Chase View Community Primary School

Chase View Community Primary School Inspection report

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134666 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire Local Authority 328946 Inspection number 11–12 May 2009 Inspection dates David Driscoll 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 153 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 Jill Probert Chair Richard Jordon Headteacher 10 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Hillary Crest School address Rugeley Rugeley WS15 1NE

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3–11 Age group 11–12 May 2009 Inspection dates 328946 Inspection number 01889 256125 Telephone number 01889 256126 Fax number

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3–11 Age group 11–12 May 2009 Inspection dates 328946 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. 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small primary school serves a housing estate in Rugeley. The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is average. The proportion with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average, as is the proportion with a statement of special educational needs.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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Grade: 4

In accordance with section 13 (3) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty's Chief Inspector is of the opinion that this school requires significant improvement, because it is performing significantly less well than in all the circumstances it could reasonably be expected to perform. The school is therefore given a notice to improve. Significant improvement is required in relation to ensuring that procedures are implemented to meet government requirements for safeguarding pupils. The school's overall effectiveness is inadequate, because it has not carried out all the checks required to ensure the welfare, health and safety of pupils, including children in the Early Years Foundation Stage, so the care, guidance and support provided by the school are inadequate. This is a result of inadequate leadership and management. Governors are ultimately responsible for ensuring such checks have been completed, but not all the policies they have drawn up

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Grade: 4

have been consistently implemented by senior managers. Communication with the local authority has not been effective, leaving individuals with the impression that checks were the responsibility of someone else. The school's managers took immediate actions to start to address these shortcomings as soon as they were made aware of the situation. In other respects, such as teaching and the curriculum, provision is satisfactory, resulting in pupils' satisfactory achievement and personal development. Children join the Nursery with skills and understanding that are broadly at the level expected for their age. They make satisfactory progress as they move through the school and by the end of Year 2 standards are in line with the national average. Progress is good in reading and only satisfactory in writing and mathematics, particularly for the most able pupils in Years 1 and 2, who do not do as well as they could because their work is sometimes not challenging enough. Current standards in

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Grade: 4

Year 6 are below average, but this still represents satisfactory progress given that these pupils started Year 3 with standards that were below average. In Years 3 to 6, the good progress in reading continues, and standards are average. Progress in mathematics is outstanding and standards are above average. Excellent use has been made of information and communication technology (ICT) to boost pupils' confidence and the speed at which they work in mathematics lessons: teachers match work to the capabilities of individual pupils with a high degree of accuracy, so all are challenged at the right level to ensure they can make the best possible progress. This good practice is not reflected in writing and science, where progress is only satisfactory and standards remain below average. Many areas of the school's work have shown good improvement since the last inspection, except the quality of care, guidance and support, which is inadequate. The monitoring and evaluation

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Grade: 4

of teaching and the curriculum are accurate. The school's leadership is clear about where strengths and areas for improvement lie. The progress made by pupils is tracked carefully and teachers provide good academic guidance. However, the information gained from monitoring is not yet used precisely enough when targeting actions to eliminate inconsistencies in teaching that lead to variations in progress between different subjects and different groups of pupils. Nevertheless, the rapidly improving standards in reading and the year-on-year improvements in achievement in Years 3 to 6 are evidence that the school's leaders and managers have the capacity to improve the school further. 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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Grade: 4

The failure of the school's leaders and managers to carry out necessary safeguarding checks means that the school does not meet the welfare requirements for the Early Years Foundation Stage, so provision in this respect and overall is inadequate. Children are assessed accurately on joining the Nursery, but only in relatively few areas of learning. As a result, the picture gained of their knowledge, understanding and skills is incomplete. Assessment improves from this point on, with teachers carefully noting improvements on a daily basis. Good attention is given to improving some aspects, such as learning letters and their sounds, and progress in these areas is good. In most areas, progress is only satisfactory because children are not always moved on as quickly as they could be, for example when they spend too long on the same activity without adult intervention. This is particularly true of activities where children are just

