Chalford Hill Primary School

Inspection of Chalford Hill Primary School Chalford Hill, Stroud, Gloucestershire GL6 8LG

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 12 and 13 July 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talk enthusiastically about their school. They are happy and confident, reflecting the school’s values. Pupils know that staff care for them and help them when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning. However, in subjects other than English and mathematics, pupils do not learn consistently well. The new leadership team has begun to make improvements and recognises there is more to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The value of respect is important to the school. Pupils understand what this means. They get along well with one another. Pupils behave well. This starts in the early years. Children settle into school routines quickly and work well together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy outdoor learning and the local area. They value the opportunities to contribute to school life, such as membership of the school council. Pupils say these roles help them to have a say in how to improve their school. Pupils participate in a range of clubs and activities that develop their talents and interests, such as sports, ethics, art and singing clubs, as well as taking part in school productions.

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better?

The new leadership team has a clear vision for all pupils. However, this ambition is not yet fully realised. Leaders have identified what needs to be developed. They have rightly started with the teaching of reading and mathematics. Curriculums in these subjects build logically and identify the knowledge that pupils need to learn. Leaders have prioritised training in core subjects so that staff have the knowledge they need when teaching phonics and mathematics. If pupils fall behind, teachers are quick to help them catch up.

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better?

The phonics curriculum helps children in Reception Year to get off to a secure start with reading. Children read books that match the sounds that they are learning, which helps them to gain confidence. Leaders promote a love of reading. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about books they have enjoyed reading. They talk animatedly about the school reading festival as well as meeting real authors. As pupils move through the school, they read fluently and accurately.

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better?

In mathematics, the curriculum is designed well. This starts in the early years. Children use mathematical knowledge confidently when playing hopscotch or when describing number patterns. Older pupils build on this. They use mathematical vocabulary well to talk about their learning and can link it to what they have learned before.

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better?

Other areas of the curriculum are less developed. Leaders have not yet identified the important knowledge they want pupils to learn. This means that knowledge is not coherent and learning does not build on what pupils already know. Subject leaders do not check to make sure that the curriculum helps pupils to know more and 12 and 13 July 2023

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remember more. Leaders are aware that there are gaps in pupils’ knowledge. However, assessment is not used effectively to identify where the gaps are or to inform the next steps in pupils’ learning.

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Leaders are ambitious for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure staff have the training they need to support pupils with SEND well. Staff work with pupils, and parents and carers, to ensure that plans identify the right steps for pupils. Teachers make sure that pupils have the resources and help they need to learn well, particularly in core subjects.

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Pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. Children in the early years take turns and listen carefully to one another. Pupils follow instructions and are keen to learn. When some pupils lose focus, adults often address it quickly.

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Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of opportunities for learning beyond the academic. Pupils learn about diversity and difference. They understand why it is important to consider opinions that may be different to their own. Pupils learn to treat everyone equally. They are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Governors share leaders’ vision for the school. However, they do not yet effectively hold leaders to account for their actions. As a result, there has been insufficient focus on checking the impact of the curriculum. Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders, particularly with regards to their well-being and workload.

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Parents and carers are positive about the school. Most say that they would recommend the school to other parents.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide regular safeguarding training for staff. Staff know how to recognise and report concerns. Leaders work with external agencies to help support vulnerable pupils and their families with getting the help they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to stay safe, including online and outside of school. They understand that it is ok to say ‘no’. They say there are trusted adults to talk to in school.

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Safeguarding

Leaders carry out checks on the suitability of staff to work with pupils. While some gaps in safeguarding information were amended during the inspection, important information is not always well maintained or checked effectively. 12 and 13 July 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The wider curriculum does not yet identify the knowledge that leaders want pupils to learn in all foundation subjects. This means that teachers are not clear about the knowledge they need pupils to secure. Leaders need to ensure that the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn is clearly and coherently identified so that pupils learn more and remember more.  Subject leadership is underdeveloped. Leaders do not have a secure understanding of how well their curriculum areas are implemented. Assessment is not used effectively to check on the impact of the wider curriculum. Leaders at all levels need to ensure the curriculum is leading to improvements to pupils’ learning so that they know more, remember more and can do more over time.  Leaders, including those responsible for governance, do not always have accurate oversight of the effectiveness of the school. Important information, such as behaviour and recruitment information, is not always coherent, or has gaps. The

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

impact of leaders’ actions is not probed effectively by governors. Leaders should ensure that important information is thorough, and that governors have greater oversight of the impact of leaders’ actions.

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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. 12 and 13 July 2023

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 In the last two years there have been significant changes within the leadership team.  A new headteacher was appointed to start in September 2022.  There is a school-run breakfast club that is run by the governing body.  At the time of the inspection, the school used one registered alternative provider and one unregistered 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.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, the special educational needs coordinator, groups of staff and representatives from the governing body. 12 and 13 July 2023

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 The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and art. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors considered how well the school protects pupils and keeps them safe. The lead inspector met with the designated safeguarding lead to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. An inspector also scrutinised the school’s single central record.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  An inspector spoke with parents at the start of the day. Inspectors considered the responses to the Ofsted Parent View online survey. Inspectors also took into

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consideration the responses to the surveys for staff and parents.

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Inspection team

Nicky McMahon, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Teresa Hill Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 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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