Chelford CofE Primary School

Chelford CofE Primary School Inspection report

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111254 Unique Reference Number Cheshire Local Authority 325330 Inspection number 19 November 2008 Inspection date Kevin Johnson Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Voluntary controlled School category 4–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 47 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Donald McLeod Chair Mrs Alison Scott Headteacher 14 September 2005 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Oak Road School address Chelford Macclesfield Cheshire SK11 9AY 01625 861351 Telephone number 01625 890003 Fax number

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4–11 Age group 19 November 2008 Inspection date 325330 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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a small school. Most of the pupils who attend are White British, a very small number of whom are known to be eligible for free school meals. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very low. The school recently achieved the Activemark in recognition of its work to promote physical activity and encourage pupils to develop healthy lifestyles. Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) join the school in the Reception class.

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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: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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Grade: 2

This is a good school. Pupils' personal development is good and this, along with good teaching, contributes well to their good achievement. Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. They behave well, show respectful attitudes and are supportive of each other. They enjoy the opportunities they have to express themselves through art and music, especially that of other cultures. Bollywood dancers were a recent 'star attraction' in the school. Pupils demonstrate a wider view of cultural diversity, for example, by supporting the 'No More Landmines campaign. Pupils' good attendance verifies their view that school is fun and a place to make good friends. They are fully aware of what it means to have a healthy lifestyle and how this can be maintained. They are proud of the fact that they only eat healthy snacks and follow sensible diets at school and at home. Pupils describe themselves as 'very active,' both in the playground and when attending sports

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Grade: 2

clubs before and after school. Pupils make a very positive contribution to their community. The school council gives all pupils a strong voice. This has resulted in playground improvements and a scheme to hold a fundraising event in order to fund a school council budget. Pupils also take part in a very wide range of village events, which include giving performances in the village hall and carrying out work commissioned by the Parish Council to survey local residents' views about village improvements. Overall, pupils are well prepared to face the challenges of the next stage of their education by the time they leave the school. Pupils achieve well. They enter Reception with expected skills and knowledge for their age and attain above average standards overall in English, mathematics and science by the end of Year 6. Standards show a steady improvement over time in Key Stage 1. The most recent teachers'

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Grade: 2

assessments indicate that they are now well above national expectations. Good teaching and more rigorous analysis of pupils' progress, in order to guide targets and lesson planning, are helping to improve standards at both key stages. Consequently, the school has raised its sights and set even more challenging targets for the end of Year 6 in the coming year. The quality of teaching and learning is good. Lessons are planned well and there is good challenge for pupils with varying abilities within classes. Good progress is underpinned by good relationships, which create the right climate for learning. Because of the good pastoral care provided, pupils know that teachers value the contribution they make to lessons. As a result they are confident learners and more willing to 'have a go'. Nevertheless, teachers' marking provides too little guidance about how pupils can improve their work. This limits the pupils' ability to assess their own

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Grade: 2

progress and to make decisions about what they need to do next. There is good breadth to the curriculum and there are good opportunities for pupils to develop their independent learning skills, which help prepare them for the workplace. A rich variety of first-hand experiences contribute well to pupils' enjoyment of learning, as well as to their good achievement. The school is led and managed well. The headteacher has brought stability to the school and overseen good improvements in the use of assessment information, the effectiveness of teaching and in the care provided. She is supported well by staff and governors, who share the task of monitoring the school's performance and helping to provide an accurate overview of its work. Systems to ensure that the good performance is sustained are well established and all staff members know the way in which they are accountable for pupils' progress throughout the

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Grade: 2

school. Given the improvements made and the current strengths in leadership, there is good 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008 capacity for further improvement. The active and well informed governing body provide good support and challenge. They are fully committed to the school's future development and work hard to maintain the school's justifiably high profile within the community and to ensure good value for money.

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Grade: 2

Provision for children in the EYFS is managed well. Consequently, they make good progress. From joining Reception class with the expected skills for their age, children achieve well in all areas of learning and are working securely within the early learning goals when they enter Year 1. The teacher plans activities carefully to develop children's knowledge of letters and sounds and extend their vocabulary. Reception children's language and communication skills also benefit greatly from the opportunity to work alongside older pupils. For example, rather than choose from the range of play activities planned for them, they elected to watch with the older pupils a pineapple being cut up. The teacher seized this opportunity well to encourage Reception children to use their senses and think of words to describe their experience. Children develop good personal and social skills. They are confident about making choices, quickly form trusting

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Grade: 2

friendships and are eager to learn. Children's welfare is given very high priority. Every precaution is taken to ensure their well-being in the classroom and outdoor areas, especially during their weekly welly walk'. Their introduction to Reception is made smoother through strong links with the pre-school and visits to school during the term before they start, when they join other children for lunch.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that teachers' marking provides pupils with clear guidance about the next steps needed to improve their work. ■ Provide opportunities for pupils to assess their own progress and set new targets for themselves.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well. From entering Reception with expected skills for their age they make good progress throughout the school to reach above average standards at the end of Year 6. School assessments show that standards at the end of Year 2 in 2008 continued to rise, whilst pupils' performance at the end of Year 6 was also above average. Inspection evidence shows that improvements in standards are likely to continue. This is due to the school's rigorous checks on pupils' progress and the effective use of assessment information by teachers to set challenging targets for pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make good progress because of the additional support they receive. For example, pupils whose reading skills were below average at the end of Key Stage 1, made up considerable ground to achieve above the nationally expected level at the end of Key Stage 2. Curricular links with the local

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Grade: 2

high school provide good opportunities for gifted and talented pupils to extend their skills.

