Seer Green Church of England School

Seer Green Church of England School School Lane, Seer Green, Beaconsfield, HP9 2QJ

p.1

Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Good 2

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Staff and governors share the vision for excellence in all areas of the academy.  The school is a happy and harmonious place. Relationships are very strong. Pupils get along very well with each other and older children look after younger ones.  Senior leaders know the academy well. They provide good leadership and management. The quality of teaching is rigorously checked in the drive for further improvement.  Pupils make good progress in all classes and achieve standards that are above the national average in English and mathematics. They become fluent readers.  Teachers make lessons fun and interesting. Pupils willingly answer questions and discuss their ideas with each other.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils enjoy coming to school and attendance is above average. In lessons, pupils are fully engaged and concentrate on their work.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage

p.1

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

quickly develop their confidence and social skills. They speak well and listen carefully to others. Parents and carers are kept closely involved and very well informed about their child’s development.  Teaching is mainly good and some is outstanding. Teachers use skilful questioning to extend pupils’ understanding well. Good use is made of support assistants to guide pupils and assess their progress.

p.1

It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Teachers, when marking written work, do not always ensure that pupils know what they need to do next to improve.  Teachers do not always plan tasks that stretch the most-able pupils.  Pupils do not have enough opportunities to write at length for different purposes and in all subjects.

p.1

Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 15 lessons or parts of lessons, including eight joint observations with senior leaders, and an assembly. They also looked at pupils’ written work.  Meetings were held with the Chair of the Governing Body and a governor who leads the curriculum committee, the vice chair, the academy’s improvement partner and other school leaders.  Inspectors spoke to two groups of pupils and to others in lessons and around the school. They listened to some pupils read.  Inspectors took account of the views expressed by parents and carers as they arrived with their children at school and of 63 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  They took account of 25 questionnaires returned by staff.  Inspectors observed the academy at work and looked at a range of school documents, such as information about pupils’ progress, the school’s checks on how well it is doing and its improvement plan, evidence about the monitoring and evaluation of teaching and records

p.2

Information about this inspection

relating to behaviour, safeguarding and attendance.

p.2

Inspection team

Jim McVeigh, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Linda Rowley Additional Inspector

p.2

Information about this school

 Seer Green Church of England School is a new academy. It converted from its predecessor school in February 2013. The predecessor school was inspected in September 2007 when it was judged to be outstanding.  It is smaller than the average size primary school.  The majority of pupils are White British and there are very small proportions of pupils from several other ethnic backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium (extra government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, looked after children and children of service personnel) is very small and there are very few pupils who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils who receive extra support through school action and the proportions supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are much lower than average.  The school has met the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectations for

p.3

What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching still further by making sure that teachers:  plan tasks that stretch all pupils, particularly the most able  include clear comments in pupils’ written work that explain how to improve and encourage pupils to respond.  Accelerate the progress pupils make in writing still further by ensuring pupils have more opportunities to write at length and for a variety of purposes.

p.3

The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ written work in English and mathematics and the academy’s performance data show pupils are making rapid progress in both subjects. They achieve standards broadly in line with national expectations in writing and mathematics by the end of Key Stage 1 and higher standards in reading. At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils attain above average standards in English and mathematics.  Pupils make good progress in all years, but their progress in English in Years 1 and 5 is particularly rapid because they are given interesting writing experiences. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, pupils were busily engaged in finding evidence about different cultures in stories and made outstanding progress. Generally, pupils have fewer opportunities to write at length and for a variety of purposes in other subjects. Writing is not as strong as reading.  Children begin school in the Reception Year with broadly typical skills for their age. They settle in

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

well because staff have established good links with parents and carers, know children’s strengths and weaknesses before they start and provide good individualised care. Children quickly develop confidence and learn to get on happily with others. In a Reception class lesson, children were seen talking assuredly about how to organise a party invitation and then asking their parents and carers to come by ‘phone’.  The school effectively encourages pupils to read regularly. Parents, carers and staff listen to children reading frequently. Pupils enjoy reading books and read fluently and with good comprehension.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are making good progress in all areas, but particularly in mathematics. Their needs are identified quickly and the views of parents and carers and pupils are taken into account. The extra support given to overcome their learning difficulties is effective and good use is made of external agencies for specialist help.

p.4

The achievement of pupils is good

 There are very few pupils in Year 6 who are eligible for the pupil premium and they are making good progress. The gap between those eligible for the pupil premium and other pupils has closed in both English and mathematics.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is mainly good and some is outstanding. Teachers make lessons fun and interesting so that pupils are engaged and enjoy what they are doing. For example, in a Year 4 French lesson, pupils made very good progress in learning new vocabulary in a series of short, pacey activities, including singing and movements, that saw all pupils smiling and fully engrossed.  Teachers are enthusiastic and have a good rapport with their pupils. They have good information about pupils’ prior learning to help in planning activities and have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and productivity.  Teachers make pupils think hard through skilful questioning and they listen carefully to their answers. For example, a teacher’s questions to Year 2 pupils steered them to consider new approaches to investigate common denominators of numbers. ‘Working walls’, showing key points from recent lessons, are consistently used as a good resource for learners.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers do not always plan lessons that stretch all pupils. Pupils are sometimes all given the same task that is not hard enough for the most-able pupils. Such pupils in a mathematics lesson could have made better progress if they had been set more challenging work on square numbers.  Teaching assistants are deployed well in lessons and give good support to identified pupils. In Reception, teaching assistants evaluate and record evidence of children’s contributions to discussions and regularly engage them in conversation to make them think more about what they are doing.  Music, taught by a specialist teacher, is promoted very well at school. Pupils have great opportunities to play musical instruments and sing in the choir and musical performances. The choir is very large and contains equal numbers of boys and girls. Pupils really enjoy the chance to perform and to contribute to performances at the Royal Albert Hall.

p.4

The quality of teaching is good

 Pupils are given good opportunities to assess their own work and to indicate how well they think they have mastered it. Their teachers mark written work frequently and regularly. They include comments on what pupils have done well, but there is a mixed approach to telling pupils what they should do next. Teachers do not always give clear guidance on how to improve and pupils do not always respond to it.

