Whaddon CofE School

Inspection of Whaddon C of E School Stock Lane, Whaddon, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 0LS

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding 3 and 4 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this welcoming and inclusive village school. They are happy and feel safe. The school’s ambition is for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve highly. However, pupils do not achieve as well as they should in some subjects because the school has not yet delivered its new curriculum effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In lessons and around school, pupils get along well. They abide by the school rules and rise to the consistent behaviour expectations. Relationships between pupils and staff are highly positive and respectful. Pupils trust adults in school to help them if needed. They have a deep understanding of the school values of ‘compassion, wisdom and endurance’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers recognise the strengths of the school. Many of them comment on the positive changes made recently. Pupils benefit from a range of wider learning opportunities, including outdoor learning, instrumental tuition and a whole-school visit to the theatre. Pupils learn to be proud of who they are and know that their opinions matter. They make a positive contribution to the life of the school and beyond. Pupils are enthusiastic members of their school ‘houses’ and love the excitement of earning points for their team.

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better?

While the school is ambitious for all pupils to learn a well-structured and exciting curriculum, there remains work to do. In subjects such as mathematics, the school has identified the essential knowledge they want pupils to learn and remember over time. However, in other subjects, the school has not decided on the most important things they want pupils to learn and the order in which these should be taught. Consequently, there are gaps in pupils’ subject knowledge, and they do not achieve as well as they should. The school has identified curriculum sequencing as a priority. All at the school are resolute in their determination to deliver each subject consistently well.

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better?

The school’s work to improve how reading is taught is not finished. It introduced a new phonics programme in January 2023, which is well organised and structured. This begins as soon as children start in Reception Year. Children quickly learn new sounds and how to blend these together to make words. However, not all staff have the expert knowledge they need to deliver the programme effectively. This means that some pupils who struggle to learn to read do not catch up as rapidly as they could.

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better?

The behaviour policy is implemented consistently and fairly. This ensures that school is calm and orderly. Pupils who find it hard to make the right choices get the help that they need to succeed. Social times are positive, and pupils enjoy their time together. They make good use of the school grounds and equipment available. 3 and 4 October 2023

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Pupils are thoughtful towards others, and most try their best when learning. Overall, pupils attend school regularly and arrive on time.

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Pupils know how to keep physically and mentally healthy and why this is important. They listen to different views with respect and consideration. There are lots of opportunities for all pupils to contribute to decisions about the school. For example, pupils recently voted on what to name their school houses and reviewed their lunch hall rules. They know how to keep themselves safe in different situations, including when online. Older pupils can talk about the difference between equality and equity, and how to apply this to school life and beyond. The school is already preparing its first Year 6 pupils for the move to secondary school.

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The early years learning environment, both inside and out, is purposeful and engaging. It is a place where children can flourish and build positive relationships with each other and with the staff. Right from the start, children learn important skills, such as patience, curiosity and resilience. The early years staff promote children’s communication and language, and mathematical development, well. Children learn how to regulate their emotions and to follow the school routines quickly. The school quickly identifies the needs of children with SEND and provides highly personalised additional support.

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The staff are proud to be part of this small, happy and dedicated community. They appreciate learning from each other and the way in which their well-being and workload are considered. The staff know the priorities and are looking forward together to their hard work paying off.

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Leaders’ oversight of high-quality learning is not fully effective. They provide support, but do not challenge robustly enough to ensure important aspects of the school undergo careful review and improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Most of the school’s curriculum is new and does not yet build from the start of Reception to the end of Year 6. This means that pupils do not always learn or remember the key information they need for what comes next. The school should ensure that the curriculum thinking and design are completed and shared and that teachers know what is expected of them and how to deliver the curriculum to a high standard.  While the school’s actions to keep children safe are effective, it must make sure that the documentation to support them is detailed and robust. This will ensure that absolutely nothing is missed. 3 and 4 October 2023

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 Leaders have not rigorously checked some important aspects of the school’s work. There is not always effective challenge and support in order to check the impact of decision-making on pupils. Leaders need to sharpen their processes for evaluation so that they can assure themselves that pupils receive a high quality of education.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with SEND; pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 3 and 4 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 21 and 22 May 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher started at the school in September 2022. Over half the staff are new to the school since the last inspection.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  In September 2020, the school extended its age range from age eight up to age 11 pupils. This is the first year the school has admitted pupils into Year 6.  The school is a Church of England Voluntary-Aided School and part of the Oxford Diocese. The last section 48 inspection took place on 9 July 2019 and the next inspection should be within 8 years of this date.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision. 3 and 4 October 2023

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and other middle leaders. The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of governors. He also had telephone conversations with a representative from Buckinghamshire Council and with a representative of the Oxford Diocesan Board of Education.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography and languages. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a member of staff.

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 To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to Ofsted’s survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, and parents’ written comments. An inspector also spoke to groups of parents on the morning of the first day of inspection.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views throughout the day, including during lesson visits and at lunchtime. The lead inspector also considered responses to Ofsted’s confidential pupils’ survey.  Inspectors met with a range of staff to gather their views about the school and took account of staff’s responses to Ofsted’s confidential staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Alan Derry, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Dyer Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 October 2023

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and inspects to 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.

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