Chuckery Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve further the attendance of pupils, particularly those who are persistently absent.
• Leaders and governors should further strengthen outcomes for pupils by:
  • ensuring that the most able pupils in key stage 2 are given the support they need to reach the standards of reading, writing and mathematics that they are capable of
  • further developing the vocabulary of all pupils so that they can deepen their understanding of reading.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The headteacher has worked hard to make significant improvements to the school since the last inspection. He is absolutely clear about the school’s strengths and what needs to be done next, and he has the determination to make it happen.
• Despite significant staffing turbulence, leaders have taken swift actions to ensure that teaching is consistently good. Teachers are supported with a range of support from leaders to improve the consistency of good or better teaching and, as a result, outcomes for all pupils continue to improve rapidly.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has federated with a local cluster of primary schools, and this has provided the school with the support to improve and strengthen the leadership of the school. These relationships have been particularly helpful for the school to review and change its use of the pupil premium funding. As a result, disadvantaged pupils now make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.
• Monitoring of teaching and learning is thorough and contributes to the improving practice of teachers and outcomes for pupils. This is because leaders are adept at fostering the abilities and talents of staff, giving them opportunities to develop their practice.
• A clear and effective system of managing the performance and training of staff is closely linked to the school’s improvement plan and has played a key part in improving pupils’ progress and outcomes.
• Leaders use the school’s assessment systems to quickly identify pupils who may be at risk of falling behind with their learning. They analyse these systems well to steer strategic thinking about teaching quality and the need for additional pupil support. All teachers have a good understanding about the progress of different groups of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.
• Phase leaders need to ensure that the wider curriculum is mapped out with specific focus on the development and embedding of skills within each non-core area, allowing pupils a deeper depth of learning in non-core.
• The school is highly inclusive and supports a range of pupils who have special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) has a very good understanding of how well pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities learn. She has worked effectively with parents and carers to ensure that pupils’ education, health and care plans are in place. She ensures that pupils who need additional support in school receive it.
• Leaders have taken decisive action to redesign the school curriculum so that it meets the needs of all pupils. The new curriculum, which focuses on taking the pupils on ‘mini adventures’, has captured the imagination of adults and pupils. Teachers are eager to plan and deliver the curriculum, and pupils are enthusiastic about the learning it generates. Educational visits and trips are carefully planned to broaden the experiences of pupils. Many parents commented on the impact that the curriculum is now having on their children’s enjoyment and passion for learning.
• Pupils are effectively prepared for life in modern Britain and able to talk about what this means for them. They spoke confidently about personal liberty and democracy. The school works actively with local community groups to teach about other faiths and celebrate diversity.
• The primary school physical education (PE) and sports funding is also well used. Pupils take part in a wide range of activities during and after school, such as gymnastics, hockey and football. Pupils are encouraged to be active during lunchtime, and adults ensure that all pupils are active in a wide range of activities that include cheer leading. The funding has also enhanced teachers’ own skills in delivering quality PE lessons.
• Leaders’ deployment of staff to prioritise raising attendance is making a difference. As a result, attendance has significantly improved since the last inspection. The family worker has worked closely with vulnerable pupils to ensure that they attend school more regularly. Despite this, improvement is not yet rapid enough for all pupils.

