not as good as it should be. They do not make enough progress from their different starting points.  The quality of teaching is inconsistent. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can do are too low and some praise poor quality work.  Teachers do not have a good enough understanding of the levels at which pupils are working and so the activities provided for pupils are often too easy.  Although teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, they do not all provide pupils with enough guidance about how their work can be improved. Some teachers’ assessment of pupils’ abilities are too generous.  Pupils do not have a secure grasp of basic skills of spelling, punctuation and grammar. Their handwriting is poorly formed and the presentation of their work is untidy.  The literacy and numeracy subject leaders are not sufficiently skilled at supporting colleagues to help

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

them improve their work.  There is currently not enough leadership capacity to cover key roles when staff leave or if they are absent for significant periods of time.  Governors and school leaders do not have effective long-term plans in place to show how specific weaknesses are to be tackled. Changes in senior and middle leadership have delayed the implementation of improvement plans.

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The school has the following strengths:

 The new senior leadership team has quickly got to grips with what the school needs to do to improve. They have put actions into place to raise standards and are well placed to improve further.  School leaders have improved teaching and there is none that is inadequate.  Pupils’ behaviour has improved and is good. They have very positive attitudes and enjoy school. This is reflected in their above average attendance.  Pupils feel safe in school. They say that adults care and are always on hand to help to sort out any problems.  The school has good systems in place to support those pupils whose circumstances may make them vulnerable.  The school’s ethos and values contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils working in 20 lessons, eight of which were observed jointly with senior leaders. They looked at work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils reading in Year 3 and Year 6. Inspectors observed pupils in class and as they moved around the school at break times. They attended one assembly.  Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and three other governors. They met with a representative from the local authority and talked to pupils formally and informally.  Among the documents scrutinised were records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance, minutes from governors’ meetings and records relating to pupils’ learning and progress. Inspectors also looked at documentation to show how the school keeps pupils safe.  The views of parents and carers were taken into account by analysing the 61 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Inspectors also spoke informally to parents at the end of the school day. The views

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Information about this inspection

of staff were considered by analysing the 24 responses to the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Joy Considine, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized junior school and pupils are taught in single-age classes.  The majority of pupils are of White British heritage and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who are supported by pupil premium funding is lower than usual. The pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government to support, in this school, pupils who are eligible for free school meals.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is above average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  There have been significant changes to both the teaching and leadership team since the previous inspection. The headteacher joined the school in September 2014 and the deputy headteacher joined the

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Information about this school

school in April 2015. The special educational needs coordinator is currently away from school owing to ill health.  The school is receiving support from the headteacher of Wallace Fields Infant School in her capacity as a Local Leader of Education (LLE)

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase pupils’ rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics by ensuring that:  pupils develop basic skills of spelling, grammar and punctuation, and that they write neatly and legibly in all lessons  pupils are provided with reading books that are at the right level for their ability and that their progress is carefully checked  teachers provide pupils with work that is at the right level in mathematics, and that all pupils have plenty of opportunities to solve challenging problems.  Increase the proportion of good and better teaching by ensuring that:  teachers have a precise understanding of the levels at which pupils are working and that their assessments are accurate  teachers improve their questioning skills so they ask more questions that probe pupils’ understanding and allow them to think at a deeper level  when teachers mark pupils’ work, they give clear guidance to pupils about what they need to do to

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

improve their work and ensure that they have the time to respond.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership an management by:  creating and implementing long-term plans for improvement with clear measureable timescales so that all stakeholders have a clear understanding of what the school is aiming to achieve  providing training for all subject leaders so they successfully support colleagues to improve their skills and so raise pupils’ achievement  building capacity within the leadership team so that gaps can quickly be filled should unexpected absences occur  ensuring that governors respond fully to the recommendations of their recent review.

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The leadership and management require improvement

 Previous leaders did not take rapid enough action to bring about required improvements. Consequently the drive to improve teaching has been slow and pupils across the school do not progress as well as they should.  New leaders have acted quickly to bring about improvements. They have high expectations and share a drive and determination to improve the quality of education. They have responded to the support provided by the local authority and the LLE and this is already bringing about improvements. The school is calm and orderly and pupils behave well. Leaders have addressed previously weaker teaching and there is none that is inadequate.  School leaders have put into place a programme of checking teaching through formally observing lessons as well as informally ‘dropping in’ to see how well pupils are progressing. This has brought about some improvements but there is not yet enough good or better teaching across the school. All teachers have

