Chalkwell Hall Junior School

Inspection of a good school: Chalkwell Hall Junior School London Road, Leigh-on-Sea, Essex SS9 3NL

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Outcome

Chalkwell Hall Junior School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy, kind and friendly. They understand how to be good friends and have positive relationships. They are proud of their school community. They play excitedly together at break times, in breakfast club and after school in the many activities provided.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and behave well because staff have high expectations of them. Pupils listen to their teachers and each other. They follow the ‘ready, respectful, safe’ rules. Lessons are purposeful. Pupils learn well. They take pride in their own achievements, and the achievements of their classmates.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate that staff and leaders listen to them. Pupils appreciate that adults want them to give their views about the things they want to improve. Pupils know that, if they are worried, there are many staff they can talk to, including the school counsellor. Pupils understand the difference between bullying and falling out with their friends. They trust the adults in school to help them if bullying happens. It rarely does. Pupils feel and are safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about a range of jobs and roles that people have when they are older. They believe that they can do well, too. They know ‘if you believe, you will achieve’.

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

Leaders have developed a broad curriculum that supports pupils to learn and achieve well. In most subjects, leaders have planned what important knowledge must be taught and when to teach it. Teachers use these plans well, and pupils gain the knowledge they require. Teachers are well trained to teach these subjects. They present information to pupils clearly. They allow pupils to practise their learning regularly. They check whether pupils have learned key knowledge. Teachers know when pupils are secure in their learning and address pupils’ misunderstandings in lessons. As a result, pupils learn well. 21 and 22 March 2023

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In a few subjects, leaders’ curriculum planning does not provide precise enough guidance to teachers about the best way to help pupils learn. Where this occurs, the work that teachers provide does not support pupils to learn as effectively.

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Teachers teach reading well. They identify pupils who need more time to practise their reading. They give pupils the right support to catch up. Teachers ensure that the books pupils read match the sounds that pupils know. Staff use an effective range of strategies to help pupils build their confidence in their reading. Pupils read fluently.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn very well. The provision for pupils with SEND is a strength of the school. Leaders identify pupils’ needs in a timely and effective way. They provide precise support. Pupils with SEND become confident learners and enjoy the same broad curriculum as their friends.

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Pupils have a very wide range of opportunities to develop socially, emotionally and culturally. They hold posts of responsibility such as digital leaders, sports leaders, reading ambassadors and junior governors. Pupils learn about a range of people and cultures. This supports pupils to be responsible, respectful members of their community.

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Governors, local authority officers and leaders work collaboratively to identify the strengths and determine future priorities for the school. Governors receive useful information to check on the effectiveness of leaders’ work. Staff value the consideration given to their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders undertake appropriate checks on staff before they are employed by the school. They train staff very well to understand the range of risks to pupils. Staff record any concerns quickly, including any concerns they may have about other staff. Leaders work with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils receive the help and support that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. They know how to stay safe when working online. They know that discussing their thoughts, worries and feelings can help them to feel safer.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders have not provided sufficient guidance to teachers on the most effective way to deliver the curriculum. Teachers should provide more precise activities to help pupils remember the most important knowledge. Pupils’ learning is less well developed in these subjects. Leaders must ensure that they provide detailed guidance to teachers so that they support pupils to know and remember more of the intended learning. 21 and 22 March 2023

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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 2013.

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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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10268438 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change of headteacher since the previous inspection.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club for its pupils and the pupils from Chalkwell Hall infant school.  The school does not use alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried our deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. For each of these subjects, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at leaders’ planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils and teachers and reviewed pupils’ work.  The inspector also reviewed curriculum plans and pupils’ work from other curriculum subjects. Some pupils were also observed reading with adults in school. 21 and 22 March 2023

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 The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders and members of staff. Meetings were also held with those responsible for governance, a representative of the local authority and the school’s school improvement partner.  The single central record of recruitment and vetting checks and leaders’ records of safeguarding were examined. The inspector spoke with teachers and pupils about safeguarding and met with the school’s designated safeguarding lead.  The inspector considered 119 responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including 76 comments from the free-text facility.  The inspector also took account of 53 responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and 62 responses to Ofsted’s survey for pupils.

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Inspection team

Debbie Rogan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 March 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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