Chagford Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Chagford Church of England Primary School Lower Street, Chagford, Newton Abbot, Devon TQ13 8BZ

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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 8 and 9 June 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff are ambitious for all pupils. The school’s values of, ‘Community, Challenge, Care’ are lived up to by staff and pupils. Pupils are proud to take on roles of responsibility, such as play leaders, wildlife champions and attending the Chagford Memory Café. There is also a regular pupil-led litter picking group.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the wide range of lunchtime and after-school clubs on offer, such as netball, chess and recorder clubs. They value trips, sporting events and visitors to the school. For example, pupils are enthused by the ‘awesome author’ visits and their messages to the pupils on postcards. Pupils’ personal development, talents and interests are nurtured well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This begins in the early years. Pupils are polite, listen carefully and respond appropriately to each other and adults. They know how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy. Pupils say they feel safe in school. Most pupils understand the difference between bullying and falling out with others. They say there is always an adult to talk to if they have worries.

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better?

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. The curriculum is coherently sequenced and used to plan the children’s learning effectively. Staff skilfully support children to use the carefully organised indoor and outdoor learning environments. Children are introduced to a wide range of high-quality texts from the moment they join school. Staff select books to match learning activities effectively. For example, books about building are found in the construction area.

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better?

Staff implement the phonics programme well. Pupils’ phonics knowledge is secure. For example, pupils can identify, say and write the letter sounds correctly. Reading books match pupils’ phonics knowledge well. Pupils segment and blend words with confidence and accuracy. Pupils who need additional support to secure their phonics knowledge attend ‘fast track tutoring’ sessions. Staff ask appropriate questions to check pupils’ comprehension of the text.

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better?

Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ learning. They have identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to remember across most subjects. Teachers support pupils well to remember and use the knowledge, skills and vocabulary they have learned. This helps pupils build secure knowledge over time. For example, in mathematics, pupils can apply their mathematical knowledge to a range of problem- solving and reasoning questions successfully.

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better?

There are a few subjects where the curriculum is not as well developed. The essential knowledge leaders want pupils to retain is not identified clearly. It is not broken down into small, manageable steps. This makes it difficult for teachers to 8 and 9 June 2022

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plan and check precisely what pupils must know and remember. Pupils have insufficient subject knowledge. For example, in geography, Year 6 pupils are unsure of the features that distinguish a city from a town or village.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified accurately. Appropriate support is put in place swiftly. For example, pupils use individualised resources to help meet their needs. Nonetheless, leaders recognise that there is work to do to develop positive working relationships with parents and carers of pupils with SEND. Since the COVID-19 restrictions have eased, ‘SEND surgeries’ provide dedicated time to discuss with families how their child’s needs are met and agree next steps together.

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There are clear routines and expectations for pupils’ behaviour. This begins in the early years. Pupils who need additional help to understand their emotions and actions are supported well by skilled staff.

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The well-being of pupils, parents and staff has a high profile at the school. Staff appreciate leaders’ consideration and support. Pupils enjoy and attend school regularly. There are established systems for checking where pupils are when absent. Leaders support parents to help improve their children’s attendance when needed.

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Pupils know how the school’s values help them to make the right choices in life. They believe that everyone should be treated fairly. They know about different cultures and religions. However, leaders recognise the need to deepen pupils’ knowledge and experience of life in modern Britain. They have plans in place to do this.

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Leaders, including governors and trustees, know and understand the school’s strengths and areas for development. They have a clear vision for the school. There are systems in place to monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of leaders’ actions accurately.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Appropriate safeguarding checks are completed before staff and volunteers begin working at the school. Leaders make regular checks on safeguarding records.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular training and safeguarding updates. This helps staff to understand and fulfil their safeguarding roles. They know how to report and record concerns. Leaders follow up concerns raised by staff swiftly. They seek advice to try and secure the appropriate support for each child and their family.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe in school and in the community. 8 and 9 June 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to know and remember in some foundation subject curriculums. This means pupils do not remember some of the key concepts. They are unable to build on prior learning and make connections between concepts taught. Leaders need to identify the essential knowledge pupils must know and remember in these foundation subject curriculums.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 8 and 9 June 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227689 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Dartmoor Multi-Academy Trust (DMAT) on 1 January 2018.  The school is part of the Three Hares Cluster with North Tawton Community Primary School and Nursery and South Tawton Community Primary School.  The school offer pre-school provision for two- to four-year-old children.  The principal started working at the school in April 2021.  The school does not use any alternative providers.  Chagford Church of England Primary School converted to become an academy school in January 2018. When its predecessor school, Chagford Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 8 and 9 June 2022

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This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the executive headteachers, principal, deputy headteacher, staff, pupils, the DMAT leads for SEND and early years, governors, including the chair of the local stakeholders’ board, trustees, including the chair of trust, and the chief executive officer.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a known adult.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, geography and French. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.

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 The inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding documentation, including records of safeguarding checks carried out on staff working at the school. They considered how well the designated safeguarding lead acts on concerns about pupils’ safety and welfare. The inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and governors about safeguarding practices.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Marie Thomas, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Greenwood Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 June 2022

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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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