Chilton Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Find manageable and meaningful ways to further refine the level of challenge in subjects beyond English and mathematics.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• United, confident and determined leadership has made Chilton Primary School an outstanding place for pupils to learn. Relentlessly high expectations and ambition are shared at all levels.
• Leaders have an incisive, accurate and realistic understanding of the school’s context and effectiveness. Close links between their evaluations of how well the school is doing and plans for further improvement are typical of leaders’ steadfast determination and commitment to continuously improve.
• There is an unwavering common sense of purpose and clarity of leadership at all levels. All leaders are part of – and contribute meaningfully to – the strategy for continuous improvement. Middle leadership has further strengthened in the short time since the previous inspection. Middle leadership roles have been restructured and curriculum leaders are crystal clear about their responsibilities. They now have a much louder voice in deciding on and leading improvement, assuring the sustainability of the school’s success.
• Because staff believe strongly in the school’s ethos and approaches, they work with incredible diligence and care to implement these consistently. Leaders are attentive to the well-being and workload of staff, as almost all staff strongly agree. Teachers spoke of a constructive and collaborative ethos where they ‘don’t feel afraid to ask for help’.
• The comprehensive package of professional development activities for staff goes way beyond simply ‘going on a course’. Teachers are closely involved in improving, sharing and celebrating their own and others’ excellent practice. This rich sharing of expertise extends across and beyond the trust. Leaders astutely ensure that there is real depth to this professional learning. For example, they emphasise that it is not just about taking others’ ideas ‘off the shelf’ without question, but about understanding the reasons why things work and adapting them to Chilton’s context accordingly.
• Leaders make highly intelligent use of their well-developed systems to check how well pupils are doing. If an individual or group of pupils could be doing better, the response is rapid and effective.
• School leaders work closely and constructively with parents and carers, staff and other agencies to support vulnerable pupils extremely well. There is an uncompromising ambition that – with the right support – these pupils can do at least as well as their peers, if not better. Indeed, such pupils thrive at Chilton Primary.
• The highly effective leadership of provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is very responsive to individuals’ needs. Leaders, teachers and teaching assistants are well trained. Extensive links with external specialists provide expert advice which is scrupulously followed in school. The trust special educational needs coordinator is a passionate advocate for pupils with SEND. Parents praise her attentiveness to their views and those of their children.
• The pupil premium strategy is highly effective. Leaders pinpoint barriers to disadvantaged pupils’ future achievement, both in and out of school. They then carefully plan the practical steps they will take to break these barriers down. Always, leaders maintain their razor-sharp focus on what they hope to achieve, both in the short and – crucially – the long term. This strategy – combined with skilful and perceptive daily teaching – secures exceptional academic progress and impressive personal development for disadvantaged pupils.
• The school uses additional funding for sport extremely well. An extensive, diverse and tempting range of clubs and competitions – as well as the kilometre daily run – ensure that pupils’ participation in physical activities is high. Given the school’s closeness to the sea, meaningful opportunities – such as sailing and surfing – are offered to older pupils.
• Pupils speak with great enthusiasm about their learning, justifiably proud of their achievements across a broad range of subjects. Leaders and staff are highly effective in implementing their curriculum approach of providing pupils with plentiful creative and enriching experiences. Pupils secure deep knowledge and understanding, and hone a wide range of useful skills as a result. As well as reaching high academic standards, the curriculum strongly develops pupils’ skills, qualities and attributes. These include enquiry, resilience, communication, thoughtfulness, cooperation, respect and adaptability.
• This already rich curriculum is also extensively enriched to create thoughtful additional opportunities to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The breadth and diversity of activities enable pupils to understand key factors that have shaped our cultural heritage and begin to appreciate the benefits of life in modern Britain. The school surrounds pupils with positive role models from diverse backgrounds, encouraging pupils to aspire and aim high.

Governance of the school

• The breadth of knowledge, skills and experience on the local advisory body (LAB) of governors provides a firm foundation upon which highly effective governance is built. Like other leaders, governors are tenacious in their desire to secure the very best for pupils.
• In conducting their business, governors maintain a fine balance between meeting their statutory duties, and supporting and challenging school improvement. LAB members are insightful and knowledgeable about the extent and limits of the governance role and impressively successful in fulfilling it. Governors base the decisions they make firmly on careful evaluation and risk assessment, with a sharp focus on the specifically defined outcomes they desire. Excellent professional clerking supports governors’ work invaluably.
• Governors know the school inside out, with an entirely appropriate level of detail. They combine their exceptional knowledge of the school’s performance data with a wealth of other information they systematically gather, including the views of parents, pupils and staff. They use this comprehensive understanding incisively to provide school leaders with focused and constructive challenge and support. This contributes to the strong and sustained improvement in performance. They are tenacious champions of improving the life chances of all, but especially of vulnerable pupils.
• The roles and responsibilities of governance in terms of the LAB and the trust board are clearly defined, understood and followed. The benefits of the additional expertise and collaborative working opportunities from being part of the trust are realised.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• For governors, leaders and staff, the creation of a safe, protective and vigilant culture is the primary focus. Underpinning this, the school’s systems, policies and procedures are tight and extremely well implemented. Leaders, governors and trustees check thoroughly and systematically that this is so.
• Recruitment checks are completed thoroughly and efficiently. The single central record meets and exceeds all statutory requirements. In selecting staff, leaders and governors follow good practice for safer recruitment closely, for example by probing candidates’ understanding of safeguarding at interview.
• Staff are very well trained to identify and respond to concerns about pupils’ welfare and safety. The designated safeguarding lead responds to such concerns by taking prompt and effective action, working closely and appropriately with other professionals and agencies to protect pupils.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teachers use their chosen engaging and enthusiastic teaching styles to great effect to captivate pupils. They combine these with their detailed subject knowledge exceedingly well to promote deep learning and understanding for pupils, particularly in English and mathematics.
• The pitch and content of teaching are motivated by the highest aspirations for pupils. Pupils of all abilities – including the most able – are suitably challenged and supported to excel. In English and mathematics, this challenge is particularly well matched to the needs of different groups in the class. Leaders have identified ensuring the same consistency of challenge in other subjects as a sensible next improvement priority.
• When the going gets tough during the most difficult tasks, pupils are resilient and able to persevere. They are extremely well equipped in these situations, drawing on their previous learning, resources in the classroom and support from adults or their peers. At these – and other times – teaching is highly encouraging and skilfully supportive. Because of the exceptionally positive climate and culture created in classrooms, pupils are used to thinking hard, eager to try and unafraid to make mistakes along the way.
• Teachers ensure that pupils’ knowledge and understanding build logically and sequentially over time. They have a pinpoint and precise understanding of where each pupil is in their learning. Teachers draw constantly on their extensive repertoire of the most relevant ways to check pupils’ developing knowledge and understanding. These checks are made unobtrusively, always enhancing and not interrupting the flow of learning.
• Careful planning and reliable routines help ensure that every moment in lessons is put to meaningful use. Important and helpful high-quality resources are routinely readily to hand. Early years children quickly get into the habit of following these consistent routines and, throughout the school, pupils’ organisation and management of equipment are excellent. Adults use the school’s systems of praise and reward very well during lessons.
• Teaching assistants are an integral part of this extremely successful teaching team. There is meticulous attention to detail in their deployment, both in terms of which classes and pupils they will support, but also during lessons. For example, planning includes not only where teaching assistants are positioned in the classroom for any given activity, but also their physical orientation to ensure that they have the best possible impact on pupils’ learning. They provide highly effective support, including for disadvantaged pupils, pupils that need to catch up with their peers and pupils with SEND.
• Phonics teaching in early years and key stage 1 is highly effective. Pupils’ different needs are well met, enabling them to make progress. Close adherence to the school’s chosen phonics scheme – both in its content and teaching methods – means that there is enough reliable consistency across different groups. Vulnerable pupils who do not learn phonics as readily as their peers are very well supported and nurtured to be confident learning to read.
• Mathematics teaching maintains a sharp focus on mathematical reasoning and explanation, enabling pupils to gain a deeper understanding of concepts. Teachers’ explanations and demonstrations are extremely clear and helpful. As in other subjects, pupils are confident to grapple with tricky content, secure in the knowledge that their teachers will help them understand in the end.
• High-quality teaching in physical education focuses on specific learning points, with excellent demonstration and impactful feedback. Pupils engage in physical activity with both enthusiasm and control. During the inspection, older pupils took part in a dance lesson without inhibition, making the most of the opportunities offered.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils’ attitudes to school and learning are overwhelmingly positive. Pupils of all abilities understandably feel that their work is valued and valuable. They take huge pride in what they produce. Pupils are diligent and enthusiastically commit to thinking and working hard. They particularly like that their teachers take the time and trouble to ‘find out their strengths’.
• The highly stimulating environment throughout the school provides a powerful backdrop that radiates high expectations and celebrates pupils’ achievements. Combined with the exceptional quality of relationships at all levels, this creates a climate for learning that is both aspirational and supportive.
• Through the success of the school’s teaching about values, it becomes instinctive for pupils to support, encourage and praise the efforts and achievements of their peers. Similarly, pupils recognise the boundaries that help the school run as a harmonious community. They routinely treat each other with considerable kindness, respect and courtesy, whether working collaboratively or alongside one another.
• Pupils proudly fulfil the wide range of opportunities to be responsible, developing leadership and other personal skills and qualities. These opportunities include formal roles such as house captain or serving on the junior leadership team. Pupils are greatly enthused about the fact that they can set up clubs themselves, such as the ‘outdoor club’.
• The wealth of sport and other physical activities encourage pupils’ strikingly positive attitudes to health and fitness. Pupils commit to and participate fully in physical activities, such as those aimed at developing muscle strength, coordination and balance. Knowledgably planned sessions enable pupils to take part in physical activity vigorously. They understand that getting out of breath is good for their cardiovascular development.
• Pupils feel safe and secure in school. They repeatedly commented that they have no worries about bullying. Pupils understand the mantra ‘this is a telling school’ very well. The culture this creates supports their mental health and well-being. While some pupils reported that a few pupils are occasionally silly, the overwhelming feeling among pupils is that others are very rarely intentionally mean. Should any unsocial behaviour occasionally occur, staff sort it out quickly and effectively.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Pupils’ conduct throughout the day is typically exemplary. From breakfast club onwards, pupils’ excellent cooperation with extremely well-established routines ensures that the day runs smoothly and efficiently.
