Chenderit School

Inspection of Chenderit School Archery Road, Middleton Cheney, Banbury, Oxfordshire OX17 2QR

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 September 2022

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Sixth-form provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 27 and 28 September 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and students are polite and helpful. Leaders have high expectations for every pupil’s behaviour and attainment. Pupils and teachers treat one another with respect.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils in Years 7 to 11 study in calm classrooms. Lesson routines are well established. The school site is generally orderly. The sixth-form building is a mature and academic environment. Sixth-form students participate eagerly in lessons and value the personalised support their teachers provide.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe. Leaders respond to pupils’ views about the school site and staff supervision to ensure that pupils feel comfortable. Pupils do not worry about bullying. Staff deal with bullying on the rare occasions it does occur. Students in the sixth form experience an environment of respect and shared values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make wider opportunities available. Pupils participate in local and international trips, such as to the Black Country Museum and to Rome. Teachers take pupils to the Heseltine Gallery on the school site. Some pupils take advantage of clubs, including girls’ football club, the musical theatre society and the ‘Plus’ group, which focuses on equality and inclusion. Students in the sixth form create their own clubs, such as drama club, which they run with staff support.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious about what they want pupils to learn. Subject leaders identify the important knowledge that must be taught, and when. Across the school, teachers have good subject knowledge. They present subject matter clearly. Teachers in the sixth form recognise where misconceptions may arise. They address these points well to avoid misunderstanding.

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better?

Teachers make sure that pupils regularly revisit key ideas and facts. As a result, many pupils have secure subject knowledge. However, teachers do not consistently ensure that pupils in Years 7 to 11 connect their knowledge logically over time. This can limit how well pupils build their understanding. Sixth-form students develop excellent subject knowledge. Teachers help these students to gain the skills of analysis so they can apply their knowledge. Students describe leaders as ‘restless’ in wanting the best for them.

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better?

Teachers check pupils’ understanding. To do this, they use written assessments as well as questioning in lessons. Some teachers adapt their lessons in response to these checks. They provide pupils with advice about how to improve their work. Some teachers in Years 7 to 11 do not address pupils’ misunderstandings before moving learning on. Sixth-form students benefit from highly personalised support and guidance. 27 and 28 September 2022

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as their peers. Teachers know which pupils require extra support. Teachers often use effective strategies to ensure that all pupils can access lessons.

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Leaders promote the idea that ‘all teachers are teachers of reading’. Teachers quickly identify pupils who need extra support with their reading. They use a phonics programme to help these pupils to learn to read fluently.

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Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. They have updated the ‘behaviour for learning’ policy to focus on pupils’ attitudes. Pupils are attentive in their lessons. Pupils and students generally attend well. However, vulnerable pupils do not attend as well as they could. Leaders support individual pupils to try and improve their attendance. They do not yet check on the impact of this support.

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Leaders have designed a well-sequenced personal development programme. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain. Teachers use current affairs to help pupils learn about citizenship and democracy. Pupils discuss different views and beliefs. They learn about healthy lifestyles and relationships. Sixth-form students enjoy hearing from guest speakers. They recall their learning about driving safely, healthy relationships and personal finance.

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Leaders provide a wealth of careers information and guidance. There is a weekly ‘career of the week’ and pupils in Years 10 and 12 complete work experience. Older pupils have individual meetings with the careers adviser. Students in the sixth form receive information about university, apprenticeships and employment.

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Leaders have created opportunities for pupils to join in with clubs and activities. Pupils are not yet meeting leaders’ ambitions that everyone will join at least one club. Sixth-form students complete 30 hours of enrichment activity a year. They support younger pupils in lessons and take part in charity events.

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Trustees know the school’s priorities. They provide support and challenge to senior leaders. Trustees ask questions about the quality of teaching and the support available for pupils with SEND, for example. They access training to develop their knowledge and skills.

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Staff feel supported by leaders. Most staff who expressed a view said that leaders consider workload. Teachers access training to improve their practice.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established a culture of safeguarding. They ensure that staff are well trained. Leaders review staff’s approach to safeguarding and promptly address any inconsistencies. Staff quickly identify and report concerns. Leaders check the quantity and quality of reporting over time. They keep detailed records of referrals and their outcomes. 27 and 28 September 2022

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Pupils are taught about how to keep themselves safe. They are comfortable about communicating their concerns to staff.

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Leaders work with wider agencies so that pupils have the support they need. When necessary, leaders are tenacious in following up their concerns with wider agencies.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not yet ensured that all teachers are delivering the curriculum to pupils in Years 7 to 11 in a manner that matches the ambition of the curriculum plans. This means that some pupils do not connect together the knowledge they are learning and deepen their understanding. Some pupils do not have secure knowledge of important concepts. Leaders should ensure that all teachers have the strategies they need to help pupils connect their learning so that they consistently build their understanding well over time.  Vulnerable pupils do not always attend school as well as they should. This means that they are not routinely accessing the education the school provides. Leaders should ensure that vulnerable pupils receive the support they need to attend as well as they should.

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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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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. 27 and 28 September 2022

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provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,060

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Date of previous inspection

24 May 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school meets the requirements of the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  The school does not currently use any alternative providers.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 and 28 September 2022

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 The inspection team undertook deep dives in English, mathematics, geography, history and art. For each deep dive, inspectors met 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.  The lead inspector also met with leaders and visited lessons in modern foreign languages and science.  To explore the effectiveness of sixth-form provision, inspectors met with the leader and students, as well as visiting lessons.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders, staff and trustees.  Inspectors held further meetings with the leaders responsible for behaviour and attendance, personal development education and the provision for pupils with SEND.  An inspector met with the leader responsible for reading support. An inspector also listened to pupils read.

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 Inspectors met formally and informally with groups of pupils.  Inspectors observed pupils during break- and lunchtime and around the school site.  To evaluate the effectiveness of the school’s arrangements for safeguarding, inspectors read the school’s relevant policies, scrutinised the single central record, checked the school’s procedures for the safe recruitment of staff and met with the safeguarding team. Inspectors also spoke with staff and pupils.  Inspectors scrutinised documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and a range of school policies.  Inspectors considered responses received to Ofsted Parent View, including free- text comments. They also considered responses to the Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Matthew Fearns-Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Davies Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 September 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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