Chorleywood Primary School

Chorleywood Primary School Inspection report

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117093 Unique Reference Number Hertfordshire Local Authority 326524 Inspection number 2–3 July 2009 Inspection dates Sarah McDermott 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 Community School category 3–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 231 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 Mrs Ruth Patel Chair Mrs Atifa Sayani Headteacher 22 June 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Stag Lane School address Chorleywood Rickmansworth Hertfordshire WD3 5HR 01923 282095 Telephone number 01923 282095 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 2–3 July 2009 Inspection dates 326524 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: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

Chorleywood Primary is an average sized, one-form entry school. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is below the national average. The percentage of pupils who are from minority ethnic groups is lower than average and very few pupils do not have English as their first language. An average percentage of pupils have learning difficulties and/or disabilities. The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises a part-time Nursery class and a Reception class. The school has gained the Healthy Schools Award and the Sports Mark Active.

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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: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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Grade: 3

Chorleywood Primary is a happy school where pupils make satisfactory progress in their academic achievement. It has a few good and outstanding features. A very strong community ethos means that pupils, staff, governors and parents feel valued members of the school family. The personal development of the pupils is outstanding. Pupils are mature, sensible and enjoy coming to school. Behaviour is excellent and pupils say that bullying is practically unheard of. Pupils are proud to take on a wide range of responsibilities, such as play leaders, playground buddies and fruit monitors. The keen Eco Team and thriving allotment show that pupils are especially aware of environmental issues. Pupils enter the school with skills that are well developed for their age, particularly in personal and social skills and leave with standards above average in English, mathematics and science. Science has been particularly strong for several years because pupils have plenty of opportunities

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Grade: 3

for hands-on experiences. The school is aware that achievement in writing is not as high as it could be, because targets have not been met in either Key Stage 1 or Key Stage 2. Pupils who find learning difficult make good progress because the school has targeted effective support to boost their achievement. Sound teaching and learning lead to satisfactory achievement. Good relationships and careful organisation mean that pupils feel at ease in their learning and know what they should have learnt by the end of the lesson. The school's leadership has identified that in a few classes expectations are not high enough for the more able. Pupils are not always given enough scope to move on faster or take the lead in their learning, especially in writing. Even so, the curriculum is good and engaging. It results very successfully in pupils knowing how to lead healthy and safe lives and progressing well in their personal development. The pastoral care of pupils is

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Grade: 3

good; their happiness is of paramount importance to all staff. Pupils are safe and secure. Academic guidance is satisfactory. Teachers mark work regularly and constructively against lesson objectives, although pupils do not always follow up suggested tasks to improve learning. Individual learning targets are starting to give pupils guidance in how to improve their writing across lessons beyond literacy. Leaders and managers are well organised and have begun to make good use of consistent tracking information to identify pupils who might be falling behind. The leadership of headteacher is successfully driving change, supported by a committed team of staff. The senior leadership team is working to develop the role of subject leadership. They regularly observe their colleagues teach, but do not always focus on what pupils are learning effectively. Senior leaders have successfully improved the achievement of the less able. Consequently, the school

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Grade: 3

has a satisfactory capacity to achieve further.

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Grade: 2

Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception classes because they learn in an interesting and secure environment. The very large majority reach, and most considerably exceed, goals expected for their age in all areas of their learning by the time they enter Year 1. Early writing skills develop well for most children, but this is an aspect where boys are less successful and do not show as much interest as girls. The welfare and personal development of the children, particularly for those with specific learning needs, is of great importance to all 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009 adults. Close links with home and thoughtful induction programmes ensure that the children settle quickly and learn to play and work together happily. They behave extremely well and need the very minimum of correction to live up to their teacher's expectations. The staff team has worked together well to tackle the inconsistencies noted in the last inspection. Teaching

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Grade: 2

is now effective in supporting children's development across both classes. Adults work closely together to evaluate each child's progress and use this information to plan the next steps in their learning and organise a suitable balance of activities led by adults or initiated by the children. The addition of shade has greatly enhanced the outside area, but children do not have extensive chances to develop their independence outside further because access is limited to certain times of the day.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Raise standards further and improve achievement in writing by engaging pupils in more exciting and challenging topics. ■ Improve the quality of learning, particularly for the more able pupils, by raising expectations and increasing opportunities for pupils to take the initiative and lead. ■ Improve the focus of classroom monitoring by subject leaders so that a clear judgement is made on the impact of provision on pupils' achievement. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Pupils enter the school with skills higher than expected for their age. They make suitable progress across the school, with the rate of progress varying between year groups. Pupils who find learning difficult make good progress because of effective support from teaching assistants and well targeted intervention work. In 2008, standards at Key Stage 1 were above average, with mathematics a little stronger than reading and writing. At Key Stage 2, standards were above average in English and mathematics and exceptionally high in science. Unvalidated results for 2009 indicate that Key Stage 1 and 2 results are still above national expectations. Targets were not met for writing at Key Stage 1 in 2008 or 2009. At Key Stage 2, targets were met for English and mathematics in 2008. The school's tracking shows that very challenging targets for the higher level 5 grades have not been met in English or mathematics this year, particularly so for writing, and indicating that

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Grade: 3

one to two of the more able pupils are not achieving as much as they might do.

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Grade: 1

The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of the pupils is outstanding. Pupils know right from wrong and have a strong sense of care for each other. Out at play, pupils are often seen helping each other or playing in groups of mixed ages and gender. One pupil commented, 'Everyone is really friendly!' Pupils have a good knowledge of other faiths and cultures and can discuss moral issues with sensitivity and maturity. Pupils lead very healthy and safe lives. Many walk or cycle to school, and fruit and vegetables are popular at break time. They are confident in saying there is no bullying in the school and 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009 know who to turn to if they feel at all concerned. Behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are polite and courteous and make visitors feel very welcome. Pupils love coming to school to meet their friends and take part in exciting clubs and activities. Attendance is above the national average.

