Cedar Park School & Nursery

Cedar Park School Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire, HP15 7EF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Cedar Park School provides an effective setting for pupils to learn. Pupils of all abilities achieve well because teaching meets their needs.  Pupils’ attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 is consistently above average. Good progress continues in Key Stage 2 and pupils reach above average levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Children in the early years make good progress because of effective teaching and well-organised provision.  Teaching is typically good. Teachers make learning fun and relevant, which captures pupils’ interest and engages pupils in their learning.  The headteacher leads the school well. She checks the quality of teaching and learning regularly to maintain its quality.  Governors challenge and support leaders effectively. They know the school well, and check that actions taken are bringing improvements in the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.  Pupils' good behaviour and attitudes to learning are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

a major strength of the school. Pupils are very proud of their school.  Pupils feel safe in school because adults provide effective guidance and support.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strong feature of the school. Pupils have a good understanding of different religions, cultures and British values.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not all middle leaders have yet developed the skills to drive up the quality of teaching in their areas of responsibility.  Pupils’ handwriting is variable in quality, and so sometimes work is untidy and hard to read.  Pupils do not always act upon their teachers’ marking, so improvements are sometimes slower than they need be.  Just occasionally, the work set for pupils of all abilities is not hard enough to enable them to make rapid progress.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 19 lessons; six of these lessons were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors held meetings with school staff, members of the governing body, parents and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work. They looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance and pupils’ work in their books.  A discussion was held with a group of pupils, as well as informal conversations with other pupils during lessons and at break times. Inspectors listened to pupils read and talked to them about the books they enjoy.  Inspectors took account of 109 responses from parents to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the school’s own surveys, as well as two letters received from parents.  Inspectors took into consideration the 33 responses to the staff questionnaire

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Inspection team

David Harris, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Cedar Park is a little smaller than an average-sized primary school.  Early years children are taught in one Nursery class, where children attend part- time. There is one full- time Reception class. All other pupils are taught in single-age classes.  The proportion of pupils supported through the pupil premium is below average. This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and for looked after children. In 2014, there were fewer than five pupils eligible in Year 2 and Year 6.  Almost all pupils are of White British heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average. In 2014, there were fewer than five disabled pupils or pupils with special educational needs in Years 2 and Year 6.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics.

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection there have been changes in leadership. The headteacher was appointed permanently in March 2015, following a period as acting headteacher. There have been changes in the governing body, including a new Chair. There have also been substantial changes in teaching staff.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement so it is typically outstanding by ensuring that:  pupils respond more meaningfully to their teachers’ marking and other guidance, so that they can improve their work more quickly  the quality of pupils’ handwriting improves and that pupils present their work more neatly and clearly when writing in a range of subjects  the work set is always hard enough for pupils of all abilities to enable them to make rapid progress.  Develop the roles and skills of middle leaders so that they all play a full part in improving teaching and learning in the areas for which they are responsible.

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The leadership and management are good

 The new headteacher has quickly assessed where the school needs to improve, while maintaining the strengths noted in the previous inspection. Well-informed governors take responsibility for key areas for development and are keen for the school to be even better.  Central to the school’s caring approach is the importance of each pupil. One parent said, ‘All pupils are known as individuals and are valued highly.’ All adults make increasingly accurate checks on pupils’ progress and are helping to support each individual. Pupils flourish in an atmosphere of mutual respect and a safe and happy environment. Staff and pupils do not tolerate discrimination of any sort.  Leaders’ evaluation of the school’s work is accurate. Improvement plans reflect a clear focus on the right priorities to make the school even better. These are embraced by all members of staff, who are overwhelmingly supportive of the drive for improvement.