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The academy promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well in a Christian setting. For example, pupils have very good opportunities to reflect on war issues and injustice and what they value personally. The daily assemblies are times of worship and reflect the Christian ethos of the school very well. Pupils join in respectfully and with joy and enthusiasm, particularly in their singing.  Pupils’ excellent behaviour contributes much to the calm and orderly atmosphere in the academy, and their exemplary attitude in lessons helps explain their rapid progress in learning. There is obvious mutual respect between teachers and pupils, and classroom are friendly but purposeful places. Teachers do not have to waste time in correcting behaviour.  Pupils behave maturely when moving round the academy. They are invariably courteous to adults and one another, greeting strangers with a welcoming smile and showing concern for one

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

another. Playtime in the spacious and well-maintained grounds is well monitored and pupils get on with each other very well. Year 6 pupils act as mentors to younger children and take this responsibility very seriously.  Pupils feel valued at the academy. They happily take on extra responsibilities, such as Year 6 pupils making sure that pupils’ behaviour in assemblies is orderly and Year 5 pupils supporting younger pupils with their reading. The school council members enjoy their role in producing a school magazine and advising senior leaders of pupils’ opinions. Junior road safety officers help promote road safety effectively and discrimination of any sort is not tolerated by either staff or pupils.  Governors, parents, carers and staff agree that pupils’ behaviour at school is outstanding. There are extremely few incidents of misbehaviour and there have been no exclusions.  The academy monitors attendance closely and promotes good attendance very well. Attendance

p.5

The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

is high and there are no cases of persistent absence. Seer Green is an inclusive school and opportunities are open to all equally.  Pupils know how to stay healthy. They have been taught how to stay safe in a variety of situations, including when using the internet, from lessons, assemblies and visitors such as the police and St John’s Ambulance Service. They have an age-appropriate understanding of bullying and have learned how to stay friends during Friendship Week. They are adamant that bullying at school is rare and that the occasional arguments or falling-out are soon sorted out by their teachers.

p.5

The leadership and management are good

 Governors and senior leaders have high expectations and a clear vision of excellence, shared by all staff. A summary of the school’s mission statement, ‘Support, Guide, Care, Enthuse’, encapsulates the approach all staff have to their work.  The academy is well led and managed. Senior leaders exhibit a clear determination to further improve teaching and promote even better achievement by pupils. The system for checking how well teachers are doing is rigorous, and includes lesson observations, scrutiny of pupils’ written work and tracking the performance of each pupil. Senior leaders have an accurate picture of current teaching standards.  Leaders know the school well. Key areas for required developments in teaching are identified from the ‘monitoring matrices’, records of teaching strengths and areas for improvement, and a focused programme for teachers’ professional development is subsequently planned. Teachers

p.5

The leadership and management are good

are set targets to improve further, including raising the achievement of pupils, although targets could be more challenging and easier to measure. Teachers’ movement along the pay scales is linked to pupils’ improved progress.  The academy monitors pupils’ progress regularly. Any pupils not performing to their potential are given effective extra support. The progress of pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is monitored closely to check that the funding, used solely to support their learning and including one-to-one tuition, is having the desired impact.  The Early Years Foundation Stage is well led. Strong links are forged between parents, carers and staff. Assessment is robust and is clearly used in good planning for children’s progress. Arrangements for children moving into Year 1 are effective in ensuring a smooth transition. Similarly smooth transitions are organised for movement between years and into secondary

p.6

The leadership and management are good

school.  The range of subjects and learning experiences is a strength of the academy. As well as a very good focus on the core subjects, there is a good balance of humanities, practical and creative subjects, particularly music. Science is well led and pupils have good opportunities to carry out practical investigations. Pupils develop good information and communication technology skills and use them in subjects such as art and mathematics. Subjects are linked through themes, such as ‘Alice in Wonderland’, to make learning meaningful, and pupils’ work is celebrated well at the end. A wide range of clubs and relevant visits further enrich pupils’ experiences, as do visitors such as authors and artists.  The governance of the school: – Governors have a good range of useful skills and experience and have attended a number of relevant training sessions to understand school data and the Ofsted inspection framework.

p.6

The leadership and management are good

They are well informed about the quality of teaching and individual pupils’ progress through the headteacher and subject leader reports. However, governors also gather first-hand evidence through focused visits, such as observations of provision for science. They contribute to the management of the headteacher’s performance and want future performance targets to be more closely linked to pupils’ achievement. The governing body monitors decisions about teachers’ movements up the pay scale and the leaders’ plans for further improvement. Governors ensure the academy is financially sound and that the pupil premium spending is effective. All statutory arrangements for safeguarding are securely in place.

p.6

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

p.7

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.

p.7

School details

Unique reference number 139164 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 420774

p.8

School details

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

p.8

School details

Type of school Academy converter School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 215 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Peter Bingle Headteacher Olwyn Davison-Oakley Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 01494 676 344 Fax number 01494 730 692 Email address office@sgceschool.co.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 .

p.8

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.

p.9

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

p.9

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

p.9

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’.

p.9

School details

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

p.9