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Grade: 2

Pupils say that they enjoy school because they make friends, are active and receive a good education. They are invariably polite and well mannered. They feel safe in school because of 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008 the good relationships. Pupils speak out very strongly against bullying and racism and are adamant that they are non-existent in their school. Behaviour is good and pupils are able to adjust their responses to suit different occasions, such as during assemblies or when in the dining hall. Pupils respond well to the opportunities they have to maintain their fitness and make sensible choices about what they eat. They develop the life skills they will need to be good community members through their extensive links with village life, as well as with local schools and businesses.

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Grade: 2

The consistently effective teaching accounts for pupils' good overall achievement and progress in lessons. Teachers share their good practice, both informally and through training, to ensure that high expectations are maintained. Lessons are planned effectively because teachers use assessment information well, taking good account of pupils' different abilities. However, pupils, especially the more able, are not involved sufficiently in evaluating their own progress and identifying their own targets in order to maximise their day-to-day progress. Teachers use questions well to probe pupils' understanding and to engage them well in learning. Resources are used effectively to support learning. Teachers use electronic whiteboards well to bring lessons to life and pupils make good use of computers in their classrooms. Teaching assistants are an important part of the teaching team. They use their valuable skills well to support pupils

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Grade: 2

There is good breadth to the curriculum. It is planned thoughtfully to meet the particular needs of the pupils. Good progress is being made towards introducing the teaching of French. The curriculum is enhanced by a good range of visits and visitors which enrich pupils' learning. For example, a mosaic resulting from work with a local artist and made up of natural materials from the old school building provides a historical link between past and present. Pupils are also working with artists and architects on the 'Big Idea' project which is aimed at bringing sculpture and landscape together in the village. There is a good focus on literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology (ICT). These skills are increasingly practised across a range of subjects. Provision for personal, social, health and citizenship education is well established. Outside agencies such as the emergency services help to alert pupils to potential

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Grade: 2

dangers and how they can protect themselves. Pupils' learning about responsible behaviour and secure relationships helps them to make informed choices about their personal well-being.

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Grade: 2

Pupils endorse parents' overwhelming agreement that children are well cared for. There is good support for pupils who have additional needs whether emotional or academic. Clear expectations regarding behaviour and relationships underpin the school's caring, family ethos. Pupils receive good guidance about matters of safety. All the school's safeguarding procedures meet current requirements. Academic support and guidance is not as strong as the pastoral care provided. Although the school has installed effective systems to track pupils' progress over time, too 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008 little guidance is given to pupils through teachers' marking, as to what step-by-step improvements they can make to their work in order to ensure their best progress.

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Grade: 2

Resourceful leadership by the headteacher has established a hard working team of staff and governors, committed to driving the school forward. All fully share the vision for school improvement and the responsibility that it carries. There are good systems in place to ensure rigorous and accurate evaluation of the school's work. There is a clear focus on improving standards and achievement. To that end, higher targets are set and progress is checked carefully to ensure the school stays on track. Leaders provide good quality pastoral care to ensure the well-being of staff and pupils. Community cohesion is promoted well and this contributes to pupils' positive attitudes and good awareness of local and global issues. Governors are fully committed to the school's growth. The wealth of expertise they share with the school provides them with good insight into the school's work and makes them effective critical partners in its

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Grade: 2

development. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 2 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 2 The behaviour of learners 2 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 2 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 2 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you for making us so welcome when we came to inspect your school recently. It was a pleasure to talk to you about your school because you are so polite and well mannered. It was good to learn how much you enjoy school and how well you take care of one another. Your attendance is good too. That is very important so do keep it up. Oh yes! Your school lunches are scrumptious, so it is little wonder that you are all so healthy and fit. Yours is a good school. You are taught well and you make good progress. The standards you reach in your work are above average. The grown-ups in school take good care of you to make sure you are safe. Your headteacher runs the school well. Your parents, school governors and teachers are just as proud of your school as you are so, naturally, they would like it to be even better. I have suggested two things which might help them to do that, but it means that you have to play your part as well. The first thing I have

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

asked is that your teachers make sure that you are absolutely clear about what you need to do next to improve your work. The second is linked to that too. You should be expected to check your own work more often and decide for yourselves how well you have improved and what your next targets should be. 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Chelford CofE Primary School, 19 November 2008

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