Churchfield CofE Primary Academy

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 27 September 2023

Churchfield Primary Academy is a safe and happy place for pupils to learn. Staff care deeply about the pupils and know their families well. Pupils feel safe in school and know they can talk to staff if they are worried. Parents appreciate the support and help they get from the school. The school wants every pupil to learn to read and receive a broad, ambitious curriculum. It wants pupils to do well in school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), mostly meet these expectations to achieve well. Children in the early years achieve exceptionally well. Behaviour is good in school. Staff are confident in spotting pupils who might need more support and quickly give them the help they need. If bullying happens, it is dealt with quickly. Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy the opportunities to take extra responsibilities to help look after the school and one another. Pupils go on many exciting trips, and the school encourages pupils to participate actively in community events. For example, Year 6 pupils read out the names of those soldiers from Rugeley who have lost their lives in the town's remembrance service.

What the school should improve

• The school has not ensured that assessment strategies are used consistently and effectively in order to check how well all pupils are learning the intended curriculum. As a result, staff are unclear how well pupils understand and remember the curriculum in some subjects. Leaders should make sure that assessment strategies are used consistently and effectively so that they can more accurately identify when pupils are ready to move on.
• The needs of a few pupils with SEND are not met well enough. These pupils do not consistently receive the adaptations they need to achieve well. The school should ensure that staff develop the skills and knowledge to use a range of appropriate strategies to pave the way for increased success for these pupils.
• The curriculum for the foundation subjects is in the early stages of implementation and is not yet fully embedded. Pupils are not building on their prior learning in a way that helps them to know more and remember more. The school should support staff's subject knowledge and expertise so that they can implement these subjects well to secure pupils' knowledge and understanding.

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