Broad Chalke CofE Primary School

Inspection of Broad Chalke C of E Primary School Newtown, Broad Chalke, Salisbury, Wiltshire SP5 5DS

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

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The headteacher of this school is Heather Luft. This school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Mark Lacey, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Sian Thornton.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Broad Chalke C of E Primary School under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Broad Chalke C of E VA Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in 2012, before it opened as Broad Chalke C of E Primary School as a result of conversion to academy status. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This happy and welcoming school is at the heart of its rural community. Staff weave the school’s values of respect, resilience, hope and love throughout the day. These values guide pupils in how they learn and play. Pupils speak kindly to adults and each other. Many describe the school as ‘a caring family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In recent years, the school has raised expectations of what pupils know and can do. This shows in the quality of pupils’ work. In reading, writing and mathematics, pupils achieve well by the time they leave the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Classrooms are typically calm. Pupils follow the school’s ‘smart’ rules. It is commonplace to see ‘smart learning’ in lessons and ‘smart lining up’ in the playground. Pupils know that they can speak to an adult or use the worry boxes to share concerns. They trust staff to act on any problems quickly and effectively, and they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school teaches pupils to be responsible and safe. Visits from the fire brigade and police reinforce fire and online safety. Pupil leadership roles, such as prefects and playground buddies, make a positive difference to other pupils. Time spent with Crumble, the therapy dog, supports pupils with social and emotional needs well.

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

Leaders have worked determinedly to construct an ambitious and engaging curriculum. The trust provides expert support and challenge to ensure that the school continues to move forward. The governing body has a clear understanding of its role and holds the school to account. Staff at all levels value their training and the opportunities to collaborate with other schools in the trust. They are highly positive about the steps taken to support their workload and well-being.

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

The curriculum sets out the essential knowledge pupils should know and the order in which they should learn it. In many subjects, pupils recall prior learning well and connect this to new content. For example, pupils in Year 4 use their knowledge of basic fractions to add fractions with the same denominator. Pupils build simple maps in Reception Year and then compare aerial photographs of their locality in Year 1. However, in a few of the recently refined subjects, the school has not yet made the links to pupils’ prior learning explicit enough. Therefore, the depth of what pupils know and remember over time varies.

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

Reading and oracy are a main ‘curriculum driver’. The inviting library reflects the school’s aim for all pupils to develop a love of reading. Staff select high-quality books that capture pupils’ interests and help them learn about the world around them. For example, older pupils build empathy through reading books about people with a disability. In lessons, they maturely discuss characters’ feelings and build on each other’s views to explain their thinking. 3 and 4 December 2024

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Staff follow a clearly structured phonics programme. In Reception Year, children use the sounds they know to read and write simple words. Staff use ongoing checks and give extra help to children who need it. By the end of Year 1, most pupils gain a secure knowledge of phonics. However, the school does not have a fully embedded approach to teaching reading fluency. As a result, some of the weaker readers do not read as fluently or expressively as they could.

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Staff have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach. They use consistent teaching approaches to help pupils discuss important knowledge and vocabulary. For example, pupils use strategies such as ‘think, pair and share’ to explain their thoughts and ideas. In Reception Year, staff repeat words to help children understand meaning and develop their communication and language. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified quickly. They receive personalised support when necessary so they can learn successfully alongside their peers.

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Attendance is high, and pupils behave sensibly. They like to earn house points for doing the right thing. The school has effective systems in place to deal with inappropriate behaviour. If a pupil’s attention lapses, staff quickly get them back on track.

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The school has a well-structured personal development programme. ‘News assemblies’ develop pupils’ understanding of diversity and world issues. Pupils know their moral responsibility to accept and embrace people’s differences. Residential trips encourage teamwork and independence. Pupils contribute to society by raising money for charities, including for their partner school in Uganda. By voting for the school council, pupils learn about democracy. The variety of clubs, such as sports, drama, cooking and crafts, enhance pupils’ enjoyment outside of the classroom.

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The majority of parents and carers are positive about the school. Many commented on the dedicated staff and the nurturing culture at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few of the more recently revised subjects, the school has not made the links to pupils’ prior learning explicit enough. This prevents pupils from deepening their understanding of important concepts over time. The trust should continue to strengthen the curriculum design to ensure that pupils successfully make links across learning and deepen their knowledge over time.  The school does not routinely develop pupils’ reading fluency. As a result, some of the weaker readers do not become fluent or expressive readers quickly enough. The trust 3 and 4 December 2024

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should ensure that agreed systems are put in place so that all pupils have regular opportunities to develop their reading fluency.

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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 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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school converted to become an academy in December 2023. It is part of the Diocese of Salisbury Academy Trust, a multi-academy trust of primary schools in Dorset and Wiltshire.  Several changes to leadership have occurred since the previous inspection. The headteacher took up post in June 2022. The deputy headteacher started in September 2022.  The school is part of the Diocese of Salisbury. It received a section 48 inspection for schools of a religious character in June 2017. Its next inspection under section 48 is due this academic year.  The school currently uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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 3 and 4 December 2024

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(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.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation 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.  Inspectors held discussions with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher and other school staff. The lead inspector met with representatives from the trust board, including the chair of trustees and members of the local academy standards and ethos committee. He also met with the CEO, the deputy CEO and a regional director of the trust.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, English, mathematics 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 samples of pupils’ work.

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 Inspectors also considered the curriculum in science, history and design technology.  Inspectors listened to some pupils in Years 1, 2, 3 and 4 reading to an adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: met the designated safeguarding lead; checked the single central record of adults working in the school; took account of the views of staff, pupils and parents; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during breaktime and lunchtime. They spoke with pupils and staff about behaviour.  Inspectors spoke with a range of staff to discuss how the school supports their workload and well-being.  Inspectors spoke to parents at the start and end of the school day. They considered responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments.

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They also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff and pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Dale Burr, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jyotsna Paranjape Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 2024

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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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