Chasetown Community School

Inspection of Chasetown Community School Church Street, Chasetown, Burntwood, Staffordshire WS7 3QL

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils who attend Chasetown Community School have education, health and care plans (EHC) for their special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Many have experienced significant challenges in their previous educational settings. At this school, they learn to value their education again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has developed a curriculum that is ambitious for all pupils. This curriculum has raised expectations for what pupils can achieve. Many more pupils are now achieving better.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from highly personalised care. Staff get to know pupils well. Some pupils experience challenges with changes to their daily routine or when trying to communicate with others. They are supported well by staff, who help them to manage their feelings and behaviour. This care ensures pupils feel safe and happy at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of educational visits that help bring their learning to life. They enjoy their learning most when it is practical and fun. Pupils experience many ‘memorable moments’ during their time here. Opportunities to visit parks, places of worship, the equine centre or going to the cinema, are exciting new experiences for them. Pupils understand that it is important for everybody to feel included at their school. They accept and celebrate differences.

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

Since the last inspection, the school has worked quickly to improve. It has prioritised the design and implementation of a new curriculum. This is well sequenced. The pace of change and improvement has been rapid. They identify that time is now needed to ensure that such changes are embedded. The school ensures improvements are made in the best interests of the pupils and families they serve.

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

The curriculum is broad and balanced. The school has ensured that those responsible for subject leadership have successfully identified the key knowledge they want pupils to acquire. This curriculum now provides pupils with the knowledge they need to pursue subjects when they leave this school. However, some pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to the curriculum being relatively recently introduced. Some staff do not identify these gaps or address them, which means pupils develop a superficial understanding of their learning.

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

Pupils arrive at this school with their special educational needs already identified. However, the school makes additional checks to establish any further support that pupils may need. Staff identify barriers to pupils’ understanding. They work well with partner agencies and parents and carers to put effective support plans in place. Parents offer valuable information, which helps the school to identify what motivates their children to learn. 24 and 25 June 2025

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Increasing numbers of pupils attend the school with language and communication needs. The school ensures that pupils receive clear instructions and information to help them to understand their learning. However, this is not consistent across school. In some classes, instructions are too complex for pupils to understand. This prevents them from being able to complete their learning independently.

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Pupils at the early stages of learning to read are well supported. They receive help to address the gaps in their knowledge. This supports many pupils to learn to read fluently. Staff read books to pupils regularly. They share their love of reading to help motivate pupils to develop an enjoyment of books. Pupils prefer books that are matched to their interests. This encourages them to take books home to read more frequently.

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Many pupils experience difficulties understanding and controlling their emotions. Staff take time to understand what causes them to feel like they do. These positive relationships help pupils to feel comfortable sharing their feelings, which in turn helps them to modify their behaviour. Pupils attend school regularly. Fewer pupils are persistently absent from school. This helps them to keep up with their learning.

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Pupils in key stage 3 benefit from effective careers guidance. This enables them to experience the world of work and prepare them for the next stage of education. It helps many to develop ideas of the occupations they may want to consider when they leave school. Pupils become motivated to achieve well to fulfil these new-found ambitions.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils have gaps in their knowledge that are not always identified and addressed in a timely way. This means that pupils are unable to connect current learning to what they already know or build on their learning securely. The school should ensure that any gaps in pupils’ knowledge are identified and addressed before they move on to subsequent learning.  The instructions and information given to pupils are, at times, not clear and too complex. Pupils are unable to then access the required learning independently. The school should ensure a consistent, clear use of language from all staff to support pupils to understand their learning and what is expected of them. 24 and 25 June 2025

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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). 24 and 25 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.chasetowncommunity.staffs.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 13 and 14 June 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 All pupils have an EHC plan for social, emotional and mental health difficulties. Pupils also have additional needs, such as autism and speech, language, communication and interaction needs.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 24 and 25 June 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, deputy headteacher, assistant headteachers, SEND coordinator and other subject leaders.  The lead inspector met with the chair and vice chair of governors.  The lead inspector spoke with the head of SEND for the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. They also looked at the wider curriculum, identifying how effectively

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communication and language were being supported. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to groups of pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered evidence from other subjects, including geography, and personal, social and health education.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at social times. Inspectors spoke to pupils throughout the inspection and held meetings with groups of pupils.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses.  Inspectors considered responses to the Ofsted surveys for school staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Tony Bradshaw, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Chris Pollitt His Majesty’s Inspector 24 and 25 June 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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