Chipping Warden Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Chipping Warden Primary Academy Byfield Road, Chipping Warden, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 1LD

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Outcome

Chipping Warden Primary Academy 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 are friendly, polite and confident. Pupils say they feel safe in the school. They learn about internet safety. The school’s values help pupils to know the difference between right and wrong. They know what bullying is and they feel confident that adults will help them if they have any worries. Pupils say that they understand the importance of respecting others, including those who have faiths, cultures and family backgrounds different to their own.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well around the school for most of the time. Some pupils say that there are times when some pupils do not behave well in lessons and this disturbs their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the responsibility of becoming school councillors or reading buddies. 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 relish the extra opportunities the school offers through clubs, such as football, basketball and singing.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. Everyone wants the best for the pupils. However, leaders and teachers sometimes do not expect enough of pupils and some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

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

Leaders and governors understand the most important things the school needs to do to improve. They work closely with other schools within the trust to share expertise and guidance. 4 February 2020

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Leaders and other staff have introduced changes to the curriculum to help make pupils’ learning more effective in all year groups. Teachers’ planning of mathematics is strengthening and this is making a difference to pupils’ learning. Leadership of physical education (PE) and of provision in the early years is also improving.

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However, many changes are at an early stage of development and are not yet fully in place. Many subject leaders are new to their roles. Some subject leaders and teachers do not have a clear picture of the important knowledge they want pupils to know and when they should learn it. Leaders do not check carefully enough, the quality of pupils’ education in some subjects. Some teachers require further training and support to improve their practice. Some pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects.

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Leaders make reading a high priority and have begun to introduce a new way of teaching reading. This is not yet fully in place. Currently, teachers follow the existing phonics programme. Children begin learning phonics as soon as they start school. Staff teach pupils to understand and use a wider vocabulary. Pupils use the well-stocked library and can choose reading books from a selection in each classroom. They enjoy story time at the end of the day. However, leaders have not made sure the teaching of reading is consistently strong. Sometimes, staff do not ensure pupils build on their knowledge and skills over time. Pupils’ reading books are not well matched to the sounds that they know. This means that some pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are not as fluent in their reading as they could be.

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Pupils generally behave well. However, the inspectors saw some low-level disruption in some classes. Staff sometimes do not have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour.

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Leaders have a clear vision for the curriculum for pupils with SEND and are making improvements. Pupils’ needs are identified early and accurately, and support for pupils is appropriate. Pupils with SEND receive effective specialist support. However, some work remains to be done to better check the impact of what has been put in place.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are trained well to spot the potential signs of neglect or abuse. They follow the school’s policy for reporting concerns. They know what to do if they think a pupil may be at risk of harm.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ records of safeguarding or 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 get the support they need.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make sure the required checks are carried out on adults’ suitability to work with pupils. 4 February 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Subject leaders do not have a clear understanding of the knowledge pupils need to learn and the order in which they should learn it 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 and better support teachers to understand what knowledge pupils need to gain, and when, in each subject.  The teaching of phonics is inconsistent. As a result, pupils’ achievement is variable. Leaders need to ensure that teachers are appropriately trained in phonics to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the teaching so that pupils can build their skills and enable them to be fluent and proficient readers.  Staff do not apply the school’s behaviour policy consistently well. Low-level disruption and off-task behaviour sometimes negatively affects pupils’ learning. Leaders need to

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

ensure that all staff’s expectations of behaviour are consistently high.

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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 Chipping Warden Primary Academy to be good on 24 May 2016.

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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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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 . 4 February 2020

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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. 4 February 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10121324 Type of school Primary

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School details

Headteacher Hilary Harding (Head of school)

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School details

Website www.chippingwarden.northants.sch.uk

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the PRIME 7 Multi-Academy Trust. The powers of governance lie with the trustees. The trustees have appointed a committee known as the local governing body. The trustees delegate some of their powers to the local governing body.  The head of school was appointed in April 2019.  The school has an early morning club.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors held meetings with the head of school, middle leaders and other staff.  The inspectors met with members of the local governing body and the interim chief executive officer of the trust.  Reading, writing, mathematics and PE were considered as part of this inspection to evaluate the quality of education. The inspectors visited lessons, met with curriculum leaders, teachers, groups of pupils and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector examined a range of documents, including school leaders’ self-evaluation summary, school improvement planning, curriculum plans, records of leaders’ 4 February 2020

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monitoring of the quality of education, safeguarding documentation and information on the website.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain Ofsted Inspector 4 February 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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