Charter Primary School

Inspection of Charter Primary School Wood Lane, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 3EA

p.1

Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Requires improvement Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 9 and 10 July 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Charter Primary School is an inclusive school where all pupils are accepted and valued. Pupils like coming to school and are enthusiastic members of the school community. They enjoy the many activities the school provides at playtime and lunchtime. Pupils know they can share any worries with staff and that staff will listen to them.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The quality of education that pupils receive is too variable. Misconceptions are not always corrected when pupils misunderstand an aspect of their learning. As a result, in some subjects, some pupils do not learn the curriculum well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of behaviour and many pupils are enthusiastic to learn. However, low-level disruption is not always rectified appropriately. Some pupils are not helped to refocus during lessons. As a result, these pupils are too often distracted from learning.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development is a strength. They are given a wide range of opportunities to learn beyond the classroom. The school provides many experiences that develop and enrich pupils’ character, mental health, well-being and physical health, such as climbing, yoga and visits from medical professionals. Pupils talk confidently and articulately about how to keep themselves safe.

p.2

better?

The school has created an ambitious, broad and balanced curriculum for pupils. The school has carefully considered the important knowledge it wants pupils to learn. It is broken down into small steps that build as pupils move through the year groups. However, in recent years staffing turbulence has affected the school’s improvement. For example, the curriculum is not precisely constructed for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) in the specially resourced provision. This means these pupils do not learn the curriculum’s important content effectively.

p.2

better?

Staff benefit from high-quality training to expertly teach phonics. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. They practise and embed what they are learning. Leaders keep an accurate and careful track of the sounds pupils do not know. They use this information to plan support for those who need extra practice. However, pupils do not always receive the extra help they need to catch up. This means these pupils sometimes struggle to blend sounds together well. In the early years, there is a strong focus on storytelling. Children enjoy adapting and retelling stories.

p.2

better?

Lessons are designed to support pupils to learn the important curriculum knowledge and skills. Staff share relevant examples with pupils to explain specific aspects of learning. Nevertheless, the school does not systematically check pupils’ understanding. Pupils’ misconceptions or gaps in their knowledge are not always rectified. This is particularly notable in mathematics. 9 and 10 July 2024

p.2

3

There are processes in place for pupils to revisit previous learning. This is intended to help them to remember the curriculum over time. This is successful in areas such as online safety and personal, social and health education. However, in several curriculum areas, pupils do not remember the curriculum’s essential knowledge in the long term, as the processes in place to go over previous learning are not always used well.

p.3

3

Children in the early years are excited to learn. They enjoy the range of learning activities available both indoors and outdoors. However, children do not develop their language and communication skills successfully. The school does not ensure that some learning activities in the early years help children to develop important knowledge and vocabulary.

p.3

3

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND accurately. Nevertheless, the provision for the individual needs of these pupils is variable. The adaptations that pupils with SEND need to learn successfully are not always utilised. This limits their progress. The school provides extra support, such as Ping’s Den that helps pupils with SEND and supports mental health needs. The support helps pupils to effectively manage their emotions and attend school more frequently.

p.3

3

Some parents and pupils have concerns about pupils’ behaviour. Staff successfully manage the most challenging behaviour. They help those pupils to reflect and take responsibility for their actions. However, some lower-level disruption to learning persists.

p.3

3

Pupils follow a comprehensive personal development curriculum. They learn about healthy relationships and different types of families. They have a secure understanding of aspects such as consent and privacy. Pupils appreciate and respect differences and value each other as equals.

p.3

3

There is a strong team culture and camaraderie among the staff at Charter Primary School. They are supportive of one another and leaders. The governing body knows the school well and provides challenge and support to leaders.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Checks on pupils’ knowledge and understanding are not always effective. As a result, misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ knowledge are not identified or rectified. The school should ensure that all checks identify if pupils have acquired the curriculum’s important knowledge and ensure misconceptions do not persist. 9 and 10 July 2024

p.3

4

 In some subjects, pupils do not revisit what they have previously been taught sufficiently. This does not help pupils to remember the most important curriculum knowledge long term. The school should ensure that pupils revisit learning, so they know and remember the curriculum’s important content over time.  The curriculum for pupils with SEND is not always implemented well enough. Pupils do not develop their knowledge and skills with increasing fluency and independence. The school should make sure that the needs of pupils with SEND are met effectively.  The school does not ensure that pupils learn without distraction. Learning time is sometimes lost because low-level disruptive behaviour is not rectified swiftly. The school must ensure that the school’s behaviour policy is applied effectively so that all pupils learn without interruption.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 9 and 10 July 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 6 December 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized primary school, with specially resourced provision for pupils with communication and interaction needs.  The proportion of pupils with education, health and care plans is higher than in most schools.  The school uses three unregistered alternative providers.  There is a breakfast club and after-school club operated by the school.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

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 the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with representatives from the governing body, the headteacher, senior leaders, curriculum leaders and teaching staff. 9 and 10 July 2024

p.5

6

 The lead inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and also met with support advisers from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, music and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, looked at samples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read.  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 safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors reviewed a range of the school’s documentation, including self- evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings and analysis of behaviour

p.6

6

and attendance.  The inspectors considered the views of parents shared through Ofsted Parent View and inspectors also spoke with parents on the first day of the inspection.  The views of staff were gathered through interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection, as well as the staff survey.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the inspection, including through the classroom visits, group discussions and the pupil survey, as well as at playtimes and lunchtime.

p.6

Inspection team

Jen Edwards, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Wendy D’Arcy His Majesty’s Inspector 9 and 10 July 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7