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Grade: 1

Pupils are very valuable members of the school community. The school council is very proud to have helped organise a 'tractor' climbing frame for the infants and to have suggested that Friday is a non-football day. Pupils are well prepared for life beyond school. The Year 6 pupils feel confident in moving on to secondary school.

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Grade: 3

Teaching has a satisfactory impact on the pupils' learning and their progress. Relationships between pupils and teachers are good so classrooms are calm and productive. Most teaching is conducted at a good pace through brisk questioning, by breaking learning down into smaller events and by regularly reviewing progress. Learning objectives for each lesson give pupils a good focus. Pupils enjoy working with their partners when discussing new ideas. Activities are adapted well for the less able, and teaching assistants provide effective support. The very careful and thorough whole-class explanations help the less able, but occasionally a few pupils are not extended fully in these sessions. Teaching styles do not consistently develop the pupils' independence by providing plenty of opportunities for pupils to take responsibility for planning their own learning. The interactive whiteboards are used well to enliven learning. Other

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Grade: 3

information and communication technology is starting to be used more frequently to broaden pupils' learning in the classroom.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum makes a very considerable contribution to pupils' personal development but has less impact on their academic progress. The school pays suitable attention to developing basic skills but opportunities for writing often do not sufficiently engage pupils so achievement is satisfactory rather than good. Programmes are adapted successfully to meet the needs of pupils who find learning difficult or who have fallen behind their targets. Provision for gifted and talented pupils is developing suitably. The school greatly enriches the pupils' experiences through a wide variety of very popular extra-curricular activities. Sport plays a major part in school life. Pupils can learn to play a wide variety of sports such as Tae Kwon Do, golf and cricket. Pupils also participate enthusiastically in musical events with the choir and orchestra. 'Activities Week', benefiting from significant parental input, enables pupils of all ages to work

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Grade: 2

together on varied tasks. Visitors and visits are carefully planned into each subject; they bring learning to life and add much to pupils' enjoyment.

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Grade: 2

Care, guidance and support are good overall. The school is a very secure place and meets all the requirements for safeguarding. Consequently, parents agree when their children say they feel really safe and well cared for. The strong pastoral system ensures that pupils are confident and at ease with their learning. Teachers are now using assessment data more effectively to identify pupils who need extra help and to check the success of intervention programmes. They 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009 identify specific learning difficulties early and put carefully tailored support into place. The school uses outside specialists well to provide for the particular needs of individual pupils. Support for academic development is satisfactory. Helpful marking links well to a lesson's learning intentions. However, not all pupils are yet secure in knowing their personal targets to

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Grade: 2

enable them to take more of a lead in their learning and improve their writing and numeracy skills in lessons beyond English and mathematics lessons.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher is very committed and enthusiastic. She has set up clearly understood practices and procedures to help her colleagues track pupils' progress. She has successfully overseen the improvement in the Early Years Foundation Stage - an area for development raised in the last inspection. Her senior leadership team is included in leadership decisions and supports her well in carrying out management tasks. The school is starting to set targets which are now sufficiently challenging for pupils. The leadership and management of the school is sound overall. Subject leaders have evaluated provision carefully and continue to develop in their role. They know the school's strengths and areas that need developing, having identified these in their individual action plans. They are not all confident in checking that the quality of learning in their subject is having a successful impact on raising achievement. The school has a clear plan

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Grade: 3

to ensure pupils are active members of their school and local community as well as the wider world. Consequently, the school has a true community ethos where pupils appreciate and celebrate different backgrounds and ways of life within the UK. Governance is sound. Governors work well with the headteacher. They ensure the views of parents and pupils are appropriately taken into account. Governors are beginning to challenge the school more rigorously about the progress that pupils make each year and over several years. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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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? 3 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

3 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: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 2 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 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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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 3 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

6th July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Chorleywood Primary School, Hertfordshire, WD3 5HR We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your school. Thank you very much for helping us on the inspection by talking to us and showing us what you can do. We agree with your parents that you are in safe hands and we know you enjoy school. You get on very well with your teachers, who say you are such a pleasure to teach. We were impressed with the way you all played and worked so well together and willingly took on jobs, such as fruit monitors and play leaders. Behaviour is excellent. We are pleased that you know how to lead such healthy and safe lives. You talked enthusiastically about the stalls you have run at the school fair and the interesting clubs you attend. We were especially impressed with the way you are helping to make your school a pleasant and sustainable place through composting, recycling and growing vegetables in your allotment.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

You go to a sound school because you arrive with skills higher than expected for your ages, make satisfactory progress and leave with standards above the national average in English and mathematics and well above in science. We think the school organises exciting activities for you and teachers work hard to make lessons interesting. Your headteacher and her team of senior teachers lead the school well. They know what needs improving. Already they have made sure those of you who sometimes find learning difficult catch up. They are now concentrating on improving your writing. To make your education better, I have asked your school to do three things.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Improve your writing by giving you even more challenging topics.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Make sure your learning improves by ensuring that you are given more work which extends your learning effectively. ■ Make sure that the way lessons are planned and taught are watched more closely to ensure you are learning as best as you can. We thoroughly enjoyed our visit to your school. We know that your teachers make your school a special place for you. You can do your bit by continuing to be positive, behaving impeccably and by making the most of your time at Chorleywood Primary. Yours sincerely Sarah McDermott Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Chorleywood Primary School, 2–3 July 2009

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