Chesterton Primary School

Inspection of Chesterton Primary School Apsley Road, Chesterton, Cirencester GL7 1SS

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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 Requires improvement

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The headteacher of this school is Libby Pringle. This school is part of Corinium Education 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), Chiquita Henson, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Mark Lees. 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a happy, welcoming and inclusive school. The school’s vision, ‘growing together, learning forever’, is at the heart of all that it provides.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides many exciting experiences to ignite pupils’ enthusiasm for learning, for example trips to museums, the theatre and residential visits. Pupils can learn to play a musical instrument, such as the drums or guitar. They relish the chance to perform in a rock band.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils fulfil the school’s high expectations of them. Pupils are polite and sociable. They work hard and behave well. Pupils are caring and keen to help others. They proudly take on positions of responsibility, such as playground buddies and science ambassadors.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff care deeply about pupils’ mental health and support them to practise ‘happy breathing’. This helps pupils to become calm and talk about their feelings. Pupils who find it hard to live up to the school’s expectations of them find this helpful. They feel safe at school because they trust staff to look after them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are very happy with the school. They typically comment on the incredible staff, who help their children to thrive.

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

The school and trust have worked with determination and commitment to improve the school since the last inspection. They have had much success in this respect, such as in improving the quality of education that pupils receive. These improvements are not reflected in some of the 2024 published results. However, the school’s ambitious curriculum and consistently effective teaching ensures that most current pupils achieve well.

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

The school provides a broad, interesting and well-sequenced curriculum. This identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that the school expects pupils to learn. Communication and language is prioritised. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start school in the early years. Pupils regularly practise phonics, which helps them to become fluent readers. Pupils who find reading difficult are provided with extra practice. This improves their accuracy and confidence. Pupils enjoy choosing books to read for pleasure.

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

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They routinely recap pupils’ previous learning. For example, in mathematics, teachers provide ‘flashbacks’ to help pupils deepen their knowledge. Teachers consistently model pupils’ learning using the school’s ‘I do, you do’ approach, which helps pupils understand what to do. Teachers regularly check pupils’ understanding to correct misconceptions and move pupils’ learning on. 17 and 18 June 2025

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Pupils are taught to use the correct vocabulary to explain their understanding. For instance, in music, pupils use words such as ‘pitch’ and ‘tempo’ to describe a piece of music.

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The school provides interesting activities that motivate pupils to become absorbed in their learning. For example, in the early years, children sustain high levels of concentration when searching for sea creatures in the sand or filling containers with water. However, occasionally, in some subjects, the activities that teachers provide for pupils do not help them to practise their skills and deepen their knowledge as well as they could. This restricts how well pupils are challenged or supported to achieve their potential.

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The school skilfully identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff work closely with families and specialist agencies to ensure pupils receive precisely adapted teaching and pastoral support. Pupils with SEND are well supported to learn the same curriculum as others. They make good progress with their learning over time.

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Occasionally, some pupils find it hard to manage their emotions. This is often for complex reasons. This sometimes results in low-level disruption. The school makes effective use of safe spaces such as the ‘calm room’ to help pupils talk through their feelings and regulate their emotions. Pupils say that adults are good at sorting out any problems.

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The school’s work to improve attendance is starting to make a positive difference. However, some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, still do not attend school as regularly as they should. This affects how well they achieve.

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The school supports pupils’ personal development well. For example, pupils can follow their interests and develop their skills when they try gardening, cookery and athletics. Pupils hold cake sales and run mini marathons to raise money for charity. Children in the early years learn the importance of washing their hands and cleaning their teeth to stay healthy. Pupils are taught the importance of respecting each other’s differences and embracing diversity.

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Leaders support staff’s workload and well-being effectively. They support staff’s professional development well. As a result, staff morale is high. The sense of teamwork is evident in 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 some subjects, staff do not consistently design activities that support pupils to learn the curriculum as effectively as they could. As a result, pupils’ knowledge and skills are 17 and 18 June 2025

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not as strong as they could be across all curriculum areas. The school should ensure that pupils are provided with activities that help them to practise their skills and deepen their knowledge so that they are fully prepared for future learning.  Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school as often as they should. This means that they miss out on important learning and do not achieve as well as they ought to. The school should continue to work closely with parents to improve attendance so that pupils benefit from all that the school offers and achieve their potential.

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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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 2 and 3 February 2023, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Corinium Education Trust. This is a multi-academy trust of five primary schools and one secondary school.  The headteacher has been in post on a full-time basis since September 2022.  The school has a nursery and pre-school that caters for two-, three- and four-year-old children.  The school has a specialist resource base with 10 places for pupils with communication and interaction difficulties.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.

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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 17 and 18 June 2025

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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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held several joint meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher. The headteacher is the early years foundation stage leader and the deputy headteacher is the SEND coordinator.  The lead inspector held a meeting with two governors, one of whom was the chair of governors.  Inspectors held separate meetings with the CEO of the trust and the chair of the board of trustees.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. 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 discussed the curriculum in writing and

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geography with leaders. They also looked at samples of pupils’ work in these subjects.  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a member of staff.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons in all early years classes.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons in the communication and interaction centre.  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 observed pupils’ behaviour at various times during the day, including breaktime, lunchtime and breakfast club.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils and staff and spoke to some parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View,

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along with free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of the responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Lizzy Meadows Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 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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