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The leadership and management require improvement

benefited from training to help them to develop their skills. They understand that they are accountable for pupils’ progress and are set challenging targets for their performance.  School leaders have a broadly accurate view of the strengths of the school and have a short-term plan in place to address the immediate actions that need to be taken. However, there is currently no long-term strategy in place to show how the school is to develop in the future. This means that it is difficult to measure the impact and success of those actions that need to be developed over the longer term.  Until the arrival of the new headteacher, leaders for English and mathematics received little guidance to develop their leadership skills. Both are knowledgeable and enthusiastic but until recently have not been in a position to support their colleagues. This has slowed pupils’ progress. The local authority has provided

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The leadership and management require improvement

training for them and so they now offer a better level of support to other staff.  There are no contingency plans in place to cover long-term absence by key members of staff. Plans to improve the provision and outcomes for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs have been unable to progress owing to lack of staff capacity. Consequently, there are gaps in the provision for these pupils.  The curriculum is well planned with interesting activities for pupils. It is enhanced with exciting themed days such as ‘Greek Day’ when Year 4 pupils dressed as ancient Greeks and sampled activities to help them understand about life in that time. It also provides opportunities for pupils to write when learning other subjects. However, the quality of writing they produce is poor because they have a weak grasp of basic skills.  A wide range of enrichment activities contributes to pupils’ enjoyment of school. Assemblies provide good

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The leadership and management require improvement

opportunities for pupils to reflect on deeper issues that promote their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. Their studies on aspects of British history, such as the First World War, enable them to reflect on British values and so prepare them well for life in modern Britain.  Leaders have targeted the additional funding, known as the pupil premium, to provide support for disadvantaged pupils in the classroom and to support their social development. Teaching assistants are on hand to help them when they struggle in class and this helps them to learn as well as other pupils. Some funding is used to subsidise educational visits and additional activities in school so these pupils do not miss out. This helps to increase their confidence and ensures that the school promotes equality of opportunity. The school’s values, including charity, respect and tolerance, ensure there is no

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The leadership and management require improvement

discrimination.  The primary sports funding has been used to employ professional sports coaches. Consequently, pupils enjoy a wide range of sporting activities that keep them fit and healthy. Pupils enthusiastically take part in local sports competitions and have won a number of trophies.  The local authority and the diocese have provided the school with a high level of support since the previous inspection. However, until the headteacher joined the school in September 2014, this had little impact. A recent review of leadership and management identified tangible improvements and the local authority has full confidence in current leaders to improve the school further. The local authority checks on the progress the school is making each term towards meeting their improvement targets.  Most parents who expressed a view have full confidence in school leaders. One parent said, ‘Since the new headteacher arrived, the school feels very much better cared for.’ The very large majority of parents

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The leadership and management require improvement

 The school’s safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements and are effective in keeping pupils safe.  The governance of the school:  Governors have a broad range of professional skills that they use to provide support to school leaders. They know that pupils do not achieve as well as other pupils nationally because there has been a legacy of weaker teaching. They are aware that teaching requires improvement and are fully supportive of the actions school leaders are taking to improve teaching so that more is good or better. Governors are very proud of their school and recognise the improvements new leaders have brought about. They ensure that only the best teaching is rewarded financially and that performance management is used effectively to raise standards. However, they have presided over a period of decline in which they did not challenge school leaders rigorously enough. They have had a very recent review of governance and

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The leadership and management require improvement

are awaiting the outcomes of the report. However, they have responded well to the preliminary feedback and are well placed to take a more strategic role in shaping the future direction of the school.  Governors ensure that all statutory requirements, including those for keeping children safe, are fully met. They have a very clear understanding of financial management and ensure that the school provides value for money.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils enjoy school. This is reflected in their positive attitudes and in their above average attendance. In classrooms, pupils are attentive and respond positively to staff. Pupils move around the school calmly and safely.  The school provides a warm and caring environment for pupils. It is bright and attractive with good quality resources and equipment, both in class and in the playground. The extensive grounds provide pupils with plenty of space to play at lunch and break times. As a result, pupils have plenty of activities from which to choose, and break times are happy and harmonious occasions.  Pupils are very polite, courteous and helpful. They respect each other and get on well together regardless of background. They say that teachers are fair and that everyone is treated equally well. Those who spoke to inspectors said that discrimination on any grounds is not tolerated.

