Chillerton and Rookley Primary School

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

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Mrs Lin Nightingale Interim Head of School Chillerton and Rookley Primary School Main Road Chillerton Newport Isle of Wight PO30 3EP

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Short inspection of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 6 March 2018, 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 November 2013.

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Short inspection of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School

Based on the evidence gathered during this short inspection, I have identified some priorities for improvement which I advise the school to address. In light of these priorities, the school’s next inspection will be a full section 5 inspection. There is

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Since the previous inspection, the school has been adversely affected by several changes in leadership and staff, both at the school and within the federation that the school is part of. Since your appointment as interim head of school, in partnership with the recently appointed interim executive headteacher, you have quickly identified and started to address the key areas where improvement is needed. Early signs are that your actions are having a positive effect and that you have the capacity to improve the school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Areas for improvement that were identified at the last inspection have not currently been addressed fully. Leaders were asked to improve standards in writing across the school. Pupils make good progress during key stage 2 and attain standards at least in line with those of other schools nationally by the end of Year 6. However, despite having a solid start in early years, the proportions of pupils reaching the expected standard in writing by the end of Year 2 have been well below the national average for the past two years. The school’s progress information and work in books indicate that progress in key stage 1 is not rapid enough and that standards in Year 2 are likely to rise only slightly this year. Although you have acted to improve the quality of teaching across the school, inconsistencies remain. A comprehensive programme of professional development is recently in place, and school records show that this training is beginning to have a positive effect on

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

teaching, learning and the accuracy of assessment.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Many subject leaders are new to their roles. You and the interim executive head have ensured that appropriate training is in place to develop these leaders, but this work is currently at an early stage. Subject leaders have produced detailed action plans. However, some have not had sufficient time to monitor the quality of teaching and learning or to analyse pupils’ progress in their areas of responsibility. As a result, leaders do not currently have an accurate picture of pupils’ progress across the curriculum.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils told me that they like coming to school, that it is a friendly place and that the teachers are kind. They also spoke about how the school, because it is small, is like one big, friendly family. Parents and carers echoed this view, although many expressed concerns about the frequent changes in leadership over the past 18 months.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Following a monitoring visit by the local authority, actions have been taken to ensure that arrangements to safeguard pupils are now fit for purpose. All staff receive appropriate training and are alert to any concerns, which are recorded and acted on quickly. You seek advice from external agencies when necessary and record the outcomes in detail. Governors are suitably trained and visit the school regularly to ensure that safeguarding arrangements are effective.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils are supported well to keep themselves safe. For example, they talk at length about the dangers of the internet and online gaming, and how important it is not to share passwords. Pupils assured me that bullying does not happen and, if it did, they are confident that staff would deal with it quickly. All parents and staff who responded to the inspection questionnaires indicated that they think pupils are safe in school.

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no change to the school’s current overall effectiveness grade of good as a

Pupils’ rates of attendance have fallen compared to the same time last year. At present, they are slightly lower than the national average for primary schools. Newly introduced procedures ensure that absences are closely monitored and appropriate action taken if needed.

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Inspection findings

 During the inspection, we looked closely at pupils’ achievements in key stage 1. We focused on the breadth and balance of the whole curriculum and how leaders monitor the progress of pupils, including the disadvantaged, across all subjects.  Pupils’ attainment in both writing and mathematics by the end of key stage 1 has been below the national average for the expected standard for the past two years. Pupils leave early years equipped to do well, but do not make sufficient progress in either Year 1 or Year 2. You are aware of these issues and have put measures in place to address them, with focused support from the local authority. For example, you have introduced a robust monitoring system to hold staff more accountable for their pupils’ progress. Early indications suggest that these measures are beginning to have a positive impact.  Work in books, teachers’ planning and displays around the school show that the

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Inspection findings

curriculum is broad and balanced across key stages 1 and 2. However, until recently, leaders had not closely tracked pupils’ progress in either core or foundation subjects across the school. You have recently introduced systems for teachers to record progress at regular intervals and organised staff training on assessing pupils’ work. Evidence of moderation with other schools indicates that assessment is now far more accurate than was previously the case.  There has been a high turnover of middle leaders in the past. Currently, many are new to post. For example, the mathematics lead was appointed in January. You have quickly secured support from the local authority and a ‘rapid mathematics action plan’ is now in place to aid improvement, and much has been achieved in a short period of time. Middle leaders, however, have not been given sufficient time to assess the quality of teaching or to analyse the progress made

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Inspection findings

by specific groups of pupils. They, therefore, have limited knowledge about standards across the school. Leaders are aware of this, and the school’s development plan shows how this issue will be addressed over the coming year.  There are very few disadvantaged pupils at the school. Tracking data and work in books indicate that these pupils are making good progress from their starting points. Additional support is having a positive effect on both their learning and emotional needs.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils’ rates of progress across key stage 1 in both writing and mathematics improve so that an increasing proportion attain the expected standard for their age  middle leaders are effective and held to account for the standards that pupils achieve in their subjects  assessment information is used consistently well to plan activities that meet the needs of pupils and challenge them to achieve their best.

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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 Isle of Wight. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

During the inspection, meetings were held with you and the interim executive headteacher of the federation to discuss the school’s self-evaluation and plans for improvement. I held discussions with subject leaders, members of the governing body, a group of pupils and a representative from the local authority. Together, we observed learning in every year group. I scrutinised a range of documents, including information on pupils’ achievement, external reports relating to support from the local authority and minutes of governors’ meetings. I took account of six responses to the online pupil survey and spoke to pupils, both in class and formally in a meeting. I considered the 14 survey responses submitted by staff and the 17 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s confidential online survey. I also spoke to several parents before school and considered eight free-text responses submitted via Parent View.

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