Stokenchurch Primary School

Stokenchurch Primary George Rd, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP14 3RN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  Achievement is outstanding. Pupils make rapid progress from their starting points, and attain high standards.  The quality of teaching is outstanding, setting high expectations and giving the pupils the motivation and determination to achieve their very best.  This very large primary school has established a warm family atmosphere where the pupils thrive and develop outstanding behaviour and attitudes. They show respect to everyone and know how to stay safe. This is reflected in their above-average attendance.  The highly inspirational leadership of the headteacher has established a determined focus upon achieving the very best, and this is shared by the whole school community.  Governors and leaders check teachers’ work thoroughly, and make sure that they receive good quality training. This has an outstanding effect on pupils’ achievement.  Visits and focus weeks bring learning to life so

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

that pupils have a desire to learn.  The rich curriculum offers an exciting range of high-quality experiences which help the pupils to develop confidence and a broad knowledge of the world.  The highly committed and effective governing body holds the school to account for its work by skilfully supporting and challenging leaders.  Each pupil is known and valued as an individual. This is the basis for the very high expectations demonstrated across every aspect of school life.  Information and communication technology provision is a strength of the school and enables pupils to develop high-level skills which support learning across a range of subjects. This gives excellent support for the next stage of education.

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Information about this inspection

 Three inspectors observed teaching in all classes and visited 26 lessons. Joint observations were carried out with the headteacher in four lessons.  Discussions were held with pupils, the headteacher, other leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority.  Ninety responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account and discussions were held with parents and carers as they brought their children to school.  The inspector spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at work in pupils’ books.  The inspector looked at the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, data on pupils’ current achievement, leaders’ records of monitoring activities, minutes of governing body meetings, the use of the pupil premium, staff appraisal procedures, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.

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Inspection team

Lynne Bradbury, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Susan Payne Additional Inspector Gareth O'Shea Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is very large in comparison with primary schools nationally.  The majority of pupils are from a White British background. Many different minority groups are represented within the rest of the school population.  The school receives the pupil premium, additional government funding for looked after children, children of service families, and those who are known to be eligible for free school meals, for a below-average proportion of pupils.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is in line with other schools nationally.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  The school makes occasional use of alternative provision, Woodlands Pupil Referral Unit, High

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Broaden the outstanding practice that exists within leadership to ensure that all leaders develop their skills in using data and evaluation to sustain the direction of the school.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills in line with those typically expected for their age and make excellent progress in the nurturing and exciting environment of the Nursery. Here, a great deal of attention is given to ensuring that children build confidence, outstanding social skills and attitudes to learning.  Children’s choice of activities across the Early Years Foundation Stage shows a high level of independence and teamwork.  A high proportion of the children admitted to the Reception class have not attended the Nursery, and rapid progress is made ensuring high standards of achievement across the areas of learning as they move to Year 1.  In Years 1 and 2, pupils make very rapid progress to achieve outstanding levels of attainment at the end of this key stage. Very high achievement has been maintained over a number of years, and work in the pupils’ books shows that this continues to be the case.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Achievement in phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) is very high and supports outstanding progress in reading which, in turn, contributes to learning across the curriculum. Those pupils who did not achieve the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics check last year have been well supported so that they have made accelerated progress in reading this year.  Achievement in mathematics is also very high in this key stage and pupils enjoy the wide range of experiences which support this progress. For example, pupils work on presenting information in various kinds of graphs, and learn high-level problem-solving skills.  The pace of learning set in the lower age groups is built upon consistently in Years 3 to 6 where pupils are able to apply their high-level skills in reading, writing and mathematics within the very exciting curriculum opportunities offered. For example, Year 6 pupils were engaged in a project

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

with a major car manufacturer to create exciting advertising material.  Targets are set for pupils to make better than expected progress and a very high proportion are achieving this.  There is a consistent focus on reading. Pupils express their love of reading and are keen to share the very wide range of authors and styles which have excited them. The work in pupils’ books shows that they develop high-level writing skills across all subjects.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making similar progress to others from their own starting points. Very challenging targets are set, and all resources are directed at each pupil making rapid progress.  In the 2012 end of year tests, pupils supported by the pupil premium funding in Year 6 were two years behind the rest of the year group in their attainment in English and one year behind in mathematics. Since then the school has put a lot in place to improve on this. As a result, pupils

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

currently in school supported by this funding are now doing much better. Like other pupils they are making better than expected progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Gaps in attainment are closing rapidly. The funding is spent on a homework club, extra one-to-one tuition, interventions and catch-up programmes and support for visits.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Teachers demonstrate very high expectations and set challenging targets for all pupils.  They match this with interesting work which challenges, engages and extends all pupils with clear guidance so that they know how well they are doing and quickly address any mistakes. This is also reflected in very thorough marking which celebrates success and gives clear next steps for learning.  Teachers model successful learning quickly and efficiently so that pupils have plenty of time to develop their own understanding through activities which involve teamwork and discussion or independent work, as appropriate.  Teachers demonstrate exceptional questioning skills which probe and develop thinking at higher levels and ensure that learning takes place at a very rapid pace for all pupils.  Pupils are encouraged to relate learning to real-life situations and to use a high level of language in discussion work. For example, in an outstanding lesson plotting an emotions graph, pupils

