Cheadle Village Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Cheadle Primary School Ashfield Road, Cheadle, Cheshire SK8 1BB

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Outcome

Cheadle Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy school. Leaders and staff are highly ambitious for the achievement of all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. The academic, social and emotional support that leaders provide contribute strongly to how well pupils achieve.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a tangible community feel to this school, with strong relationships between pupils and staff. Pupils feel safe and happy. They told the inspector that their friends and the staff look after them well. They have a good understanding of bullying. Leaders and staff deal with the few incidents swiftly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers’ high expectations for behaviour are clear. Pupils behave well. Classrooms are calm. This allows pupils to do their best in lessons. They are polite and well-mannered. They speak confidently and articulately with visitors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a developed understanding of diversity and children’s rights. They say this ‘helps them develop respect and to take responsibility’. They revel in their responsibilities, for example as members of the school council. They enjoy the varied range of sports and games that sports ambassadors provide for them at lunchtime. A variety of visits and after-school activities enhance their learning across the curriculum.

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

Leaders have built an ambitious curriculum. It includes many opportunities to learn about the school’s locality. It is planned well so that pupils extend their knowledge and skills in each subject. Leaders have ensured that the curriculum provides opportunities for pupils’ learning to build on their prior knowledge and understanding. They have planned this in well-ordered steps as pupils move through the school. They have made sure that the knowledge children gain in the early years provides secure foundations for their future learning. Pupils achieve well. 2 and 3 February 2023

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The teaching of phonics begins when children start in the early years. Teachers develop children’s early reading through nursery rhymes and songs, which provide a repetition of sounds and words. Leaders make sure that pupils learn phonics in a well-ordered manner. Teachers check pupils’ recall of the sounds they have been taught previously before introducing new sounds and letters. Where pupils’ recall is not secure, they give effective additional support to make sure that they can keep up with their classmates. By the end of key stage 1, most pupils can read fluently and confidently.

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Teachers provide lots of opportunities for pupils to read or to listen to stories. This improves their knowledge and understanding of vocabulary. In key stage 2, leaders ensure that pupils develop their comprehension skills in logical steps. As a result, pupils’ understanding of the texts that they read is improving over time. Older pupils read fluently, with expression, intonation and a real sense of understanding.

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Teachers make checks on how well pupils learn. In most subjects, these checks are effective in helping to identify which pupils need more help or guidance. In these subjects, staff make sure that future teaching helps pupils to deepen their understanding. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not have a precise enough understanding of the knowledge and skills that pupils have developed.

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Leaders are skilled at identifying the specific needs of pupils with SEND. They have adapted the curriculum for some pupils, providing greater opportunities to meet their needs. Staff are well trained in helping pupils with SEND. They ensure that these pupils can enjoy the same learning as their peers and achieve well.

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Children in the early years know the routines to help them work and play safely and purposefully. Pupils across the school concentrate on their learning. They are keen to do their best.

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Pupils enjoy the many wider opportunities available to them, including day visits and residential experiences. They participate in a wide range of after-school clubs. Staff teach pupils to keep themselves safe and healthy. Pupils understand fairness, and they know that everyone is equal, regardless of any differences.

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Staff talked positively about the strong and supportive teamwork in the school. They know that leaders consider their workload when they introduce new initiatives. They told the inspector that they are proud to work at the school.

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Governors know the school well. They work productively with leaders to understand how effectively the curriculum is helping pupils to know more and remember more.

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Parents and carers speak positively about the help that staff give to children and families. They value the way staff listen and respond to their concerns. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

School leaders have clear processes and procedures to ensure that recruitment of staff meets statutory requirements. Staff know the school’s safeguarding procedures well. Leaders ensure that staff complete appropriate training. They provide updates which help to keep staff’s knowledge of safeguarding up to date. This helps staff to identify pupils who may be at risk from harm.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff have established strong relationships with families and with a range of other agencies. This enables leaders to secure help for families who need it.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and governors ensure that appropriate risk assessments are carried out as needed. Through the curriculum, pupils learn about how to stay safe when crossing roads and when working online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not know in enough detail how successfully pupils are gaining knowledge and understanding. Leaders should ensure that, in these subjects, teachers gather sufficient information to identify and address gaps in learning so that pupils catch up and achieve well.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in June 2014. 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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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. 2 and 3 February 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 18 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in his evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other leaders and members of staff. He also spoke with members of the governing body.  The inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority. He also spoke with the school’s improvement partner.  The inspector looked at a range of documents and spoke with leaders about the school’s arrangements to safeguard pupils.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and history. He talked with curriculum leaders of these subject areas. The inspector also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils. He also observed some pupils reading to staff.

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 The inspector also considered other subjects. He discussed the curriculums with leaders and looked at pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in class and as they moved around the school. He also observed pupils in the dining hall and playing outside at lunchtime.  The inspector spoke with a group of pupils about their experiences at school.  The inspector looked at the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. He also met with parents before school to find out their views of the school.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff or for pupils.

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Inspection team

Ian Shackleton, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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