Chesterton Primary School

Chesterton Primary School Apsley Road, Cirencester, Gloucestershire GL7 1SS

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s effectiveness has declined significantly since its previous inspection. It is now inadequate.  Too few pupils meet the expected standards in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of Year 2 and Year 6. Few pupils exceed the expected standard, especially in writing and mathematics.  Teaching is inadequate because it does not meet pupils’ needs. Teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low. The learning they provide is not sufficiently challenging.  Teaching is not challenging enough for middle- ability, the most able and disadvantaged pupils in particular.  The school’s assessment processes have, until recently, not provided teachers, leaders or governors with the information they need to track and improve pupils’ progress quickly.  Pupils who did not achieve well during key stage 1 are not yet catching up quickly enough. So, pupils’ underachievement continues.  Leaders have not provided teachers with the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

timely, accurate feedback and support that they need to improve their teaching.  The behaviour of a small number of pupils sometimes disrupts the learning of others.  Middle leaders have not been given the time and support they need to raise standards in their subject areas.  Funds for disadvantaged pupils are not well spent. These pupils do not achieve as well as other pupils nationally.  Governors do not monitor and evaluate effectively the quality of teaching and learning and the standards that pupils reach.  Pupils’ attendance is below national levels, particularly that of those who are disadvantaged.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Staff, parents and pupils feel that the new headteacher has the right priorities. They said that the school is a more orderly environment since her arrival.  Pupils feel safe and happy at school.  Pupils in the specialist centre for communication and interaction are taught well and make good progress.  Children in the Nursery make a strong start to their education.

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Full report

In accordance with section 44(1) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires special measures because it is failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the persons responsible for leading, managing or governing the school are not demonstrating the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Rapidly improve the impact of leadership and management, including governance, by ensuring that: – leaders focus on rapidly improving teaching and raising pupils’ achievement – standards rise quickly in English and mathematics, particularly for the most able and middle-attaining pupils – the additional funds for disadvantaged pupils are spent effectively to rapidly improve their progress and attainment – middle leaders are developed and supported so that they can take a full part in holding teachers to account for the progress that pupils make – governors robustly and accurately challenge the school’s leaders about the standards that pupils reach – systems of performance management are used effectively and appropriately to hold teachers and leaders to account for the progress that pupils make – the attendance of pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, is improved.  Rapidly improve the quality of teaching, learning and assessment by ensuring that:

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

– teachers’ expectations are raised significantly to provide the appropriate level of challenge for the most able and middle-attaining pupils in English and mathematics and across the curriculum – assessment accurately and quickly identifies those pupils who are not making the progress they should, particularly the middle-attaining, most-able and disadvantaged pupils – teachers accurately assess pupils’ learning and adapt their teaching quickly to pupils’ needs so that pupils make rapid progress in lessons and catch up on lost learning – teachers receive the timely and accurate feedback they need to improve their practice – teachers use behaviour management systems effectively to manage pupils who have challenging behaviour, eliminating any disruption to learning.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

An external review of governance and the school’s use of the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how these aspects of leadership and management may be improved.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

 The school has been through considerable disruption in leadership. This turbulence has contributed to the school’s decline. It has led to many changes in approach for teachers, parents and pupils. Frequent changes in staff and staff absences have further stalled the school’s efforts to improve.  Leaders and governors’ evaluation of the school is inaccurate. The information that governors receive, including, at times, from the local authority, has not helped them to make an accurate assessment of the school’s areas for improvement.  Leaders have not given teachers the accurate and timely feedback they need to improve their practice. There has been limited monitoring of the quality of teaching and little follow up to monitoring activities such as work scrutiny. Leaders have not effectively held teachers to account for the progress of pupils in their classes.  Systems of assessment, until recently, were not fit for purpose. Assessments have not

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

accurately informed teachers and leaders which pupils, and groups of pupils, were falling behind the expectations for their age. Changes brought in during the last year are beginning to be more effective in identifying pupils at risk of underachieving.  Middle leaders are ineffective in raising standards in English and mathematics. However, in part, this is because they have not received the necessary support from senior leadership to enable them to challenge teachers and hold them to account. For example, limited priority has been given to monitoring standards in their subjects. As a result, middle leaders’ actions to improve pupils’ progress are not having the required impact.  Leaders, including governors, have not ensured that the additional funds for disadvantaged pupils are spent effectively. There has been little evaluation of the impact of the funding on disadvantaged pupils’ outcomes, which are significantly below

