Kings Wood School and Nursery

King’s Wood School Hollis Road, Totteridge, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP13 7UN

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Teaching has improved since the last inspection and is now good. Teachers use differentiation well to cater for the needs of all pupils, whatever their ability. As a result, progress has improved significantly. All pupils are making at least the progress expected nationally. A sizeable proportion makes even better progress.  Teaching assistants provide caring, confident and effective support for pupils.  The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has improved and reading across the school is taught well, so that most pupils make strong progress.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage settle quickly, are well prepared for their future learning and make good progress.  Pupils are courteous, friendly, enthusiastic and enjoy coming to school, because there are interesting things to do and learn. Their behaviour is typically good and they feel safe.  The governing body has an astute grasp of the

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school’s strengths and weaknesses and collectively with the headteacher secures improvements in teaching and pupils’ achievement.  The headteacher provides excellent direction for the school. She ensures leaders at all levels are agreed on what the school’s areas of development are and what needs to be done to address these. This is resulting in improvements in accountability across all levels.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Lessons do not provide enough opportunities for pupils to reflect on and assess the quality of their work or check whether they have achieved their targets.  Occasionally, questioning is not used fully by teachers to explore and check pupils’ understanding or to build more strongly on what they already know.  Pupils in Years 3 to 5 do not always make better than expected progress in writing. This is because they do not have enough opportunities to apply their writing skills in other subjects and they are not given clear guidance on how to improve.  Marking and feedback are inconsistent and teachers do not provide enough guidance on how pupils can improve their work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors visited 27 lessons taught by 18 teachers and undertook two joint observations with senior staff. In addition, inspectors made several short visits to lessons and observed a number of small groups of pupils taught by learning support assistants.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, senior staff and subject leaders, members of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including school improvement plans, school policies, current data on pupils’ attainment and progress and documents in relation to safeguarding pupils.  Inspectors observed the behaviour of pupils at break time, lunchtime and around school.  Inspectors took into account the 16 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Inspectors listened to pupils read and examined their books.

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Inspection team

Kerry Rochester, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Cliff Mainey Additional Inspector Philip Littlejohn Additional Inspector Liz Kissane Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 King’s Wood Combined School is a larger-than-average primary school.  Nearly three quarters of the pupils who attend King’s Wood Combined School are from minority ethnic groups, with a large proportion who speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, who are supported at school action, is broadly average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children in local authority care, and those with a parent or carer in the armed forces, is above average. Currently there are no pupils with a parent or carer in the armed forces and very few children in local authority care.  The school has a 15-place specialist resource base has been set up to cater for pupils with

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Information about this school

severe speech, language and communication difficulties.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the rate of progress in pupils’ writing across Key Stage 2 so that it is securely good and matches that of reading and mathematics by:  giving pupils a clearer picture of what constitutes good writing and guidance on how pupils can accomplish this  providing more regular opportunities to write at length across different subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching from good to outstanding by:  ensuring pupils are more involved in assessing their own work and in checking whether they have achieved their targets  always providing guidance in marked work about how to improve and allowing pupils time to respond to comments  making sure teachers make full use of questioning to reshape and extend the thinking of some pupils to deepen their understanding.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children’s skills and understanding when they join the Nursery class are well below the levels expected for their age. Children are excited about school and enjoy learning and make good progress across the Early Years Foundation Stage, particularly in the development of communication and language skills, preparing them well for Year 1.  There is an improving picture in attainment over time in Key Stage 1. In 2012, pupils acquired skills that were below their peers nationally. Considering their very low starting points these pupils made outstanding progress. This typically reflects current pupil progress across Key Stage 1 in reading, writing and mathematics.  The attainment gap in Key Stage 2 is also closing but at a slower pace.  Current school data, and work seen during the inspection, demonstrate pupils’ progress is securely good in reading and mathematics across Years 3 to 5.  Progress in writing varies across Years 3 to 5. While there is an effective emphasis on developing

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The achievement of pupils is good

pupils’ vocabulary and use of descriptive writing in lessons there remain weaknesses in the application of writing skills. Pupils do not always have sufficient opportunities to practise their writing skills in other subjects, and guidance on how to improve their writing is inconsistent, which inhibits their progress.  Progress in Year 6 was outstanding for reading, writing and mathematics at the end of 2011 and 2012. The provisional results for the 2013 tests indicate this trend is set to continue.  More able pupils and those who speak English as an additional language also make similar progress to their peers and achieve well. This is because teachers have an accurate understanding of what pupils need to do next in their learning, teaching is well organised and promotes equality of opportunity for all and ensures there is no discrimination. Achievement is therefore consistent across different groups.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils across the school enjoy reading and make good progress. Attainment, as shown by the Year 1 check on phonics (letters and the sounds they make), is below average because of the very low skills on entry. However, through improvements in the teaching of phonics, by pitching the learning activity to match the abilities of younger pupils, the 2013 outcomes improved on the previous year.  Pupils in receipt of the pupil premium in 2012 attained standards below their peers nationally in English and mathematics. The gap in their attainment compared to their peers within the school has narrowed and they are just over one term behind in reading and two terms behind in writing. Attainment in mathematics matches that of their peers. Inspection evidence shows the gap in reading and writing is continuing to close, because pupils are making accelerated progress. This is because support is tailored to meet individual needs with increasing accuracy.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils from the resource base, those who are disabled and those with special educational needs make particularly good progress because of the tailored support provided for them, which is effectively delivered by other adults in the classroom and through small group intervention sessions.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have good subject knowledge and expertise and use assessment information well to make sure that pupils’ work is carefully matched to their needs and differing abilities.  Teachers ensure that pupils learn at a good pace because they start lessons briskly and clearly set out what they expect pupils to learn. Activities are challenging which, together with good resources, explanations and support, ensure pupils do well.  Skilled teaching assistants often provide extra support for pupils who require it by carefully checking their progress and adapting tasks if they prove to be too demanding or not challenging enough. For example, in a Year 5 lesson, a teaching assistant checked pupils’ understanding of language by asking them to put the word into a sentence. When it was clear they did not understand it, she further supported them with dictionary skills. This enabled pupils to make good use of the new language they had learnt.

