Cheapside CofE Primary School

Cheapside CofE Primary School Inspection report

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110020 Unique Reference Number Windsor and Maidenhead Local Authority 288565 Inspection number 21 March 2007 Inspection date Keith Sadler Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary aided School category 5 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 106 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Mark Quarrington Chair Mrs Kate Searle Headteacher 25 April 2001 Date of previous school inspection Watersplash Lane School address Cheapside Ascot SL5 7QJ

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01344 621112 Telephone number 01344 624035 Fax number

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5 °11 Age group 21 March 2007 Inspection date 288565 Inspection number .

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Cheapside CE is a heavily over-subscribed small primary school. The school serves the village though some pupils attend from surrounding areas. Almost all of the pupils are from White British backgrounds. Pupils are from a mix of economic backgrounds which are mostly advantaged. The number with learning difficulties and disabilities is above the national average. Attainment on entry is above levels expected.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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Grade: 1

Cheapside is an outstanding school where excellence can be found in all areas. Parents are fully justified in their confidence in the school and they rightly hold it in high esteem. Their views are typified by one who commented, 'Cheapside is a happy and caring school that offers all children an opportunity to thrive and excel. I could not ask for a better environment for my children'. Pupils adore school. One pupil said that the only thing that he wanted to change was to make the holidays shorter. Pupils are very proud of their school and they are helped to develop great confidence. Behaviour, attitudes to learning, and relationships are all excellent. Pupils say that they feel very safe. They are aware of how to stay healthy and are keen to take advantage of the many opportunities that they have to take responsibility. Members of the school council spoke confidently about how they can influence many decisions that have a

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Grade: 1

bearing on their life and work in school. Children settle very quickly in the Reception/Year 1 class and, because the provision is outstanding, they make excellent progress, with almost all children meeting the expected goals by the time they enter Year 1. Many significantly exceed these. However, opportunities for Foundation Stage children to enjoy outdoor learning and play are limited when there is inclement weather because there is no cover outside the classroom. Throughout the school, pupils thrive in both their personal and their academic learning. This is due to the outstanding quality of teaching and learning in all classes and the rich and varied curriculum which captures pupils' interests and heightens their enthusiasm. As one pupil commented, 'Lessons are fun, not just sitting down. We do lots of exciting things'. Consequently standards are exceptionally high when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6 and they are prepared well for secondary

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Grade: 1

school. Leadership and management are outstanding. The new headteacher has ensured that the school has built successfully on the many outstanding features found in the previous inspection. The school continues to strive for excellence. One parent said, 'Mrs Searle's arrival at Cheapside has done nothing except enhance everything that was already excellent'. She welcomes views, has a deep commitment to the school and a clear vision which is shared with all. The school has thorough systems for checking both pupils' progress and its provision and ensures that the needs of all pupils are met. The school provides excellent value for money. Governors are enthusiastic advocates for the school. As well as giving their full support, they also offer sensitive challenge.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Seek to provide a cover outside the Reception/Year1 class.

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Grade: 1

Achievement is outstanding and standards are exceptionally high. Children start in the Reception class with above expected levels and they make excellent progress with many children significantly exceeding the expected goals for pupils entering Year 1. For example, in an excellent session in which children were showing others items that interest them, children demonstrated speaking and listening skills that were at a level expected by pupils at the end of Year 2. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007 By the end of Year 2, standards are exceptionally high and have been so for four of the past five years. Here, pupils make excellent progress in all areas though results are particularly outstanding in reading. Work in pupils' books and displays of their work during the inspection indicates standards that are exceptionally high in English, mathematics and science in Year 6.

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Grade: 1

This attainment reflects the exceptionally high standards attained in all subjects in most years since the previous inspection. The rapid and consistent progress is due to the high quality teaching and learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are supported exceptionally well and make excellent progress towards their targets.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development are outstanding. Pupils love school. This is shown in the good levels of attendance and their obvious enthusiasm and desire to succeed in their work. Their behaviour is exemplary. Relationships are excellent throughout the school and reflect the strong Christian ethos. Pupils know about staying safe, and this is supported by the excellent curriculum. For example, pupils prepare risk assessments as a class activity before some visits. One pupil commented 'Ours is a secure school and we all love to be caught being good'. They also have a keen understanding of the need to stay healthy. Some pupils were even able to talk sensitively and well about their mental health. They made mature and thoughtful comments such as, 'We need to have lots of sleep and not get stressed and we all need to relax'. Another agreed and said, 'We like to cool our minds down after lunch

