Chantry Community Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(5) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires significant improvement.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Deepen and extend pupils’ understanding of texts, particularly the most able, so that they achieve their full potential in reading.
• Improve boys’ progress in the early years by making sure that activities engage boys and girls equally in learning.
• Make sure that all pupils attend regularly, particularly White British and disadvantaged pupils.
• Ensure that all leaders and governors are clear about priorities in the school’s development so that they make a stronger contribution to improvements.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The head of school’s determined and unwavering focus on improving teaching, learning and assessment has been central to rapid improvement in the school’s performance over the past year. She has worked closely and constructively with governors, trustees, parents and members of staff to develop a strong and committed team.
• Developments in leadership since the previous inspection have ensured that improvements in teaching and learning have been sustained. Further appointments in the past year, including that of the deputy headteacher, have strengthened the school’s leadership. The deputy headteacher provides able support for the head of school.
• Staff morale has improved over the past year as teachers recognise the impact of better teaching on rising achievement. Positive staff morale contributes well to the school’s upbeat and aspirational atmosphere.
• Activities such as visits to the classrooms and reviews of pupils’ work ensure that senior leaders and governors have an accurate view of the quality of teaching. They provide good-quality training to support staff in developing their practice. Teachers and teaching assistants make good use of guidance and expertise across the trust to improve their teaching.
• Better use of pupil premium funding has improved disadvantaged pupils’ progress since the previous inspection. Teachers are quicker to identify pupils’ needs and leaders ensure that timely support is provided. For example, they give pupils extra help in key reading, writing and mathematics skills. This means that pupils are catching up with where they should be in their learning.
• The school teaches a broad, balanced and engaging curriculum so that pupils are keen to learn. Visits, clubs and events are used very well to stimulate pupils’ interest in learning and to support attendance.
• The school’s values, called ‘skills for life’, are consistent with British values. For example, skills such as respect and perseverance are promoted well through lessons and assemblies. Vibrant displays of pupils’ work throughout the school celebrate religious festivals such as Christmas and Diwali. The quality of work reflects the value and respect given to the beliefs and experiences represented by the school’s rich and diverse population.
• Leaders use primary school physical education and sports premium well to improve teaching and to encourage pupils’ wider participation in sport. For example, teachers work alongside specialist coaches to develop the teaching of sports such as gymnastics more effectively.
• Middle leaders play a more effective part in the school’s development than previously. For example, they meet with leaders to discuss pupils’ progress more frequently than at the time of the previous inspection. As a result, they have a more accurate view about how well teaching supports pupils’ achievement.
• However, some leaders are unclear about which aspects of the school’s work are most in need of improvement because development plans are too general. This weakens the impact they make on improving teaching and learning in their subjects.
• School leaders have raised expectations of the standards of behaviour. They carefully record incidents of poor behaviour and any support they put in place to improve any such incidents. This is having a positive impact.
• Leaders do all they can to support pupils’ attendance. They work closely with agencies and families to emphasise the importance of regular attendance. For example, the pastoral welfare leader uses her extensive understanding of pupils’ social and welfare needs to tailor support for families. This has secured considerable improvements in individual pupils’ attendance and learning. However, leaders are determined to ensure that all pupils attend well, but recognise that some groups of pupils do not attend regularly enough.