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The quality of teaching is good

 There is evidence of good marking but advice to pupils on how to improve their work is not always clearly set out. As a result, pupils do not always know what they need to do to improve their work.  Teachers aim to ensure pupils are aware of what they are learning during lessons with effective direct questioning. However, teachers miss opportunities to use questioning to check pupils’ understanding and to accelerate their progress by probing further with follow-up questions.  There are not enough opportunities provided for pupils to reflect on and assess the quality of their work and review whether they have achieved their targets.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 School logs indicate that behavior is managed very well, has improved over time and is now securely good.  In the Nursery and Reception classes, children settle in well and quickly learn how to work and play harmoniously and safely together. They listen carefully and are happy to respond to adults and share their ideas with each other.  Pupils have positive attitudes to learning throughout the school.  They know about different forms of bullying, such as cyber-bullying, and know how to keep themselves safe. For example, they know how to use the internet safely. They say they have few concerns about bullying and they know what to do if it happens and are confident that adults will quickly resolve any problems. Parents and carers also consider the school to be safe.  Behaviour in the classrooms, playground and around the school is consistently good. Pupils relate well and show consideration for one another. Pupil play-leaders develop their social and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

leadership skills well by helping to resolve any minor disagreements.  The school works closely with parents and carers to support pupils’ attendance. A focus on the importance of attending has led to a marked improvement over the past three years. Attendance has improved and is now just below average.

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The leadership and management are good

 Teachers’ performance management is closely matched to the school’s targets for improvement and to the national teachers’ standards. There are regular reviews and observations in place to ensure performance is effectively monitored. Teachers are given clear feedback on how to improve their practice and they are set specific targets linked to pupils’ progress and their areas of responsibility. This ensures that teaching which requires improvement is addressed quickly.  Senior leaders have implemented very effective systems for tracking and analysing data. The data are used to monitor the progress of different groups of pupils, including those supported by the pupil premium, and to intervene and provide extra support where necessary. As a result, pupils eligible for support are making good progress.  The school self-evaluation is accurate and there has been a good drive for improvement since the previous inspection. Weaknesses have been tackled well. School improvement planning for

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The leadership and management are good

future development is based on thorough self-evaluation, which accurately identifies what the school does well and what needs improving. There is good capacity in the strong leadership to continue this trend of improvement.  The curriculum is enhanced through the wide range of opportunities for pupils to find out about their own locality and world around them through the many trips and visitors who contribute to the curriculum. The pupils enjoy these exciting opportunities and this helps them learn about and respect the values of different cultures. This promotes their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well, and helps eliminate all forms of discrimination.  There are early signs of pupils benefiting from the renewed emphasis on developing healthy lifestyles and better physical well-being. As a result of new sports funding, there are more opportunities and a greater engagement in sporting activities, throughout the day, making pupils

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The leadership and management are good

more active.  Governors regularly seek the views of parents and carers. The majority of parents and carers believe their children make good progress and are happy in school.  All safeguarding procedures meet statutory requirements.  Buckinghamshire Learning Trust provides good support to the school on behalf of the local authority.  The governance of the school:  The governors know the school well and seek to support the senior leadership team in its efforts to drive improvement further. They have detailed knowledge of the data and performance of the school and are accurately aware of the link between teachers’ performance and their salary progression and promotion. Regular planned visits to school by governors give them a window on what is happening in school.  The governing body is fully aware of the additional support provided to pupils from the pupil premium and is provided with sufficient information to fully analyse the impact of the funding

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The leadership and management are good

and to review the progress different groups of pupils make. Consequently, it holds the school to account in its efforts to improve outcomes for all pupils. Governors keep their knowledge and skills up to date with training to improve their effectiveness, especially when holding leaders to account.

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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 133756 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 426525

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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 Community Age range of pupils 3  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 439 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Saunders Headteacher Janice Freeman Date of previous school inspection 26  27 September 2011 Telephone number 01494 521401 Fax number 01494 443265 Email address office@kingswood.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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