Furneux Pelham Church of England School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Furneux Pelham Church of England School Furneux Pelham School, Furneux Pelham, Hertfordshire SG9 0LH

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Outcome

Furneux Pelham Church of England 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 enjoy attending this warm and welcoming school with a close-knit family feel. From the moment children start in the Reception Year, they quickly settle into school life. Staff typically have high expectations of pupils. Pupils work hard to meet these expectations and, overall, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides a range of enrichment opportunities that enhance the curriculum. Pupils benefit from a wide variety of trips, events and extra-curricular activities. These broaden pupils’ horizons and open their eyes to the world around them. For example, pupils value the chance to plant trees in the school grounds or represent the school when singing at The Royal Albert Hall.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a clear culture of respect for differences across the school. Pupils freely debate their own opinions during lessons in a respectful and thoughtful manner. They develop their confidence by leading assemblies about their own cultures and beliefs. This helps pupils to learn from each other. It also builds the positive relationships pupils share. Pupils look after each other when playing on the playground or when sitting together to chat during lunchtime. All of this helps to establish the strong sense of community that exists in the school.

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

The school has recently introduced new curriculums in most subjects. Across subjects, the curriculum is well designed. The school has set out the knowledge pupils need to 25 February 2025

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understand into a logical order to meet the needs of the mixed-age classes. This helps pupils to build their understanding over time.

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Teachers typically have appropriate subject knowledge. They check pupils’ understanding closely. Usually, teachers use these checks to help them match work to what pupils need. For example, in the Reception Year, well-designed activities enable children to secure their understanding of number, shapes and patterns. This helps children to be well prepared for learning in Year 1. However, staff do not consistently adapt the learning activities they expect pupils to complete as well as they could. Sometimes, teachers set pupils complex work before they have secured the building blocks of knowledge they need to access it. On other occasions, they set work that is too easy and does not deepen pupils’ knowledge as well as it could.

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The school identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. New approaches to doing this have added greater clarity for staff in how best to support pupils with SEND. This helps staff to provide the help pupils with SEND need to learn well. For example, the use of specific resources in mathematics helps pupils to articulate their understanding of what they have learned.

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The school has established a positive reading culture. This begins when children first start in the Reception Year. Staff identify pupils who need extra help with their reading. Effective, focused phonics sessions help these pupils to develop both their confidence and fluency. Pupils of all ages enjoy reading. Staff inspire pupils to read widely and often through the books they read to them in class. Older pupils love to settle down to a good book.

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Pupils enjoy writing. The English curriculum teaches pupils to write with creativity and flair. Pupils write well for different audiences and purposes. They use interesting language that makes their writing engaging to read. However, pupils sometimes struggle to use some technical features of writing linked to handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling. This is because staff expect pupils to apply these features before they have secured their understanding of them. When this happens, some pupils make common errors in their writing that persist.

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Pupils typically behave well throughout the school day. Children in the Reception Year quickly develop the confidence and independence they need to be effective learners. The school further develops this through the personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) curriculum. This teaches pupils important knowledge to prepare them well for their futures such as what makes a healthy relationship.

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Governors keep a close eye on how well the school is doing. Leaders have carefully managed the recent improvements they have made to the curriculum. This has developed staff subject knowledge while carefully managing their workload and well-being. This means staff provide the support that pupils need to achieve well. Staff are proud to be members of the school community. 25 February 2025

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are occasions when staff give pupils work before they have the prior knowledge they need to access it. In other instances, staff do not provide pupils with the work they need to deepen their existing knowledge. When this happens, pupils do not build on their understanding as well as they could. The school should ensure staff understand how to adapt the work they give to pupils to what pupils need. This is so pupils better secure or deepen their understanding of important knowledge.  Sometimes the school expects pupils to apply important technical features of writing before they know how to. When this happens, pupils make errors in their writing. The school should ensure that teachers provide pupils with the opportunities they need to secure their understanding of important knowledge in handwriting, grammar, punctuation and spelling. This is so pupils better apply this to their independent writing.

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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 2020. 25 February 2025

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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). 25 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Miranda Trenchard

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 28 and 29 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher joined the school in September 2024.  The school provides wraparound care for pupils.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  This school is a Church of England school. The school’s most recent inspection of its religious character under section 48 of the Education Act was in November 2019 and it will receive its next inspection within eight years of that date.

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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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 25 February 2025

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 Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to pupils, reviewed curriculum documentation and looked at evidence of pupils’ learning.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, staff and governors. The lead inspector also met with a representative of the local authority.  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 extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying records, attendance records, pupil records, minutes of governing body meetings, records of local authority monitoring visits, school development plans and school policies.  Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View and the online staff and pupil surveys. Inspectors spoke with pupils throughout the school day.

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Inspection team

Michael Williams, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Laura Hewer Ofsted Inspector 25 February 2025

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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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