Chaucer Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 24 September 2024

This is a caring and welcoming school where relationships are positive. Pupils are happy and safe. The school is ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. In the core subjects of reading and mathematics, pupils are typically successful. However, this is not the case in many other subjects, or in the early years. In these areas, pupils often struggle to remember what they have been taught. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do not achieve as well as they should. Many pupils play together happily. They enjoy social times and understand that respect is important for good friendships. However, some pupils' conduct falls short of the school's expectations. These pupils do not always respond promptly to reminders about how to behave well. The school promotes pupils' personal development effectively through its 'BEAR' values (belong, enjoy, aim high and respect). Pupils understand how these values make the school a special place to learn. They enjoy eating a healthy breakfast together each morning. This helps them to get ready to learn. Pupils like celebrating each other's success in a range of different activities and interests through the 'Embark' awards.

What the school should improve

• Teachers do not use assessment strategies well enough to check what pupils understand or can remember. This means that gaps in pupils' knowledge and misconceptions are not always resolved. Teachers do not always plan suitable next learning steps as a result. The school should ensure that teachers respond appropriately and swiftly to their checks of learning so that all pupils secure their knowledge.
• The curriculum for pupils with SEND is not always appropriate. Targets for these pupils sometimes lack precision. Planned learning does not always meet these pupils' needs. Pupils with SEND do not achieve as well as they could. The school should ensure that the curriculum for pupils with SEND is suitably ambitious and effectively implemented, so that these pupils achieve well.
• Strategies used to manage pupils' behaviour are inconsistent. This means that some pupils' behaviour falls short of the school's expectations and learning is often disrupted. The school should ensure that staff manage pupils' behaviour consistently so that pupils can learn without interruption.
• Some leaders are new to post. They are still developing the knowledge and skills they need to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. As a result, while the school's key improvement priorities have been identified, some of them have not been acted on. The school must ensure that leaders have the knowledge, skills and support they need to carry out their roles effectively.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)