Charnwood Primary School

Inspection of Charnwood Primary School Nedham Street, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 0HE

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Nazma Jassat. This school is part of Attenborough Learning 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), Jane Ridgewell, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Lee Jowett.

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Ofsted has not previously inspected Charnwood Primary under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Charnwood Primary School to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as an academy. 8 and 9 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this inclusive school. They form strong friendships across the different multicultural communities that the school serves. They show respect for each other’s beliefs, reflecting the school’s core value that, ‘Together we can.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff ensure that pupils feel safe and are ready to succeed. Warm relationships create a supportive environment where pupils thrive. Pupils show care and kindness towards each other. When necessary, the ‘how was your day’ check-in helps pupils to reflect and adjust their behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high aspirations for all. The many pupils who speak English as an additional language or who are new to the country receive effective help to engage with learning. Those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive strong support. Pupils achieve well in many subjects and in national assessments. However, for children in the early years, these high expectations are not implemented or realised fully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Beyond the classroom, pupils benefit from a wide offer, such as trips to local landmarks. They participate in clubs and perform at concerts to broaden their understanding of the world. In readiness for secondary school, Year 6 pupils and their families attend workshops considering peer pressure, mindfulness, motivation and mental health.

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

The school’s curriculum outlines clearly what pupils need to learn and understand over time. Each subject adapts its starting points to meet the needs of pupils and each year group, without compromising its ambition. Vocabulary and language development is at the heart of the school’s curriculum. Pupils rehearse, echo and develop their understanding of subject-specific vocabulary in each lesson. This encourages pupils’ competency in using the English language in a systematic manner. It also enables pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers. However, occasionally, the activities that pupils complete do not help them to develop a secure-enough understanding of grammar and sentence structure.

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

From the very start, children develop a love of reading. For example, in Nursery, children predict the animal noises in the stories they hear. As pupils move through the school, they read with considerable confidence and fluency. For instance, they learn to skim paragraphs and infer information from carefully chosen texts. Reading is well taught. Staff make careful use of individual ‘phonics passports’ to understand each pupil’s development in learning to read. This allows staff to identify the precise gaps each pupil may have in their early reading knowledge. These pupils receive effective additional help to catch up.

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

The school quickly identifies any pupils who need extra support to access the curriculum, including pupils with SEND and those who speak English as an additional language. These pupils study the full breadth of the curriculum and receive tailored support. With this help, they flourish both academically and in wider school life. 8 and 9 April 2025

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In the classroom, teachers check pupils’ understanding often. They adapt the content accordingly. However, at times, pupils’ misconceptions are not fully resolved.

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In the early years, children enjoy exploring the environment. They experiment, create and build with different materials. However, sometimes, the independent activities that children complete do not help them to rehearse and embed the knowledge they have learned. During these times, adults do not routinely extend and promote children’s communication and language. This hinders children in understanding early routines and closing any gaps in their development.

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Staff appreciate the training they receive. They recognise the impact of the school’s policies and systems in helping pupils to recall the curriculum. When changes are introduced, staff feel well supported.

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The school works closely with families to promote pupils’ attendance. It continues to work alongside the local authority when any pupil absences become a concern.

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The personal development programme, including the school’s relationships and sex education (RSE) and health education offer, helps pupils to learn about life in modern Britain. Pupils recognise how their views are listened to and acted upon. A typical comment from pupils was: ‘Everyone has a voice at this school.’ The school ensures that pupils learn about diverse communities and potential local risks. Pupils learn to reflect and ponder about moral and ethical issues. They are equipped for the challenges and diversity of the world, while being safe within the school community.

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Trustees and the local governing body provide effective oversight. They ensure that the school remains focused on delivering high-quality education. The school works alongside other schools in the trust to develop policies, systems and curriculums that reflect the needs of the local community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are some slight variations in how effectively the curriculum is implemented. Occasionally, some activities do not help pupils to gain mastery of the English language and its grammatical structures. At other times, misconceptions in pupils’ learning are not resolved. When these instances occur, learning slows. The school must ensure that the curriculum is implemented consistently well so that pupils’ outcomes continue to improve.  Children in the early years do not have sufficient opportunities to rehearse and embed key knowledge and routines during independent learning. This impacts their ability to 8 and 9 April 2025

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prepare effectively for statutory schooling. The school must ensure that all early years staff develop the expertise needed to deliver the intended curriculum successfully.

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school joined the Attenborough Learning Trust in April 2023.  The school does not use any 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 (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision. 8 and 9 April 2025

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 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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history, and art and design. 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.  Inspectors also sampled aspects of the school’s English, geography, music, religious education and computing, and the curriculum for the early years.  Inspectors considered the school’s personal development programme, including its RSE and health education offer.  Inspectors met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, and leaders who have oversight of the early years, the provision for pupils with SEND and behaviour.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons, around the school and at social times.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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 lead inspector met with representatives of the board of trustees, the local governing body and the CEO of the trust.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers, staff and pupils on site. They considered the responses to Ofsted’s survey for staff and the views of parents expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Shaheen Hussain, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Leah Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 April 2025

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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