Chigwell Row Infant School

Inspection of Chigwell Row Infant School Lambourne Road, Chigwell, Essex IG7 6EZ

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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 Inadequate

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Alison Farquharson, who is responsible for this school and one other. There is also a head of school, Lisa Anstey. This school is part of Epping Forest Schools Partnership Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Peter Tidmarsh, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher White. 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils arrive at this school with a smile on their faces. They look forward to the day ahead of them. Everyone is welcomed and included. Pupils enjoy playing and learning together in the happy ‘family’ environment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school week gets off to a great start with ‘Milkshake Mondays’. This is a chance to celebrate pupils who have shown the school values by being ‘caring, respectful and successful’. At the end of each week, ‘Forest Fridays’ enable pupils to explore and learn about nature.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that their teachers want them to do well. They try hard in lessons. From the early years, children learn to focus and to take turns. Older pupils listen carefully to their teachers and each other. This helps them to understand new ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High standards of behaviour are expected and demonstrated by adults and pupils. Pupils move around the school calmly. The playground is well set out with space for pupils to run and let off steam safely. There is also space to write and draw, or to chat with friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many parents value the school highly. They comment on how happy their children are to attend and how they ‘flourish’ in the caring environment.

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better?

The best interests of pupils are at the heart of the work of the trust and the school. There is a clear ambition to provide a high-quality curriculum across the school. The school has worked hard to develop this and to ensure that this curriculum is right for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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better?

The planned curriculum is taught well overall. The most important learning is clearly set out and introduced in small steps. Teachers help pupils to recall what they have learned before. They explain how this links to new ideas. From the early years, adults show children how to do new skills before asking them to try on their own. They give enough time for pupils to practise these skills to become confident and fluent. Teachers provide extra resources. This makes learning more interesting and helps pupils to understand complicated ideas. Pupils achieve well and are ready for their next steps.

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better?

Pupils with SEND get the right help in and out of class. Teachers adapt plans and resources to focus on the most important ideas and enable pupils to show what they understand. This helps pupils with SEND to learn alongside their peers in class as much as they can.

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better?

Teachers check what pupils know and can do in lessons. They adjust their lessons straight away when they need to so that everyone can understand. However, systems across the school to review how effective this is over time are less well 7 and 8 November 2023

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developed. As a result, it is not always clear where changes might improve things further.

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The teaching of early reading is well established. Ongoing training enables adults to teach phonics well. Pupils apply their developing reading knowledge by reading books at the right level. Most pupils quickly learn to read. The few pupils who need extra help get this with precise interventions that build their confidence alongside their reading skills. From the early years, children are introduced to a diverse selection of high-quality books by their teachers. Most pupils become enthusiastic readers.

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The school works closely with families to promote understanding of the importance of regular attendance. Leaders follow up rapidly when pupils are regularly late or miss too much school. However, a small group of pupils are still missing too much time in school.

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There are clear routines to promote good behaviour. These are in place consistently from the early years, where adults also teach children how to manage their feelings well. As a result, lessons proceed smoothly.

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The school provides many opportunities for pupils to develop as responsible citizens. Older pupils are proud to act as librarians and playtime buddies. School council introduces pupils to the democratic process, and members help with events, such as a charity coffee morning. Pupils, including pupils with SEND, attend sporting events. Pupils develop aspirations from a range of interesting visitors who talk about their jobs. They learn about the world beyond their school with trips, such as to the beach and the pantomime.

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During a period of rapid change and improvement, staff have appreciated the practical support for their well-being provided by the trust, including the interim executive board and leaders in school. There is now a strong sense of teamwork and commitment to a shared vision for continued improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school is not consistently clear about what is working well and where adjustments to curriculum planning and teaching will secure further improvements for pupils. When this happens, pupils may achieve less well. The school should ensure that the right checks are in place to identify and act rapidly to address any gaps in teaching or learning. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 A small number of pupils miss too much time in school. They are absent too often or arrive late. These pupils are missing valuable time to learn and play with their peers and to take advantage of all that the school has to offer. The school should continue and further strengthen its efforts to secure regular, punctual attendance by all pupils.

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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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 July 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any registered or unregistered providers of alternative education.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act.

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Information about this inspection

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, His Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 Inspectors met with senior staff in the school and the trust, including the headteacher and the head of school, the vice-chair of trustees, the chair of the interim executive board and the designated lead for safeguarding.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and geography. 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 some samples of pupils’ work.  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

Lynne Williams, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Nicola Shadbolt Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 November 2023

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