Chirbury CofE VC Primary School & Busy Bees Nursery

Inspection of Chirbury CofE VC Primary School & Busy Bees Nursery Chirbury, Montgomery, Powys SY15 6BN

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 11–12 December 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. They have respectful relationships with adults and they care about the well-being of each other. Pupils told inspectors that the most important values at their school are kindness and respect. This reflects the strong Christian ethos in this small village school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and when moving around the school. They play happily together at social times. Pupils know what bullying is and what to do if it happens. They told inspectors that bullying is not a problem at the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders ensure that pupils have an impressive range of exciting opportunities that enhance the curriculum. Pupils visit the theatre, museums, galleries and take trips to cities across the United Kingdom. Residential visits include a trip to Normandy, France. Everyone learns to play a musical instrument and has the chance to take part in public performances. Pupils can attend a range of sports clubs. They take part in a sports festival each half term.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have significantly improved the quality of education at the school. As a result, most pupils achieve well in a wide range of subjects. Parents are positive about the changes at the school. They agree that their children are safe and happy.

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better?

All staff are determined that pupils will succeed academically and personally. Outdoor learning opportunities make the most of the school’s rural location. Leaders ensure that pupils develop an understanding of the wider world outside of their village. This includes learning about different faiths and cultures. Pupils are respectful of differences. They say that everyone is welcome at their school, regardless of skin colour, religion or culture.

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better?

Leaders have planned a curriculum that is well sequenced to ensure that pupils will know and remember more in most subjects. Some of these plans are very well established. For example, in music pupils acquire knowledge of different types of music and they learn how to compose a simple tune. Pupils learn to play woodwind and string instruments and they sing regularly. In some subjects, plans are less well organised, including in science. Pupils do not build and deepen their knowledge. This is because they do not revisit what they have already learned to ensure that they have remembered it. However, leaders have appropriate plans in place to address this. Some other subjects have new leaders. At the moment, these leaders do not have the opportunity to check the quality of education in their subject.

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better?

Staff teach phonics well. Leaders make sure that all staff are appropriately trained. Over the last two years, all pupils achieved the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check. This is an improvement. Pupils are fluent readers, because their reading books are well matched to the sounds that they know. Older pupils enjoy reading and described in detail their favourite books and authors. Pupils in key 11–12 December 2019

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stage 2 who need extra help with reading are well supported to catch up. The new library has a wide range of books. There is a high level of interest in the library’s wrapped ‘mystery’ books! Pupils are open to trying something new.

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Pupils achieve well in mathematics. They have a secure understanding of calculation strategies. Teachers make use of their knowledge of gaps in pupils’ learning to plan tasks to address this. Pupils are not yet given enough opportunities to apply their knowledge to solving problems or to reason about their work. This means that they do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could.

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Teachers have high expectations of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They plan tasks that are well matched to individual pupils’ needs. Pupils with SEND make good progress in most subjects.

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The governors now manage Busy Bees day nursery. A new curriculum has been introduced which is appropriately sequenced in all areas of learning. This is in the early stages of implementation. There is more to do to ensure that activities, particularly for the most able children, successfully build on what they already know and can do. Children now have enhanced opportunities to learn outdoors due to recent changes to the environment. Children enjoy coming to school, where they are well cared for. They are interested in their learning and are well prepared for Year 1.

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Pupils behave well. They try hard to always produce their best work. They have positive attitudes to school life. Members of the newly elected school council are proud to represent other pupils. They have recently been involved in making plans to improve the school site.

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Governors are dedicated to the school. They provide effective support and challenge to leaders. They prioritise staff well-being. Staff enjoy working at the school, where they are valued by leaders and parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that the safeguarding of children is a top priority. All staff receive regular training, so they know how to spot the signs that a child’s welfare may be at risk. They know how to report any concerns. Records show that leaders act on these concerns promptly to ensure that pupils get the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out the right checks before anyone can work or volunteer at the school.

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Safeguarding

There is a well-planned curriculum to ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. Using the internet safely is a key part of this learning. 11–12 December 2019

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have recently made changes to how some subjects, including science, are planned. Leaders should make checks on how well these plans are being implemented. This is so that they know how well pupils are learning and remembering more.  Pupils have a secure understanding of how to complete mathematical calculations. However, pupils do not deepen their understanding of mathematics as well as they could. Teachers should provide more opportunities for pupils to apply their knowledge when solving mathematical problems and reasoning about their work.  Leaders of some subjects are new. At the moment, they do not evaluate how well their subject is being implemented and how well pupils are achieving. Senior leaders should enable them to do this.  Last year, the early years was expanded to include a nursery. A new curriculum has been introduced that appropriately sequences all areas of learning. Sometimes, learning for the most able children does not build well enough on

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

what they already know. Leaders should check how well the new curriculum is being implemented, so that children are enabled to reach the standards of which they are capable.

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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. 11–12 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10111671 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 21–22 June 2017

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Information about this school

 The school was last inspected under section 48 of the education act in March 2018.  Since the last inspection, the school has become part of the Shropshire Hills federation. There are two other schools in the federation: Norbury Primary School and Stiperstones CofE Primary School. There is one governing body for the federation.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the teacher in charge and the leader with responsibility for pupils with SEND. The lead inspector met with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and music. This involved speaking to curriculum leaders, teachers and pupils, evaluating planning documents and pupils’ books, and visits to lessons. Inspectors also considered planning and reviewed pupils’ books in history, geography and French. 11–12 December 2019

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 The lead inspector met with members of the governing body to discuss how they fulfil their statutory duties, including those around safeguarding. Inspectors also discussed staff workload.  Inspectors checked safeguarding arrangements at the school. They looked at the record of checks made on staff employed by the school. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding leader and looked at examples of the school’s record-keeping. Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding.  Inspectors considered a range of documentation provided by the school. They looked at the school’s website, policies and curriculum documents. Safeguarding information, SEND records and published information about pupils’ performance were evaluated.  Inspectors considered the 16 responses to Parent View and the 12 free text responses. An inspector spoke to parents informally on the playground.  Inspectors considered the nine responses to Ofsted’s staff questionnaire. There

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were no responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jo Evans, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise Blackburn Ofsted Inspector 11–12 December 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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