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Grade: 1

in quiet reading time'. Pupils are articulate and confident in making suggestions through the school council. Pupils thoroughly enjoy the many cross-curricular opportunities to practise their well-developed literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT) skills. They also delight in learning with younger and older children from other classes. They are exceptionally well prepared for secondary school.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. As a result pupils make rapid progress. Planning is of high quality with work that provides exciting and varied activities that capture interest and motivate learning. This is happening throughout the school. Teachers try to ensure that learning is related to pupils' own experiences and when this is not possible, they provide additional stimulation. Teachers are also adept in linking learning. When studying peas in science, for example, pupils worked together to show the life cycle of the pea through dance. Above all, teachers manage the pupils exceptionally well and develop a climate for learning that is based on respect and trust. Teaching assistants make a valuable contribution to the quality of learning, particularly for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. In addition, many parent helpers support pupils, especially in their reading. 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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Grade: 1

The school's curriculum is outstanding. Links between subjects are very effective. This enables pupils to develop an array of skills. For example, in a history lesson, pupils produced high quality diaries ostensibly by Victorian children. These are very attractively displayed along with work in art, design and technology and ICT. Skills in ICT are used extensively to support learning. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are provided with carefully developed curricular opportunities that are well designed to meet their specific needs. Gifted and talented pupils are identified and enjoy good opportunities to take part in challenging activities such as in borough led events and in music and sports. The curriculum for the Foundation Stage is excellent, though some opportunities for outdoor learning are limited because there is no cover outside the classroom. An outstanding enrichment programme is available to pupils in all classes. Visitors to the school

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Grade: 1

enliven learning and provide excellent first-hand experiences and add significant interest to learning. In addition, there is an exceptionally wide range of high quality sports, art and musical activities that are taken up with relish by the pupils.

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Grade: 1

Care, guidance and support are outstanding. Many parents commented on the strength of the care and support provided by the school and the inspection confirms these positive views. The school has many successful strategies and approaches to ensure a very strong family feel, in which all views are valued and built on. All procedures for safeguarding pupils and ensuring that their well-being is protected are in place, and current regulatory requirements are met in full. Pupils have personalised targets which they understand well. They have a detailed understanding of how they can improve and older pupils in each class enjoy supporting and encouraging younger ones to meet their targets.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. At the time of the previous inspection, the school was being led and managed exceptionally well. These strengths have been maintained and the school has improved in many respects since that time. As well as maintaining the exceptionally high standards and high quality of the educational provision, the concerted efforts of staff, governors and parents have ensured that facilities and the school environment have been improved. The school provides an extremely attractive and clean learning environment. The staff work very closely together as a team and the headteacher has adopted an extremely effective collegiate approach to leadership and management. She listens carefully to suggestions and ideas from all parties involved in the school and ensures that helpful suggestions are incorporated into the good quality improvement plan. The plan is effective because the school

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Grade: 1

has made very good evaluations of how well pupils are performing and, as a result, senior leaders have a clear view of the school's strengths. This has enabled the school to improve well and maintain the very high standards found at the previous inspection. There is excellent capacity for further improvement. 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007 Governance is excellent. Governors play an important role in the school and are fully involved in all aspects of school life. They are very active in its work and direction. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

School Overall Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

30 March 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Cheapside CofE Primary School, Watersplash Lane, Cheapside, Ascot, SL5 7QJ Thank you for your help when I visited your school. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit because everyone was so welcoming and friendly. These are the things that I think are best about your school: • your parents believe that your school is excellent and does some wonderful things for you and I agree with them • you really enjoy school because you are happy and safe and all the adults look after you extremely well • your behaviour is excellent • your teachers give you many exciting and fun things to do • you learn very quickly and well • your headteacher is brilliant! Your school is excellent and the one thing that I have asked your headteacher to do is to build a cover outside the Reception class so that the children can play and learn outdoors in all weathers. I hope that you will always enjoy your time at school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Keith Sadler Inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Cheapside CofE Primary School, 21 March 2007

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