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

those of other pupils nationally in reading, writing and mathematics.  Leaders have not ensured that systems of behaviour management support teachers to manage the behaviour of a small number of pupils who find it difficult to behave well. As a result, there are times when the learning of pupils is disrupted. Staff, pupils and parents feel that the new headteacher, in the short time she has been at the school, has brought a different approach. She listens and responds to concerns.  The local authority has been supporting the school for 18 months. Some of the advice given, specifically that for writing, has led to improvements in pupils’ learning. However, these developments are not sufficiently embedded, consistent or sustained to enable them to have the required impact on pupils’ learning and achievement. At times, advice has been contradictory between one professional and another.  Leaders agree that the school’s current curriculum is not helping pupils to develop the

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

wide range of skills they need for the future. For example, pupils do not get many opportunities to investigate for themselves in science. They do not use skills gained from their English and mathematics work to develop their science learning further.  Leaders have not been successful in improving pupils’ attendance. Pupils’ attendance is below the national average and it is not yet improving. The attendance of disadvantaged pupils is well below the national level. The rapid turnover in leaders has meant that improving attendance has not been a significant enough focus for leaders.  There has been little evaluation of the impact of the use of additional funds for primary sport and physical education.  The new headteacher has communicated her vision clearly to staff, parents and pupils. Pupils said that the school is now a more orderly environment. Staff are eager to contribute to the next stage in the school’s development. Recently appointed staff are

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Inadequate

keen to accelerate pupils’ progress.  Leaders responsible for the progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities ensure that these pupils’ progress is improving. The impact of additional interventions to meet pupils’ needs and of the work of teaching assistants is well monitored. As a result, this group of pupils are beginning to make stronger progress.  Leaders of the specialist provision for pupils who have communication and interaction needs have ensured that pupils’ needs are accurately assessed. Teachers use their assessments to plan learning that meets pupils’ needs well. As a result, these pupils make strong progress.  The Nursery is well led and managed. The Nursery leader ensures that children’s needs are well planned for and that they receive an enriching curriculum relevant to their age. This means that children have the skills they need to access learning when they enter

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Governance of the school

 Governors have not been clearly focused on improving the quality of teaching, learning and assessment or on the standards that pupils reach. The turbulence in leadership and financial concerns have taken their attention away from these core functions. They have been ineffective in ensuring that pupils at the school receive a good standard of education.  The information that governors receive from school leaders, and sometimes from the local authority, does not enable them to reach an accurate evaluation of the school’s overall effectiveness. While governors have challenged leaders, the information they receive has not helped them to hold leaders to account effectively for the progress that pupils make.  Governors have not ensured that systems for the performance management of staff have been used appropriately or effectively to hold teachers and leaders to account for the standards that pupils reach. As a result, the quality of teaching is not improving

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff have a clear understanding of what to do if they are concerned about a pupil. The training they receive enables staff to be clear about their responsibilities. The school works effectively with outside agencies and with parents to support pupils and their families. Leaders are not afraid to challenge other professionals to secure safe outcomes for children.  The school’s systems make sure that staff are recruited safely, and the induction process places emphasis on the culture of safeguarding that the school promotes.  Staff and governors have taken part in training to help them protect pupils from the risk of radical or extreme influences and so understand their responsibilities well.  The vast majority of parents support the view that their children are safe, happy and well looked after at school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 Teachers do not plan appropriate learning to stretch and challenge the most able pupils and those in the middle-attaining group. As a result, there are too many pupils in both groups who do not make the progress of which they are capable.  Teachers do not accurately assess pupils’ understanding. For example, in mathematics, activities planned are not specific enough to meet pupils’ different needs. As a result, pupils across a range of groups and abilities do not make the progress they should.  In English and mathematics, pupils are unclear about what to do to improve their work. In mathematics in particular, pupils are slow to progress because they are not helped to learn from where they have gone wrong.  Expectations of pupils’ handwriting, presentation and spelling have not risen with the expectations of the new national curriculum. This limits the progress that pupils can make towards working at the expected standards for their age.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

