Chidham Parochial Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 31 January 2024

In the words of one parent, reflecting the views of the majority, 'Chidham as a school has such a strong ethos around personal development and social responsibilities.' As they rightly went on to say, it 'also instils in the children a real understanding of the importance of kindness and accepting each other's differences'. Pupils agree. They appreciate the programmes that help them build teamwork, resilience, cooperation and life skills. Pupils know that these will be important beyond their time at Chidham, as are the opportunities for older pupils to be leaders and look after their younger schoolmates. Pupils are very proud of the school as a safe place where everyone gets on and values one another. Quite simply, the school wants all pupils to flourish and be the best they can. This starts in Reception where children are nurtured so that they feel like it is their 'second home'. The same warm welcome is offered to pupils who join at other times. Across the school, morning routines set the tone for the day. Pupils settle quickly to purposeful activities which help them remember and practise their learning. They achieve well in national reading, writing and mathematics assessments and build knowledge and skills across the full curriculum during their time at the school.

What the school should improve

• Guidance on how pupils' learning should build from Reception to Year 6 in science and the foundation subjects is not as clear as it is in English and mathematics. Hence, sometimes teaching does not focus on the most important knowledge and skills, and this impacts what pupils remember. The school should continue to refine the curriculum to agree exactly what pupils should know and remember at key points and ensure that teachers use that to check learning.

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