Governance of the school

• Governors have a wide range of skills and expertise that equip them well to support the headteacher and offer the right level of challenge to bring about improvements in the school.
• Governors have challenged the headteacher on the performance of the school and, as a result, outcomes for pupils continue to improve. They are involved in shaping the strategic direction of the school and they considered carefully the implications of joining the federation of local schools. The decisive actions taken have secured the school’s future. The federation has provided governors with support to develop their practices.
• Governors know the school well and have high aspirations for pupils, staff and the community. They provide good support and challenge to senior leaders in equal measure.
• Governors take their responsibilities seriously and know the school well. They join in with staff training sessions, visit the school to view teaching, look at pupils’ work and meet senior and subject leaders.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff all receive training in safeguarding and new staff who join during the year are also trained. Safeguarding record-keeping is accurate, and training prepares staff well to identify and support pupils. Leaders engage well with parents and carers. Pupils are supported and kept safe in school.
• A named governor with extensive safeguarding knowledge is proactive in meeting designated staff. Together, they ensure that frequent system reviews take place and that staff are alert to the needs of pupils who may be at risk of harm.
• Leaders have ensured that a culture of safeguarding and vigilance permeates the school. Regular staff training ensures that they are confident and know what to do should they be worried about a pupil. Detailed records show that any concerns about pupils are followed up rapidly, and school leaders work well with other agencies to help pupils and families receive the support they need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The quality of teaching has improved as a result of a relentless focus from senior leaders. Approaches that senior leaders have introduced have resulted in improved learning in classrooms. The support that senior leaders give and the support that staff provide for one another mean that pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are improving across the school.
• The teaching of phonics is effective. Pupils apply their phonic knowledge to decode words and spell simple and complex words. The attainment of Year 1 pupils in the phonics screening check has improved and is now close to that seen nationally.
• Pupils generally respond well to teachers’ expectations and most make at least good progress. Leaders and teachers know, however, that more needs to be done to develop pupils’ resilience and their ability to persevere and overcome difficulties.
• Leaders have developed strong systems that identify the gaps in pupils’ learning, which have emerged as a legacy of weaker teaching. These gaps are being tackled effectively through timely support and good-quality teaching. Careful tracking of pupil progress is showing that current pupils in the school are improving their skills rapidly.
• Teachers have good subject knowledge. Lessons are well planned and structured with different levels of support provided for pupils of different abilities, allowing them to progress well from their different starting points. However, some less-able pupils rely on adult support and are not encouraged to become independent.
• Teachers deploy additional adults well to provide individual pupils and groups of pupils with effective, focused support. Pupils that have recently arrived in the country are provided with consistent support so that they make significant progress in developing their reading, writing and mathematical skills.
• Older pupils appreciate the importance of reading and read regularly in school and at home. The school library, at the centre of the school, is a vibrant and stimulating place where pupils of all ages enjoy reading for pleasure.
• The teaching of mathematics across the school is good. Teachers use a range of strategies to encourage pupils to explain approaches to solving problems. Pupils can explain, and record, their mathematical reasoning and show mastery of the subject.
• The improvement of reading has been a priority, and leaders have implemented a new approach to teaching reading. The introduction of high-quality texts and strategies, such as the online reading book clubs, means that pupils’ enthusiasm is sustained. Teachers, on occasions, do not extend pupils’ vocabulary fully, and this prevents them from deepening their understanding of the text.
• Parents are firmly of the view that their children are taught well and enjoy learning. Parents said that their children talk excitedly about their learning at home. The recent initiative in which all pupils receive termly reports informs pupils and parents of the progress they have made throughout the year.
• Most pupils take great pride in their work and have developed fluent and cursive handwriting.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy school. They work hard, take pride in their achievements and learn well.
• Senior leaders understand the particular needs of the most vulnerable families in the school and provide effective care and support for these families. Parents commented that the range of support, such as access to interpreters and family support workers, enables these families to settle quickly in the local community.
• Pupils are very well looked after in this school. Staff know pupils well and pupils said that there is always someone to turn to should a problem arise. Consequently, pupils said that they feel safe in school.
• Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They talked about ways in which they can stay safe, including when they are online. They are clear about whom to go to if they have any concerns and trust that they will be dealt with effectively.
• Pupils said that they feel safe at school and know that an adult will listen and help them if they have a problem. They are taught about the different types of bullying and know that such behaviour is unacceptable and rare. They also feel that, if it happened, it would be stopped quickly.
• Pupils work and play well together. They are courteous and polite when talking to adults. Pupils are also taught to be respectful of those who hold different opinions.
• The school’s provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is threaded carefully through the curriculum, so that they are provided with the opportunity to broaden their life experiences beyond their local community.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are polite to visitors and get on well together.
• Since the previous inspection, attendance has improved significantly and is close to that of other pupils nationally. The school works diligently on improving the attendance of those who are persistently absent from school. The school has rightly focused on a range of actions to reduce further the absence for a small minority of pupils.
• The records that leaders keep of more serious concerns about behaviour indicate that bullying and other discriminatory acts are extremely rare. Detailed records allow leaders to identify promptly any patterns that may indicate wider underlying concerns.
• The school is a calm and welcoming place. Pupils look after their school environment. Displays of work are well kept, and there is no litter. Around the school, pupils behave well throughout the day and treat each other and adults with respect.
• Behaviour in lessons is good. There is little disruption in lessons and pupils react quickly to their teacher’s instructions. Occasionally, however, when teaching is weaker, some pupils lose concentration and become disengaged.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Since the last inspection, senior leaders have focused their efforts on improving the quality of teaching and learning. Consequently, teaching is consistently good and outcomes for all pupils continue to improve significantly.
• The progress that pupils made in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 in 2017 improved significantly in comparison to the previous year. The proportion of pupils who achieved age-related expectations in all three subjects improved and was close to the national average. The proportion of pupils who achieved above the expected level in 2017 was below the national average.
• At the end of key stage 1, attainment has risen significantly and outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics are in line with national figures. The progress of the most able pupils achieving at greater depth in reading and mathematics also improved in 2017. It is anticipated that the current progress of Year 2 pupils achieving greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics will be in line with national expectations. This is as result of the swift and decisive actions taken by leaders.
• Leaders have taken swift actions to improve the outcomes for the most able and, as a result, outcomes for those pupils are improving rapidly across the school.
• Children enter the early years provision with language, number and social skills that vary, but that are generally below those typical for their age. Inspection evidence shows that pupils make good progress across a range of subjects.
• School assessment information indicates that, for nearly all cohorts, more pupils are on track to meet and exceed expectations for their age group in reading, writing and mathematics. This is also borne out by scrutiny of pupils’ work in books. This shows that pupils are producing a significant amount of good-quality work at appropriate levels of difficulty.
• Disadvantaged pupils receive targeted support, enabling them to diminish gaps in their learning and make good progress, although they are still below the national average.
• Those who have SEN and/or disabilities and those at an early stage of learning English make similar progress to that of other pupils in the school.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities receive good support. Some of these pupils have complex needs, and leaders use a range of assessment approaches to demonstrate small steps forward.
• Pupils who enter the school speaking English as an additional language are well supported and their attainment and progress, while below those of their peers, are improving rapidly, especially in key stage 2.
• Pupils acquire phonic knowledge well and make good progress in their reading skills from their initial starting points. The results in 2017 indicate a significant decline, but this was as a result of a significant proportion of the cohort having started at the school during the year. Currently, all pupils in Year 1 and Year 2 are making strong progress in their reading.
• The positive learning attitudes and responsible conduct of older pupils are likely to serve them well when they move on to senior school.

