Henry Chichele Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Henry Chichele Primary School School Lane, Higham Ferrers, Northamptonshire NN10 8NQ

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Outcome

Henry Chichele Primary School continues to be a good school. However, inspectors have some concerns that standards may be declining, as set out below.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They like trying new things, such as taking part in public performances, playing sports and going on residential visits. The school’s values help pupils know the difference between right and wrong. Pupils are polite as they move around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in the school. Teachers and teaching assistants take good care of them. Parents and carers agree. Pupils play together happily in the well-equipped outdoor areas. They appreciate the responsibility of becoming play leaders or school councillors. They feel proud to help with the smooth running of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well most of the time. They usually work hard in lessons and do as they are asked. Pupils say that there is very little poor behaviour, including bullying, in school. Pupils told us that, ‘What’s good about this school is that friendships are strong.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can learn in writing and mathematics. The work that pupils complete is often not demanding enough. Some pupils are capable of achieving much more in these subjects.

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

Leaders do not ensure that all subjects are taught well. Some subject leaders do not have a clear picture of the important knowledge that pupils should learn or when they should learn it. Subject leaders do not check the quality of education that pupils receive in some subjects. Some teachers require further training and support to improve their practice. Pupils do not achieve well in some subjects.

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

Phonics and early reading are taught effectively. Staff are well trained and understand the order in which pupils should gain phonics knowledge. Children in the Reception classes 3–4 December 2019

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make a flying start with reading. As children start to learn sounds, teachers get them reading straight away. Teachers and teaching assistants regularly check pupils’ understanding. They help those who fall behind to catch up quickly. Teachers choose books that match the sounds that pupils have been taught. Pupils enjoy listening to teachers read the stories that they have helped to choose. This helps pupils to build a broad vocabulary. Pupils achieve well in reading.

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Leaders want pupils to love the books that they read. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading and listening to stories. They are motivated by the wide range of books available in each classroom and in the library. The librarian holds an after-school reading club, which is well attended.

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The support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is a strength. Pupils’ needs are identified early and accurately. Pupils with SEND receive effective specialist support.

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The mathematics curriculum is not well planned. Leaders do not ensure that pupils’ knowledge and skills build over time. Teachers do not plan learning that is demanding enough. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they could because teachers do not check their understanding before moving on to new content. Pupils who fall behind in their learning do not always catch up as quickly as they should.

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Leaders have not set out clearly what pupils should learn in writing. Plans do not show a clear sequence or what pupils should know by the end of each year. Leaders provide limited guidance about what to teach, including in the early years. Teachers do not keep regular checks on pupils’ achievement. Too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and skills in this subject.

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The governing body is enthusiastic and highly motivated. They want the school to get better. They understand the priorities for improvement. They check that the actions in improvement plans have a positive impact. They hold leaders to account for the work they do to raise standards, without increasing staff workload.

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The school’s values support pupils to behave well and make healthy choices. Leaders want pupils to be active, confident and healthy members of society. Pupils enjoy the arts. They relish the annual trip to their local theatre to see the pantomime. They contribute to the community by supporting charities. Pupils are proud to support the charity Macmillan Cancer Support, and the local food bank. Pupils learn about British values through the work of the school council. They enjoy assemblies where they discuss and debate current news items. Pupils are tolerant of others’ differences. They learn about faiths and cultures different to their own.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to spot the potential signs of neglect or abuse. They follow the 3–4 December 2019

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school’s policy for managing concerns. They know what to do if they think a pupil may be at immediate risk of harm.

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Records of safeguarding and behaviour incidents are thorough. Leaders act swiftly when concerns about a pupil’s safety are brought to their attention. They work well with other agencies to make sure that pupils and families get the support they need.

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Leaders make appropriate checks to make sure that everyone employed in the school is suitable to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that the writing and mathematics curriculums are planned well enough to show teachers what pupils should know and when they should know it. Not all pupils achieve well in these subjects. Leaders should set out plans that show clearly what pupils must learn in each year group. Teachers should check what pupils already know and use these plans to set ambitious work in writing and mathematics. Leaders should assure themselves that pupils learn and remember this knowledge over time so that pupils achieve more highly.  Subject leaders do not have a clear understanding of what pupils need to learn and by when in some subjects. They do not ensure that teachers receive the guidance they need to plan and deliver an effective curriculum for all pupils. Senior leaders should provide further training for subject leaders so that they understand their roles more clearly. Subject leaders should support teachers to understand what knowledge pupils

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

need to gain, and by when, in each subject.

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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 Henry Chichele Primary School to be good on 15–16 March 2016. 3–4 December 2019

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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.

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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. 3–4 December 2019

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School details

Inspection number 10110156 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.henrychichele.northants.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 There have been no significant changes to the school since the previous inspection.

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Information about this inspection

 Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the business manager, the special educational needs coordinator, the inclusion leader, the early years leader, the leaders responsible for mathematics, writing and reading, and two groups of staff.  The lead inspector held a meeting with a representative from the local authority and two members of the governing body.  Reading, mathematics and writing were specifically considered as part of this inspection. The lead inspector visited lessons with the headteacher. The inspector met with groups of pupils to talk about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work over time.  The lead inspector listened to a group of pupils read and met with some pupils to talk about reading.  The lead inspector examined a range of documents, including school leaders’ self- 3–4 December 2019

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evaluation, school improvement planning, records of leaders’ monitoring of the quality of education, minutes of the governing body and safeguarding documentation.  The lead inspector spoke with pupils formally and informally during their breaktimes and in lessons.  The lead inspector considered the 24 responses to the survey for staff. There were no responses to the pupils’ survey.  The lead inspector considered the 58 responses to the Ofsted online survey, Parent View.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 3–4 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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