Governance of the school

• Governors and trustees play a confident and effective role in the school’s work. They share a wide range of experience and expertise which they use well to support the school’s work.
• Governors and trustees actively participate in the life of the school and have a firm knowledge of its performance. For example, the chair of the governing body and other governors frequently visit the classrooms. These visits provide them with a flavour of the school’s atmosphere and an insight into pupils’ learning and behaviour.
• Governors and trustees put this first-hand knowledge of the school’s work to good use in holding leaders to account for pupils’ learning and well-being. They speak knowledgeably about how well different groups of pupils learn, including disadvantaged pupils and the most able. However, the priorities in the school improvement plan are not always precise enough to enable governors to check whether they have been achieved.
• Governors and trustees recognise substantial improvements in the school’s atmosphere, in pupils’ pride in their work and in parents’ confidence in the school since the previous inspection. In common with school leaders, they recognise that attendance, while improving, is not yet high enough.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders and governors give safeguarding arrangements an appropriately high priority. They ensure that the school is safe and well-organised so that pupils can learn and play safely. For example, governors regularly visit the school to check site safety and to ensure that recruitment procedures meet requirements.
• During lessons and events such as assemblies, leaders make sure that pupils are regularly reminded about steps they can take to keep safe. As a result, pupils know what to do if they are worried. Strong relationships ensure that pupils feel comfortable about speaking to an adult if they have concerns. Good links with parents and agencies contribute well to safeguarding procedures.
• Staff and governors have an up-to-date understanding of safeguarding procedures and take prompt, effective action whenever necessary. Clear roles and responsibilities and strong channels of communication between members of staff contribute well to safeguarding procedures.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Substantial and sustained improvements in teaching have rapidly accelerated pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Effective mathematics teaching ensures that pupils develop secure numeracy skills as they move up through the year groups. The school’s revised curriculum plans ensure that pupils learn the key mathematics knowledge and skills needed to achieve well.
• Teachers and teaching assistants teach phonics skills consistently and confidently. They quickly and sensitively pick up and correct any mistakes that pupils make when pronouncing sounds so that these do not hinder the development of early reading skills.
• Teachers regularly give pupils lots of opportunities to use literacy and numeracy in different subjects and for a range of purposes. This ensures that pupils regularly practise, refine and strengthen key skills. For example, they teach pupils how to use mathematics skills to solve number problems and writing skills to write diary entries and letters.
• Teachers are more knowledgeable about assessing pupils’ needs than at the time of the previous inspection. They address gaps in pupils’ understanding increasingly well so that pupils are making much faster progress.
• Teachers’ expectations of pupils’ learning and behaviour are much higher than at the time of the previous inspection. Teachers expect all pupils to work equally hard and to behave sensibly.
• All staff follow the school’s policy for managing pupils’ behaviour. They speak with pupils in a calm, respectful and positive way. As a result, pupils feel valued, speak confidently to adults and behave well.
• Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning more effectively during lessons to check and develop pupils’ understanding. However, they do not ask the most able pupils sufficiently searching or challenging questions when talking to pupils about their reading.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils are kind, friendly and polite. The school’s ‘pupil ambassadors’ set other pupils an excellent example of how to behave. For example, they warmly greet visitors to the classrooms so that they feel valued and welcomed.
• Pupils feel safe. They say that regular reminders during lessons and assemblies help them to know some of the steps they can take to stay safe, including when using the internet.
• Leaders have taken effective steps to reduce incidents of bullying substantially. Pupils say that there were some incidents of bullying in the past which bothered them but that this is no longer the case. Pupils know what bullying is and what to do if they think it is happening. Records confirm that bullying incidents now rarely occur.
• Parents who spoke with inspectors recognise improvements in the school’s work since the head of school’s appointment. For example, they say that leaders are readily available to talk about any queries or concerns so that these are sorted out quickly.
• The after-school and breakfast clubs provide pupils with a safe and sociable environment at the start and end of the school day. Pupils behave well and respond respectfully to adults.
• The school’s focus on developing pupils’ life skills helps them to develop positive attitudes to learning and take personal responsibility for their progress and behaviour. As a result, pupils are increasingly well prepared with personal skills which will support them in the next stage of their education.
• Most pupils work hard and are keen to do their best. They complete work carefully and take pride in their school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils, parents and staff recognise considerable improvements in pupils’ behaviour since the previous inspection.
• The school has a calm, hard-working atmosphere. Pupils are clear about how they are expected to behave and about the implications of misbehaving. Most behave consistently well. Pupils play sensibly and safely during breaktimes. They move between lessons quietly and without fuss so that no learning time is lost.
• Leaders and teachers make sure they are regularly available at the school gate in the mornings to speak with parents. Parents told inspectors that this works well. They say that teachers and leaders quickly sort out any concerns and keep them informed about developments.
• Pupils’ attendance has improved since the previous inspection. There have been dramatic improvements in some groups’ attendance. However, not all groups attend well enough; this is particularly the case for White British and disadvantaged pupils.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Pupils make good progress from their starting points. Much higher proportions of pupils are on track to achieve expected levels of attainment in reading, writing, mathematics and science at the end of key stage 1 and 2 in 2017.
• In 2016, pupils’ attainment at the end of both key stages was affected by pupils’ additional needs and by significant gaps in pupils’ learning caused by weak teaching in the past. Standards were much lower than the national average at the end of key stage 1 and below average at the end of key stage 2 in reading, writing and mathematics. However, focused teaching and effective support is making up for lost time.
• Pupils who underachieved at the end of Year 2 in 2016 are now more securely equipped with fundamental literacy and numeracy skills. Current standards in Year 6 are much higher in all subjects than at this stage last year.
• All groups, including pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and the most able, learn more effectively than at the time of the previous inspection. Information about pupils’ progress and the work in their books indicates rapid and accelerating progress in all year groups.
• In 2016, disadvantaged pupils in Year 6 made similar progress to others nationally. Effective teaching and consistently high expectations mean that the picture continues to improve, with more disadvantaged pupils on course to achieve expected levels of attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of both key stages in 2017.
• Pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds and those who speak English as an additional language achieve well. Most make similar progress to their classmates and often better.
• Marked improvements in the quality of pupils’ handwriting reflect teachers’ increased expectations and pupils’ growing pride in their written work. Pupils learn how to select vocabulary and use different styles of writing to suit the task in hand. The most able demonstrate increasing skill in writing as they progress through the year groups.
• The results of the Year 1 phonics check increased dramatically in 2016 so that standards were much closer to the national average than the previous year. There were similarly impressive improvements in the proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving well in the check.
• Pupils enjoy reading and talking about books. They use phonics and other strategies well to help them to read, including the least able readers and those who find reading more difficult. However, while the most able pupils read fluently and with expression, they do not learn how to interpret texts more deeply and so do not achieve their full potential in reading.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders have secured marked improvements in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in the early years since the previous inspection. Effective teaching ensures that children make good progress from their starting points, which are often much lower than typical.
• The proportion of children achieving a good level of development doubled in 2016. There was a similar improvement in the proportion of disadvantaged children achieving expected levels at the end of the early years. Improving outcomes ensure that children are increasingly well prepared for learning in Year 1.
• Adults make sure children have plenty of opportunities to use and improve language and speaking skills. They gently encourage all children to participate in discussions and speaking activities with their classmates, including those who are reluctant to speak and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities. As a result, children of all abilities and backgrounds, including children who speak English as an additional language and disadvantaged children, make good progress in developing social and language skills.
• Teachers confidently teach phonics skills in engaging ways so that children happily join in with their classmates. Consistent, good-quality phonics teaching equips children with secure early reading skills by the end of the Reception Year.
• Adults listen carefully to what children say and respect their views. Caring relationships and clear routines help children to feel safe and settled.
• Teachers display children’s work widely in the classrooms and around the school. As a result, children feel valued and rapidly grow in confidence.
• Children know that their teachers expect them to do their best and are keen to do well. They enjoy playing together, behave very well and are proud of their achievements.
• Children enjoy school and like to learn new things. They often concentrate on tasks for extended periods of time. For example, during the inspection children happily shared sequins with each other while decorating their pictures of Christmas trees. They enthusiastically explained how they had made the Christmas trees by dipping their hands in paint and pressing their hands onto the paper.
• Leaders have introduced more opportunities for parents to find out about their children’s learning and about how they can contribute to their children’s development. For example, teachers make sure parents can talk with them at the start and end of the school day, while ‘stay and play’ sessions in the classrooms are increasingly popular with parents.
• Leaders and teachers accurately gauge children’s development needs when they start school and keep close track of how well teaching is supporting children’s learning, including disadvantaged children and the most able. However, adults do not plan activities sufficiently well to ensure that boys and girls are equally engaged in learning. As a result, boys do not achieve as well as girls.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 139254 Kent 10019917 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy sponsor-led Age range of pupils Gender of pupils 3–11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 378 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Janice Brooke Kathryn Duncan 01474 350011 http://greenacreacademytrust.co.uk/chantry/ office@chantryca.com Date of previous inspection 13–14 May 2015