Early years provision Good

• Leaders are ambitious to improve children’s outcomes. The proportion of children leaving Reception with a good level of development has been close to the national figures for a number of years. This represents good progress from children’s starting points. The progress that children make in the early years prepares them well for the learning they will meet in Year 1.
• The gap between the progress and achievement of boys and those of girls has diminished each year, and the proportion of boys achieving a good level of development is in line with that of the girls for 2017.
• Disadvantaged children and those who have SEN and/or disabilities are well supported. Additional funding has been carefully spent to address their areas of need and, because of this, they are making good progress from their starting points.
• Children enter the early years with skills just below those typical for their age. Teachers use assessment accurately to identify those who may need additional help and plan support for them, which means that these children catch up quickly. Many children enter the early years within the early stages of language development. There is good support from staff to develop speaking skills. Staff plan a wide range of activities to encourage children to work together.
• School leaders, including the leader of early years, have an accurate view of the strengths and weaknesses of the provision. They provide effective professional development for staff who work in the early years, for example in questioning skills and assessment, so that they can develop their practice further.
• Children in the early years show positive attitudes to learning and are making good progress because teachers’ careful planning has created interesting starting points for them to explore their learning. In the outdoor learning environment, there are activities for children to investigate in all the areas of learning, which help them to develop the skills they need for successful learning across the curriculum.
• Teachers ensure that children receive good support to develop their reading, writing and mathematical skills. They gather information about children’s learning systematically and use this to adapt activities when necessary.
• There is an appropriate emphasis on developing literacy. Children are expected to learn their letters and sounds and to practise their phonics in reading and writing. As a result, they are well prepared for a good transition into Year 1.
• All welfare requirements are met, and the children are well cared for. They are happy and safe.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 132076 Walsall 10042867 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 Maintained 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 441 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mr Neil Ravenscroft Mr James Pearce 01922 449104 www.chuckeryprimary.com/ postbox@chuckery.walsall.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 23−24 February 2016

Information about this school

• The school federated with the Cadmus Family of Schools in November 2017.
• The proportion of pupils with minority ethnic heritages is above average.
• The proportion of pupils that speak English as an additional language is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by pupil premium funding is above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is in line with the national average.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 27 lessons or parts of lessons. A number of these observations were undertaken with senior leaders.
• The inspectors scrutinised work in pupils’ books and listened to pupils read.
• They met with two groups of pupils to gain their views of the school.
• The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime, lunchtime and at the end of the school day, as well as in lessons.
• Inspectors talked to pupils about their reading and listened to them read.
• The school’s child protection and safeguarding procedures were scrutinised.
• Meetings were held with pupils, the vice-chair of the governing body and other governors, staff and the local authority representative.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team and middle leaders.
• Inspectors reviewed the 21 staff questionnaires returned during the inspection.
• Inspectors took account of the six parental views expressed through the Parent View survey.
• Inspectors also spoke to a number of parents at the start of the school day.

Inspection team

Ed Masterson, lead inspector Tracey O’Keeffe-Pullan Michael Appleby Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector