Charlwood Village Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Charlwood Village Primary School Chapel Road, Charlwood, Horley, Surrey RH6 0DA

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Outcome

Charlwood Village Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this small village primary school, where every pupil is valued as an individual. Pupils love coming to school. They take pride in living up to the high expectations that are set for them. The Charlwood values of ‘confident, valued, prepared and successful’ are at the heart of these expectations. The experiences offered to pupils around leadership and independence are wide and varied.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour in classes and during playtime is exemplary. Teachers have embedded clear routines, and pupils know what is expected of them. This starts right from the early years, where children show high levels of engagement in their learning. Pupils and staff are passionate about making everyone feel a part of the school community. This is strengthened through established links with the local community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are highly engaged in the curriculum, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). An extensive range of trips and experiences enhance pupils’ learning. The school is currently in the process of refining parts of the curriculum. This is because in a few subjects there need to be clearer links between what pupils learn and how teachers can check that they have learned it. This is already well established in subjects such as reading, writing and mathematics.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has prioritised refining and improving the curriculum across all subjects. The curriculum is well sequenced and ambitious from the early years through to Year 6. In the majority of subjects, where the knowledge has been precisely identified, pupils confidently remember their learning, and teachers know how to check this. In a small number of subjects, such as history, there is still work to do. In these subjects, the curriculum is not specific enough about what pupils need to learn or how teachers will check it has been learned. The school recognises this and has a clear plan in place to develop these aspects. Teachers have good subject knowledge and have benefited from high-quality, focused training. 1 May 2024

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The quality of pupils’ current learning is good, which does not reflect previously published outcomes. The school has high expectations for all pupils to achieve well. This includes pupils with SEND. Pupils’ learning in lessons, and as demonstrated in their work over time, shows clear evidence of the school’s high expectations and the progress that current pupils make. This starts right from the early years, where every moment is seen as a learning opportunity.

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There is a sharp focus on early reading and it is taught consistently well. As a result, the majority of pupils confidently read unfamiliar books by applying the sounds that they know. The phonics programme is used effectively to support all pupils, including pupils with SEND, and is followed consistently by all teachers. Pupils who lack confidence or fluency with reading are quickly identified. The school provides tailored support to enable pupils to ‘catch up’ and then ‘keep up’ with their peers. Pupils talk passionately about reading, and the class libraries are designed to promote a love of reading through the extensive texts available. The appointed pupil librarians are highly regarded by staff and pupils across the school.

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The school has skilfully planned an extensive offer of opportunities beyond the curriculum. Pupils are keen to talk about the trips and visits that link to their learning. For example, the visiting planetarium that came to the school meant that pupils were able to enhance their scientific understanding across a range of topics. Alongside this, the school has a well-established leadership programme for pupils to develop their independence and take on additional responsibilities. Pupils relish these opportunities and talk excitedly of running yoga clubs and the art studio because they are empowered to be leaders. Strong links to the local community enhance the school’s wider offer. The school ensures that the most disadvantaged pupils benefit from this offer, such as the ‘Young Carers’ group benefiting from carefully planned trips and experiences.

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The governing body has helped to strengthen leadership throughout the school. Governors provide well-considered support and challenge for the school. This includes regular opportunities to engage with staff and pupils. Staff workload and well-being are regularly reviewed and take into account the additional challenges of working in a smaller-than-average school. The school has built strong relationships with parents and set high expectations around attendance. Staff and parents are overwhelmingly positive about this nurturing school where children are motivated to excel both academically and personally.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum in some subjects is still being refined. This means that the specific knowledge and assessment criteria in these subjects are not yet clear enough. The 1 May 2024

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school needs to continue the work it is doing in these subjects so that teachers know precisely what to teach and how to check if pupils are remembering this knowledge.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

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). 1 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a smaller-than-average primary school.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the 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. The inspectors also heard pupils read. 1 May 2024

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 The inspectors met with leaders, staff, pupils and those with responsibility for governance, including the chair of the governing body. The inspectors also spoke with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed breaktimes and lunchtimes and the start and end of the school day.  The inspectors scrutinised minutes of the governing body meetings.  The inspectors met leaders to discuss the provision for pupils with SEND. They visited lessons to look at the support these pupils were receiving.  The inspectors considered the responses to the confidential staff surveys. They took account of the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ free- text comments.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.

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Inspection team

Emma Law, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kirstine Boon Ofsted Inspector 1 May 2024

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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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