Chilton Foliat Church of England Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Chilton Foliat Church of England Primary School Stag Hill, Chilton Foliat, Hungerford, Berkshire RG17 0TF

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Outcome

Chilton Foliat Church of England Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend this school. Staff create a safe and happy environment where pupils respect each other. Pupils enjoy taking on roles in school, such as head girl, head boy and school councillors. This helps them to understand how to be responsible and caring leaders of the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show positive attitudes in lessons and share their ideas respectfully with each other. In most cases, pupils behave well, but on occasion, there is some low-level disruption, which can affect learning. Nonetheless, staff have high expectations of pupils’ achievement. The quality of pupils’ work reflects this. Pupils are noticed for their successes. Teachers celebrate pupils’ reading in assemblies and award class points for high-quality presentation in books.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils consistently uphold the school values of courage, thankfulness and love. Mostly, they are courteous and thoughtful to their peers, which creates a caring ethos around school. Pupils value their teachers being on hand to help with any issues they may have. This fosters kind and nurturing relationships throughout the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many wider opportunities for pupils. These include visits to the Steam Museum to develop their understanding of transportation through history. In addition, pupils enjoy art and music clubs. 29 April 2025

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

The school is determined to do the very best for its pupils. Leaders, including those responsible for governance, are dedicated to continuous improvement. This is evident in the school’s approach to the curriculum, which identifies and meets the needs of pupils, including those who are considered the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school has invested in staff development. This has supported how the curriculum is delivered.

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

The school prioritises reading. In the Reception Year, children learn and recall letter sounds well when reading. Throughout the school, most pupils read with fluency and confidence. As a result, pupils are motivated to read more challenging texts. Those pupils who struggle to read receive timely support to help them keep up. Pupils enjoy class book discussions and the diverse range of texts they study across the curriculum.

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

The school ensures that pupils have many opportunities to discuss their learning. In the early years, children explain what numbers make ‘six’ and confidently challenge others when they are incorrect. Pupils secure their understanding of number early. This helps older pupils use their previous knowledge to solve more complex problems with increasing independence.

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

The school has created a curriculum that is centred around the school’s values. The curriculum is broad, balanced and ambitious. Pupils are keen to learn. The school has established sequences of learning that are accessible to all. This helps pupils to retain the knowledge they need. For example, pupils in Years 5 and 6 confidently use digital maps to locate places, based on their knowledge of capital cities.

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

The school uses consistent teaching strategies to support pupils’ learning. Pupils know what they are learning and why. This is modelled clearly to them. Pupils gain confidence when discussing their learning. Staff make frequent checks during lessons to ensure that pupils have understood this learning. However, the school’s expectations for learning behaviours are not consistently applied. In some lessons, pupils’ learning is occasionally disrupted by the poor behaviour of others.

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

The provision for pupils’ wider development is a strength. Pupils strive to be good citizens. For example, the ‘eco-committee’ take care of the local area by litter picking. Pupils have a broad understanding of other cultures and faiths, being able to talk about the importance of religious texts. This is further enhanced by the diverse texts pupils read and the school’s celebration of ‘One World Week’.

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

Staff are valued at this school. Leaders consider their workload and well-being. Staff do their utmost to support the pupils here. The school community recognises this. Parents and carers report that the school has created an environment where their children develop their independence. 29 April 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 On occasion, the school’s high expectations for pupils’ behaviour are not consistently applied. As a result, some pupils’ learning is disrupted by the behaviour of others. The school should ensure that its expectations for addressing low-level disruption are fully understood and followed by staff at all times.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in January 2020.

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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. 29 April 2025

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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). 29 April 2025

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School details

Chair of governing body Samantha Wolcough

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England voluntary aided school in the Diocese of Salisbury. It received its most recent section 48 inspection in January 2017.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school offers an on-site breakfast and after-school club for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of the 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 met with the headteacher, senior leaders and other school staff. The lead inspector also met with representatives of the governing board and the school’s local authority improvement advisor. 29 April 2025

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 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  A wide range of documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation and curriculum documentation. Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breakfast club, during lessons and at social times.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account 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 reviewed responses to Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments, and responses to the staff and pupil surveys. The lead inspector also spoke to some parents at the beginning of the school day.

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Inspection team

Darren Preece, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Jelley Ofsted Inspector 29 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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