Elangeni School

Inspection of a good school: Elangeni School Woodside Avenue, Amersham, Buckinghamshire HP6 6EG

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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Outcome

Elangeni School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love coming to this welcoming and inclusive school. Their experience is reflected in the meaning of the school’s name, which is, ‘where the sun shines through’. One parent summed up the views of many parents and carers in saying, ‘My child’s education has been an incredibly positive journey filled with warmth, support and ambition.’ Pupils talk with confidence and enthusiasm about their school’s values. These values help them to make good choices in all that they do. They know that there is always someone to talk to and that staff will resolve any worries quickly. They rightly say that this strong culture of care helps them to feel very safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils take learning seriously. They are ambitious and work hard in their lessons. Pupils talk confidently about how they will use their developing knowledge and skills in the future. Pupils know that staff will support them to be successful. They recognise, and meet, the high expectations that staff have for both their academic and pastoral development.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy learning about different cultures. They have a deep understanding of fairness and equality. Pupils value differences in other people and the opportunity to learn from them. They are polite and respectful towards each other.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school has a culture where reading is highly valued. Thoughtful cross-curricular reading opportunities invoke pupils’ curiosity and foster their love of reading. Teachers make good use of information from ongoing checks on pupils’ learning. Pupils at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and receive effective support to help them catch up. Staff make sure that pupils read widely and often and that there is lively and enthusiastic discussion about books throughout the school. 27 and 28 February 2024

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The school has a carefully considered, broad and ambitious curriculum. It is well sequenced across nearly all subjects. The school makes sure that resources and activities are of a high quality and help pupils to learn well. Teachers explain ideas clearly. They prioritise developing pupils’ vocabulary. For example, in mathematics, pupils are routinely asked to explain their thinking using precise mathematical language. Pupils build well on what they already know and develop increasingly sophisticated understanding. This is particularly strong in English and mathematics, where pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve very well.

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In a few subjects, however, the curriculum is not designed with the same high expectations and degree of precision. This means that teachers are not always clear about how pupils’ learning builds towards challenging curriculum goals. Consequently, this has led to some gaps in pupils’ knowledge, which mean that they do not always learn as much as they could.

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The school has a robust system in place to identify the needs of pupils who need additional help. This includes pupils with SEND. Although most pupils are supported very well, the needs of a few pupils with SEND are not met fully. In the teaching of early reading skills and in some of the wider curriculum subjects, staff do not always adapt teaching consistently well. This means that a small group of pupils do not always achieve as much as they could.

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Pupils’ wider development and pastoral support are at the heart of the school. The school fosters pupils’ talents and interests through a range of activities, such as organising visits from inspirational leaders and thinkers. Pupils explain confidently how building resilience helps them to achieve their personal goals. Pupils take pride in their elected leadership roles, such as those of school councillor and eco-leader. Older pupils enjoy designing and leading clubs for younger pupils, such as the popular debating club.

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School governors are knowledgeable and committed to making sure that pupils succeed in every aspect of school life. The school actively seeks out opportunities in the local community that will benefit pupils and their families, such as family sports activities and concerts. Staff enjoy working at the school. They feel valued and supported to do their job well.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is not designed or sequenced as well as it could be in some subjects. This means that teachers are not always fully clear about what to teach and when, which has an impact on pupils’ learning. The school should ensure that the curriculum is designed and implemented in a way that helps pupils achieve well in all subjects. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 The needs of a few pupils with SEND are not consistently met as well as they could be. As a result, a few pupils do not develop their knowledge as well as they could across all subjects. The school should ensure that learning is adapted effectively for all pupils so that they achieve consistently well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2019.

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How can I feed back my views?

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 special educational needs and/or disabilities (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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 9 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other leaders, teachers (including early career teachers) and governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and music. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 Parents’ and staff’s views were gathered using Ofsted surveys. The inspector met with pupils and staff during the inspection. They talked to pupils while observing breaktimes and with staff as they went about their work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.

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Inspection team

Clare Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 February 2024

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regulates 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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