Cheswardine Primary and Nursery School

Inspection of Cheswardine Primary and Nursery School Glebe Close, Cheswardine, Market Drayton, Shropshire TF9 2RU

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 October 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 Requires improvement 10 and 11 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy and welcoming school where pupils love to learn. Staff know each and every pupil inside out and use this information to personalise the curriculum, maximising learning opportunities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambitions for every pupil, including disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils live up to these expectations by working hard and behaving very well both in lessons and at social times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school, and this is reflected in their positive attitudes to learning. They say that they are happy and feel safe. Pupils understand the importance of treating everyone equally and with respect. Staff and pupils view the school as a big family. This is evident in the way that younger and older pupils harmoniously eat, play and socialise together.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school ensures that pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain. They do this through a carefully considered curriculum. Pupils can talk confidently about fundamental British values such as respect and the rule of law and why these are important. Pupils participate in clubs and trips. They especially value camping in the school grounds when they are younger and then going on an outdoor residential in Wales in later years.

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better?

There is a clear and ambitious vision for the school that everyone shares. Since the last inspection, leaders have continued to drive improvements, resulting in positive outcomes for pupils.

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better?

The school has developed a broad and logically sequenced curriculum that supports pupils in knowing and remembering more. There has been careful consideration about what the school wants pupils to learn. Leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn across each year group and through the school. Teachers use this information well so that learning builds step by step. This is also the case when there are pupils in different year groups in the same class. Some subject leaders are relatively new to their posts and are still developing in their roles. They have many ideas about how they plan to develop their subjects and to measure their work’s impact over time.

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better?

Across the school, teachers have secure subject knowledge and present content clearly. At the start of lessons, pupils respond to questions relating to relevant, previous learning. Staff use these questions to check if pupils can remember what they have learned. In all classes, pupils are keen to talk about their learning. However, at times, some staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work, and some repeated spelling errors are not picked up. 10 and 11 October 2023

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The teaching of phonics and reading is well led and managed. Pupils read regularly at home and in school. Staff immerse children in stories and rhymes as soon as they start in Nursery. This develops their speech and language. In Reception, daily phonics sessions help pupils to learn their sounds quickly. All staff have had training in the teaching of phonics so that they can support pupils effectively with their reading. The books pupils take home are carefully matched to the phonics sounds they know. Pupils who need support have well-focused interventions to help them keep up. Most pupils read fluently by the end of key stage 1 and continue to read widely as they move up through the school. Older pupils talk about their favourite books and authors with understanding and pleasure.

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Pupils with SEND receive good support and are fully included in all aspects of school life. The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Regular training ensures that staff understand pupils’ particular needs and know how to match learning to meet these needs. Staff give pupils carefully considered resources that allow them to work alongside their peers. All of this means that pupils with SEND achieve well.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Despite being a small, rural school, staff work hard to ensure that pupils get meaningful opportunities to deepen their learning and to try new things. Staff carefully plan trips, visitors and experiences that enrich pupils’ day-to-day experiences. Community links are strong. For instance, when the opportunity arises, pupils sing at the local residential home and make visits to support the community café. Pupils also take part in clubs such as multi- sports, dance and football. Staff prepare pupils well for their next steps in education.

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Governors know the school well. They want pupils to succeed. Staff believe that they are well supported and respected. They say that leaders consider their well- being and work-life balance. The school’s focus on the mental health and well-being of everyone involved with the school is a particular strength. Staff appreciate this and say that it makes them feel valued. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders are still relatively new to their posts and are still developing their roles. This means that they do not have a full understanding of how well pupils learn in these subjects. Leaders should continue to ensure that subject leaders have the time and expertise to be able to effectively measure the impact of their work and how it supports pupils to know and remember more over time.  Sometimes, staff do not have high enough expectations for handwriting and presentation of work. For example, in some work, pupils make repeated spelling 10 and 11 October 2023

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mistakes or work is presented poorly. This compounds pupils’ errors over time. Leaders should ensure that teachers consistently have high expectations for handwriting and presentation in all subjects and classes.

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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’ 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). 10 and 11 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body James Cartwright

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 June 2021, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Goldstone Federation, which consists of two primary schools. The executive headteacher leads both schools.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club.  The school has provision for two-year olds.

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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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  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. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other leaders, representatives from the governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and art and design. 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.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s evaluation of its own performance and the school’s development plans.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first. Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Emma Gater, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Wright Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 October 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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