Chalfont St Peter CofE Academy

Inspection of Chalfont St Peter CofE Academy Penn Road, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, Buckinghamshire SL9 9SS

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected 5–6 November 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are incredibly content in this school. Happiness shines through their exemplary behaviour. They have highly respectful relationships with each other and the adults in the school. There is a warm and welcoming atmosphere built around strong values, shared and understood by everyone. Pupils are proud to be part of this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have very high expectations for pupils to achieve as well as they can. They have taken deliberate steps to build a culture where all pupils feel they can learn and succeed. Pupils talk passionately about ‘hot chocolate Fridays’ with the headteacher. They attend these for excellent behaviour or other recognised achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They pointedly said that there is no bullying in school. One pupil spoke for all when they said, ‘We might have falling outs, but we resolve this ourselves or with our teachers.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils can and do take part in a wide range of extra-curricular activities that they really enjoy. At all times, pupils feel listened to. They like their teachers and other staff who help them learn in the range of subjects they are taught. As a result, most pupils achieve well.

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better?

Pupils achieve good outcomes by the end of key stage 2 in mathematics and reading. More are achieving better standards in writing than in recent years. In subjects such as mathematics and music, subject leaders plan and sequence the knowledge that pupils need to know well. However, in some subjects, curriculum planning is less developed or even confused. It is not always clear how effectively the curriculum is designed to help pupils learn and remember more. Leaders have already started to make the changes needed to improve this.

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better?

Teachers use their secure subject knowledge to plan enjoyable and engaging learning activities. Year 4 pupils really enjoyed reading a timely bonfire-night poem to help them recognise metaphors. Teachers check what pupils know and remember often. They use questioning effectively to ensure that pupils understand. Most pupils know and remember knowledge that they have been taught. For example, pupils have good knowledge of historical facts that they have learned over time.

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better?

Pupils enjoy reading. They have many opportunities to read in school and are encouraged to read at home often. Most read well for their age. Pupils who need extra help with their reading are supported well to catch up. However, leaders’ reasons for choosing the books teachers read with pupils are not always well defined. Pupils’ own book choices are not reviewed in such a way as to ensure that they read across a wide range of genres. 5–6 November 2019

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Leaders have ensured that there are many opportunities for pupils to learn more than their academic subjects. A plentiful range of clubs and activities is on offer after school. Pupils talked enthusiastically about their enjoyable football, table tennis and speech and drama clubs. Leaders have planned helpful activities to raise pupils’ awareness of mental health and well-being issues. Pupils, with leaders’ help, are redesigning a playground space as an area for spiritual reflection and personal quiet time.

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Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning are exceptional. Pupils are confident ambassadors for their school. They are well prepared for the next steps in their lives and education. They democratically elect house captains. House captains take their roles very seriously, one suggesting that the role ‘is just like being the Prime Minister’.

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Pupils with special education needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Personal plans are used well by teachers and other staff to meet the learning and welfare needs of pupils with SEND. Leaders use the additional money received for disadvantaged pupils appropriately. These pupils achieve good outcomes.

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Governors are dedicated and knowledgeable. They are well placed to support and challenge leaders to further improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a culture where the safeguarding of children is of the utmost importance. Leaders and governors work well together to ensure that safeguarding remains effective. They are well trained and fulfil their legal duties properly. They ensure that the right checks are carried out before employing people to work with children.

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Safeguarding

Staff know how to report any concerns that they have with a child’s safety or welfare. Staff are confident that leaders will address any concerns they raise.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work well with other agencies to ensure that vulnerable pupils and their families are supported appropriately.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s curriculum is not yet sufficiently planned and sequenced in some subjects. Leaders need to ensure that all subject leaders plan their curriculum effectively to ensure that it allows pupils to learn and remember more. It is clear from the actions taken by leaders that they are already in the process of bringing this about. 5–6 November 2019

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 Leaders’ and teachers’ rationale for selecting the books pupils read across the curriculum are not always clear. Pupils’ own choices of reading are not always reviewed well enough to support a wider breadth of reading for all pupils. Leaders need to ensure that books chosen are supporting pupils to read more widely both in and outside school.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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. 5–6 November 2019

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School details

Chair of governing body Mrs Jackie Brown

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up her post in January 2018.  Chalfont St Peter CofE Academy converted to become an academy on 1 May 2011. When its predecessor school, Chalfont St Peter’s CofE School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged as outstanding.  The school was last inspected under Section 48 of the education act in May 2019.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior leaders, teachers, including subject leaders, and pupils.  An inspector met with a representative group of teaching and non-teaching staff.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding systems and procedures, including the single central record of checks on adults, as well as child protection and safeguarding policies. An inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead. 5–6 November 2019

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 The lead inspector reviewed the school’s website, publicly available pupil performance information and other school documentation.  One hundred and thirty-six responses to Ofsted’s Parent View and the school’s own staff and parent surveys were considered as part of the inspection. Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day on one day of the inspection.  The lead inspector met with members of the trust board (known as governors).  An inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative of the diocese of Oxford.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at play times and lunchtimes and as they moved around the school. An inspector met with a representative group of pupils and talked to them about school life.  Inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: mathematics, reading, writing and history.

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Inspection team

Dylan Davies, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Neil Small Ofsted Inspector 5–6 November 2019

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