St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School Highdale Avenue, Clevedon, Somerset BS21 7LT

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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This is a school that requires improvement

 Leaders have not been sufficiently thorough in tackling weaknesses and driving improvement since the previous inspection.  Leaders’ plans for school improvement are not precise enough to support rapid progress. Plans to improve do not include clear targets for pupils’ achievement.  Leaders’ checks on teaching are not sufficiently rigorous or followed up to ensure that teachers address areas to improve so that pupils make more rapid progress.  Teaching makes inconsistent use of assessment information to plan activities which challenge pupils. As a result, the most able pupils in particular do not make rapid progress.  Teaching does not maintain the highest expectations of pupils’ writing. Pupils’ grammar, punctuation and spelling are not good enough because they are not given the feedback needed to help them improve.  Leaders’ actions to improve attendance have not had a strong enough impact, particularly for

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This is a school that requires improvement

disadvantaged pupils whose attendance is too low. This hampers their achievement.  Governors’ efforts to hold the headteacher to account are not sufficiently rigorous and have not resulted in improvements over time.  There is some low-level disruptive behaviour which slows the learning of other pupils in some classes.

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The school has the following strengths

 The teaching of phonics is of a high quality. Attainment in phonics and reading remain above the national average.  Pupils’ numeracy skills are well developed.  Pupils benefit from well-planned support for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability are well catered for. They make good progress as a result of the support they receive.  Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They enjoy the wide range of activities planned for them. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 2 of 9

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders: – set suitably ambitious targets and precise plans for improvement which they monitor regularly to make sure standards improve – provide regular advice and challenge for teachers to ensure that the most able pupils in particular make the progress of which they are capable – work even more closely with families to improve the level of disadvantaged pupils’ attendance.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that teachers: – have sufficiently high expectations of pupils’ spelling, punctuation and grammar – provide effective feedback so that pupils improve their writing and their understanding and reasoning in mathematics – make better use of what pupils know, understand and can do to plan activities that involve greater challenge, particularly for the most able pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve behaviour by ensuring that incidents of low-level disruption are managed consistently well in line with the school’s behaviour policy so that a positive climate for learning is established in all classes.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 3 of 9

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management require improvement because the headteacher has not been sufficiently thorough in tackling weaknesses identified in the previous inspection. Some of the strengths identified in the previous inspection, such as leaders’ rigorous approach to monitoring and assessment, have not been sustained.  Leaders’ checks on the quality of teaching, learning and assessment have not resulted in higher standards, particularly for the most able pupils.  Leaders’ plans to improve the school are not precise enough to support rapid progress. Timescales are too broad so that initiatives are not embedded quickly enough. The measures to check success are too vague to help governors evaluate their impact on raising pupils’ achievement.  The headteacher has not been sufficiently rigorous in recording safeguarding concerns reported by class teachers. Records of referrals to external agencies and actions taken are not complete or well organised.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 The system for assessing pupils’ progress and attainment is not fully understood and used with equal accuracy by all staff. As a result, assessments lack precision in some classes. This limits the effectiveness of leaders in identifying any underachievement and providing the necessary support for teachers so that pupils can make the best progress possible. Having identified that the school’s assessment practices were not fully reliable, the local authority has supported the school in developing a more accurate picture of pupils’ attainment and progress.  Leaders’ actions to improve the quality of pupils’ writing have had variable impact. Although teachers now provide opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills in subjects such as science and history, the quality of marking and feedback on their work does not consistently adhere to the school’s policy. Pupils’ progress in writing is slower than should be expected as a result.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

 Leaders have created a supportive and nurturing environment. The school is a welcoming place where relationships strongly promote modern British values. Pupils who spoke to inspectors referred to Article 12 of the Rights Respecting Schools’ Charter, the right to give your opinion, saying ‘we feel that we are heard’.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development effectively. The wide range of activities for pupils to acquire and nurture cultural interests is a strength of the school. The strong emphasis that teachers place on discussion and collaboration leads to good social development for most pupils. Teachers plan interesting topics that engage and motivate pupils. For example, pupils spoke enthusiastically about what they had found out about the refugee crisis and said that this learning had inspired them to organise fundraising events.  Leaders use the primary physical education and sport funding well to raise standards and to improve

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

pupils’ health and fitness, with a wide range of clubs offered. There has been an increased uptake in the number of pupils who attend after-school sporting clubs.  Leaders make effective use of pupil premium funding, the additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those who are in the care of the local authority. These pupils make good progress from their starting points.  Effective systems are in place to monitor the progress of pupils who have special educational needs or disability. The leader with responsibility in this area keeps a close eye on how well pupils are achieving. She helps teachers to ensure that pupils get support closely matched to their needs. As a result, these pupils make good progress from their starting points.  The governance of the school – Governors have not challenged leaders with sufficient rigour to ensure that all pupils make rapid