 In mathematics, pupils’ reasoning and problem-solving skills are underdeveloped. This is because pupils do not receive adequate exposure to all aspects of the mathematics curriculum. Many pupils have calculation skills appropriate for their age. However, pupils have little opportunity to develop their reasoning and understanding of mathematical concepts, and this restricts their progress. There is little evidence of successful coverage of mathematics skills in other curriculum subjects.  Few pupils across the school write in greater depth. Teaching does not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to write independently or at length. Nor does teaching challenge pupils to apply their writing skills in other curriculum areas such as science.  Scrutiny of pupils’ writing in key stage 2 shows some improvement in content and style, which is as a result of the training in developing writing that began last year. In

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

addition, in last year’s Year 6, pupils’ writing work showed that they were catching up on lost learning.  Phonics teaching has been inconsistent. In part, this has been because the training that teachers have received has sometimes been contradictory. However, current phonics teaching is improving. As a result, pupils in Year 1 are increasingly able to use their knowledge of phonics to write their own phonically plausible simple sentences.  The school’s approaches to assessment do not help teachers identify quickly and accurately pupils who are vulnerable to underachievement. New assessment processes are only now beginning to have an impact on teaching and, therefore, the progress that pupils make. The school’s own information identifies that most year groups in the school are not yet making the progress necessary for pupils to catch up quickly.  Teaching for pupils who have communication and interaction needs meets their needs

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Inadequate

well. As a result, these pupils make strong progress.  Pupils enjoy reading and read well, relevant to their age and development.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare requires improvement.  Some pupils do not routinely demonstrate resilience and determination. Many pupils are uncertain what to do if they find their work difficult, particularly in mathematics. Some are too dependent on adult attention to keep them motivated.  Pupils know what bullying, including online bullying, is. They said that it does not happen often. Pupils know whom to talk to if they have a worry or concern. However, some pupils and parents feel that the school’s leaders have not handled bullying effectively in the past. Pupils and parents said that the new headteacher and teachers have brought a positive ethos to the school and that they now feel listened to.  A large majority of pupils said that they feel safe and happy and enjoy school. The majority of parents agree that their children are safe at school and well looked after.

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Personal development and welfare

 The breakfast club provides a safe and friendly start to the day for pupils, so they are ready to learn.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.  The behaviour of a small number of pupils sometimes disrupts the learning of others. Some pupils disengage from learning because expectations of behaviour are not always clear and consistent and because, at times, tasks are not well matched to their needs.  Rates of exclusion have been consistently higher than national averages. Leaders’ actions have resulted in more consistent approaches to managing challenging behaviour. As a result, the number of exclusions is reducing.  Pupils’ attendance is below the national average. Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance is below that of other pupils nationally. The attendance of those pupils who are absent most often is not improving.  The vast majority of pupils behave well, for example in corridors, in classes, at break and lunchtimes and when attending assembly.  Pupils are friendly, polite and courteous to each other and adults. They understand and

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Behaviour

value the school rules, rewards and sanctions.

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

 Pupils do not achieve the standards of which they are capable. In 2016 and 2017, fewer pupils reached the expected standard for their age in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 2 than pupils nationally. Very few pupils achieved the higher standards, particularly in writing or mathematics.  Pupils’ progress by the end of key stage 2 is below the national level in writing and mathematics. In writing, the late submission of writing data by the school means that, currently, no pupils are recorded as reaching the expected standard for their age in the combined subjects of reading, writing and mathematics. If the school’s data is taken into consideration, the number of pupils who have reached the expected standards for their age in all three subjects is still well below the national figure.  Different groups of pupils do not make consistently good enough progress across key stage 2. This is particularly the case for those who left key stage 1 in the middle-ability

