Chalfont St Giles Junior School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Chalfont St Giles Junior School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly welcoming and nurturing.

The school's motto 'happily achieving together' is at the heart of the school. Pupils are safe and know that there are adults to speak to if they need additional help. Instances of bullying are rare.

Pupils know that adults respond swiftly to any concerns that might arise. They are polite and courteous. Pupils quickly develop their confidence due to the high-quality pastoral care provided.

Pupils follow an ambitious curriculum. The school has high expectation...s for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils make good progress through the curriculum and typically achieve in line with national outcomes.

The school provides a strong offering of enrichment activities. Workshops, talks and musical performances ensure that pupils gain valuable life experiences. Pupils take part in talent shows, residential visits and sporting competitions.

They contribute to the life of the school by taking on a host of leadership roles. There is a strong sense of community. The school works in partnership with parents and carers who speak highly of the care given.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has recently revised the curriculum so that it matches the breadth and depth of the national curriculum. This is well designed so that learning develops over time and pupils have time to practise and apply their skills. For example, in mathematics, pupils use their knowledge of converting fractions to solve longer mathematical problems.

Teachers have secure subject expertise. They explain new concepts clearly and encourage pupils to use key terminology. Teachers often check pupils' understanding and revisit previous knowledge.

For example, in history, pupils return to their learning of settlements and chronology before they learn about a specific Neolithic site. However, while the new curriculum is well planned, it is not fully embedded and delivered consistently. This means that there are gaps in some pupils' learning, and there is some variability in the quality of work produced.

There is a strong culture of reading in the school. Pupils read ambitious texts, and a love of reading is evident. The school promotes reading through carefully considered enrichment opportunities.

Older pupils become reading buddies to younger peers, and readers of the week are celebrated. Pupils who need additional support are identified quickly. They are given appropriate help so that they become fluent readers.

Leaders are introducing a similarly robust approach to developing pupils' writing. Pupils receive literacy and spelling lessons to support their understanding of composition and grammar. However, the same high standards for writing are not consistently applied across all foundation subjects.

Consequently, some of the work pupils produce is not of the high quality of which they are capable.

The school identifies pupils with SEND quickly. They are well supported with appropriate, targeted support where needed.

Most of these pupils make secure progress through the curriculum.

Pupils are well mannered and respectful. They build positive relationships, and diversity is celebrated.

The school's 'gem power rules' are consistently applied. Pupils' attendance is rising, although some persistent absence remains. The school's work to increase the attendance of disadvantaged pupils is not having the desired impact.

This means that some miss valuable learning opportunities and have gaps in their learning.

Pupils are thoroughly prepared for their next steps. They are provided with a rich diet of trips, including visits to war bunkers, film studios and sports tournaments.

They also visit places of worship and take part in community events. Pupils learn how to have empathy for others and become responsible citizens.

Staff are dedicated to the school and overwhelmingly positive about the professional development they receive.

They feel heard by leaders who are evaluative and ambitious for further improvement. Governors are clear about their statutory responsibilities and take their duty of care seriously.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The full implementation of the school's curriculum is not firmly established in a few subjects. As a result, some teaching of the curriculum does not fully match leaders' aims and ambition for pupils' progression in knowledge. Leaders should build on their existing work to ensure that the well-planned curriculum is fully embedded and pupils are able to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

• Teachers' expectations for the quality of pupils' writing varies across the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in their writing. The school should ensure that they routinely provide pupils with opportunities to develop their writing in line with the same high standards across the curriculum.

• Persistent absence remains high, particularly for some disadvantaged pupils. This means that some pupils miss valuable knowledge needed to build their understanding. The school should ensure it is doing all it reasonably can to identify barriers to attending school and support pupils in overcoming them.

Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted's website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade.

This school was, before September 2024, judged outstanding for its overall effectiveness.

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school's work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding for overall effectiveness in 22 and 23 January 2020.