Chartfield School

Inspection of Chartfield School 45 Minster Road, Westgate-on-Sea, Kent CT8 8DA

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Inadequate Does the school meet the independent school standards?

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They demonstrate this by working hard willingly, not giving up and supporting each other to flourish. Pupils’ behaviour both in and out of lessons is exemplary.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy many opportunities to widen their experience of the world through clubs, activities and residential trips. They take part in choir, art, football and cookery after-school clubs. This allows pupils to try different things and develop new interests.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have no concerns about bullying. They respect the needs and rights of others and show maturity when talking about people’s differences. Pupils take on responsibilities enthusiastically in school and are keen to support their local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff uphold high expectations. Consequently, pupils achieve very well in English and mathematics and are fully prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers appreciate the school as much as pupils do. Those who responded to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, said that they would recommend the school to others. One parent commented, ‘Since attending this school, my child has flourished. I feel exceptionally proud of everything my child has achieved so far and this is down to the school and their ethos and pure passion for their roles.’

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better?

Leaders and those responsible for governance know the school well and understand what works, and what needs to be better. Since the last inspection, a school business manager has been appointed. This has provided leaders with additional capacity to improve the school. As a result, all the independent school standards are met.

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better?

Leaders have created an exciting curriculum. They have linked a broad range of subjects together within carefully chosen topics. Teachers make sure that pupils’ knowledge and skills develop in a logical sequence. Pupils’ learning is monitored closely in English, mathematics and science. However, assessment systems in other subjects are not yet fully in place. In these subjects, pupils are not yet learning as well as they could because lessons are not matched closely enough to pupils’ starting points.

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better?

The curriculum helps pupils prepare well for the next stage in their education. Staff have strong subject knowledge in English and mathematics. As a result, pupils achieve highly in these areas. However, pupils do not always learn as well as they could in other subjects, such as art or music. For instance, while pupils demonstrated a keenness to participate in extra-curricular artistic clubs and 3–5 March 2020

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activities, this enthusiasm has not yet been tapped into across curriculum learning. Leaders know that more needs to be done to improve teachers’ confidence and subject knowledge in this area so they can provider richer and more frequent opportunities for pupils to strengthen their creative and artistic capabilities.

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Leaders have ensured that the school’s reading programme is well sequenced. Children in Reception Year learn effectively about letters and the sounds they represent. Children told inspectors that they love reading and spoke about the main characters in their favourite stories. Once pupils are in key stage 2, they continue to read regularly and develop a strong understanding of texts they have read. As a result, pupils develop a tangible love of reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Staff are adept at assessing the achievements of this group of pupils, and know how to plan the appropriate next steps in learning. As a result, the work set for pupils with SEND takes into account their individual needs and ensures that they make strong progress from their starting points.

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In Reception, staff have high expectations of what children can do. Activities are exciting, and the children are keen learners. The curriculum is well planned to meet children’s needs and interests. Staff make sure that children get off to a flying start in their early reading and mathematics. As a result, children are well prepared for their move to key stage 1 when it comes.

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The early years environment is well organised and maintained. Resources are carefully chosen to meet the children’s needs and promote learning. Children benefit from a wide range of interesting indoor and outdoor learning experiences. However, learning opportunities inside are currently much more imaginative and engaging than those that are provided in the outdoor area. This is because the outdoor space is currently underdeveloped. It does not provide enough opportunities for children to learn and explore beyond the classroom. As a result, the outdoor play area requires additional development in order to further spark children’s interests.

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Leaders and the proprietor take their responsibilities for equal opportunities seriously. For example, pupils learn to think about their own beliefs and those of other faiths and cultures through the curriculum, a well-designed programme of study for religious education, and various off-site visits. This work contributes well to pupils’ demonstrable tolerance and respect for others, and their strong appreciation of British values.

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Leaders have successfully embedded a rich seam of personal development and spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. For example, most pupils make the most of their time in school. Most pupils, including those with SEND, take part in extra-curricular activities. Through volunteering, pupils support the local community. Pupils make a difference in school through the school council, confident that teachers will listen to and act on their views. 3–5 March 2020

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Pupils work and engage together well. Staff support them to achieve this, and help pupils value the many friendships they make at school. The manner in which pupils of different ages, genders and ethnicities come together to learn and play is a strength of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have put in place appropriate safeguarding training for staff to ensure that all adults are vigilant. Staff know that they must respond quickly if they have a concern about a pupil’s well-being. The procedures for checking and recruiting staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to protect themselves from harm in a variety of situations. They have a strong awareness of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and proprietor)

 Leaders have made sure that the assessment of pupils’ skills and knowledge is used to support the teaching of the curriculum in the core subjects. However, in other subjects, this is not always the case. Leaders need to ensure that procedures are in place so that assessment is used consistently well in all subjects and embeds pupils’ knowledge systematically over time.  Leaders have identified the teaching of art as an area they want to develop further. Leaders should provide staff with the subject-specific training necessary for staff to develop their confidence and expertise in this area. This will ensure that pupils are provided with the skills and knowledge to develop their creativity and artistic abilities.  Outdoor areas for early years are not as enticing or interesting for the children as they could be. Leaders should accelerate their plans to improve this area of the provision. This will provide children with greater opportunity to learn both inside

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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. 3–5 March 2020

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The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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If you are the provider and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 3–5 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10123972 Type of school Other independent school

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £3,300 to £3,630

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School details

Email address office@chartfieldschool.org.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26–28 June 2018

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Information about this school

 Chartfield School is an independent school that caters for pupils from the age of three to 11 years. It serves a largely coastal community, with the vast majority of pupils living in the locality. The school has a Christian ethos.  Since the previous standard inspection, the school has recruited a school business manager to the senior leadership team.  Chartfield School was last inspected in June 2018, when the overall effectiveness of the school was judged to be inadequate and unmet independent school standards were found. In September 2019, the school was subject to a progress monitoring inspection, which identified that all of the previously unmet independent school standards were now met.  The school does not make use of alternative provision. 3–5 March 2020

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008. The purpose of the inspection is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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Information about this inspection

The school meets the independent school standards. These are the requirements set out in the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014.

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Information about this inspection

 We held meetings with senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  We did deep dives in the following subjects: reading, mathematics, art and music. We discussed the curriculum design with leaders, carried out lesson visits, looked at pupils’ work and spoke to pupils and staff from the lessons visited about the curriculum.  We checked safeguarding, including by speaking with leaders, staff, pupils and parents about safety. We checked a range of school policies and procedures and leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of staff to work in the school.  We met with the proprietor and school business manager to discuss the governance arrangements for the school.  We took account of 16 responses to the Ofsted Parent View survey and the additional free-text responses.  We considered the views of the six members of staff who responded to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Emma Sanderson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Gerard Strong Ofsted Inspector 3–5 March 2020

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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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