Hawridge and Cholesbury Church of England School

Hawridge and Cholesbury Church of England School Hawridge, Chesham, HP5 2UQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Teaching, learning and assessment are good or better in nearly all classes.  The vast majority of pupils make good and sometimes rapid progress in their learning. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Pupils like coming to school. They feel safe and enjoy their learning. They are extremely well behaved, and very polite and courteous to others.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils value and help each other. They respect each other’s differences, showing a keen interest in what’s going on in the world around them. British values are a key feature of the curriculum and adults take every opportunity to develop learning in this area.  Children in the early years are enthusiastic and willing learners; they have settled well into school. Parents and carers are actively involved in supporting their children’s learning and are kept well informed about their children’s progress.

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This is a good school

 The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. She has the highest expectations of staff and pupils and has a deep understanding of where the school is and what the next steps should be to continue to improve. She is committed to consistently improving outcomes for all pupils.  The governing body effectively challenges and supports the school to improve, and enable the pupils to achieve well.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The proportion of outstanding teaching is not yet high enough to ensure all pupils make rapid progress. In particular some lower-attaining pupils would benefit from greater support to catch up with their learning.  Feedback and marking in Key Stage 1 does not always help pupils to move on.  In the early years some adults do not always clearly establish what it is that pupils will be learning in lessons and how they will know if they have been successful.  Not all teachers take the opportunities to extend learning through asking challenging questions.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further develop teachers’ skills so that teaching and assessment secures the best possible outcomes for all pupils by making sure that: – all lessons are consistently challenging for all groups of pupils, with tasks set to match their particular needs – all teachers take every opportunity to further pupils’ learning by asking challenging questions – the use of feedback to support learning is appropriate for all pupils.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that teaching in the early years is of a consistently high standard by making sure that: all activities extend children’s learning and have a clear purpose.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher provides exceptional leadership. She is ambitious for the school and is very clear about the strengths and the steps needed to make the school outstanding. She has an accurate understanding of the school’s performance, and of staff and pupils’ skills and attributes.  In this school, there is a strong sense of vision and purpose and a clear commitment to team work and community in order to get the best possible outcomes for all pupils. All staff who completed the staff questionnaire during the inspection agreed that the school is well led and managed.  The headteacher is very clear about the needs of the pupils in her school and directs additional funding carefully to support pupils’ learning and, with governors, monitors the impact of this spending regularly to ensure money is well spent. She is determined to make sure that every child has an equal chance to do their best.  The headteacher motivates her staff effectively. She manages teachers’ performance well and ensures they

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

receive any necessary support and training to improve outcomes for pupils.  Senior leaders are accurate in the judgements they make about the quality of teaching. They are skilful in supporting staff.  Pupils benefit from a well planned, broad curriculum which provides lots of different opportunities to learn. The most-able pupils are particularly well supported so that they really embed their learning and set themselves new challenges to apply their skills in reading, writing and mathematical knowledge across all subjects.  The curriculum excites and engages pupils while providing them with a secure framework to practise and build upon their skills in reading, writing and mathematics. Areas of learning for each class are made available via the website and meetings are held with parents and carers in order to help them to support learning at home. The school offers a broad choice of extra-curricular activities from gymnastics to choir.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

They all have a positive impact on pupils developing healthy minds and bodies. Leaders make good use of the primary physical education and sport funding to promote these activities.  The school promotes positive behaviour and a broad range of experiences that contribute exceptionally well to pupils’ social, moral, cultural and spiritual development. This includes all views and faiths within the local and broader communities and serves to positively promote British values. Some pupils in Key Stage 2 are reflecting upon the current refugee crisis and are encouraged to debate and share their views, skilfully led by their teacher.  Safeguarding systems meet requirements, and training to ensure that staff provide effective support and protection for pupils is up to date. The school promotes equality of opportunity well; pupils respect difference and are supportive of each other.  The vast majority of parents are very positive about the school. They talk positively about teaching and

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

learning and know that their children are safe and well cared for. They would recommend the school to other parents. Good support for leaders from the diocese and the local authority has been welcomed by the school.  The governance of the school: is effective because, after a period of instability, governors are now working as a team to support and challenge school leaders is ambitious and its members have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement is receiving regular evaluative reports from the headteacher about the quality of teaching and pupil progress, and questions and challenging robustly is holding senior leaders to account for all aspects of the school’s performance is aware of the systems used by senior leaders to monitor the performance of staff is clear where the best teaching is to be found in the school and ensures that this is appropriately rewarded is managing financial resources well, ensuring that funds, including those for pupils who are eligible for

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

the pupil premium, are directed appropriately and make a difference to pupils’ attainment and progress.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teaching in Years 5 and 6 is consistently outstanding. Learning is exciting and challenging, and pupils are fully engaged. Pupils are buzzing in their enthusiasm for their discovery of prime numbers and their learning is rapid as the fundamental principle is clearly taught and understood. One pupil said, ‘It all adds up and makes mathematics exciting.’  Across the school, teaching in all subjects, including in mathematics and English, is usually good and includes examples of outstanding practice. This ensures that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and those in receipt of the pupil premium, make at least good progress over time.  Teachers provide good opportunities for pupils to talk and listen to one another in lessons; this helps them to learn from, and value the ideas and opinions of, others. Their speaking and listening skills are good. In Year 4, pupils worked well with a partner and then as a class to share their choices of adjectives and use the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

best ones to develop a setting for a story.  Learning support assistants are skilled at working alongside pupils, providing additional support where needed for disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs, and for the most-able pupils (referred to by the school as those with higher learning potential). The progress of these individuals is carefully monitored and shows that the support they receive helps them to progress quickly in their learning.  Teachers set homework in line with the school’s policy to consolidate learning.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils. Most use skilful questioning to move learning on but leaders acknowledge that some staff need support to develop this further.  In Key Stage 2, pupils’ work is clearly and consistently marked and, as a result, they know what they need to do to improve. In Key Stage 1, some pupils are not always clear about their next steps and appropriate

