Cedar Park School & Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Cedar Park School & Nursery Cedar Avenue, Hazlemere, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP15 7EF

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Outcome

Cedar Park School & Nursery has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this school. Every day, they come into school smiling, greeted by the adults who care for them. Pupils feel safe and ready to learn. All pupils know the school’s principles to ‘be kind, be inspired and believe’. Pupils have high aspirations to make a difference. Staff listen to pupils’ views and help them, for example, raise money for issues they feel strongly about.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well. At breaktime, they play happily together. They share equipment and take turns. In lessons, pupils listen carefully to the teacher and quickly settle to tasks. The school has high aspirations for what pupils will learn, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils rise to the challenge of the learning provided. They are keen to succeed and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy using the large school grounds, such as the woodland area, to learn about trees and plants. The indoor swimming pool provides pupils with the opportunity to swim regularly. This means that most pupils are competent swimmers by the time they leave the school. Pupils gain a good understanding of how to stay safe around deep water.

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

The curriculum is ambitious. It is organised in a way that meets pupils’ needs, including those with SEND. There is a clear curriculum design that identifies the knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils will learn.

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

Children in the early years do well. Staff support them to settle quickly and help them make a positive start to their learning. In most subjects, teachers have a strong subject knowledge. They receive training to successfully deliver the curriculum content. Staff 5 and 6 November 2024

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carefully check pupils’ understanding. They ensure that any misconceptions or gaps are addressed. As a result, pupils make good gains in their knowledge and understanding in many subjects, including English and mathematics. However, in a few subjects, staff do not have all the knowledge needed to teach the intended curriculum. They are not clear on what pupils already know and understand.

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Pupils with SEND achieve well. Their needs are carefully identified. When necessary, there are suitable adaptions to the delivery of the curriculum. The school works with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND get the support they need.

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Most pupils at the school behave appropriately. Any pupil who needs help to manage their emotions is assisted by caring staff. Pupils attend well. The school provides helpful support to families to ensure pupils attend every day and on time.

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Children in the early years develop their communication skills effectively. For example, they enjoy singing along to songs such as ‘One Finger, One Thumb’. Children are carefully prepared for their learning in key stage 1. Pupils do well in reading. They have access to a variety of interesting books on a range of subjects. Those at an early stage of learning to read practise reading books that are closely matched to the sounds they know. They quickly gain the skills needed to become fluent readers. Pupils enjoy writing and often create interesting and imaginative stories. Many pupils said how much they enjoyed the recent poetry festival, working with a visiting poet to help them write in verse.

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The school develops pupils’ wider development well. There are many opportunities to understand different cultures and beliefs. For example, the school has a close link with a school in Kenya. Pupils write letters and send photographs in order to learn from one another. Many pupils have a good understanding of local and national issues linked to the world around them, for example animal conservation and the overuse of precious resources. These experiences are helping pupils develop into well-informed global citizens.

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The school offers a range of opportunities that help pupils learn knowledge and skills for secondary school and life beyond this. Pupils learn how to cook and wash clothes. They learn to stay safe using the internet, following a programme that gives them a good awareness of potential threats when online. Sports have a high priority in the school. There are many opportunities to take part in both competitive and non-competitive sports.

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Leaders are ambitious for the school. Staff feel valued and say that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Governors perform their roles effectively. They know the school’s strengths and next steps for improvement.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 5 and 6 November 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school does not ensure that teachers have the subject knowledge they need to identify what pupils already know and can do. As a result, new learning does not always build upon pupils’ existing knowledge, and pupils are unable to make links to their prior learning. The school should ensure that all staff have the subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum as intended, building on pupils’ learning and deepening their understanding.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2015.

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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. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Alison Michie and Neil Maddock

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School details

Date of previous inspection 2 May 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 A new headteacher has been appointed since the previous inspection. He took up his post in 2021.  The school currently uses no alternative provision.  The school has a Nursery provision for three- and four-year-old children.

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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 began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and senior leadership team. A meeting was held with members of the governing body, including the co- chairs. There was a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also observed pupils read to a trusted adult.  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’ interest first.  The inspector met groups of staff. She also considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  There were informal discussions with some parents at the end of the first day. The inspector reviewed the views expressed through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Liz Bowes, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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