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

band, boys and disadvantaged pupils.  Pupils do not make the progress they could from the end of the early years to the end of key stage 1. Children who leave Reception at a level typical for their age finish key stage 1 with achievements which are below the national level. Few of those who leave early years with skills that exceed those for their age leave key stage 1 working at greater depth in any subject.  Disadvantaged pupils, including the most able, do not make enough progress in reading, writing or mathematics at either key stage. Until recently, there has not been a clear focus on their needs by teachers and leaders.  The most able and middle-attaining pupils are not given tasks that challenge them to deepen their understanding. As a result, too few of them have the skills and knowledge needed to exceed the expected standards. This is particularly the case in mathematics and writing.  Over time, the number of pupils who reach the threshold of the national phonics

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Outcomes for pupils Inadequate

screening check in Year 1 has been below the national level. Results for 2017 show a further decline.  Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities in the communication and interaction specialist provision make good progress because their needs are very well planned for and they are taught well.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Most children enter the early years with a range of skills and attributes typical for their age. Over time, at the end of Reception, the proportion of children reaching a good level of development is at the national average. However, few of the most able children have reached a level of development at which they are exceeding the early learning goals.  The quality of adults’ assessments in the Reception class varies. On occasion, it is too generous. At other times, the skills and abilities of the most able are not correctly recognised. This reflects the lack of challenge that the most able children receive.  Staff do not have robust systems to ensure that children access all aspects of learning over time. In addition, some resources, such as the large space for outdoor learning, are underused and not well planned for. This means that children do not consistently develop the skills that prepare them well for Year 1.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 In the Reception class, expectations of behaviour and learning are too low. Teachers do not challenge some pupils sufficiently, particularly boys, and their subsequent restless behaviour goes unchecked. A few children were not swiftly encouraged by an adult to join in an activity. As a result, they do not learn effectively.  In the Nursery provision for two- to four-year-olds, children make a good start to their education. Staff are knowledgeable about children’s development and needs and carefully plan a range of stimulating activities that help children to progress well. For example, in a session of outdoor learning, three-year-old children worked cooperatively and with enthusiasm, finding a safe home for a toad.  Leadership of the Nursery provision is strong. The leader skilfully directs staff and is aware of their professional development needs. Welfare requirements are met. Parents are very happy with the experiences that their children have in the Nursery. They value

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Early years provision Requires improvement

the approachability and expertise of the provision’s leader. However, leadership of the Reception class is not as clearly focused and direct.  Parents commented on the safe and happy start that their children make in both Nursery and Reception. Children’s strong relationships with the adults around them demonstrate that they already feel safe at school, even though it is early in the year.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address admin@chesterton.gloucs.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 ─ 21 February 2013

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Information about this school

 The school does not meet requirements on the publication on its website of information about the performance of pupils, the evaluation of the spending of the additional funds for pupil premium pupils and the evaluation of the spending of the sport premium.  Chesterton Primary School is slightly larger than the average-sized primary school and caters for children aged 2 to 11 years old. Governors are responsible for the 64-place Nursery and for before- and after-school provision, which is open 51 weeks of the year.  The school includes a specialist resource base for pupils who have communication and interaction special educational needs. There are 10 places in this provision.  The majority of pupils are White British. The proportion of pupils for whom English is an additional language is lower than the national average.  The number of pupils supported by the pupil premium funding is above the national

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Information about this school

average.  The proportion of pupils receiving support for their special educational needs and/or disabilities is above the national average.  The headteacher took up her post at the start of the autumn term 2017.

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Information about this inspection

 Pupils’ learning was observed in 27 sessions or part sessions, many jointly with leaders. The work of pupils in all year groups was scrutinised. Many pupils were spoken with about their work, during lessons and informally at breaktimes, lunchtimes and around the school. An inspector listened to pupils read and met with pupils to gather their views about their experiences of school.  Discussions were held with the headteacher and other leaders, governors and a representative of the local education authority. A meeting was held with members of the school staff to gather their views.  Inspectors took account of the 24 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View and to 24 comments received. Discussions were held with parents on both days of the inspection.  A range of documentation was considered, including information on pupils’ attainment and progress, the school’s improvement planning, records of the monitoring of

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Information about this inspection

teaching and information on the management of teachers’ performance. Procedures for the safeguarding of pupils, including information relating to attendance, behaviour and the exclusion of pupils, were examined.

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Inspection team

Sarah O’Donnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Maddy Kent 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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 .

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Inspection team

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, 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.gov.uk/ofsted

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