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Grade: 4

left to play, without sufficient purpose or initial direction. The Nursery children make good use of the outdoor areas but this is not the case in Reception, where children do not have enough free access to the outside facilities. The good relationships that children have with adults help them grow in confidence and they leave Reception with standards that are close to average in all areas of learning.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Urgently address all remaining weaknesses in safeguarding procedures to ensure pupils' welfare, health and safety. ■ Ensure that work in writing and science in Years 3 to 6 is better matched to the abilities of the pupils. ■ Increase the level of challenge in writing and mathematics for the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2. ■ Make better use of information gained from monitoring to eliminate variations in the quality of teaching, so that all groups of pupils make the best possible progress in all subjects.

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Grade: 3

All groups of pupils, including those with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, make generally satisfactory progress, but there are some variations between ability groups and some significant differences between subjects. The school's focus on encouraging children to read at an early age has led to them enjoying books, so progress in reading is good in all years. Progress in mathematics is satisfactory from the Nursery to Year 2, but from Year 3 onwards standards improve rapidly from below average to above, and pupils' outstanding achievement is among the best in the country. Very challenging targets are set in mathematics, but targets are not as challenging in English. The school recognises that progress in writing is slower in all years, although still satisfactory. In Years 1 and 2, the most able pupils do not always make as much progress as they should in writing. There is no such difference in Years 3 to 6, where all ability

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Grade: 3

groups make similar satisfactory progress in science and writing.

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Grade: 3

Most pupils enjoy coming to school. Attendance is satisfactory, but the proportion of pupils who are persistent absentees is relatively high. This proportion is falling in response to more 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009 rigorous action taken by the school. Most pupils enjoy the healthy school lunches. However, snacks at break times and in pupils' lunchboxes often consist of a lot of sweets and crisps, except on Fridays, when the school rewards those with a more healthy approach. Pupils enjoy sport and have been particularly successful in competitions. Behaviour in lessons is often good, but sometimes can become over-boisterous at playtimes when pupils are not always as aware of others' safety as they could be. However, they feel safe in school. They say that bullying does happen, but that it is dealt with well by the staff. Pupils raise considerable sums of money

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Grade: 3

for charity and have a sound understanding of how other communities that are different from their own, live their lives. The school council members play a good role in putting forward pupils' views, while others willingly accept responsibilities. Pupils grow in confidence as they move through the school. They leave Year 6 with a sound understanding of what it means to be a good citizen and are suitably prepared for the next stage in their education.

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Grade: 3

Although the quality of teaching and learning is satisfactory overall, some of the teaching is excellent and some is good. One reason for pupils' outstanding progress in mathematics in Years 3 to 6 is the way teachers plan activities that challenge pupils at an individual level. Different tasks are planned for different ability groups, with a number of activities for each group so there is always something for pupils to move on to. When pupils start their tasks, teachers and teaching assistants assess how well individual pupils are doing so they can quickly move on those who are finding the work a bit easier or provide extra support for those who are struggling. This is not the case in other subjects or year groups. In Years 1 and 2, for example, the more able pupils are sometimes given the same work as others in writing and mathematics, and they find it insufficiently challenging. There are examples of classes working at a fast pace,

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Grade: 3

while others spend too long on the carpet listening to the teacher. Sometimes questioning involves all pupils, while at other times it is focused only on a small minority. The result is inconsistent learning where not all pupils and classes make the same progress as the very best.

