Chase Bridge Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mr Andrew King Headteacher Chase Bridge Primary School Kneller Road Twickenham TW2 7DE

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 23 February 2016 with Jane Wotherspoon, HMI, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in January 2011.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection and managed the school’s successful expansion from two classes in each year to three. You have made sure that the curriculum continues to provide all pupils with a very wide range of exceptional and motivating activities. You have made sure that, through the school’s network of very strong partnerships, pupils benefit from high-quality learning experiences that foster their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development strongly. Values of tolerance and respect are clearly promoted, for example through visits to a wide range of places of worship. Caring attitudes are fostered; older pupils are keen to help the others, for example by taking responsibility for organising sporting equipment at breaktime.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

Pupils are polite and friendly. They enjoy school, as parents who spoke to me informally and the very large majority of those who responded to the online survey, Parent View, confirmed. Pupils’ attendance rates are consistently above average and instances of persistent absence are considerably lower than the national average. Pupils have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe, for example when crossing the road, riding bicycles and using computers.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

Together with members of the governing body, you and senior leaders have made well-defined changes to the leadership structure and the way the school measures the effectiveness of its work. This has helped to raise expectations of the quality of teaching and of what the pupils can achieve. Training for staff is effective in driving improvements that lead to greater consistency in teaching, learning and assessment. Regular checks on teaching characteristics identify where further improvements are needed. By setting demanding targets, leaders secure sustained improvements and manage performance effectively. Recently appointed year team leaders check the progress that pupils make across the classes in their teams, but are not yet playing as full a part in driving improvements to teaching.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

You have addressed the areas for improvement identified at the time of the previous inspection. You and the senior leadership team have made sure that teachers set pupils tasks that are suitably challenging, a priority for improvement following the last inspection. Teachers and teaching assistants effectively support the learning of lower-attaining pupils, as well as disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs. You have organised specialist ‘nurture group’ provision recently to support Key Stage 1 pupils, at the school and from other local schools, who have social, emotional and behavioural needs. The proportions of the most- able pupils reaching the highest standards in reading, writing and mathematics in national assessments at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 are now high compared with national averages.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

At the time of the last inspection, inspectors found there was more work to do to make sure that pupils knew how to improve their work. You have introduced an approach to providing guidance that is used consistently through the school. Pupils take responsibility readily for responding to teachers’ feedback.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

You have been particularly successful in improving the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress in Key Stage 1 and in the early years provision.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

 More children attained the expected standard at the end of the Reception Year compared with the national averages in 2014 and 2015. You have successfully closed the gaps between the performance of boys and girls.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics (the link between letters and sounds) screening check rose considerably in 2015 and was above average.  Attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 has risen steadily over recent years. In 2015, standards in reading, writing and mathematics were significantly above national averages.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

Pupils’ achievement in Key Stage 2 has not improved as strikingly since the previous inspection. As a result of recent improvements to teaching, learning and assessment, rates of progress in reading, writing and mathematics in Years 3 to 6 accelerated last year, although this has not raised standards overall for pupils at the end of Year 6.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

You have made sure that staff know what action to take should they have any concerns about the safety of pupils. Staff receive training and know about safeguarding guidance. Systems are reviewed at the start of each year so that staff are confident in their knowledge of the school’s procedures. When new staff join the school, they receive additional training so that they know the school’s safeguarding arrangements well.

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Short inspection of Chase Bridge Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose. Record-keeping is detailed and of high quality.

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Inspection findings

 Leaders and managers have secured better teaching and learning, particularly in Key Stage 1. Over recent years, pupils’ standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 have risen, year on year. In 2015, they were the highest for the last five years. Improvements to the teaching of early reading are reflected in pupils’ stronger performance in Year 1 phonics assessments in 2015.  You have been equally effective in improving children’s learning in early years, including in the outdoor areas. Children make strong gains in the Nursery and Reception, and build skills quickly in the indoor and outside areas. Adults extend children’s thinking successfully through discussions, and challenge them to have a go at activities they have not previously attempted.  Children’s attainment at the end of the Reception Year rose in 2014, although there was some variability between the skills of boys and girls in reading and

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Inspection findings

writing. Leaders made sure that activities to develop children’s reading and writing capture the interest of both boys and girls. As a result, boys and girls attained equally well in 2015. They develop firm foundations including in reading, writing and mathematics, so they are securely ready for the start of Year 1.   Children form positive working relationships with adults and other children in the Nursery and Reception classes. They share resources and readily support one another. For example, children making models with recycled materials worked together to use sticking tape to make a polar bear and a mobile phone.   Improvements to teaching, learning and assessment in Key Stage 2 have not been as effective in raising standards by the end of Year 6 over a sustained period. Leaders, managers and members of the governing body introduced recent changes to teaching approaches that develop pupils’ key skills more

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Inspection findings

rapidly than in the past. Teachers’ feedback helps pupils to understand clearly how to improve their work. Together with increased checks on pupils’ progress and tailored additional support for selected pupils, this is helping to secure faster progress in Years 3 to 6.  Changes to leadership and management arrangements, including to the organisation of the governing body, help all members of the leadership team and governors to maintain a sharp focus on key priorities for improvement. Members of the governing body visit regularly and are ambitious for the school. They work closely with leaders and check that initiatives lead to better outcomes for pupils. You are rightly keen to involve year team leaders in securing the consistency of teaching, learning and assessment in their areas of responsibility.  Senior leaders have made sure that teachers and teaching assistants encourage pupils to develop an understanding about how to be successful

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Inspection findings

and determined learners. As a result, pupils are self-confident, hardworking and demonstrate positive attitudes to learning.  Pupils enthuse about the variety of physical education and sporting activities that they do at school. You have maintained highly motivating opportunities for pupils to take part in sporting competitions, including an annual tag rugby competition against schools from Wales, Ireland, Italy and Spain.   Pupils thoroughly enjoy the outings and visits that the staff organise to deepen their understanding. The annual residential visit to the Isle of Wight is a much anticipated highlight of the year for pupils in Year 5. Pupils’ music and drama skills are fostered successfully through learning to play musical instruments, and participating in concerts and performances at school and in renowned cultural venues. The school organises many popular extra- curricular clubs including football, Bollywood dancing, karate and chess.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  standards rise at the end of Year 6 by continuing to improve teaching, across Key Stage 2  year team leaders develop their role in improving the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the Chair of the Governing Body, the Regional Schools Commissioner and the Director of Children’s Services for the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection we held meetings with you and the deputy headteacher, and with two groups of middle leaders. I met three members of the governing body and held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. We visited classes from Nursery to Year 6 with you and the deputy headteacher to observe teaching and look at pupils’ work. We spoke to pupils in lessons and around the school, and also met two groups of Key Stage 2 pupils. We evaluated recent information about pupils’ progress. Records about keeping pupils safe were evaluated. I spoke informally to parents at the start of the school day. We considered the views of 93 parents from Parent View, the online Ofsted survey tool, and the school’s analysis of its own recent survey of parents’ views.

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