Chalgrove Community Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Chalgrove Community Primary School High Street, Chalgrove, Oxford, Oxfordshire OX44 7ST

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Outcome

Chalgrove Community Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils thrive at this small village school, which sits at the heart of the local community. The values of respect, responsibility and being ready to learn underpin every aspect of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of pupils’ academic and social development. They give pupils many opportunities to learn about factors affecting the locality. For example, pupils talk to the local parish council about litter in the village. In school, staff encourage pupils to take on responsibility for areas such as the environment and sport.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents consider that their children feel safe because staff care about them. Pupils behave well; they like the new rewards system. Pupils listen carefully to their teachers and work well together in lessons. Incidents of bullying are rare.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders intend that pupils will be effective citizens of the global community. For example, pupils have links with school children in South Africa. This helps pupils to develop an understanding about life in other countries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school library is exceptional: it is large, bright and inviting. It contains many interesting fiction and non-fiction books. Pupils relish the opportunity to select books to read from such a large variety of subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have designed a clear and well-sequenced curriculum. It sets out what they want pupils to learn in every year group. The curriculum has a positive impact on pupils’ outcomes. In key stage 1 last year pupils’ attainment was similar to the national average in reading and mathematics. They attained significantly above average in writing. There was a dip in Year 6 results last year. Current pupils are making strong gains in their knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects. 13–14 November 2019

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Teachers are well trained. They help pupils to spot any errors in their learning. Teachers usually provide ambitious work that helps pupils to build their understanding in a step-by- step way.

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The school provides well for the pastoral care of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). However, plans to support their academic needs are not always precise enough. This means that sometimes these pupils do not make sufficiently strong gains in developing their knowledge and skills.

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Leaders have ensured that phonics is a priority. Children get off to a flying start by learning letter sounds in Nursery. By the time they are in Reception they use their phonics skills well. Last year significantly more children achieved a good level of development in reading when compared to children in other schools. As pupils progress through the school teachers help them to gain the skills they need to become fluent readers. Pupils who find reading more challenging are given effective help to catch up, by staff, parents and volunteers.

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Pupils are proud to belong to this school. They behave well and do not consider that there are any issues with bullying. Attendance at the school is similar to the national average, However, pupils who are eligible for additional pupil premium funding do not attend as well as they could.

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The quality of the wider curriculum is strong. It helps pupils to know more and remember more about a broad range of subjects. For instance, pupils develop a detailed knowledge of the environment and nature through outdoor learning opportunities. They learn about the ecosystems of the woodland. There are also opportunities for pupils to develop their mathematical reasoning and problem-solving skills, such as when investigating the circumference of a tree.

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Pupils gain a strong understanding of local, national and international history. They can talk in detail about the Chalgrove Hoard, coins from the Roman Empire found close to the school and now in the Ashmolean Museum. Pupils say that it brings their learning to life when history is related to their local area.

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There is an extensive provision of school clubs available for pupils. For example, pupils enjoy attending yoga, soccer, cooking and dance. They like belonging to the school choir and appreciate the opportunities to sing at Christ Church Cathedral.

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Children in Nursery and Reception classes are happy and have settled well into the school’s routines. Staff ensure that children have the care they need to feel safe and secure. Children have a good understanding of early mathematics. Staff give children activities that help them to understand words associated with measuring, such as empty and full. Parents are very complimentary about their children’s start in early years. They consider that their children learn in a ‘fun, creative and happy environment’.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13–14 November 2019

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Parents are confident that their children are safe and secure at this school. Leaders diligently check the suitability of staff to work with children. The designated safeguarding lead ensures that members of staff are well trained to ensure children’s welfare. For example, they are quick to spot any potential signs or symptoms of abuse. Pupils know who they can go to if they need help and support. Staff report any concerns quickly; they make sure that families receive the support they need. The school works well with a range of external agencies.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders and staff provide effective care for the emotional needs of pupils with SEND. However, the plans in place to support them academically are not always precise. Where this occurs, it has an impact on these pupils’ quality of education. Leaders need to make sure that adjustments to learning for pupils with SEND are carefully considered and applied so that these pupils make consistently strong gains in their learning.  Most pupils attend well. But some pupils who are eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium have weaker patterns of attendance. Leaders need to ensure that all pupils attend as well as possible.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Chalgrove Community Primary School, good in July 2012.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 13–14 November 2019

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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. 13–14 November 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111424 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This school has not previously been inspected as an academy. Chalgrove Community Primary School converted to become an academy on 1 March 2017. When its predecessor school, also called Chalgrove Community Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted it was judged to be good overall.  The school is part of Acer Multi-Academy Trust, a group of six schools in Oxfordshire.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection took place over two days. Meetings were held with the headteacher and school staff. There were also discussions with members of the local governing body and the chair of trustees.  I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each of these subjects, I discussed the quality of education with senior leaders and subject leaders, visited lessons, talked with pupils about their learning and looked at their work.  School documentation, including information on behaviour and bullying, was reviewed. I checked the school’s safeguarding records, including records of recruitment checks made on newly appointed staff at the school.  Parents’ views were gathered through the 55 responses to the Ofsted online 13–14 November 2019

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questionnaire, Parent View, including 31 written comments. The 10 responses to the staff survey were considered. There were no responses to the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 13–14 November 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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