Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Little Gaddesden Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Church Road, Little Gaddesden, Berkhamsted, Hertfordshire HP4 1NX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 1 and 2 October 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the fact that everyone knows everyone in their small school. This helps them to feel happy and safe in their ‘Little Gaddesden community’. Older pupils look after younger children during lunchtime when everyone shares the same space.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn and achieve well across a wide range of subjects, rising to meet the high expectations that staff have of them. Frequent high-quality trips and events help pupils to embed their learning. Following a workshop on the story of Easter, pupils could recall details including the importance of the Garden of Gethsemane.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well throughout the school day. There is always a calm and positive atmosphere. Pupils’ learning is not interrupted by the behaviour of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have warm relationships with each other and with the staff. Pupils are polite towards each other. They can debate issues, such as whether the suffragettes were justified in their actions or not while remaining courteous towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of before- and after-school clubs. They feel that the before-school clubs, like street dance, help get them to school on time and ‘give me a boost of energy for the morning’.

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

The school has created an ambitious curriculum. It has carefully thought about what it wants pupils to know. For example, in history, pupils develop a deep understanding of the Battle of Britain. Knowledge is broken up into small steps, which helps pupils to learn and remember it. In some subjects, teachers lack the expert subject knowledge to fully realise what the school wants to achieve. This means that sometimes, some pupils do not extend or embed their understanding as well as they might.

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

In early years, children get off to a good start. They are exposed to a wide range of vocabulary. Staff provoke and challenge children’s thinking. The environment enables children to take what they know and apply it in different ways. For instance, by pushing toy cars through different colour paints, they learn about colour mixing.

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

The school prioritises teaching pupils to read. The teaching of phonics is effective. Sometimes, pupils do not get enough opportunities to practise sounds. However, teachers quickly identify pupils who have fallen behind. Immediate support is put in place to help them keep up. The school makes careful checks to identify pupils who have not yet mastered their phonics. These pupils receive effective, extra teaching that supports them to catch up with their peers. This leads to pupils reading very confidently and with increasing fluency. Teachers are passionate about reading. They choose high-quality texts to read to their classes. This helps older pupils develop a love of reading.

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

There are high expectations for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school ensures that pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their 1 and 2 October 2024

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peers. Teachers make appropriate, and often subtle, adaptations to their lessons to meet pupils’ individual needs. Pupils with SEND achieve well overall as a result.

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Pupils are polite and confident. They feel comfortable and happy here. They listen carefully to their teachers and follow instructions. A calm and purposeful atmosphere can be felt throughout the school. Children in early years are focused and engaged in lessons. They are motivated and independent learners. They share and take turns with their peers without adult support.

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The school carefully monitors attendance and takes swift and personalised actions when required. As a result, pupils attend regularly and persistent absence is very rare.

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The school promotes the personal development of pupils effectively. All pupils can take on leadership responsibilities. Year 3 pupils buddy up with the new intake of Reception children. In the first weeks, they take them to lunch and help the younger children understand the routines. Year 6 pupils take on a range of ambassadorial roles, like well- being and ‘STEM’ ambassadors. These give them a whole-school responsibility. Pupils also learn about democracy through the annual election of the ‘Pupil Parliament’. The school provides a range of exciting trips. These include outings to London on public transport. These trips create treasured memories for pupils. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and in the real world. They understand actions they can take to support their own mental health.

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Governors are knowledgeable and diligent in the actions they take. They support and challenge the school effectively because they know the school well. As this is a small school, staff have several responsibilities. The school endeavours to support staff with their workload as best as it can.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, teachers do not always have the precise subject knowledge required to teach the curriculum confidently and consistently as well as leaders intend. As a result of this, sometimes, some pupils are not supported to deepen or extend their understanding. The school should ensure that teachers have the expertise required to implement all areas of the curriculum effectively.

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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 1 and 2 October 2024

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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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). 1 and 2 October 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.littlegaddesden.herts.sch.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 4 and 5 March 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school is part of the Diocese of St Albans. The last inspection of its denominational education, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005, took place in March 2019. The next section 48 inspection should occur within five 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. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic 1 and 2 October 2024

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began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with leaders, including the headteacher, special educational needs coordinator and a group of governors.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspectors met with subject leaders, scrutinised curriculum documentation, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, talked to pupils about their learning and looked at pupils’ work. The lead inspector also listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  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.

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of school documentation, including the school development plan, curriculum planning documentation and behaviour records.  The inspectors held discussions with pupils, including in lessons and during breaktimes. Inspectors reviewed the 34 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey.  To gather the views of staff, the inspectors took account of the 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and held discussions with several of them.  The inspectors considered the 41 responses to the survey Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Mark Sim, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Ann Bowen-Breslin Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 October 2024

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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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