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

support is not always given to help them to move on.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils are confident and well supported by staff to become independent learners. They are passionate about their learning and have very good attitudes to school. They respect difference and are very supportive of one another.  The headteacher is a strong advocate for all her pupils and goes the extra mile to make sure they are safe and able to learn.  Pupils say they feel safe and secure in school, and understand how to keep themselves safe. They understand about different types of bullying but say bullying is rare in their school. They are confident that any incidents would be dealt with swiftly and effectively.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  The conduct of pupils is first class. Pupils care about their school and about each other, and incidences of poor behaviour are extremely rare. This reflects the very high expectations promoted and maintained by the school.  Pupils take good care of their environment, and enjoy playing together at playtimes and lunchtimes. The Kith and Kin afternoon is a good example of family groups working creatively and harmoniously together.  The school has taken clear steps to improve attendance, which is now good. If children are not in school then appropriate action is taken. As a result, persistent absenteeism has dropped significantly.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The achievement of pupils has improved since the previous inspection and current pupils make consistently good or better progress in their learning.  The progress made by disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs is similar to, or better than, other pupils nationally and continues to improve. At the end of Key Stage 1, the proportion of disadvantaged pupils attaining expected outcomes was equal to or above the national figure for other pupils in reading, writing and mathematics.  Pupils have made sustained improvements in developing their writing and outcomes are now at least in line with other pupils nationally.  Pupils read avidly and with enjoyment. The Reading Challenge and Scrap Book Challenge display celebrates the pupils’ engagement.  In some classes, lower-attaining pupils do not always have the additional support needed to ensure that they catch up with other pupils as quickly as they can.

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Early years provision is good

 Since the last inspection, the early years provision has improved substantially. The children now benefit from well-resourced indoor and outdoor environments that offer a range of learning that motivates, challenges and excites them.  Leaders have an accurate view of areas for development in the early years. An external adviser is working with the newly appointed early years leader; the impact of this support can already be seen in staff development and children’s achievement.  An early focus on routine has meant that children are very settled and safe. They engage enthusiastically in their activities and are very proud of their achievements. Children were very excited to take home the fruit salad which they had prepared and were full of smiles when met by their parents/carers.  Mostly good teaching ensures that children make good progress from their different starting points. This includes the most-able, disadvantaged children and those with special educational needs. This means that

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Early years provision is good

children will be well prepared for the next stage in their education.  Additional funds to support disadvantaged learners are used to good effect and help children to catch up more quickly.  The staff are a strong team who have high expectations of the children based on their knowledge of the children’s starting points. However, they do not always ensure that every activity has a clear purpose and that the outcomes for each child are used when planning next steps.

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School details

Unique reference number 110445 Local authority Buckinghamshire Inspection number 10002397

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School details

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

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School details

School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 5–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 177 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sue Walton Headteacher Rosie Phillips Telephone number 01494 758368 Website www.hawridge-cholesbury.bucks.sch.uk Email address office@hawridge-cholesbury.bucks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 17–18 September 2013

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection, the school has appointed a permanent headteacher and has a recently formed senior leadership team.  Since September there is a newly constituted governing body where two thirds of members are newly appointed.  There are two newly qualified teachers in post from 1 September 2015. One of these is in the early years.  The school meets the government’s floor standards which set the minimum expectation for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Hawridge and Cholesbury Church of England School is a smaller than average primary school.  A significantly low proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided for looked after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and children of service families.  The school has a lower than average number of pupils with special educational needs.  The school has a lower than average number of pupils at School Action, as well as School Action Plus

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Information about this school

and with a statement of special educational needs.  There are a very small proportion of pupils with English as an additional language and from minority ethnic backgrounds.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors analysed information from the school’s website.  Inspectors worked in partnership with the school’s senior leadership team when analysing information about the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation documentation, development planning, monitoring and evaluation records and also data related to pupils’ progress and attainment. Inspectors also analysed the progress made by different groups of pupils in the school.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s policies and procedures, particularly those relating to pupils’ safety. They also analysed a selection of pupils’ work in mathematics and English.  The inspection team observed lessons in all classes. Some were joint observations with the headteacher.  Inspectors walked around the school to find out more about the school’s work from displays and extra- curricular activities.  An inspector joined collective worship.  Inspectors analysed the 47 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). Informal discussions

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Information about this inspection

were held with 25 parents. Fifteen staff questionnaires were also scrutinised.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, a representative of the local authority, three governors and a number of pupils.  Pupils from Key Stage 1 read to an inspector.

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Inspection team

Sarah Varnom, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector David Wolfson Ofsted Inspector guidance 'Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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