Status / VA
LEA / Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead
Date of inspection / 23rd May 2007
Date of last inspection / 23rd April 2001
School’s Unique reference number / 110020
Name of Headteacher / Mrs Kate Searle
Name of Chair of Governors / Mr Mark Quarrington
Inspector’s name and NS inspector’s number / Margaret Maskell 136
Context
This is a small primary school serving the village of Cheapside, although some pupils do come from the surrounding areas. Almost all pupils are from white British backgrounds. Those with learning difficulties and disabilities are above the national average. Attainment on entry is above levels expected
The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Cheapside C of E School is outstanding.
A strong Christian ethos is embedded in the life of the school. Relationships within the school community are exemplary and are characterised by Christian care and concern.
Established strengths
- Social, moral and cultural provision is outstanding.
- Outstanding leadership of the headteacher and governors.
- The quality of all relationships throughout the school is excellent.
Focus for development
- To arrange more regular visits to the church and by so doing make the children more aware of the Anglican tradition.
- To evaluate and update the RE syllabus.
The school through its distinctive Christian character is outstanding at meeting the needs of all learners.
The Christian ethos pervades the life of the school, showing it makes outstanding provision for its pupils’ social, moral and cultural development. Pupils are encouraged to express their feelings, their values and beliefs openly and honestly in PSHE and RE lessons. The warm and open relationship between all members of the school community provides an ethos of Christian care and concern. It also contributes to a positive learning environment where pupils’ achievements are outstanding and standards of teaching and learning are exceptionally high. Pupils are highly motivated and appreciate the exciting range of curricular and extra curricular activities offered at the school. Christian values embedded in the school’s mission statement are constantly promoted through RE, PSHE and Collective Worship. There is excellent provision for the needs of all learners, including those with special educational needs as well as those who are gifted and talented. Parents comment on the strength of care and support provided by the school. They feel their views are considered and that they can turn to the school for support in times of need. The pupils are polite and well behaved; they appreciate the school council, which enables them to become involved in some of the school’s decision-making processes.
The impact of collective worship on the school community is good.
Themes for the term give direction to all staff and visitors taking part in worship, all of which provides pupils with moral and spiritual development, based on Christian principles. There are links with the church through fortnightly visits from the vicar. The church is situated some distance from the school, but the children make an annual visit for their carol service. There are plans for additional visits to the church, to celebrate the major Christian festivals, which will give the children further experience of the Anglican tradition. Pupils talk of collective worship being fun, interesting, and a time to learn how to get on with each other. Pupils respond well to collective worship mentioning their appreciation of different aspects, such as singing, reflection and the use of prayer. They participate in the reading of prayers and the school repeats the Lord’s Prayer with both confidence and reverence. Parents speak highly of the services they attend throughout the year. Governors also attend worship. Both they and the staff recognise that a more formal approach to evaluating worship can ensure that a positive impact is sustained.
The effectiveness of religious education is good.
RE is accorded high status, reflecting the school’s Christian foundation. This means it receives appropriate curriculum time, and is properly resourced. The recently appointed subject co-ordinator is very enthusiastic and highly motivated to lead the subject forward. She has identified the need to develop the RE schemes of work and to bring them into line with the Local Authority agreed syllabus. Assessment procedures are in place but the school has rightly judged that they need to be reviewed. Standards for RE are in line with other subjects, where pupils’ achievements are high. Good or better progress is made across the key stages. The children enjoy RE lessons, which are well planned, interesting, challenging and give the opportunity for pupils to express their views confidently. They are receptive and want to learn and understand the relevance of Christianity in their own lives. The older children are able to act out modern day parables based on bible stories, thus recognising the relevance of Christianity in their own lives. There is evidence that pupils are able to verbalise their own thoughts and beliefs. Recent lessons on Buddhism enabled pupils to respect other religions and to draw parallels between them. The children were able to express for themselves the importance of having a belief and living in peace and harmony one with another. Through some excellent questioning of pupils by members of the staff, the children were able to extend their understanding, giving them an opportunity to express their own views and the values they espouse.
The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school is outstanding.
The headteacher and governors provide outstanding leadership, working in close partnership to promote a strong and distinctive Christian ethos, and by so doing contribute to the success of the school. The school’s Christian purpose is clearly expressed in the mission statement, the prospectus and the policies of the school. It is evident that all members of the school staff support it, for the outcome permeates the life of the school. The priorities which have been set out in the SDP include changes to the RE syllabus. High standards are achieved throughout the school and there are clear systems for monitoring and evaluating both academic and personal progress. Parents speak of the school’s strong Christian ethos where staff are approachable and sensitive to the needs of the pupils. They appreciate the good relationships which exist throughout the school and feel that this impacts positively on their children’s whole development .The school maintains links with the church through the work of the vicar who leads worship and introduces the pupils to the various events in the Christian calendar. Parents are very supportive of the school. The governors evaluate and monitor the Christian ethos of school life. At this time they are planning to further develop existing links with the parish.
Diocese of Oxford version of National Society Template Oct 2005