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The leadership and management are good

 The leadership of teaching is effective. Joint observations with the headteacher showed that her judgements are accurate and that feedback to teachers focuses on the ways in which they can improve their methods. Arrangements for the management of teachers’ performance are effective and pay rewards are linked closely to the progress of pupils.  Pupils have a varied range of subjects to follow. An extensive range of educational visits and visitors to the school enriches their experiences. They take part in elections for the school council, which teaches them about democracy. They learn about tolerance, respect and British values. The school prepares them well for life in modern Britain.  The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils is a strength of the school’s work. Pupils are encouraged to appreciate and value diversity and to respect others.  Middle leaders, some of whom have been appointed to their positions fairly recently, have considerable

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The leadership and management are good

expertise in, and enthusiasm for, the areas for which they are responsible. However, not all have been in place long enough to have a significant impact on the quality of teaching.  There is a clear commitment to equality of opportunity. All pupils, whatever their ability or background, have the chance to take part in all the school’s activities and to achieve well.  All staff that responded to the staff questionnaire were very positive about the school and its leadership. One member of staff wrote, ‘I am proud to be part of the Cedar Park team – it is a great place to work.’ Another commented that the school is ‘a safe and positive place for both adults and children to thrive’.  The school uses pupil premium funding effectively. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is monitored carefully and shows that, overall, the funding has a positive impact on pupils’ rates of progress.  The additional primary school sport funding for physical education and sport enables the school to offer a

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The leadership and management are good

range of clubs and staff training. The school provides a wide range of sports and physical activities for pupils, including swimming, judo and tennis. Pupils enjoy sport and participation in sport is high in the school.  Safeguarding arrangements fully meet requirements and are highly effective.  Support provided by the local authority is effective. For example, the adviser has supported leaders in improving the way the school evaluates the accuracy of its own judgements on the quality of its work.  The governance of the school:  Governors are effective. They have an accurate view of how well the school is doing compared to others nationally and locally. They assess the quality of teaching from the detailed and accurate reports they have from the headteacher. From their own monitoring and very clear understanding of data, they are also able to challenge leaders very well. The governors are well aware of how much progress pupils are

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The leadership and management are good

making and where it needs to improve. They are confident that all pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not underachieve, and that the quality of teaching is set to improve further. They ensure that any underperformance is challenged and that effective teachers are rewarded by progression through the pay scales. They are ambitious for the school’s future success. They make sure that they remain effective by attending training and sharing their learning with each other.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well, particularly through assemblies and within lessons. Pupils say they like and benefit from having activities that promote tolerance and mutual support. For example, pupils enjoy learning about different religions, which helps to promote tolerance and equality. This aids their well-developed insight of the range of beliefs represented beyond the school’s local area.  Pupils behave well in lessons and teachers use these positive attitudes to help drive progress within their learning. On very rare occasions, where the teacher has not pitched the learning at the right level for some pupils, a few lose concentration and become chatty or fidgety, which gets in the way of their learning.  Pupils have a good understanding of the different forms of bullying. They know that name calling, inappropriate language or any form of discrimination is not acceptable. They told inspectors that on the

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Behaviour

few occasions bullying occurs, staff deal with it quickly.  The majority of parents, staff and pupils talk positively about pupils’ behaviour in the school. A few parents raised behaviour and bullying as a concern. Inspectors viewed a range of evidence which shows that bullying and racist incidents are rare. Pupils who spoke with inspectors agreed this was the case.  Although pupils are proud of what they do, they are not always careful in the way they present their work. In books, it is sometimes untidy and difficult for others to read.

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Safety

 The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good.  Pupils know that there are adults they can talk to if they do have concerns. There is good supervision by adults, both inside the school and the playground.  Pupils in Year 6 are trained as anti-bullying ambassadors, a position of responsibility which they enjoy. These ambassadors work successfully with other pupils, providing them with pupil-to-pupil support in finding ways of sorting out playground disputes. Behaviour logs show a reduction in the number of incidences occurring.  Pupils are aware of how to keep themselves and others safe. They are knowledgeable about the dangers associated with the internet and what to do to keep safe online.  Pupils say they feel safe at school because they can talk to the adults in school and the staff help sort out any problems quickly.  The staff work well with parents and outside agencies to ensure that there is good support for pupils at

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The quality of teaching is good

 The good quality of teaching has been maintained since the previous inspection. Teaching is typically good across the school. Teaching is promoting good progress for different groups of pupils in literacy, reading and mathematics.  Teachers use an effective range of ways to challenge the thinking of most pupils. Just occasionally, however, the work set for pupils of different abilities is not hard enough for them to make rapid progress.  Teachers work closely and effectively with skilled teaching assistants to make sure that disabled pupils and those with special educational needs are fully included in, and benefit from, all classroom activities.  Stimulating classrooms and displays of pupils’ work in classes and around the school celebrate achievements as well as supporting learning effectively. Teachers and pupils use the outside environment to very good effect to support learning.  Teachers successfully foster an enjoyment for reading. They introduce interesting books to the class and

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The quality of teaching is good

provide a number of effective ways to enthuse pupils to read widely and enthusiastically. The teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is good. There is a good range of opportunities for pupils to apply their reading skills in different subjects to find information.  Pupils learn well in mathematics because the teaching is good and activities are planned effectively. Pupils say they enjoy the opportunities to challenge themselves and deepen their knowledge. For example, in a Year 5 class, pupils enjoyed investigating the different ways they could measure a piece of paper. Pupils successfully applied their knowledge of area, perimeter and angles to deepen their understanding of mathematics with two-dimensional shapes.  The teaching of writing is good. A focus in the last year on pupils’ writing has led to improvements in the quality of their story and factually-based writing.  Teachers’ marking and guidance to pupils are generally of a good standard. However, pupils do not

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The quality of teaching is good

regularly act upon these suggestions. This hinders their ability to improve their work rapidly and transfer these skills to their next piece of learning. Consequently, some pupils do not make the progress of which they are capable.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ achievement is good. Pupils make good progress from their starting points to reach standards that are well above the average in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6. This is confirmed by past and current work seen. Consequently, they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Children make good progress in the early years provision, and by the end of Reception the percentage of children who achieved a good level of development is above average. This prepares them well for their start in Year 1.  Pupils make good progress in Years 1 and 2. The phonic screening check at the end of Year 1 shows that pupils learn to read well and that the teaching of phonics is good. In the last phonic screening check in 2014, the proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard was above the national average, an improvement on the previous year. By the end of Year 2, pupils work at standards that are above average

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The achievement of pupils is good

in reading, writing and mathematics.  The school provides a good level of challenge for the most able pupils in all year groups. In 2014, the proportion of Year 2 pupils achieving Level 3 or above in reading, writing and mathematics was higher than that seen nationally. At the end of Key Stage 2, a higher proportion than found nationally achieved the higher Level 5 in reading and grammar, and an average proportion attained the higher levels for writing and mathematics.  The school uses pupil premium funding well to provide extra support for pupils. In Year 6, in 2014, there were too few eligible pupils to make meaningful comparisons without identifying individual pupils. However, disadvantaged pupils make similar progress to others in the school.  The few pupils with special educational needs benefit from good teaching and progress well. Teachers work closely with teaching assistants to make sure they make good progress in all the activities provided

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The achievement of pupils is good

for them, which are specially adapted where necessary. Teaching assistants also ensure that pupils are full involved in classroom activities, such as discussions.  The quality of pupils’ handwriting is too variable. Some pupils’ handwriting is well formed and consistent, and this helps pupils to get their ideas down on paper efficiently and clearly. However, this is not the case for many pupils. Although they produce good quality work for displays around the school, they do not use the same good quality handwriting when working in books across other subjects, or generally within their English books.

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The early years provision is good

 Children achieve well in the early years in the Nursery and Reception class.  Children start in the early years with skills and abilities that are above what is typical for their age. Whilst children make good progress, the early years progress is not outstanding because not enough children achieve beyond a good level of development, considering their starting point.  Good leadership and the teacher’s effective planning of children’s learning make sure that the well- equipped facilities stimulate children’s interest and promote effective learning.  Teachers and other adults plan activities that capture children’s interest and make them want to learn. Teaching is effective and based on a secure understanding of children’s needs and, as a result, children make good progress. For example in Reception, children were learning about symmetry and the task enabled them to develop their mathematical understanding and questioning skills.

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The early years provision is good

 Children’s behaviour is good. Children settle quickly into their daily routines and form excellent relationships with adults and each other. They are polite to adults and work well together. Staff have created a caring and positive environment where children feel secure and able to engage in their learning.  Children’s health, safety and well-being are always of utmost importance to staff. All children are kept safe and secure. Parents are very complimentary about how happy and safe their children feel.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 131907 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 449682

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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 234 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tania Kastner-Oldcorn Headteacher Helen Gow Date of previous school inspection 13−14 January 2010 Telephone number 01494 711918 Fax number 01494 711918 Email address office@cedarpark.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 and 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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