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Grade: 3

The most effective aspect of the curriculum is the way in which ICT has been used to improve pupils' achievement in mathematics. Every pupil receives 15 minutes of intensive mathematics tuition using a personalised computer program. The improvement in standards is remarkable, but so is the boost to pupils' confidence. They now feel 'good at mathematics', and return to the classroom keen to work hard and do well. They all say that they enjoy the work they do away from the computer equally as much as that on it, because they are achieving visible success. ICT is not used to the same effect in other subjects, for example to overcome boys' reluctance to write at length. The curriculum for music and French is good, and has a notable impact on both enjoyment and progress in these subjects. Many visitors come to school to enrich the curriculum, although the number of trips to places of interest is more limited than

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Grade: 3

often found in schools of this type and size. 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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Grade: 4

Insufficient attention is paid to pupils' welfare, health and safety. Safeguarding procedures do not meet national requirements, and other procedures such as those for carrying out risk assessments for some aspects of school life or recording racist incidents are not followed. Other aspects are good. In terms of academic guidance, for example, pupils are provided with clear targets at the end of each piece of work, so they know what they need to improve and how to do it. The support for pupils with disabilities is particularly effective in ensuring that they are able to play a full part in the life of the school. The school contacts parents of absent pupils on the first day of their absence, and this is helping to reduce persistent absenteeism. There are accurate and effective systems for tracking pupils' standards as they move through the school. These allow teachers to spot those who are falling behind so their learning difficulties

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Grade: 4

can be identified at an early stage and effective actions taken to ensure that they can catch up.

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Grade: 4

Confusion has arisen as to where responsibility lies for the carrying out of safeguarding checks. The school's managers have assumed that the local authority has carried out the checks, but this has not always been the case. As a result, governors have not met statutory requirements and other senior managers have not fulfilled their duties in ensuring pupils' welfare. The school has audited the needs of the local community, to see how improvements to community cohesion can be made. Plans have been drawn up, but their impact has not yet been evaluated. In other respects there are clear indications that the actions taken by the school's leaders have had a significant impact on improving provision. The outstanding leadership in mathematics has led to a rapid rise in standards and a remarkable improvement in rates of progress in this subject. Achievement is also improving steadily in other subjects as the actions taken by the school

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Grade: 4

prove successful. The school's managers have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas for improvement in the curriculum. However, actions to tackle weaknesses are not always focused as well as they could be, because the school does not yet make good use of all the information gained from the recently introduced systems for tracking pupils' progress. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009 .

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Grade: 4

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 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?

No 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?

3 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 3 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 4 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 4 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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learners?

3 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 3 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 3 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 3 The attendance of learners 3 The behaviour of learners 3 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? 4 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 3 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 No Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? Yes Does this school require a notice to improve? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

13 May 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Chase View Community Primary School, Rugeley, WS15 1NE Thank you for helping us when we recently visited your school. You told us what you think about your school, which helped us understand what the school does well and where it could be better. We found that the school is not as good as it should be. There are rules that must be followed by the people who run the school and lists that they must fill in to make sure that you are all as safe as possible. Unfortunately, they thought this had been done when it hadn't. So we have asked them to make sure that they check that everything is up to date and complete. There are no such problems in other areas, such as the teaching and the subjects that you study, which are satisfactory. You quickly learn to read and we were very impressed that you make really good progress in mathematics far more quickly than we usually see in Years 3 to 6. This

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

is because the teachers are really good at giving you work that each of you finds difficult, but that you can do if you try really hard. Using the computers has also helped you a lot here, and you told us that you now love doing mathematics. You don't learn as quickly in writing and science, because some of you sometimes find the work too hard or too easy, so we have asked the teachers to make sure that the work is just hard enough for you to get right. The same applies to mathematics in Years 1 and 2. You told us that you like coming to school. Most of you behave well in lessons, but you can sometimes forget about how others might feel when your play gets a bit rough. You know how to stay healthy, but don't always eat the foods you should. So ask your mums, dads and carers not to send you to school with so many sweets and crisps, and always try to eat healthy foods. You are learning more quickly because the people who run the school have a good idea of what

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

they need to do to make improvements. They are collecting more information to check how well you are doing, and we have asked them to use this information more carefully when they plan improvements. This will allow them to make the school even better, especially by helping to make sure that all your lessons benefit from really good teaching such as that seen in mathematics lessons. With all best wishes for your futures Yours faithfully David Driscoll Lead inspector 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Chase View Community Primary School, 11–12 May 2009

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