Chessington School

Inspection of Chessington School Garrison Lane, Chessington, Surrey KT9 2JS

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Inspection dates: 28 and 29 February 2024

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The headteacher of this school is Sarah Wilson. This school is part of Every Child, Every Day trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Ash Ali, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Bill Watkin. 28 and 29 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Chessington School is a welcoming and inclusive place. Relationships among pupils and staff are positive and respectful. Pupils are safe and well looked after. They know there is an adult they can talk to if they have a concern. Bullying is rare and staff take effective action if it occurs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a broad and stimulating range of opportunities for all pupils. The school has high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) follow the same curriculum as others, with extra help if they need it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is an orderly environment. Pupils are considerate of others. If behaviour falls below the school’s expectations, staff follow effective systems and take swift action. Pupils who struggle to regulate their behaviour receive the support they need.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school offers a rich range of activities and opportunities for pupils. Leaders have ensured that the offer is very inclusive. Pupils relish taking up roles as prefects, mental health ambassadors and sports captains. They enjoy the variety of clubs offered by the school, which include art, coding, music and different sports.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and broad in scope. It goes beyond the aims of the national curriculum. The school has thought carefully about what they want pupils to know. This knowledge has been carefully planned and sequenced. At key stage 4, pupils can choose from a wide variety of courses matched to their needs. The number of pupils taking EBacc subjects has increased considerably in the last three years. As a result, many more pupils now study a modern foreign language throughout their time at the school.

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better?

Recently, the school has made changes to the curriculum, with the aim of ensuring greater depth of understanding and consistency in its implementation. In most cases, this is embedded as the school intends. However, in a small number of subjects, this is less well developed. This means that some pupils do not secure the foundational knowledge they need as fully across the whole curriculum.

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better?

Staff value the high-quality support and subject-specific training the school provides. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. They present information clearly and explain concepts effectively. Most use activities that are designed to deepen and consolidate what pupils have learned. In many subjects, pupils, including those with SEND, develop a secure body of knowledge and skills. This enables them to tackle increasingly complex learning.

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better?

Pupils with SEND are well supported. Leaders identify their specific needs and ensure that this information is shared with staff. Teachers use this guidance 28 and 29 February 2024

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effectively, to make appropriate adaptations which support pupils to access the curriculum successfully. Some pupils are provided with extra help to support them with their reading. This helps them to build greater confidence and fluency. The school promotes reading for enjoyment. Pupils enjoy choosing books, completing quizzes and learning about different writers.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Leaders have recently made changes to the behaviour policy. They have ensured that staff have had training and support, so that behaviour is managed more consistently. Lessons are rarely disrupted. Most pupils have positive attitudes towards their learning. They are respectful and considerate of others. Older pupils who take up responsibility roles are excellent role models for younger pupils.

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Most pupils attend well. The school works effectively with a range of external agencies to support pupils’ well-being. Staff take swift action if a pattern of concern is identified.

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The school has carefully designed the school’s personal, social and health education curriculum so that it supports pupils’ development. Pupils learn about how to stay healthy. They learn about different types of risk and how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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The school prepares pupils well for the next stage of education, employment or training. Speakers and visits to different colleges and universities provide useful information about different future pathways, including apprenticeships.

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Staff at the school are sharply focused on what is working well and areas that need further development. The trustees and local governors maintain very effective strategic oversight of the school’s work. They fulfil their statutory responsibilities well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have introduced an ambitious curriculum, which is well designed and sequenced. However, it is not firmly embedded. In a small number of subjects, teachers are still getting used to delivering the curriculum content. The school should ensure that the curriculum is embedded securely across all subjects and that staff have the training and support they need to deliver it confidently. 28 and 29 February 2024

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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 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). 28 and 29 February 2024

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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 school uses one registered and one unregistered provider, managed by the local authority.  The school offers provision for a small number of sixth-form students registered at another secondary school in the Every Child, Every Day trust.

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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.

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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. 28 and 29 February 2024

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 During the inspection, inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. Inspectors met with governors and representatives from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in mathematics, science, modern foreign languages, history and physical education. They met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke with teachers and pupils. Inspectors looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The curriculum in other subjects was also considered as part of the inspection.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils, parents and carers, and staff through both discussion and responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Russell Bennett, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Newby Ofsted Inspector 28 and 29 February 2024

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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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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