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

were encouraged to find language which identified and accurately communicated feelings in a very powerful way.  Teachers continuously assess how pupils are learning during lessons, and adapt or extend the level of work appropriately.  Teaching assistants play a valuable role in supporting pupils’ achievement and also set very high expectations.  There is excellent support for pupils with special educational needs and this ensures that they are making rapid progress.  Information and communication technology is extremely well developed and pupils are taught how to write computer programs and manipulate information at a high level. This enables them to use high-level research skills across many subject areas.  Opportunities for pupils to discuss their learning help them to develop accurate use of vocabulary in subjects like mathematics and science. For example, pupils in Year 2 talked about animals’ habitats, and pupils in Year 6 talked about proportions and emotional reactions.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 Very active lessons using team discussions help to promote outstanding attitudes to learning and high levels of respect towards all members of the class.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding, supported by the nurturing ethos and high expectations in all situations in school.  Pupils feel safe, understand risk and the various forms of bullying, including cyber bullying, and know how to keep themselves safe. They say that there is very little bullying in school and express great confidence that it would be dealt with effectively.  Pupils across the age range are very proud of all aspects of their school. Standards of work in workbooks show how proud they are of their achievements and how well they apply themselves to their learning.  Behaviour in lessons and around the school is outstanding. Pupils show good manners and courtesy towards other pupils, staff and visitors. From the Nursery to Year 6, pupils focus on learning, and concentrate and persevere in order to achieve success.  All-round personal development is a well-established feature of the school and parents and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

carers are keen to talk about the way in which the school is able to help pupils to become confident, whether in learning or in the many excellent opportunities to take on leadership roles, as with the very active school council.  The very rich and exciting curriculum (both within the school day and beyond) provides outstanding opportunities for pupils to experience learning in real-life situations and to develop confidence by being involved in prestigious events. For example, each year the school takes part in a high standard musical event at the Royal Albert Hall or the O2 Arena, and every child is involved in excellent drama, music and assembly experiences and concerts in school. These often develop pupils’ understanding of relationships, curriculum topics, or cultural aspects in the world.  The systems for managing behaviour are extremely well established and used to support each child’s development and sense of value. Pupils are well prepared for their next stage of learning.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Attendance is above average, and the school has excellent systems to identify any child whose attendance is at risk of declining.  Parents and carers, pupils and staff express a high level of satisfaction with behaviour, safety and attitudes which result in outstanding achievement for pupils.  In order to support pupils with emotional or behavioural needs, the school occasionally uses the Woodlands Pupil Referral Unit to identify strategies to enable these pupils to make the best possible progress in their development.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher is inspirational and passionate about giving every pupil in the school the very best opportunities to succeed. He is uncompromising in his evaluation of the work of the school and in establishing a clear plan to move the school forward. This vision is shared by governors and all stakeholders who are entirely committed to continuous development through high-level teamwork and training.  Key leaders use highly developed skills in monitoring and evaluation to make judgements about the work of the school and to plan for improvement.  The leadership structure recognises excellence and potential in teachers and offers the opportunity to develop leadership skills at many levels. These teachers are role models who are highly skilled in the classroom. There is some variability in the extent to which leaders are using assessment information to evaluate their work and to plan next steps, although there are

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The leadership and management are outstanding

examples of outstanding practice within the school.  Excellent and well-developed systems for managing teachers’ performance (checking on the quality and effectiveness of their work) ensure a high level of expectation and challenge for all staff and a drive to reflect the very best of the government’s Teachers’ Standards. The headteacher is not afraid to address any failure to meet this.  High-quality training opportunities are established to support the continued development of all members of staff.  The exciting curriculum engages all children and establishes high ambitions for all. Pupils show a keen interest in world events and important moral and environmental issues, which adds greatly to their self-esteem, confidence and personal development.  The local authority recognises the excellence of the school and offers light touch support and encouragement.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has undertaken extensive training and development in order to ensure

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The leadership and management are outstanding

that it carries out its duties conscientiously and effectively. There is a healthy balance of support for the school and challenge to continue to improve. School and national data are used along with frequent monitoring visits to evaluate achievement and address development. Governors manage the performance of staff in relation to pupils’ achievement rigorously, and ensure that the performance of the headteacher is measured against pupils’ achievement. Each governor takes responsibility for a curriculum area or aspect of the school and uses this role to keep the whole governing body very well informed. Statutory duties, including safeguarding, are fully met, and finances and other resources are managed effectively to support the best opportunities for pupils. The use of pupil premium funding is carefully checked to ensure that those pupils entitled to this support are making the best possible progress.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 110342 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 413257

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 557 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alison Simpson Headteacher Andrew White Date of previous school inspection 15 October 2008 Telephone number 01494 482112 Fax number 01494 485854 Email address office@stokenchurchprimary.bucks.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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