Chandag Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Chandag Infant School Chandag Infant School, Chandag Road, Keynsham, Bristol, BS31 1PQ

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 September 2021

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Outcome

Chandag Infant School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils. The school’s curriculum inspires and challenges them. It prepares them well for the next stage in their education. Pupils understand the importance of being a ‘try again tortoise’. To practise, work hard and get better. One pupil commented that answering tricky questions helps their ‘brain grow’. Pupils at this school love learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Each year, leaders carefully plan pupils’ personal development. They go beyond the curriculum to help pupils ‘be the best you can be’. The school’s cultural calendar includes enrichment activities such as aspiration week and road safety week. These events teach pupils important life skills.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take on roles of responsibility with great pride. For example, as school councillors, pupils say they ‘make great ideas to improve the school’ and are expected to set an example to others. Pupils know right from wrong and behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff and pupils live the school values. They treat each other with respect and kindness. Staff ensure pupils know the difference between bullying and falling out. Pupils are confident that if bullying should happen, staff will sort it out. Pupils feel safe in school. Parents believe this is because staff ‘genuinely care about the children’.

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

Teachers and teaching assistants are well trained to deliver the phonics programme. Each session follows the same clear structure. This helps staff check pupils’ phonic knowledge and quickly spot those who need help. These pupils have extra practise. As a result, pupils develop a secure knowledge of phonics.

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

Leaders correctly introduced reading books from the phonics programme. The letters and sounds in these books match the phonics pupils are taught. When pupils apply their phonic knowledge, they gain a great sense of achievement as they can read their books. 28 and 29 September 2021

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However, sometimes pupils do not use their phonic knowledge to spell words in their independent writing.

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The reading books shared in class are carefully chosen by staff to increase pupils’ vocabulary, develop their reading comprehension and inspire their writing. For example, pupils in Year 1 enjoyed making wanted posters for the evil pea in Supertato. Early years staff skilfully use ‘smart cookie words’ seen in books to successfully grow pupils’ vocabulary.

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Leaders check the quality of teaching and learning effectively. They use information gathered from their checks to help teachers improve the quality of education. For example, leaders introduced a new mathematics curriculum in September 2021 to focus on staff using the correct mathematical vocabulary. Where teachers use the right mathematical words, pupils do so too. But this expectation is not consistently used yet.

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The mathematics curriculum follows a similar lesson structure as phonics. Teachers carefully check pupils’ understanding and appropriate support or challenge is swiftly put in place. This helps to secure pupils’ mathematical knowledge. For example, the ‘meerkat maths challenge’ requires pupils to dig deeper in their mathematical thinking. However, leaders are aware that they do not know yet the impact of the new mathematics curriculum on pupils’ knowledge or progress. There are plans in place to address this.

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Leaders have planned the wider curriculum. They have thought about the key concepts they want pupils to know and remember. However, some subject curriculums, such as history, do not clearly identify the key knowledge pupils must build over time. This makes it difficult for teachers to plan lessons and check that pupils know more and remember more.

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Pupils remember famous people studied through history in Year 1. They can place these people on a timeline and know why they are famous. For example, Mary Seacole for nursing soldiers. Nevertheless, there are gaps in pupils’ historical knowledge. The key knowledge is not clearly identified within the history curriculum. Therefore, the concepts pupils must know are sometimes not taught in sufficient depth. Pupils cannot always recall this important information.

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Staff work closely with the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) to correctly identify and support pupils’ additional learning needs. The SENDCo checks that the right support is in place. This ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress.

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In the Reception Year, pupils are shown how to get along with others. They quickly gain the skills needed to work together and make friends. This leads to productive learning time in class and enjoyable playtimes.

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Trustees and governors share the ambitions of school leaders. During the pandemic, governors worked closely with subject leaders to develop their knowledge of the school’s curriculum. As a result, they have the necessary understanding to challenge leaders to 28 and 29 September 2021

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support school improvement. Staff, including early career teachers, appreciate the support and consideration shown for their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained to spot safeguarding concerns. They share any worries with leaders who carry out appropriate checks. Leaders are quick to support families in need of extra help. For example, the parent support adviser offers practical help and advice. Staff ensure pupils in their care are safe.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. Cultural calendar events, such as internet safety and anti-bullying week, reinforce curriculum learning.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding record keeping is up to date and accurate. Appropriate training ensures trustees and governors hold leaders to account for their safeguarding roles and responsibilities effectively.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some parts of the curriculum, the key concepts leaders want pupils to know and remember are not clearly thought out. Teachers do not identify what pupils must know. Consequently, pupils do not make connections between concepts and build their knowledge and skills over time. Subject leaders need to identify the key concepts pupils must know and remember across the curriculum.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Chandag Infant School, to be good on 9 and 10 October 2014. 28 and 29 September 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 28 and 29 September 2021

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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School details

Inspection number 10200926 Type of school Infant

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Chair of governors

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Chandag Infant School is part of the Futura Learning Partnership formerly known as the Wellsway Multi-Academy Trust.  The school became an academy on 1 July 2017.  Following the last inspection, a new chair of governors and deputy headteacher have been appointed.  Four new teaching staff joined the school in September 2021, including two early career teachers.

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the provider received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the provider and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the provider.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, trust senior leaders, staff, pupils and two members of the governing body. 28 and 29 September 2021

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 The inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read to an adult.  The inspector did deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. She discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, staff, pupils, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. She considered how well the designated safeguarding lead acts on concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. The inspector talked to pupils, staff and governors about safe working practices.  The inspector considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and the pupil and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector 28 and 29 September 2021

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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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