• Commendable behaviour comes to be second nature for pupils. Through the success of the school’s work, pupils sensitively and suitably adapt their behaviour to different situations. Consequently, the atmosphere in classrooms at any given point ranges from engrossed focus and concentration to joyous and active involvement. In practical or physical lessons, pupils participate with gusto but still remember to promptly respond to adults’ instructions and listen attentively at the required times.
• Pupils understandably love coming to school. Attendance is above the national average and compares favourably with national figures for groups such as disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND. Additional support and strategies aimed at pupils who miss too much school have a powerful impact. Similarly, leaders and staff check carefully that pupils get into good habits and arrive on time. Pupils are rarely late.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• Chilton Primary School makes sure that none of the benefits of pupils’ outstanding personal development go to waste by ensuring that pupils use these advantages to excel academically too. Not only do pupils reach high standards in English and mathematics by the time they leave, they achieve well right across the curriculum.
• From starting points in Reception Year that are often typically lower overall compared with other children of similar ages, pupils make substantial progress year on year. Consequently, pupils typically catch up with – and often ultimately exceed – the attainment of other pupils nationally. In 2018, the overall progress of Year 6 pupils in reading and writing across key stage 2 placed them in the top 10% of schools in the country.
• Disadvantaged pupils achieve exceedingly well. For the last two years, the progress of disadvantaged pupils by the end of key stage 2 has placed them in the top 20%, compared with non-disadvantaged pupils nationally. This incredibly positive picture of outcomes is being replicated for current pupils at each key stage. The comprehensive package of support provided for disadvantaged pupils builds their emotional and personal readiness to learn. This enables them to fully participate in lessons and do their best. Leaders ensure that each pupil receives the necessary provision to secure the best possible academic outcomes.
• Pupils are prepared exceptionally well for the next stage of their education. The proportions of Year 6 leavers reaching the expected and higher standards in reading, writing and mathematics have been well above national figures for several years. In 2018, 24% more Chilton pupils attained the combined expected standard than the national average for this measure. This is a significant achievement. The fact that this figure was matched by disadvantaged pupils – considerably bucking the national trend
  • is testament to the school’s success.
• The most able pupils demonstrate considerable depth of learning, knowledge and understanding. They make consistently strong progress – especially in writing in key stage 2 – building incrementally on the increasingly high standards of attainment at the end of early years and key stage 1. Last year, nearly twice as many most-able pupils as seen nationally achieved the combined higher standard at the end of key stage 2.
• Pupils with SEND make and sustain similar substantial progress as their peers. Meticulous tracking of these pupils’ progress – personally and academically – is used incisively by leaders and staff to provide, refine and evaluate the success of strategies to raise their achievement. Through sharply focused additional help, pupils with SEND make exceptional progress in understanding spoken language, their understanding and use of vocabulary, sentence construction, storytelling and social interaction.
• Pupils use their phonics knowledge confidently and readily to read unfamiliar texts. Following a sustained and strongly improving trend over several years, the proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is now above the national figure. As with other areas of the curriculum, pupils have overwhelmingly positive attitudes to reading and develop well-reasoned and justified personal preferences for particular genres and authors.
• As they move through the school, pupils develop into highly confident writers, often showing individual flair and style. This is coupled with increasingly accurate and advanced technical skills, such as handwriting, spelling and punctuation. Pupils’ writing is exceptionally legible and fluent. They make great strides in composing and structuring highly effective pieces of extended writing that are often impactful on the reader. For example, pupils carefully select the vocabulary they use to evoke a specific emotional response.
• Topic work shows a breadth and depth of high-quality learning across the curriculum, which the school is keen to build on even further. Pupils are confidently immersed in learning French, eager to learn more vocabulary to improve the sentences they write and speak. Pupils create stunning artwork showing flair and careful technique, ranging from pieces in the style of Mondrian to others inspired by aboriginal art. There are frequent opportunities for pupils to apply their English and mathematical skills in meaningful tasks across the curriculum. The quality and care pupils take with their work and presentation are high across all subjects.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders and staff waste no time in making sure that early years children make a strong start in ‘The ‘Chilton Way’. The first steps are quickly taken towards making the well-established routines that support children’s learning and behaviour become second nature. The importance of getting along with classmates is highly effectively reinforced. Children engage with activities readily, with their teacher’s advice about how to get on with each other at the forefront of their thinking.
• Whatever their starting points, children make exceptional progress. Excellent early years leadership ensures that staff gather and make the most of a wealth of information to identify rapidly what children can and cannot do. Staff then plan and adjust teaching and tasks accordingly to meet children’s needs. Spend any time in the early years classes, and the high quality of children’s outcomes and progress are plain to observe. At the end of the Reception Year, children are more than ready for their successful transition to the Year 1 curriculum.
• Highly effective early years teaching supports children’s needs very well. Every minute of the day counts as an opportunity to develop each child’s personal, social and academic learning. For example, adults gently encourage children who do not chat with their friends when they first arrive in the morning. Adults’ genuine, warm, smiley approach quickly reassures and encourages children. This supports the development of children’s language skills and ensures that they feel welcomed and included in the early years community.
• While achieved in an incredibly supportive and encouraging manner, the high expectations evident in the rest of the school are equally prevalent in early years. As a result, children of all abilities fully engage in learning and behave exceptionally well. Adults capture and encourage children’s inquisitive instincts. As children play, adults remain sharply focused on what they want children to learn and guide them skilfully and sensitively.
• Excellent, encouraging and caring relationships underpin children’s enjoyment of school. Understandably, children feel valued, comfortable and secure. Extremely patient and remarkably consistent, adults provide admirable role models of impeccable conduct inside and outside the classroom. Children are exceptionally keen and successful in emulating their positive manner.
• Teachers design activities carefully to make sure that they support what they want the children to learn, whether the task is led by an adult or not. Teaching is very effective at setting appropriately high expectations for all, including the most able children. Adults ask well-chosen questions to help develop children’s thinking, creativity and language skills. Incredibly efficient routines mean that there are no wasted moments between activities.
• Additional adults are well qualified, including in specialist areas such as speech and language support. They understand how to support individual children’s needs, make a very valuable contribution to their learning and contribute fully to the early years team. Disadvantaged children and those with SEND are supported extremely well and begin to catch up with their peers.
• Highly knowledgeable early years leadership has created, maintained and continues to develop the high quality of provision. A broad range of well-conceived strategies help ensure that partnerships with parents are incredibly strong. Unsurprisingly, parents who expressed a view this year were unanimously positive about the start their children have made.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 141766 Kent 10058155 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 414 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Neil Roby Kate Law (headteacher) and Michaela Lewis (executive headteacher) Telephone number 01843 597 695 Website Email address www.chiltonprimary.co.uk headofschool@chiltonprimary.co.uk Date of previous inspection 21 March 2018

