Chalford Hill Primary School

Chalford Hill Primary School

Address: Chalford Hill, GL6 8LG Unique reference number (URN): 115509

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

The school's personal development and wellbeing offer is extensive. It underpins all aspects of school life. Notably, it develops pupils' confidence to shine as individuals, and they do. Leaders' careful tracking of each pupil's participation in the personal development offer, including disadvantaged pupils, ensures that it continually meets their needs. Its impact on pupils' outcomes and their readiness for their next stage is substantial and sustained.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

The curriculum develops pupils' reflectiveness, spiritual awareness and understanding of right and wrong. The curriculum is effective in enabling pupils to understand what life may be like in other countries as a child or as a refugee. Pupils learn about different religions and cultures, for example understanding the importance of light in relation to a range of religious festivals.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

The relationships and sex education and health education curriculum is comprehensive. Pupils understand what constitutes healthy relationships, and they learn to look after themselves physically and mentally, as well as look after and celebrate others. Pupils demonstrate their deep understanding of fundamental British values, for example knowing they should be tolerant and understand others, including those experiencing vulnerabilities or difference.

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Personal development and well-being Strong standard

Excellent pastoral care enables pupils to feel well supported to learn in class. Pupils have an extensive array of opportunities to develop talents and interests. 'Arts week', community events and the multitude of musical pursuits broaden pupils' horizons. The school has thought carefully about the role models it wants pupils to aspire to and the careers activities to broaden their understanding of the world of work. These role models purposefully reflect the school's demographic, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, pupils proudly share what makes them unique, and there is a culture of placing no barriers to pupils' ambitions.

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Achievement Expected standard

On the whole, pupils achieve well, including those who are disadvantaged. Pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need across curriculum subjects to be well prepared for their next stage of education.

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Achievement Expected standard

Over time, pupils' attainment in published outcomes in mathematics and writing at the expected standard is broadly in line with national averages. Attainment in reading at the expected standard and higher standard is above national averages.

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Achievement Expected standard

Leaders have ensured that any gaps in achievement, for example phonics attainment, have been closed quickly and successfully, including for disadvantaged pupils. Pupils develop the necessary knowledge. They apply their phonics knowledge to read with increasing fluency and spell accurately. Over time, pupils become proficient writers. For example, in lower key stage 2, pupils are adept at using cohesive techniques such as paragraphing. Older pupils build on this by using increasingly complex sentences and writing with flair. Pupils take pride in their work, as can be seen through their keenness in mathematics to solve complex mathematical problems and explain their work.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school tracks pupils' attendance meticulously. This ensures that the consistently high attendance rates seen over time are being sustained for the majority. A very small number of pupils are persistently absent. In these cases, pupils' attendance is improving steadily, including for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result of the school's ongoing support, the small number of pupils who have historically arrived late for school are now attending on time or rapidly improving.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school promotes a positive culture, so pupils are kind and polite. Pupils know that bullying, discrimination or harassment is not tolerated. Highly positive relationships between staff and pupils, alongside consistent early morning routines, help pupils to settle quickly at the start of the day. Pupils know and apply the school's routines well. For example, they know how to move sensibly around the school and behave well at social times.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Most pupils are highly motivated to learn. They follow staff's instructions immediately and get straight to their work. Pupils usually listen to their peers attentively in lessons. Where this is not the case, staff provide the right support and adjustments to ensure that all pupils are successful in managing their emotions increasingly well over time.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have a precise understanding of the quality of the curriculum and teaching across the school. They use this knowledge to make any refinements needed. The curriculum is now suitably broad and ambitious and logically ordered across subjects. This means that teachers know what to teach and when. Teachers typically have secure knowledge of the subjects they teach and implement the curriculum well. For example, adults model new learning as well as important technical vocabulary clearly. This supports pupils in understanding essential knowledge and helps them to learn well across the curriculum.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

The school ensures that pupils secure and practise important knowledge and skills. For example, pupils apply their early language skills, handwriting, reading, writing and mathematics across the curriculum. Pupils at the early stage of reading practise their phonics knowledge and read books that match the sounds they know. Pupils who struggle with reading receive timely help and support to catch up quickly.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Typically, teaching is firmly built on what pupils know. This ensures that pupils develop their knowledge across subjects well. However, on occasion, teachers do not use their checks on pupils’ learning to make sure that teaching builds precisely on what pupils already know. This means that a minority of pupils do not consolidate or deepen their understanding.

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Early years Expected standard

Children in the early years get off to a positive start. The school builds effective partnerships with parents and carers. Staff have warm relationships with children and provide effective care and support. Children settle into school life quickly as a result. Established routines enable children to know what is expected of them each day. For example, the ‘special helpers’ are proud to choose the weather symbols for the day.

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Early years Expected standard

The early years curriculum is sequenced effectively. Staff consider children's starting points precisely and are quick to identify and address any gaps in knowledge or barriers to learning. For example, staff provide additional support to develop children's physical development or listening and attention skills.

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Early years Expected standard

The school prioritises the development of reading, writing and mathematics from the start. Staff select high-quality books to promote a love of reading. Children keenly practise their phonics knowledge, develop an accurate pencil grip and learn to form letters correctly. The mathematics curriculum gives them a sound grounding in number. This prepares children well for Year 1.

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Early years Expected standard

The school ensures that staff typically engage in high-quality interactions with children. This means that generally, adults help children to deepen their knowledge over time. However, there remain occasions when adults miss opportunities to develop children's language and vocabulary. This is because, at times, adults' interactions are not as timely or precise as they could be.

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Inclusion Expected standard

The school is astute in identifying pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) accurately. Pupils have a comprehensive induction when they start school. This ensures that the school works closely with parents and carers and external agencies to identify and address barriers to pupils' learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Staff benefit from training to develop their expertise in meeting the needs of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND. As a result, typically, staff adapt their teaching well to ensure that pupils access learning successfully. For example, they ensure that pupils have suitable resources, including communication aids, to support learning.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders check the support available for disadvantaged pupils closely. The school uses its pupil premium funding effectively to ensure that any personal or learning barriers are addressed. For example, funding is allocated to meet pupils' social and emotional needs through the use of therapeutic support.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders and staff work together to analyse the impact of any interventions. This is particularly effective in ensuring that pupils' individual social and emotional targets are well supported. The school is working productively to make curriculum teaching more precise. Generally, this ensures that any issues that may pose a barrier to pupils' academic progress are addressed promptly. However, occasionally, teaching does not consistently reduce the barriers to pupils' academic knowledge. This means a small minority of pupils do not gain the essential knowledge they need.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors act with integrity and in the best interests of all pupils. They have an accurate understanding of the many strengths in the school and know where further improvements are needed to embed aspects of their work. They are highly evaluative when considering the school's performance, including outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. Governors hold the school accountable robustly. They check that any aspects of the school in need of refinement are addressed head-on. This means that the school's offer for pupils is continually improving. For example, changes to the teaching of mathematics have brought about a palpable impact over time.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors fulfil their statutory duties effectively. For example, they closely monitor the effectiveness of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities and have precise oversight of the school's systems to keep pupils safe. They seek external advice to check that the school is operating as it should.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate how governors consider their workload. Staff benefit from an extensive range of professional development. This means that they gain the important knowledge they need to teach their subjects and phases effectively. Staff who are new to the profession or new to year groups receive timely support. This helps them to understand school policies and practices quickly and effectively.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly supportive of the school. Every parent who responded to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, would recommend the school to others. Many parents cite the deep sense of community and high-quality care that their children receive at Chalford Hill.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming school where kindness sits at its heart. Pupils describe a deep sense of belonging at Chalford Hill. Everyone is accepted and celebrated as an individual. The school's values to be 'curious, unique, respectful and empowered' are central to the school's work. There are many opportunities for pupils to thrive as young leaders and support others. For example, house captains organise Christmas activities for younger pupils. As well as this, pupils learn to be organised and meet deadlines.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils value the extensive range of opportunities beyond the academic offer. There are many clubs that enrich their academic pursuits. Particular favourites include 'news desk' and the opportunities for sporting events such as rugby tournaments and netball. Trips and visits link to the curriculum, for example to the local arboretum. Pupils gain a clear sense of social responsibility, including through work with the local community and through 'Chalford challenge' days, where pupils learn new skills for life.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils receive high-quality pastoral support and this ensures that they thrive personally. Relationships with staff and pupils are very respectful. Pupils typically live up to the school's high expectations of behaviour and conduct. Bullying is rare. Pupils know that adults will help them get to the root cause of any falling out. This means that any disagreements are resolved quickly with few recurrences.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education. They learn the ambitious curriculum effectively, and make connections across subjects. For example, they write cohesively and with the complexity expected for their age in other subjects such as history, geography and science. Pupils gain a breadth of general knowledge and relish debating big ideas such as 'the point of laws and rules'. Any gaps in pupils' learning are identified and addressed effectively.

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Next steps

• The school should ensure that teachers use assessment information accurately to consolidate what pupils learn by building effectively on their prior learning. • The school should ensure that teachers maximise opportunities so they engage pupils, particularly children in the early years and key stage 1, in high-quality interactions that develop and extend their knowledge and vocabulary.

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Lead inspector:

Julie Carrington, His Majesty's Inspector

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Team inspectors:

Lakmini Harkus, His Majesty's Inspector Esther Best, His Majesty's Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Timothy Woodfine.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, the deputy headteachers, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the early years leader and a group of staff. They met with four members of the governing body and held a telephone conversation with a representative of Gloucestershire local authority. Inspectors spoke with some parents at the start of the school day.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school does not use any alternative provision.

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About this inspection

Headteacher: David Poad The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and maths measure.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and maths, including the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

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Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in maths

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in maths and the disadvantaged gap.

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average

‘S’ in the table above indicates the data has been suppressed, which is usually due to small cohorts. The suppression rules applied by the DfE when publishing the data have been mirrored and applied in the report card.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standards expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standards set out in statutory and non-statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care.

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Urgent improvement

services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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