East Claydon Church of England School

East Claydon Church of England School St Mary’s Road, East Claydon, Buckinghamshire MK18 2LS

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The headteacher has established an ethos underpinned by inclusion and high aspirations. Consequently, staff and pupils alike endeavour to achieve their best.  The governing body gives good support and challenge to the headteacher. Governors have a thorough knowledge of the school and are highly committed to school improvement.  The quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good. This has made a positive difference to the progress that pupils make in reading, mathematics and other subjects.  Children in the early years make good progress because they benefit from good-quality teaching.  Pupils’ behaviour is outstanding. Pupils are impeccable in their courtesy, care and sensitivity to the needs of others.  Pupils’ enjoyment in their learning is reflected by their above-average attendance and excellent punctuality.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is strongly promoted. Pupils are

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

prepared well for life in modern Britain.  Safeguarding takes a very high priority. Staff ensure that pupils are kept safe. Pupils said that they feel safe and well cared for in school.  Vulnerable pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) make good progress from their starting points.  The curriculum is rich, broad and engaging and meets the needs and interests of pupils exceptionally well. It is enriched by a wide range of extra-curricular activities. This contributes strongly to pupils’ academic, personal and physical development.  Current pupils’ progress in writing and phonics is not as strong as it should be. Leaders have begun to act to resolve this weakness.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that the teaching of phonics and early reading is well structured and of high quality.  Ensure that pupils improve their writing skills and consider the audience, purpose and text type when they are writing.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher’s dynamic leadership and vision have transformed teaching and pupils’ experiences of school. The headteacher is very ably supported by staff who share, high expectations of what pupils can achieve. The success of each and every pupil is at the heart of all the school does.  Parents acknowledge that their children are happy at school. They said that the information they receive is helpful. They commented, ‘This is a truly inclusive school that does its best for all pupils, whatever their background, needs or ability.’  There is a strong sense of teamwork among all staff, inspired by the headteacher, who is described by staff as ‘hands on’ and ‘supportive’. Teachers regularly engage in discussion about the impact of their work on pupils’ progress. Teachers also value the training and support provided. Every member of staff who responded to the staff survey agreed that the school was well led and managed.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders and governors have an accurate and incisive evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas of development. They have rightly identified that there is further work to be done to ensure that systematic phonics teaching is fully embedded. In addition, they acknowledge that the teaching of writing should enable pupils to develop and refine their understanding of different text styles, purpose and audience.  Subject leaders know the strengths and areas for development in their respective subjects. They benefit from specialist training and opportunities provided. These leaders monitor the standards in their subjects very effectively and support their colleagues remarkably well.  Pupils with SEND and those that are disadvantaged receive precisely targeted support. Additional funding is used effectively to support their academic, emotional and physical well-being. These groups of pupils make strong overall progress, they have positive

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

attitudes to learning and their attendance is good.  Leaders use the primary physical education (PE) and sport premium judiciously to ensure that all pupils are encouraged to be active and take part in many sporting activities. The school has appointed specialist staff to oversee many sporting activities. This includes lunchtime activities, after-school clubs, and the development of teams to compete in inter-school contests. The funding is also used to support staff training.  Leaders make sure that pupils are well aware of fundamental British values and understand the importance of tolerance and respect for other people’s faiths and beliefs. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, and cultural development is a strength of the school because leaders are keen to ensure that pupils have ample opportunities to broaden their horizons.  The curriculum is enriched with trips, visits and workshops. Both pupils and parents

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

greatly value the range of opportunities the school offers. Their comments indicate clearly that these opportunities contribute to pupils’ achievements and to the popularity of the school in the community.  Parents spoken with during this inspection, and those who responded to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, were overwhelmingly supportive of the school. They are appreciative of how staff ensure that their children are safe, happy and ready to learn. They value the kindness, care and understanding shown by staff. Parents commented on ‘the amazing headteacher and staff’ and said that they were ‘really pleased to be part of the East Claydon family’.

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Governance of the school

 Governance is a strength of the school. Members of the governing body have a range of suitable expertise. They access training and network meetings regularly and they use their knowledge to contribute well to the strategic direction of the school.  Governors have a clear understanding of the school’s priorities for improvement. They hold leaders to account effectively for their work to strengthen these aspects. Governors receive detailed information from leaders in school, including in relation to pupils’ outcomes. They use this information to challenge leaders appropriately.  Governors understand the responsibility they hold and show a high level of commitment in fulfilling their roles. They have high expectations for pupils’ outcomes and are ambitious for pupils’ personal and academic achievements.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  The school’s caring ethos underpins the vigilant culture that keeps pupils safe. Staff know pupils well and are alert to changes in their behaviour that may indicate safeguarding concerns. Pupils feel safe in school and trust adults to support them if they have any worries.  The school works very closely with other agencies to keep pupils safe. If necessary, leaders do not shy away from challenging these agencies to ensure that pupils receive the best possible care.  The school’s records of the necessary background checks on adults who work in school are thorough and comply with relevant guidance. Leaders follow appropriate procedures to ensure that they recruit staff who are suitable to work with children.  Pupils know how to keep themselves safe when online and in their local community. They know to report concerns and worries to adults at home or to staff at school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Positive relationships and attitudes in the classroom support learning. A group of pupils told the inspector: ‘Our teachers make sure we learn new and interesting things every day.’ Pupils are enthusiastic about the subjects they study because most teaching arouses their interests across a range of subjects.  Teachers use questioning effectively to check pupils’ understanding. This enables teachers to intervene quickly when pupils need help to consolidate their learning, but also when they are ready for further challenge. Teachers use subject-specific vocabulary to extend pupils’ understanding and knowledge of subjects.  Teachers have strong subject knowledge, especially in mathematics. Teachers ensure that pupils are provided with a range of strategies and resources to help them tackle mathematical calculations. They give pupils the opportunity to apply these mathematical skills in problem-solving and reasoning activities. This approach to the

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

teaching of mathematics has developed extremely well over the last two years and is enabling current pupils to make much stronger progress in mathematics.  Pupils’ good progress in reading and in mathematics reflects the good teaching they receive. Progress in writing is less consistent where teaching does not ensure that pupils consider and develop their understanding of text type, purpose and audience to help them compose their writing.  Phonics is not taught consistently well. Consequently, some pupils in key stage 1 do not use their phonics knowledge accurately to help them decode words accurately and read with increased fluency.  For pupils with SEND, teachers and teaching assistants provide high-quality, personalised support. Pupils make good progress in their learning, as well as in their social and emotional development.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  The school’s values of love, respect and commitment shine through every aspect of the school’s work. Relationships between pupils and adults are excellent. Pupils are kind to one another and they, like the staff, ensure that they make everyone feel welcomed and valued. Pupils appreciate the care and understanding that staff show them.  The habits of being successful learners are embedded early in the school. Even the youngest pupils show independence in their learning and perseverance in doing their best to complete all the work set, including that given for homework. One Year 1 pupil said, ‘Just because I find this hard doesn’t mean I should give up.’  Pupils have a breadth of opportunities to develop their understanding of the world in which they live. For example, pupils engage in charity work, raising funds for those less

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Personal development and welfare

fortunate than themselves. Consequently, pupils are extremely thoughtful and considerate of the feelings of others.  ‘Junior governors’ act as positive role models for other pupils by frequently being involved in assemblies and organising pupil-led initiatives. They work with school leaders to improve the school. For example, they helped in design the new key stage 2 classrooms.  Bullying, including discriminatory bullying, at the school is very rare. This is because leaders have established a highly cohesive school community. Pupils say that they trust their teachers to resolve any concerns they raise.  Pupils are clear that they feel safe in school and are unanimous in their view that they know how to keep themselves safe personally and online. Older pupils are developing their knowledge of the possible areas of risk with online gaming.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.  Pupils’ conduct is exceptional, and they have an excellent attitude to learning. Around school, pupils are polite and well mannered. They smile at each other in the corridor and are very happy to engage in conversation with adults. They do this in an articulate, interested and open way.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and have very positive attitudes towards learning. This is reflected in pupils’ high levels of attendance which are consistently above the national average. Leaders are tenacious in reinforcing the links between learning and pupils’ presence at school.  Pupils are adamant that bullying or discriminatory behaviour does not play a part in school life at school. They appreciate the arrangement to share their concerns through the ‘worry balloons’ and know that after discussing them with staff they can then ‘let go the balloons’ and therefore look after their well-being and emotional

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Current outcomes show that pupils make strong progress from their starting points. The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard and greater depth in reading and mathematics is above the national average. Standards in writing are not as strong.  Pupils achieve well in mathematics because this subject is taught in a logical sequence. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to develop their reasoning and problem-solving skills in different contexts.  The proportion of pupils reaching the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check has, for some time, been below the national average. This is because the teaching of phonics is not yet systematically embedded in all year groups.  Pupils with SEND make good progress from their different starting points. This is because teaching is well matched to their needs. The additional interventions they receive are timely and their impact is carefully monitored.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 There are very few pupils who are eligible for pupil premium funding, which makes any statistical comparisons unsound. However, a review of the school’s assessment information indicates that such pupils are making good progress against their personal targets and receiving appropriate levels of support.  Leaders’ monitoring of progress of current year groups at both key stage 1 and key stage 2, as well as work in pupils’ books, show that pupils are making good progress across the curriculum.

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Early years provision Good

 Children in early years get off to a good start to their education. Children make good progress through early years in all areas of learning. As a consequence, they transfer from Reception to Year 1 equipped to achieve well.  The early years is led and managed well. Assessments of children’s achievements are robust. Staff track children’s progress accurately, which informs the next steps for their development. Teachers successfully support the development of speech, language and communication skills of children who have fallen behind in their development.  Teachers’ careful planning creates interesting starting points for children to explore their learning. The many indoor and outdoor learning opportunities they receive enthuse them, and enable them to develop their coordination, cooperation and collaboration skills very well. However, children do not always have opportunities in the outdoor area to help them use and apply their phonics knowledge to help them read.

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Early years provision Good

 Children quickly learn essential social and emotional skills. They are able to share, take turns and behave well. There are positive relationships between staff, children and parents. This helps children quickly to become confident learners and have a positive attitude to school. Children work happily and cooperatively. For example, the inspector observed children take turns and help their friends ‘walk the plank’ from the pirate ship to the ‘mud area’ safely and carefully.  Staff encourage children to experiment and become independent through well- established and consistent routines. Activities are organised so that there is an effective balance between those led by adults and those led by children. Children explore and practise skills as they play.  Parents have regular opportunities to visit the classroom to participate with their children’s learning. Some parents accompany the children on educational visits. Others

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Early years provision Good

come to talk to children about the jobs they do. Relationships between adults and children’s families support learning well.  Staff ensure that the early years provision meets all welfare requirements. Children told the inspector that they always make sure they ‘stay with their grown up’ when they are outside of school and ‘tell a grown up’ if they notice an unfamiliar message ‘pop up’ on their digital devices.

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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

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than most primary schools.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils eligible for funding through the pupil premium is below the national average.  The proportion of pupils with SEND is above the national average.  The school changed status from a maintained school to a voluntary aided school in September 2016.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed learning in all classes, jointly with the headteacher.  The inspector observed phonics lessons in Reception and Years 1 and 2.  Together with leaders, the inspector scrutinised a sample of pupils’ books from all year groups and across a range of subjects, including English, mathematics, science and geography. The inspector analysed and discussed with the headteacher a range of information about pupils’ progress.  The inspector listened to pupils read. She spoke to pupils while visiting classrooms, the dining hall and playground. In addition, she met with the ‘junior governors’ formally to gather their views of the school.  The inspector met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, subject leaders and teachers.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, at playtime and lunchtime.  The inspector reviewed various documents provided by the school. These included: the

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Information about this inspection

school’s self-evaluation; the school improvement plan; the pupil premium statement; information about the use of PE and sports premium; and minutes of the governing body’s meetings.  The inspector reviewed documents relating to safeguarding, attendance and behaviour. These included the school’s single central record, records of all behavioural incidents, exclusion records, and child protection and safeguarding files.  The views of parents were collected at the beginning of the school day, and the inspector took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. She also considered responses to the staff survey.  The inspector visited an after-school club, spoke to staff and observed some activities.

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Inspection team

Shazia Akram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s 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

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