Gilmorton Chandler Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Gilmorton Chandler Church of England Primary School Church Lane, Gilmorton, Lutterworth, Leicestershire LE17 5LU

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 14–15 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their friendly and caring school. They enjoy school, like their teachers and talk with enjoyment about their learning in different subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils care for and respect each other. They demonstrate the school value, ‘treat others as you wish to be treated’. They do this whether raising funds for charities or playing together on the playground.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the lunch, sports and other clubs they can go to. They learn to be responsible and the importance of the community through events such as the grandparents’ gardening day. They were excited to tell us about their roles as house captains, school councillors, eco-warriors and ambassadors for mathematics and science.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have strong relationships. Pupils behave well in class and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They say they feel and are kept safe. Bullying is very rare, and pupils are confident they could talk to adults if they had a worry or concern.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils try hard in their lessons and staff expect all pupils to do their best. Pupils who struggle are given support. All pupils achieve well. However, some pupils are not helped as well as they could be to be fluent readers.

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better?

Leaders and staff have worked hard to review and improve the school’s curriculum. Staff are determined to do their very best for all pupils, including those who are disadvantaged. They provide an interesting and ambitious curriculum.

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better?

Most subjects are planned well and skilfully taught. Staff make sure pupils learn the right knowledge in the right order. They revisit areas of learning to help pupils remember the most important things. This is particularly strong in mathematics. Pupils told us about the work in their books and how they had developed their understanding over time. Pupils achieve well in mathematics.

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better?

Staff have identified the important things they want pupils to learn and know by the end of the year in science and writing. Pupils achieve very well in science. The quality of pupils’ writing in English is strong in all year groups. Pupils told us how their work on adjectives helped them to write a description of Macbeth. Pupils take pride in their work. Not all pupils use their writing skills and knowledge in all subjects across the curriculum. Staff are determined that pupils in all classes learn new vocabulary in different subjects. On occasion, staff need to be more careful in checking that pupils understand new words so that they can remember and use them in their work. 14–15 January 2020

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Overall, pupils learn to read well. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and enjoy selecting books from the library. Pupils who need it are given extra support to help them catch up. The school ‘book talk’ sessions help pupils widen the types of books they want to read. When teaching early reading and phonics, staff sometimes use different approaches. Sometimes, books are not matched well to the sounds pupils know. This means pupils do not do quite as well as they could.

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Children in the early years make a strong start. Leaders check children’s learning and development carefully and focus on areas children are less confident with. Staff support any children who need extra help. Staff work hard to help children develop their speech and vocabulary, as well as their physical development. Children show enjoyment and perseverance in their learning and social times. In work linked to the book ‘Harry and the Dinosaurs’, they excitedly looked for dinosaur fossils.

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Leaders make sure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Staff have received training and leaders check that pupils receive the support they need. Pupils with SEND achieve well in their learning and personal development.

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Pupils’ personal development is important in this school. Pupils learn life and social skills well. Pupils have a ‘have a go’ attitude and were seen congratulating others when they had done well in lessons. They know why it is important to respect others who have different backgrounds or beliefs to themselves. Staff ensure behaviour in lessons and around the school is of a high standard. Pupils are friendly and polite. Pupils have positive attitudes, and this helps them learn well.

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The new senior leadership team and experienced middle leaders bring about improvements very well. They are supported well by the trust and the governing body. Curriculum leaders and other staff receive a wide range of training. Staff are proud to work in the school. Leaders consider staff’s workload and well-being when making decisions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Leaders and governors do all they can to ensure that pupils are safe at school. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained to identify and report any concerns they may have. When needed, leaders take prompt action to keep pupils safe. They work well with other agencies to make sure pupils get the help they need. Safeguarding records, including recruitment checks on people working in the school, are thorough. Pupils told the inspectors they feel safe in school. Parents are very positive about the care their children receive. 14–15 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Phonics is not planned or taught consistently well. As a result, pupils are not as fluent in their reading or confident reading unfamiliar words as they should be. Leaders have clear plans to review the planning of phonics and early reading and ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge and expertise to teach phonics well. Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that this work is put securely in place.  Teachers sometimes use vocabulary in lessons that pupils do not fully understand. When this happens, learning is not as effective as it could be. Teachers should check carefully that pupils understand and can use the vocabulary they want them to learn.  Sometimes, the quality of pupils’ writing in some subjects is not as good as it is in their English books. Teachers should ensure that the quality of pupils’ writing is high in all subjects.

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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 are the school and you are 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. 14–15 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121320 Type of school Primary

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School details

Principal Adam Watson (executive principal)

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School details

Website www.gilmortonchandler.leics.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected as an academy.

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Information about this school

 Gilmorton Chandler Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school on 1 July 2013. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted in 2009, it was judged to be outstanding overall.  The school is part of the Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust.  The executive principal and head of school took up their posts in August 2019.  The school’s Christian ethos was last inspected in March 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, members of the local governing body and the board of trustees, and the chief executive officer of the Inspiring Primaries Academy Trust. Inspectors met with curriculum and middle leaders. 14–15 January 2020

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 Inspectors looked in detail at reading, mathematics, science and writing to consider the quality of education. They talked to subject leaders, staff and pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising safeguarding records and speaking to leaders, staff and pupils.  Inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils. They spoke with parents and carers and took account of the recent responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

John Lawson, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lynn Corner-Brown Ofsted Inspector 14–15 January 2020

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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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