Chalk Ridge Primary School

Inspection of Chalk Ridge Primary School Sullivan Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, Hampshire RG22 4ER

p.1

Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are very happy to attend this school. They are proud to welcome new pupils and have a shared appreciation of the school’s highly positive culture. The school has ensured that routines and expectations are well known, meaning at breaktime and lunchtime, pupils relax and enjoy each other’s company. Pupils are welcoming to visitors and are interested in finding out more about them. They excitedly recall visits from the police and fire brigade who help teach them about staying safe.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to teachers and keenly participate in discussions and group learning. Children in early years are confident to share their ideas and questions, making the most of the range of activities on offer.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe at school and know who to talk to if they have concerns. They know that adults will provide the necessary help if they need it. Pupils appreciate how they are taught to stay mentally healthy and the support available when necessary. Pupils identify ‘friendship’ and ‘teachers’ as two of the best aspects of the school. They feel the support provided helps them to meet the school’s high expectations.

p.2

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

The school is dedicated to providing high-quality education. Staff are ambitious for all pupils. Clear expectations and positive relationships mean pupils feel valued and understood. As a result, they are respectful towards staff and each other. Disadvantaged pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are well known. Staff use their knowledge of these pupils to ensure they access the same learning as others. Pupils with SEND routinely learn alongside their peers.

p.2

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

Phonics teaching is strong. Teachers use their expert knowledge to regularly check that all pupils have learned what they need to improve their reading. New readers have frequent opportunities to practise what they have learned. Extra help is quickly provided for any pupils who need it. As a result, they rapidly catch up. There is a strong shared understanding of the school’s chosen phonics programme. This helps pupils to make sustained reading progress across different classes and year groups.

p.2

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

Wider reading is a priority. Many pupils are enthusiastic readers. The school’s reading rewards system and range of library books encourage pupils of all ages to read more. Teaching methods are in place to help more experienced readers continue to develop their skills, knowledge and vocabulary, but these are not yet fully effective. For example, pupils record words they do not know but do not always have the opportunity to find out what they all mean. This slows their vocabulary development. The school recognises this and is continuing to strengthen practice.

p.2

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

The school has recently redesigned its curriculum. It has clearly identified the key knowledge pupils need to know. It has ordered the learning of this knowledge to ensure pupils can build on what they have previously learned. Teachers have a deep understanding of most subjects. This helps them teach pupils with a degree of precision 24 and 25 September 2024

p.2

3

and assess accurately what pupils have learned. In these cases, learning is strong. However, in some subjects, teachers’ knowledge is not so secure. This means that pupils’ misconceptions are not always identified and addressed, leaving pupils with gaps in their knowledge. The school is aware of this variation and continues to prioritise staff training and the checking of its impact to ensure the curriculum is taught as well as possible.

p.3

3

Children settle very quickly into the school’s early years provision. The kind and welcoming environment, and routines, help children to feel comfortable. Staff make sure that no opportunity for learning is missed. The school prepares children very well for their next steps. Early years children are very well prepared for the move to Year 1, meaning learning continues uninterrupted as they move into the main school.

p.3

3

Consistent use of the school’s values helps to embed the school’s positive culture. Pupils accept peoples’ similarities and differences and are respectful of each other. They have an appropriate understanding of consent and keeping physically and mentally healthy. Activities such as the recent interactive geography event help pupils to recognise issues on a global scale. However, the school is less effective at providing pupils with additional clubs and activities. This means that pupils, particularly the disadvantaged, do not always have regular chances to discover, nurture and develop wider talents and interests.

p.3

3

Leaders recognise that increasingly precise actions are now required to maintain the school’s recent improvement. Governors understand their role in ensuring these changes benefit all pupils.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, staff do not yet have the subject knowledge they need to teach the curriculum as intended. Because of this, not all pupils get the support they need, and they do not learn as much as they should. Leaders should ensure all staff have the subject knowledge needed to be able to teach the full curriculum as intended.  The school’s wider personal development offer, including opportunities for pupils to develop talents and interests, is not as well developed as the academic curriculum. This means that pupils do not gain as much as they could from their wider personal development education. Leaders must ensure that the school provides sufficient opportunities for all pupils to benefit fully from their broader education.

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 24 and 25 September 2024

p.3

4

when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

p.4

4

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). 24 and 25 September 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 24 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this school

 The headteacher, as well as other members of the leadership team and staff body, joined the school since the previous inspection.  The school uses two unregistered alternative provisions.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection of the school since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that 24 and 25 September 2024

p.5

6

into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, curriculum leaders and other staff.  The inspectors met with the chair of governors and other members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and science. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors listened to a sample of pupils read. Inspectors also viewed a range of pupils’ work from other foundation subjects.  The inspectors examined a range of documentation provided by the school, including leaders’ self-evaluation and improvement plans.

p.6

6

 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 considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the responses to the confidential staff and pupil surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Ed Mather, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Stephen Jackson Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

p.6

7

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