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school complies with Department for Education guidance on what academies should publish.
• The school is larger than the average primary school.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is higher than that found in most schools.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is higher than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils with a minority ethnic background is above the national average, as is the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language.
• Above-average proportions of pupils join or leave the school at times other than those expected.
• The school does not meet the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.
• The school provides part-time early years provision in the Nursery class and full-time early years provision in the two Reception classes.
• The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club on site, both of which were visited during this inspection.
• The strategic leadership of the school has changed since the previous inspection. Sponsorship of the school transferred to the Greenacre Academy Trust (GAT), which is a multi-academy trust, in January 2016.
• The head of school was appointed in February 2016.

Information about this inspection

• The inspection team observed learning in 21 lessons or part lessons, including 10 observed jointly with the head of school, deputy headteacher or early years leader.
• Inspectors held discussions with the head of school, senior leaders, teachers, members of staff, parents and pupils. A meeting also took place with the chief executive officer of the trust, the chair of the trust, the chair of the governing body and two other governors.
• The inspection team took account of the three responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire and a letter from a parent. In addition, inspectors considered the views expressed by parents who spoke with them informally during the inspection.
• Inspectors observed the school’s work and considered a range of documents, including the improvement plan, information about pupils’ progress and attendance, and safeguarding policies.
• The inspection team looked at a sample of pupils’ work provided by the school, as well as looking at pupils’ work in lessons. They also listened to pupils in Year 2 and 6 reading.

Inspection team

Julie Sackett, lead inspector Linda Taylor Helen Baxter

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector