Hazlemere Church of England Combined School

Hazlemere Church of England Combined School Amersham Road, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 7PZ

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

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Early years provision Requires improvement

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Good

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a school that requires improvement

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 In recent years, standards across the school have been declining.  There is still too much variability in the quality of teaching and learning across the school.  Leaders, including in early years, do not use assessment information effectively to monitor the impact of their actions.  Middle leaders are too reliant on the new headteacher in driving improvements and raising standards in their subjects.  Until recently, governors have not held school leaders to account robustly enough.  Some learning is not planned effectively enough to meet the needs of pupils. At times, the work planned is not challenging enough.  Pupils in key stage 2 are not making good enough progress and are not achieving the standards of which they are capable.  Pupils in key stage 2 do not demonstrate consistently positive attitudes to their learning.  The attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have special educational needs

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

(SEN) and/or disabilities is low.  Leaders and teachers do not provide enough information to parents and carers on the progress that pupils and children are making.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The new headteacher has set aspirational targets for school improvement. She has taken effective action to address some underperformance in teaching.  Pupils are very polite, friendly and welcoming. They are kind and caring towards one another and bullying is rare.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development is promoted well.  As a result of strong teaching and nurturing relationships, children get off to a very good start in Nursery.  Effective teaching in key stage 1 enables pupils to make strong progress.  Physical education (PE) is taught well. Pupils make good progress in developing key skills.  Safeguarding is effective.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that pupils make good progress by: – addressing inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, learning and assessment – ensuring that work is sufficiently challenging, particularly for the most able pupils – securing good behaviour for learning.  Improve the leadership and management of the school by: – developing leaders’ strategic use of information in order to monitor the impact of their actions – developing the role of middle leaders in driving school improvement – continuing to develop the ability of governors to provide appropriate challenge for school leaders.  Improve provision in the early years by: – developing the use of assessment to accelerate children’s progress – improving communication with parents so that they are better informed about their child’s progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 Standards across the school, particularly in key stage 2, have been declining in recent years. In the past, leaders have not taken appropriate, robust action to address this decline quickly enough. As a result, many pupils are not making good progress and are not achieving the standards of which they are capable.  Since September, the new headteacher has developed and implemented plans for school improvement and has not hesitated to begin making changes. The changes she has made, however, are in their infancy. Too many actions are in their early stages of planning or implementation and are not embedded in practice.  Leaders have not established robust enough systems to check the impact of their work on pupils’ outcomes. Although changes are being made, leaders are not currently measuring whether they are successful in raising standards and improving outcomes for pupils.  The headteacher has introduced new, robust assessment procedures to more

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

effectively monitor the progress of pupils. However, these practices are not embedded throughout the school. Middle leaders are too reliant on the headteacher for direction in using this assessment information.  Middle leaders do not have an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in their areas of responsibility. Although they have taken some actions to improve teaching and learning in their subjects, they have not measured the impact of their actions on outcomes for pupils.  The new headteacher has established a clear, aspirational vision for the school and has high expectations of the pupils and children in early years. Staff share her vision and drive to implement change and to improve the school.  The new headteacher has an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. She is not afraid to take robust action to tackle the legacy of underperformance in teaching and address teachers’ low expectations of pupils.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

 The school’s curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils enjoy learning a wide range of subjects through exciting topics, such as Ancient Egypt and Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet’. Leaders and teachers plan a variety of enrichment activities that contribute well towards pupils’ learning. For example, pupils benefit from learning a brass instrument in Year 5.  Pupils’ SMSC development and understanding of British values are strong. Leaders give pupils regular opportunities to reflect on their own beliefs during collective worship and to celebrate the school’s values. Pupils participate respectfully and thoughtfully during these times, welcoming these opportunities.

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Governance of the school

 Historically, governors were not given the information they needed to appropriately challenge school leaders. Consequently, they have not routinely held school leaders to account for pupils’ outcomes and standards across the school. As a result, underperformance across the school was not challenged soon enough and governors failed to address falling standards.  Until recently, governors have not robustly monitored the impact of pupil premium funding on outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. As a result, some disadvantaged pupils have not made the progress of which they are capable.  Since the appointment of the new headteacher, governors have established an accurate understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. This is because the headteacher ensures that they have the information that they need in order to evaluate the school’s performance. As a result, governors are now beginning to monitor

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Governance of the school

standards more effectively and to offer greater challenge to school leaders.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. The designated safeguarding lead is committed to ensuring that pupils are safe and has ensured that robust policies and procedures are in place for staff to report any safeguarding concerns.  The designated lead ensures that appropriate training is in place for all staff and adults in school. As a result, staff have a clear understanding of their roles and responsibilities.  Leaders ensure that referrals to external agencies are made in a timely manner so that all pupils are kept safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

 There are inconsistencies in the quality of teaching across the school. Too often, teachers’ expectations of what pupils can achieve are too low.  The new headteacher has implemented a range of new initiatives to improve the quality of teaching and learning, for example new assessment procedures. They are not embedded in practice, however, and are yet to have a sustained impact on pupils’ outcomes.  Too often, teaching in key stage 2 fails to effectively address pupils’ misconceptions. Pupils continue to make the same, or similar, mistakes over time. Teaching does not routinely explore or correct these errors and as a result, progress slows.  Some learning is not pitched effectively to meet the needs of pupils. When this happens, pupils are not sufficiently challenged, particularly the most able. As a result, pupils lose interest in their learning and low-level disruption occurs.  Teaching does not provide pupils with sufficient opportunities to use and apply their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

developing mathematical skills. As a result, pupils are not securing a good enough understanding of how to tackle problem solving and reasoning in mathematics.  In key stage 2, teaching does not provide pupils with enough opportunities to write at length. Furthermore, teachers do not consistently expect high enough standards in spelling, grammar and punctuation. As a result, pupils do not routinely write at the standard of which they are capable, and they are not developing key skills in editing and correcting their work.  Pupils do not consistently take pride in the standard of their work. At times, the presentation of pupils’ work is poor.  Stronger teaching in key stage 1 ensures that pupils in Years 1 and 2 achieve well. Teachers have high expectations of pupils and plan learning that challenges them. As a result, pupils are focused on their learning, and they work with great enthusiasm and determination. They take pride in their work and their presentation is of a high

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

standard.  Effective teaching in PE enables pupils to make strong progress in developing key skills. Pupils show high levels of engagement and enthusiasm in this subject.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Leaders and teachers plan a range of opportunities for pupils to learn about potential dangers and how to avoid them. This has included educational visits and visitors to the school. As a result, pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, including when online.  Pupils are kind and caring towards one another. On the rare occasions that bullying occurs, staff take swift, appropriate action to deal with it effectively. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe in school.  Pupils embrace the school’s values as part of their daily lives. These values, such as respect and kindness, are important to them. Pupils receive recognition when they have displayed these values and they welcome the opportunity to celebrate this during assemblies.  Leaders ensure that appropriate support is put in place for pupils who have social and

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Personal development and welfare

emotional needs. Pupils know whom to talk to if they have any concerns.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils requires improvement. Too many pupils in key stage 2 have not yet developed consistently positive attitudes to learning. Low expectations and lack of challenge result in pupils losing interest in their learning. When this happens, pupils go off task and low-level disruption occurs.  Overall, current pupils’ attendance is slightly below the national average. Attendance is, however, significantly lower for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. While leaders are taking appropriate action to address poor attendance, they are not routinely measuring the impact of these actions.  Most of the time, pupils conduct themselves well. Transition times can sometimes become disorderly, however, because routines are less well established.  Pupils play well together at playtimes and lunchtimes, interacting with one another respectfully.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 Standards in key stage 2 have been declining since the last inspection. In 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 2 was below the national average. Furthermore, pupils’ progress was in the bottom 20% of schools nationally for reading, writing and mathematics.  As a result of inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, and low expectations, the progress that pupils in key stage 2 are currently making in English and mathematics is variable. Teaching does not consistently address pupils’ misconceptions in understanding, particularly in their use of spelling, grammar and punctuation. As a result, pupils are not making sufficient progress in securing these key skills.  Owing to teachers’ low expectations and insufficient challenge, some of the most able pupils are not making enough progress. As a result, they are not achieving the

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

standards of which they are capable.  In the past, additional funding has not been spent well enough to ensure that disadvantaged pupils make good progress. Although leaders now carefully plan the spending of this funding, the impact is not measured effectively. As a result, the progress that disadvantaged pupils are currently making across the school is inconsistent.  As a result of effective support, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are fully included in all aspects of learning, and they learn well. However, leaders do not use assessment information effectively enough to monitor the progress of these pupils.  The proportion of pupils meeting the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 has been declining for the past three years. Strong teaching in key stage 1, however, is now securing better outcomes. Pupils currently demonstrate secure knowledge of phonics. They apply their skills well in their reading and writing.

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Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

 As a result of high expectations and effective teaching, current pupils in key stage 1 are making strong progress in securing key skills. Pupils in this key stage produce work of a consistently high standard, using and applying the skills that they have learned with confidence.

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Early years provision Requires improvement

 Leaders have recently introduced new initiatives to bring about improvements to the early years provision. However, the implementation of these actions is very recent, and as a result they are not embedded in practice.  Leaders do not use new assessment procedures well enough to monitor the progress children are making. As a result, children currently in Reception are not making enough progress from their starting points.  Some learning is planned well to excite the children’s curiosity and to develop their key skills. Most children engage well in these activities, persevering with a task and collaborating well with their peers. Some children, however, are less focused on completing a purposeful task. When this happens, their learning slows.  Communication with parents is not as effective as it could be. Some parents would like more information about their child’s learning in school in order to better support their

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Early years provision Requires improvement

learning at home.  The school’s Nursery provision is strong, providing children with a very good start to their education. Activities are carefully planned to entice the children into their learning and to develop a wide range of key skills. For example, children were very meticulous in counting out and planting their ‘magic beans’.  Adults skilfully question children and engage in conversations that promote children’s confidence in counting, number recognition and social skills. They effectively model a wide range of vocabulary that supports children’s language development.  Children play well with, and alongside, one another. Older, more confident children encourage their peers to join in with activities. They model, for example, how to share, and are kind and supportive of one another.  Relationships between adults and children are supportive and caring. Children are well looked after and are happy and content.

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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

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Email address enquiries@hazlemere-ce.bucks.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3–4 June 2015

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Information about this school

 Hazlemere Church of England Combined School is an average-sized primary school.  The school has undergone a change in leadership since the previous inspection, and a new headteacher was appointed in September 2017.  The early years setting incorporates Nursery provision for three- to four-year-old children, and a Reception class for four- and five-year-old children.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards. These standards set the minimum expectations for pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.  The school provides a childcare breakfast club and after-school club on its site.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 12 sessions across a range of subjects and year groups. Some sessions were observed jointly with senior leaders in the school. Inspectors looked at the quality of pupils’ work during lessons and through a focused analysis of work in books.  Inspectors held meetings with senior leaders, middle leaders, designated safeguarding leads, staff, governors, a representative from the local authority and a representative from the diocese.  A wide range of documentation was reviewed, including information available on the school’s website and records relating to pupils’ attainment, progress, attendance and behaviour. Information on governance, including minutes of governing body meetings, was examined. The school’s self-evaluation summary, school development plan and supporting evidence were scrutinised.  Inspectors spoke with parents during the inspection and considered the 49 responses

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Information about this inspection

to Parent View, Ofsted’s online parent survey, including 30 free-text comments.  Inspectors took into account the views of the 14 staff who submitted a survey.  Inspectors listened to pupils read and spoke with pupils in lessons and around the school. They also met formally with groups of pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour was observed during lessons, during collective worship in church, around the school, during breakfast club, and during play-, break- and lunchtimes.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding records and the central record of recruitment checks on staff.

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Inspection team

Leah Goulding, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Robert Howell 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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