Chirton Church of England Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 17 May 2023

Chirton Church of England Primary is a school where everyone is welcome and accepted. Pupils thrive in a caring and nurturing environment. The school's Christian values, such as 'trust, love and equality', are central to day-to-day life at the school. They guide pupils successfully in all they do. Leaders and staff expect pupils to aim high. They strive for them to be responsible, respectful and resilient. Pupils say that teachers 'push you out of your comfort zone in a good way'. This is because staff have created a culture where it is safe to ask for help and learn from mistakes. Pupils need few reminders about how to behave. They choose to do the right thing and respond well to the 'big heart chart' and house points. Their behaviour seldom disrupts learning. Leaders plan rich experiences beyond the classroom to complement pupils' learning. The weekly sessions in the forest school are overwhelmingly popular. Here, staff provide practical activities to reinforce and enhance learning. Pupils eagerly take on leadership responsibilities across the school. They fulfil their roles as digital leaders, reading buddies and helpful heart playground monitors with maturity. Pupils learn to be positive advocates for themselves and others.

What the school should improve

• In some of the wider curriculum subjects, leaders have not clearly highlighted the key concepts that pupils need to remember and revisit. This makes it more difficult for pupils to link existing knowledge to new learning. Leaders need to prioritise and emphasise the essential knowledge, and then ensure that pupils establish deeper connections with their learning over time.
• In a minority of subjects, staff are in the initial phase of implementing the recently refined curriculums. Therefore, pupils are at the early stage of developing the knowledge they need. Leaders need to ensure that pupils can apply their knowledge in these subjects with the same confidence as they do in other areas of the curriculum.

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