Cippenham School

Inspection of Cippenham School Elmshott Lane, Cippenham, Slough, Berkshire SL1 5RB

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 September 2023

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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 Previous inspection grade Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Jatinder Virk. This school is part of The Elliott Foundation Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Hugh Greenway, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Tim Coulson, who is responsible for this school and 32 others. 13 and 14 September 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a harmonious school where pupils are kind and considerate to one another. There are warm, respectful, and inclusive attitudes between everyone. School rules and rewards systems are clear and consistently followed, this helps pupils to be safe and enjoy learning. Pupils settle to work quickly, try their best and are proud of their achievements. They know that staff care about them. Pupils know who to talk to if they have any worries or concerns. They also know that adults will help them sort out any difficulties they may have.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Various trips, such as to local places of worship and residential visits, strengthen and enrich pupils’ learning. These experiences help them appreciate the world around them. Pupils value the opportunities to develop their talents. They enjoy a wide range of clubs and activities. Pupils are proud of their school. As a result, they are happy to take on leadership roles to make it even better.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Trust checks on the school’s improvement effectively and provides high-quality support. Leaders at all levels want the very best for all pupils, this is encapsulated by the school vision ‘To be the best you can be.’

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better?

The school has recently put in place a carefully designed curriculum. Following low outcomes in 2022, the school has reorganised learning and ensured that pupils achieve well. The curriculum is ambitious for pupils and for those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school is determined that pupils with SEND achieve their best. There are effective processes in place to identify pupils with SEND. Staff are well supported in this work by the special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator. This ensures that pupils receive the help that they need, when they need it. Teachers know when pupils need extra help and provide support quickly. They make appropriate adaptations to make sure pupils with SEND can learn alongside their peers.

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better?

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They chose activities that help pupils to remember what they have learned in the long term. However, their approach to assessment is not yet consistent across all subjects. This means that sometimes teachers do not always have an exact understanding of what pupils already know.

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better?

Children in the early years settle in very quickly due to the high-quality care and support that staff provide. Children enjoy a well-resourced and purposeful learning environment. They display high levels of attention and curiosity when focusing on their chosen tasks. However, teachers have not yet identified precisely enough what vocabulary they want children to know by the end of Reception Year. Staff do not always use the conversations that they have with children to help them develop their communication during less structured times. As a result, some children do not gain as much as they could from these interactions. 13 and 14 September 2023

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The teaching of early reading is effective. From the start of Reception, teachers follow the phonics scheme rigorously. Pupils practise their reading using books that accurately match the sounds they have learned, which helps with their fluency and confidence. Weaker readers receive carefully planned support to help them keep up. Books are a rich and plentiful resource which are showcased in the special age appropriate reading space in Reception and Year 1 called the ‘little library’.

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Pupils behave well. The school has ensured that there is a clear procedure for staff to use to manage behaviour. Pupils are motivated by the opportunities to be awarded important house-points. The COVID-19 pandemic has been a factor in some pupils not attending school regularly and pupil absence is still too high. This means that pupils are missing out on crucial learning and experiences.

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Relationships among pupils and staff reflect a very positive and respectful culture. Pupils have a sound appreciation of fundamental British values, how to keep themselves safe and tolerance. Pupils also have an age-appropriate understanding of relationships. There is a strong emphasis on giving pupils a wide range of experiences which enriches their spiritual, moral, social and cultural appreciation. Special quiet and named ‘mindful’ spaces in the school encourage pupils to be reflective. They hold mature attitudes about the difference between right and wrong, willingly volunteer for school leadership roles and co-operate well together.

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Leaders at all levels know their school very well. They use this knowledge to implement well considered plans for improvement. The trust provide high quality support and fulfil their statutory duties expertly. There is a sharp focus on working together to ensure the best outcomes for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not have a strong enough understanding of what pupils know and understand. This means that pupils are not always supported well enough to advance their learning. The school should ensure that teachers’ assessment strengthens so that they can respond more effectively to what pupils already know.  In the early years, the school has not identified the specific vocabulary that children need to know and understand. This means that some children do not communicate as well as they could. The school should improve their approach to 13 and 14 September 2023

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language development in early years so that it is as strong as it is in other year groups.  The attendance of some pupils remains stubbornly low. This means that these pupils are not able to benefit from the wide range of opportunities that the school offers. The school should ensure that pupils attend more regularly.

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How can I feedback 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 feedback 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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 September 2023

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1039

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CEO

Date(s) of previous inspection 17 and 18 January 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Cippenham Primary School converted to become an academy school in August 2012, it merged with Chippenham Infant School in September 2020 and joined The Elliot Foundation Trust in September 2021. When its predecessor school of the same name was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The school uses one registered alternative provider.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.  Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision 13 and 14 September 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in Early Reading, Mathematics, P.E, R.E and Science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in Art, Geography and History.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector/inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector held an online meeting with Trustees include the chair of the

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board. She held a separate meeting with a Trust Director of Education.  Inspectors took account of the views of parents through their responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ free-text comments. Inspectors also talked with parents on the morning of the first day of the inspection.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views through meetings, visits to lessons and discussions at other times of the school day.  Inspectors took account of staff’s views during meetings with them and through their responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff survey.

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Inspection team

Ginny Rhodes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

David Cousins Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 September 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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