Kings Wood School and Nursery

Inspection of Kings Wood School and Nursery Hollis Road, High Wycombe, Buckinghamshire HP13 7UN

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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 Good 3 and 4 December 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this vibrant school. They talk confidently about how they are supported with their mental health and well-being. Pupils know how to use technology safely, including staying safe online. Pupils learn about the values of trying your best and being kind. Pupils understand the fundamental British values. They learn about the rule of law, right and wrong from the beginning of the early years.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is managed effectively. The school is a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils are respectful towards staff and each other. Pupils have many opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Pupils have a love of music. They enjoy learning musical instruments including violin, drums, ukelele, recorder and keyboard. Pupils access educational opportunities, such as theatre visits, school performances and choir concerts, with an increasing sense of accomplishment and confidence.

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What is it like to attend this school?

In some subjects, such as mathematics, physical education (PE) and history, pupils learn well. However, in some other subject areas, such as writing and early reading, pupils do not develop their understanding securely. Too many pupils have gaps in their knowledge and the school’s progress to address this has been too slow. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should by the end of key stage 2.

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

Governors do not challenge the school about pupils’ achievement consistently and effectively. In some subject areas, such as writing, approaches to evaluate what is working well or not, and to make the right changes, have not been effective. Although improving, the writing curriculum does not prepare pupils for their next stage of education strongly enough. Pupils do not develop their transcription skills effectively. However, governors understand their statutory roles and responsibilities. They know the school’s strengths and areas for development. Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision, although this is not yet securing consistent impact in reading and writing, as it has in areas such as mathematics.

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

Recent changes to the curriculum have been successful, such as in mathematics and some subjects in the wider curriculum. In these subjects, pupils learn well and build their knowledge and understanding securely. In history, for example, pupils have good recall of key knowledge and can discuss ideas such as where our knowledge of the past comes from confidently.

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

The school’s approach to teaching reading is not as effective as it should be. The phonics programme is not implemented consistently well. The positive impact of professional development and staff training is not as clear as it is in some other subjects. As a result, some pupils have gaps in their phonics knowledge that are not addressed quickly enough. Over time, some pupils do not catch up with their peers and pupils’ achievement in reading by the end of key stage 2 remains low. That said, reading is prioritised in the school. Books are matched closely to the sounds that pupils have learned. Pupils enjoy 3 and 4 December 2024

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rich, challenging texts that help to motivate and engage them. Pupils use the school library regularly.

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The school identifies and meets the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well overall. The school’s resourced provision for pupils with speech and language difficulties provides effective support for pupils’ learning. Pupils with SEND access the curriculum successfully. They respond positively to carefully planned help and guidance. The school works with external agencies such as speech and language therapists to enhance provision for pupils with SEND.

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Children in the early years make a positive start. They enjoy snack time and are polite and kind to each other. Children say ‘thank you’ independently and take turns well. Children love the songs, rhymes and clapping games that help them to focus on language in engaging ways. They enjoy reading their favourite stories with an adult, for example sharing texts in the outside reading shed. Children thrive when taking part in thoughtful activities such as making gingerbread men, kneading dough, cutting and shaping. Staff develop children’s language deliberately, using words such as ‘knead’, ‘dough’, ‘bowl’ and ‘mixing’ meaningfully. Children develop increasing independence and readiness for their next stage of education. The school’s work to ensure reading and writing provision in the early years is effective and is already having a positive impact on children’s learning. Some aspects are still developing, particularly in writing transcription skills. However, the

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school has already taken positive steps and children are building their knowledge and understanding more securely.

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Pupils develop mature, considerate values. They learn to debate important issues sensitively and respectfully. Pupils know that it is important to listen to others’ opinions that may differ from their own. They learn about different religions and ways of life. Pupils say, ‘We celebrate everybody’s cultures here.’ Older pupils value the responsibilities that they have for younger pupils, such as being ‘reading champions’ who listen to younger pupils read during lunchtimes.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the actions that leaders take to reduce their workload. Parents are very supportive. One parent summarised the thoughts of many others, saying, ‘The teachers are not only knowledgeable but genuinely care about the well-being and success of each student.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Governors do not hold the school to account as effectively as they should. The school is not improving pupils’ achievement quickly enough. The governing body should ensure 3 and 4 December 2024

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that it is well equipped to provide effective challenge to the school to improve the quality of education that pupils receive.  The school’s approach to teaching reading is not as effective as it should be. The school’s phonics programme has not been implemented consistently well. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The school needs to ensure consistency and accuracy in the implementation of the phonics programme so that pupils become confident, fluent readers early in their school lives.  Some aspects of the writing curriculum, such as transcription skills, do not have a strong enough impact on pupils’ learning. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as securely as they should by the end of key stage 2. The school has already recognised this and should ensure that strategies to support pupils with their writing build pupils’ knowledge and understanding consistently and 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 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). 3 and 4 December 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 and 20 March 2019, 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 has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND. The school caters for up to 15 pupils with speech, language and communication needs. There are currently 14 pupils on roll aged three to 11 years old.

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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. 3 and 4 December 2024

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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.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, the chair of governors and members of the governing body and other senior staff.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and, where possible, looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interest first.  The inspectors spoke with several groups of pupils and observed their behaviour at break and lunchtime.  The inspectors met with groups of staff and considered the opinions expressed through the staff survey.  The inspectors took account of the views expressed from parents through Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Carl McCarthy, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Paul Bateman Ofsted Inspector 3 and 4 December 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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