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Effectiveness of leadership and management requires improvement

progress. – Members of the governing body are committed to the school and visit regularly. However, as planned actions to tackle school priorities lack clear timescales and measurable targets, governors are unable to gain a clear understanding of the difference they are making to pupils’ achievement. – The governing body holds the school to account for its spending of additional funding.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff know the children well and are quick to share their concerns. Leaders and governors ensure that staff are fully up to date about keeping children safe. Policies and safer recruitment information are fully compliant. Records, although containing the required information, are not well organised. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 4 of 9

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is inconsistent. As a result, pupils do not sustain good rates of progress as they go through the school.  Teaching does not deepen and extend pupils’ learning to enable them to achieve as well as they can because the work set is not well matched to what pupils already know, understand and can do. This is particularly the case for the most able pupils, who do not receive sufficient challenge.  Not all teachers have sufficiently high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. When activities are not closely matched to their needs, pupils lose concentration. At times, when teachers do not respond quickly enough to refocus pupils’ attention, their progress slows.  Teachers do not ensure that pupils know how to improve their work. The school’s marking and feedback policy is not rigorously adhered to, particularly in writing. As a result, pupils repeat the same mistakes.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

 The teaching of writing requires improvement. Not all teachers have sufficiently high expectations, particularly regarding the quality of grammar, punctuation and spelling.  Reading is taught effectively. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is a particular strength. Teachers engender a love for reading. Very effective support is provided for those pupils who have difficulty with reading. As a result, these pupils learn effective strategies to overcome their difficulties and make good progress.  The teaching of mathematics develops and supports pupils’ good understanding of number facts and calculations. Pupils are fluent and can recall number facts to solve problems. However, the use of logic and reasoning skills is less well developed. Teachers in key stage 1 do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to reason and explain their thinking in mathematics.  Teachers provide effective support for the few pupils who have special educational needs or disability.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment requires improvement

Additional support is provided that helps these pupils to make good progress from their starting points.  Staff have developed effective homework tasks which help pupils to practise the skills they learn in class. Older pupils say that homework is at just the right level and that it helps them to do better when they are in school.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Leaders do not keep sufficiently well-organised records to support the education and care of the most vulnerable pupils.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning vary across the school. In most lessons, pupils are ambitious for themselves and their attitudes to learning are positive. In others, pupils show poor attitudes, not getting on with the work set or responding slowly to teachers’ instructions. Pupils do not take enough care with their spelling, punctuation and grammar and do not respond to teachers’ remarks in their books. Some pupils do not take enough care with their handwriting.  Pupils’ personal development and well-being are fostered through a close support network. The school’s learning mentor works closely with pupils and their class teacher to ensure that they receive support when they need it.  Pupils say that incidents of bullying are rare and that they are dealt with quickly. The school’s behaviour

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Personal development and welfare

logs reflect this. The majority of parents who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, said that the school deals effectively with bullying.  Pupils say that they are clear about internet safety. They have a very good understanding of how to keep themselves safe online and know whom to speak to if they have any concerns.  Pupils feel well cared for. Year 6 pupils spoke enthusiastically about their trip to the Create Centre in Bristol that taught them how to stay safe in different situations, such as in their homes and outdoors.  Pupils enjoy fulfilling roles of responsibility, such as being a member of the school council or the eco council and being sports leaders.  Pupils demonstrate a good understanding of how to keep healthy, for example eating healthy snacks at playtime. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 5 of 9

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  Pupils’ attendance is particularly low for the few disadvantaged pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour in some classes is in need of improvement and this reflects teachers’ inconsistent implementation of the school’s behaviour policy. In these classes, teachers do not act swiftly enough to refocus pupils’ attention on the work in hand.  Pupils behave well around the school, moving safely and with due regard for others. They are polite and courteous to visitors.  Pupils behave well at playtimes. They are sociable and kind and interact with their peers effectively. They make good use of the playground structures and markings and play happily.

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

 Pupils’ progress and attainment require improvement. Standards in writing have declined. Although, in 2015, the proportion of pupils making the expected progress by the end of Year 6 matched that found nationally, a lower proportion than found nationally exceeded this. Work in books for current year groups confirms that progress in writing is slowing. Pupils have a growing awareness of the audience they are writing for, but their use of grammar and punctuation is less well developed. Too often, teachers’ limited expectations and the lack of advice on how to improve lead to pupils repeating errors.  The progress made by pupils in reading by the end of Year 6 in 2015 was broadly in line with other pupils nationally. Pupils are encouraged to read widely and often and say they enjoy the stories teachers read to them as part of their topic work.  The proportions of pupils making and exceeding the expected progress in mathematics at the end of Year