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Behaviour

 Pupils say that behaviour in class and around the school is mostly good and that disagreements are rare. They are very aware that a small number of pupils struggle to manage their behaviour at times, expressing the view that, ‘It’s not their fault.’ They say that adults are always on hand to help sort out any problems.  The school provides a high level of care for a number of pupils whose circumstances may make them more vulnerable than others. They receive support from trained teaching assistants and have a quiet place to go to when they find aspects of school difficult to manage. The Home School Link Worker helps those families who, at times, need a bit of extra support.  Just occasionally, when teaching fails to capture their interest, a few pupils become distracted and start to fidget and chat among themselves. This is why behaviour is not outstanding.  The vast majority of parents who responded to the survey agree that their children are happy, safe and

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils said that they felt safe because there is always someone they can go to if they have a problem. They have a good awareness of different forms of bullying, including cyber bullying. They say it is very rare and that should a problem arise it will be dealt with quickly.  Through the curriculum, pupils are taught to stay safe outside school. They have a good awareness of personal safety, and older pupils know that tobacco and some non-medicinal drugs can be harmful.  School leaders are aware of potential risks to pupils both in and out of school. They have ensured that all staff, including those new to the school, receive training to help them to spot signs that a pupil may be at risk from harm.  The school works in close cooperation with external agencies to ensure the health, safety and welfare for pupils. School records show very few incidents relating to poor behaviour or safety issues.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 Teaching requires improvement because pupils do not make consistently good progress across the school. Some teachers have low expectations of what pupils can do and they provide work for them that is too easy.  Some teachers, particularly in the lower years of the school, do not have a good enough understanding of the levels at which pupils are working. Although they assess work frequently, their assessments of pupils’ work, particularly in writing, are much too generous. There are times when work does not build on what pupils have previously learned and so they do not reinforce and develop their skills.  Although teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to write in other subjects, they do not teach spelling, grammar and punctuation well enough. Pupils’ handwriting is often poorly formed and the presentation of their work is not as good as it should be. Many struggle to express their ideas when

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

carrying out writing tasks because they do not have the skills to write competently and accurately.  The school library is bright and stimulating with a good range of quality books to encourage pupils to take an interest in reading. While pupils appreciate this, a number of them struggle to read well because teachers do not all check that they have reading books that are at the right level. This slows their progress.  The teaching of mathematics is improving owing to actions taken by school leaders. Pupils enjoy their lessons because teachers provide them with activities that are both fun and challenging and are mostly at the right level. Although pupils in Year 6 have plenty of opportunities to use their skills to solve complicated mathematical problems, there are too few occasions when younger pupils do so.  Some teachers, particularly those in Year 5 and Year 6, are skilled in asking pupils questions that make

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

them work hard and develop their knowledge and understanding. However, this level of challenge is not consistent across the school and leads to a slowing of pupils’ progress. Some teachers simply accept pupils’ responses and reward limited efforts with lavish praise.  While teachers mark pupils’ work regularly, the quality of feedback they provide to pupils is variable. There are times when pupils respond well to good guidance about what they have done well and what they need to do to improve their work. However, there are too many occasions when feedback provided is much too generous so that pupils do not know they are working to lower standards than they are capable of. As a result, they do not progress quickly enough.

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requires improvement

 Pupils’ progress varies from year to year. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 do not make as much progress as they should because teachers’ expectations of what they can do are too low. In some classes the level of challenge is not high enough and this slows the progress pupils make.There is an improving picture in Years 5 and 6, particularly in mathematics, where pupils make good progress  Work in pupils’ books shows that pupils in the lower part of the school do not make enough progress and have a lot of ground to make up before they move to their next class. Pupils’ progress in writing is especially weak because their basic skills of handwriting, spelling, punctuation and grammar are underdeveloped. Many have difficulty expressing their thoughts and ideas fluently and confidently.  Pupils do not make enough progress in reading. While most expressed an enjoyment of reading, older pupils struggled to answer questions about what they had read and were not sure how to look for answers

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requires improvement

by referring to the text. Younger pupils had books that were either too hard or too easy for them and so they did not progress quickly enough.  A legacy of weak teaching has slowed the progress of the most able pupils in reading and writing. However, teachers endeavour to meet their needs by providing them with harder work that helps them to progress well, and they make good progress in mathematics. For example, the most able pupils in Year 6 are challenged with activities such as applying Pythagoras’ theorem to calculate the hypotenuse of right- angled triangles.  The latest published data from 2014 show that disadvantaged pupils were about four terms behind other pupils in school in reading, writing and mathematics. In comparison with all pupils nationally, they were about four terms behind in mathematics and a year behind in reading and writing. However, a number of these youngsters did have additional learning needs, which affected their overall standards. Overall their

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requires improvement

progress from their different starting points is in line with that of other pupils nationally, and the gap is rapidly closing.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs progress at rates similar to their classmates. Teaching assistants support them well in class by explaining carefully what they need to do to complete their work. However, there is currently no whole-school overview of the learning and progress of these pupils.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is 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 125200 Local authority Surrey Inspection number 462370

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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 aided Age range of pupils 7–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 325 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Pollard Headteacher Hugh Rawson Date of previous school inspection 20 June 2013 Telephone number 01428 683071 Fax number 01428 685412 Email address info@thechandlercofejuniorschool.org.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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