Chellaston Fields Spencer Academy

Inspection of Chellaston Fields Spencer Academy Riber Drive, Chellaston DE73 6WS

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive principal of this school is Lindsay Trail. This school is part of The Spencer Academies Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Paul West, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Donna Kinderman. 10 and 11 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school has an inclusive ethos. Pupils are accepting and kind. They show respect and good manners. Pupils celebrate differences and enjoy learning about cultures that are different to their own. The curriculum gives pupils experiences to broaden their horizons and encourages them to ‘dream big’. This school develops its pupils to become global citizens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff support pupils to be great communicators and to show resilience. Teachers plan opportunities that foster pupils’ curiosity and allow pupils to work together. The latter are all better known as the schools ‘GROW’ values. These values underpin all the work that the school does. When pupils demonstrate these values, they are recognised and celebrated in the Friday assembly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The curriculum is ambitious. There are also high standards of behaviour. Pupils know they can share a worry with a teacher or place it in the worry monster. All this allows pupils to flourish. They feel safe and happy in this school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take part in different clubs and trips. Many pupils enjoy developing their skills with a bow and arrow at archery club. The school’s active pupil parliament is eagerly anticipating their visit to Derbyshire County Council offices in Matlock.

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better?

The school has a well-planned curriculum known as the ‘GROW’ curriculum. It encompasses all the subjects in the national curriculum, as well as opportunities that support pupils’ broader development. The structure of the curriculum allows pupils to develop links between different subjects. A typical example of this was seen in an art lesson. Pupils used their knowledge of the stone age which they had studied in history and applied it accurately to build a further understanding of prehistoric art.

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better?

All pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from learning the school’s full curriculum. The school’s curriculum identifies the exact knowledge that pupils must know. It sets out how this knowledge will support future learning. There is a clear framework that sets out how teachers should check that pupils are learning the intended knowledge. This helps teachers to focus on what is most important and helps pupils achieve.

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better?

Teachers present information clearly. They check that pupils know and remember more as a lesson progresses. Teachers promote effective discussion that allows pupils to strengthen their understanding. On occasions, in foundation subjects, some teachers use activities that distract pupils from what the most important learning points are. Pupils do not always learn as well as they should when this occurs. 10 and 11 October 2023

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There is a clear ambition for pupils with SEND to achieve as well as they can. The school has effective procedures to identify emerging needs and to identify what will support pupils with SEND. However, on occasions, staff do not use the information they receive to support pupils with SEND precisely enough.

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Children start to read as soon as they start the Reception Year. Staff are experts in teaching early reading. Books that pupils read are well matched to the sounds they know. Teachers check that pupils are keeping up with the reading program. Pupils become fluent readers quickly. Pupils enjoy an engaging story time at the end of each day. Pupils develop a love for reading. They talk enthusiastically about books that they have read in class such as ‘Stig of the Dump’ and ‘Song of the Dolphin Boy’.

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Children in the early years benefit from a well-planned and well-delivered curriculum. Children settle in quickly. They understand and follow the routines of the school day. Staff know the children well. They model and enhance play by supporting pupils’ development of language and communication.

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The school is calm and orderly. Pupils know poor behaviour, including bullying, is not tolerated. Pupils know to be ready, respectful and safe. Staff follow a consistent approach to support pupils to self-regulate.

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The school plans experiences which develop pupils in the widest sense. These experiences also make the academic curriculum more memorable. Pupils have benefited from listening to engineers from Rolls Royce. They have worked with a local shelter to donate food to those who need it. The school is developing pupils to be active citizens.

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Although most parents would recommend the school, the school has not been able to reach out well enough to some parents. These parents do not know the good work that is taking place.

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Those responsible for governance understand and carry out their statutory duties well. They allocate resources effectively to support the growth of this new school. Staff are extremely proud to work at this school. They feel well supported.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasions, in some foundation subjects, teachers’ choice of activities to impart knowledge distracts pupils from learning the most important points. Pupils do not learn as well as they should as a result. The school must ensure that teachers 10 and 11 October 2023

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know how to use activities which are precisely intended to support pupils in learning the curriculum.  Some staff do not use the information provided by the school to support pupils with SEND to access the curriculum precisely enough. As a result, some pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school must ensure that the information provided to staff to support pupils with SEND is more consistently and precisely adhered to.  Some parents do not yet know about the good work that this school is doing and hold negative views. The school must continue its work to engage and communicate more effectively with parents.

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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

Principal Lindsay Trail (Executive Principal)

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School details

Website www.chellastonfieldsacademy.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive principal took up her post in February 2023.  This school opened in September 2019. Currently, there are pupils in the early years and Years 1 to 4 only.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 10 and 11 October 2023

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 Inspectors met with the executive principal, a senior leader, curriculum leaders, the special educational needs coordinator and a range of staff.  The lead inspector met with the chair of the local governing board and representative with governance responsibility from the trust. The lead inspector also met with the chief executive officer and other trust executives.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum 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 also discussed other areas of the curriculum with leaders and visited additional lessons. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around the school.  Inspectors considered a wide variety of school documents, including the school

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self-evaluation and academy improvement plan.  Inspectors took note of the responses received through Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and considered the results of the staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors met with pupils and parents to gather their views.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Rakesh Patel, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michelle Thompson 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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