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

6 in 2015 were above those found nationally. Work in books in mathematics across the school shows that pupils develop their skills and competence in carrying out calculations. They can apply their good knowledge of number facts to solve calculations quickly. However, teachers provide few opportunities for pupils to develop a deeper understanding of mathematics and apply their reasoning.  In key stage 1, the proportion of pupils reaching expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics in the national tests at the end of Year 2 have remained in line with the national average since the previous inspection. The proportions of pupils achieving the higher Level 3 in reading and mathematics remain above the national average. Even so, work in pupils’ books show some inconsistency in their mathematical development across key stage 1.  The progress of the most able pupils requires improvement, particularly in key stage 2. Not enough pupils

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

attain the very highest levels in reading and writing by the time they leave the school in Year 6. In key stage 1, the most able pupils are making good progress in reading and mathematics and are reaching high standards by the end of Year 2, but their writing is not so well developed.  The few disadvantaged pupils make good progress from their starting points. There are too few pupils to compare their performance against others nationally.  The few pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress from their starting points. They benefit from sessions that are carefully tailored to meet their specific needs. These sessions help them to develop personal and social skills as well as literacy and numeracy.  The proportions of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics by the end of Year 1 remain above the national average. Current information on pupils’ achievement suggests that this trend is set to

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Outcomes for pupils require improvement

continue. This is the result of effective teaching of phonics in the Reception and Year 1 classes.

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Early years provision requires improvement

 Leaders have not ensured that all staff have the highest expectations for children’s learning. As a result, the proportion of children reaching expected levels at the end of Reception has declined. In 2015, a lower proportion of children than the national average achieved a good level of development. This does not represent good progress from children’s starting points.  Staff do not make effective use of assessments to identify children’s next steps across different areas of learning. Too often there is no clear link between children’s identified learning needs and the activities teachers plan for them. This hinders the progress that individual children can make. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 6 of 9  Staff do not show consistency in their approach to interacting with children. Some adults do not routinely enter into conversation with children or engage in children’s imaginative play. Where adults extend

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Early years provision requires improvement

children’s thinking with their good use of questioning, they make better progress in developing their communication and language skills. For example, questions such as ‘Can you balance more quoits on your head with your arms out?’ and ‘Explain to me how you can score more points’ caused children to think and explain.  Staff make sure that the children behave sensibly, feel safe and are kept safe in both the indoor and outdoor learning environments. In an outdoor activity, for example, children worked well together in small groups, showing a high level of personal and social skills; at the end of the session, they followed the teacher’s instructions to tidy up immediately and walked sensibly back to the hall.  Children are encouraged well to develop their confidence in using technology. For example, children developed their understanding and use of hand-held computers confidently to take photographs around

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Early years provision requires improvement

the room. The environment and resources are well maintained and resourced with interactive displays which are readily accessible for children.  Leaders identified that more needed to be done to improve writing in the early years, in particular to engage boys in writing. This work has been effective. Children’s writing shows a good knowledge and use of phonics. Boys were observed happily writing a number of sentences using the sounds they know.  Pupils who need additional speech and language support are quickly identified and provided with appropriate help.  Parents contribute to children’s learning records, sharing ‘wow’ moments. They are overwhelmingly positive about the approachability of the staff and how happy their children are in school. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 7 of 9

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School details

Unique reference number 109231 Local authority North Somerset Inspection number 10001176

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 359 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Patrick Garland Headteacher Peter Treasure-Smith Telephone number 01275 873132 Website www.stnicholaschantry.co.uk Email address stnicholaschantry.pri@n-somerset.gov.uk Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2011

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Information about this school

 St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School is larger than the average- sized school.  The vast majority of pupils come from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils for whom the pupil premium provides support is well below average. This is the additional funding to support pupils known to be eligible for free school meals. There were no pupils in the early years foundation stage who attracted this funding.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is well below average.  The headteacher is a local leader of education.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school does not meet requirements on the publication of information about the pupil premium on its website. Inspection report: St Nicholas Chantry Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School, 8 of 9

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 18 lessons or short visits to lessons, six of which were observed jointly with the headteacher.  Discussions took place with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, senior leaders and members of the governing body.  Inspectors scrutinised a number of documents, including minutes from governors’ meetings, school improvement plans and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Telephone calls were made to a local authority adviser who had worked with the school and to the local authority designated officer for safeguarding.  The inspection team scrutinised the quality of pupils’ work over time.  Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils to seek their views about the school. The views of other pupils were gathered during lessons, playtimes and lunchtimes. An inspector listened to pupils reading.  Inspectors observed pupils behaviour at lunchtimes, breaktimes and around the school.

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Information about this inspection

 An inspector conducted a walk around the school with pupils to look at curriculum displays and to see places in the school of which pupils were proud.  Inspectors spoke to groups of parents and considered 61 responses to the online survey, Parent View. Questionnaire responses from eight members of staff and one pupil were also analysed. Inspectors also took into account the school’s own parental questionnaire responses.

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Inspection team

Tracy Hannon, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Dawn Breeze Ofsted Inspector Lisa Harford Ofsted Inspector Elizabeth Jenkins Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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