Chalfont St Peter CofE Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that aspects of the school's work may not be as strong as at the time of the previous inspection. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

The headteacher of this school is Nicola Alburg. This school is the only school in Chalfont Saint Peter Church of England Academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James King.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at this school are polite, respectful and welcoming. They describe their school as 'a really happy place where learning is fun'. Pupils understand how the school's 'Golden Rule' helps them to work towards their ...vision of fulfilment, joy and success.

Pupils behave well, both within the classroom and beyond. They know that if they have any worries, staff will help them. Pupils attend well because they enjoy school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive. This is because the school ensures that every child is able to participate fully in both the academic curriculum and a range of enrichment activities.

The school has high expectations for all pupils.

In English and mathematics, pupils achieve well. However, in many of the other subjects, an ambitious curriculum is not yet securely in place. Consequently, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should do.

Pupils take on a wide range of leadership roles, which help them to develop a sense of responsibility. Pupils develop a sense of citizenship through active participation in the community and their local church. Pupils make visits to places of interest.

Through experiences such as these, they learn about life beyond their locality.

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

The school is proud of the ways in which it promotes pupils' love of reading. Teachers select interesting texts for pupils to explore and visiting authors inspire pupils to read widely and often.

Staff check pupils' reading skills carefully so that they understand their needs. Pupils who struggle with reading benefit from a well taught, carefully designed phonics programme. Staff provide regular support and interventions for these pupils to help them catch up.

Consequently, pupils become accurate and fluent readers.

The school has identified the areas that it needs to improve and has begun to develop some aspects of the curriculum. However, it has not effectively prioritised the actions it needs to take to secure rapid and sustained improvements to pupils' educational experience.

In some areas, governors lack the detail that they need to robustly hold the school to account. This means that they do not have an accurate picture of where the school is doing well and where it needs to focus its attention. Following a period of change to leadership and staffing, the school has carefully considered the need to support its staff.

Staff appreciate this commitment to their welfare and workload.

In subjects, such as English and mathematics, pupils benefit from a curriculum which is carefully designed. As a result, pupils use what they already know to build a secure understanding of these subjects.

However, in other subjects, the school has not ensured that the curriculum is as carefully developed or implemented as it intends. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils are not supported well enough to build up their knowledge or demonstrate that they can apply their learning independently. Additionally, in the wider curriculum subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils remember over time.

Therefore, they do not rectify pupils' misconceptions effectively. Some pupils have unaddressed gaps in their knowledge.

Pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school identifies pupils' needs promptly. Staff make necessary adaptations to their teaching of the curriculum to help pupils with SEND build their subject knowledge well. The school encourages and supports disadvantaged pupils, including those with SEND, to participate in every aspect of school life, such as joining clubs and taking on leadership roles.

Pupils leave the school prepared for their next steps.

Pupils have a positive attitude to their learning. They show respect for one another and help each other willingly.

Pupils understand the importance of working hard in class.

The school's work to support pupils' wider development is effective. Pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils learn about a range of faiths and cultures and show tolerance and respect for people's differences. Pupils become active citizens by raising money for charities and taking part in local traditions, such as 'Feast Day'.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school has not constructed a curriculum that clearly sets out the logical progression and sequence for what pupils should know and remember over time. Where this is the case, pupils do not achieve as much as they should. The school should make sure that the curriculum is coherently designed with ambitious end points, so that it is clear precisely what pupils should learn and when.

• Some of the checks that staff make on pupils' understanding do not accurately identify gaps and misconceptions. That means, for some pupils, gaps in learning are not addressed, meaning they do not learn as well as they should. The school must ensure that staff use the school's assessment strategies efficiently to accurately identify and address gaps in pupils' learning.

• The school, including those with responsibility for governance, do not have a secure enough understanding of how well pupils learn across the curriculum. This means that they are not able to focus the school's future improvement priorities as sharply as they should. The school should ensure that leaders and governors strengthen how they evaluate the school's curriculum offer so that improvement work is more rapid.

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 good 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 good for overall effectiveness in November 2019.

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