Waddesdon Village Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Waddesdon Village Primary School School Lane, Waddesdon, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP18 0LQ

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Inspection dates: 19 and 20 November 2024

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Outcome

Waddesdon Village Primary School 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 arrive at school excited to learn. Staff in the early years carefully support children to settle into routines. The warm and kind approach of all staff means that pupils know they are cared for and safe. This helps them to focus on meeting the high expectations set by the school. Pupils work hard to live up to the school’s values such as ‘perseverance’, ‘achievement’ and ‘honesty’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school celebrates diversity. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have additional support where they need it. This means that they benefit from all of the rich and thought-provoking activities that the school has to offer. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum and enjoy celebrating where they have demonstrated improvements such as ‘handwriter’, ‘reader’, or ‘mathematician’ of the week.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop a sense of belonging in the school and community. Pupils elected to the ‘pupil parliament’ gather the views of peers and contribute to school decision making with staff. ‘Digital leaders’ organise the school’s ‘WaddCast’, with responsibility for script writing, conducting pupil interviews and production. These roles, and the many other positions of responsibility, mean that pupils become invested in helping others within their community.

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

This school is determined to support pupils on their ‘pathway to excellence’. The curriculum is designed carefully to revisit previous learning and build on this each year. Where appropriate, the curriculum connects subjects together so that pupils have more opportunities to practise and use what they have learned. Reading is woven through 19 and 20 November 2024

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subjects as ‘core texts’. These texts link well to what pupils are learning and bring lessons to life, such as ‘Escape from Pompeii’ when studying volcanoes. Pupils develop their reading skills and geographical knowledge while also learning about different cultures and experiences.

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Pupils learn to read from the start of Reception. Staff deliver the phonics programme systematically and with strong subject knowledge. If any pupils fall behind in reading, they receive help and catch up with their peers quickly. Pupils with SEND are identified quickly. These pupils receive highly appropriate and effective support so that they can access the same learning as their peers and achieve well. Staff adapt to the needs of pupils throughout the day. They carefully promote independence and resilience, as well as supporting learning. This helps pupils to be as prepared as they possibly can for their next steps.

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Children in Reception love stories and reading. They have a flying start at the school, supported ably by compassionate and knowledgeable staff. Children listen well and follow routines that teach them how to learn with others. They enjoy sharing ideas with each other and staff. Throughout the school, pupils achieve well. They recall facts securely such as key dates and timelines in history. When recent published outcomes for writing were lower than expected, the school acted rapidly to teach pupils the key skills that they need. Pupils’ writing has improved significantly in a short time due to the consistent focus on handwriting and punctuation.

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Teachers have secure knowledge of the subjects that they teach. Teaching consistently offers opportunities for pupils to deepen their knowledge. For example, in mathematics, pupils are encouraged to think about alternative methods or debate if a statement is true. Staff check what pupils understand frequently. However, during whole class explanations and discussions, staff do not check what pupils know as effectively as they could. This means that staff do not always identify pupils’ misconceptions and correct these quickly.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They are often highly engaged. Trips and immersive experiences within school connect to what pupils learn. These bring learning to life, such as trips to the ‘Living Rainforest’ or visitors who help pupils re-enact historical events. Pupils’ positive attitudes extend beyond school into the community. They visit the local ‘Wednesday club’ to sing to adults, share work and listen to stories. Pupils support the village on Memorial Day and also showcase their artwork at the local Waddesdon Manor for the village to see.

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School leaders and governors work together to ensure that all pupils receive a high- quality education. Staff feel extremely well supported in their roles. They are treated as trusted professionals, who work alongside leaders in the best interests of pupils.

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The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Staff do not check what pupils know and understand as effectively as they could. This means that some pupils’ misconceptions are not identified and addressed quickly. These pupils are then slower to access their learning and slower to build confidence with new knowledge or vocabulary. The school should ensure that all staff systematically check what pupils know, to identify errors or misconceptions, and then address these quickly.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness 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. 19 and 20 November 2024

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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). 19 and 20 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 23 and 24 January 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school uses one registered alternative provision.

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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.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and subject leaders. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the 19 and 20 November 2024

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extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at lunch time.  The inspector considered the views expressed in the online inspection surveys returned by pupils and staff. The inspector also took account of the responses submitted to Ofsted Parent View and expressed by parents in person during the morning of day 2.

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Inspection team

Alexandra Aldridge-Gibbons, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 19 and 20 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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