Information about this school

• Chilton Primary School converted to an academy on 1 March 2015, since its last full inspection. As a school whose predecessor school was judged to be good overall, it received a short inspection in March 2018.
• The school is part of the Viking Academy Trust. This is a small multi-academy trust. Beneath the board of trustees, there is a LAB of governors specifically focused on Chilton Primary. While retaining overall accountability, the board of trustees delegates many responsibilities and governance functions to the LAB. Several trustees also sit on the LAB. The chief executive officer of the trust is also the executive headteacher.
• The school’s early years provision consists purely of Reception Year. There is no provision for two-year-olds.
• The school offers a breakfast club and an after-school club.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited all classes to gather a wide range of evidence about what it is like to be a pupil at this school. Most visits were carried out jointly with one of a range of senior leaders.
• While in class, inspectors reviewed work in pupils’ books and on display. They also spoke with pupils about their learning.
• As well as speaking informally with staff and pupils throughout the day, inspectors met with groups of pupils, teachers, leaders, governors and trustees. One inspector was taken on a guided tour of the school by pupils and another spoke with parents as they brought their children to school. An inspector listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of the school’s documentation and records, including those concerning safeguarding, pupils’ outcomes and school improvement.
• The inspection team took account of 105 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View. They also considered 41 confidential questionnaires returned by pupils and 38 from staff. They fully considered any written comments that were added to these alongside other inspection evidence, including 29 comments written by parents. Inspectors also noted the points raised in letters and emails sent to the team from past and present staff and parents.

Inspection team

Clive Dunn, lead inspector Liz Bowes Julie Sackett

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector