Buckingham Primary School

Inspection of Buckingham Primary School Foscott Way, Buckingham, Buckinghamshire MK18 1TT

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding 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 for overall effectiveness 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. 11 and 12 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love their school and feel loved by the school. They speak passionately about the wide range of clubs, trips and opportunities at school. The school’s offer of lunchtime clubs is successful at ensuring pupils with any form of disadvantage can participate without any barriers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel a sense of expectation from staff and rise to meet it. They are thoughtful and supportive of each other. Pupils feel safe and know that adults will help to resolve any worry they might have. They behave with consistently high levels of respect for each other and adults across the school. Pupils have a deep sense of equity and fairness, and they show this in how they treat each other in class and on the playground. Consequently, pupils discuss race, gender and equality topics with open-minded views and an awareness of others. The close community feel of the school is rooted in a true sense of open acceptance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high ambition for all and pupils achieve well. They are highly engaged in learning and relish the curriculum’s ambitious topics. They feel empowered by the knowledge they gain. Pupils are proud of their achievements and are ready for the next stage of education.

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

The school has an ambitious curriculum. The knowledge that pupils should learn has been precisely identified from the Reception class onwards. Staff have ordered this carefully and logically. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. Staff across the school have the expertise to provide effective support and successfully meet pupils’ needs. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

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

Staff benefit from secure subject knowledge. This helps teachers to design tasks that gradually build pupils’ learning over time. Staff use resources well to support pupils’ learning. For example, they select resources in mathematics to help pupils to visualise numbers and patterns effectively. Pupils with SEND benefit from adapted resources that support them to access the same knowledge and skills.

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

Pupils benefit from lots of opportunities to practise and develop their learning. In English and mathematics, staff carefully check what pupils know and can do. In these subjects, pupils learn and achieve consistently well. In some wider subjects, staff do not check pupils’ knowledge with enough rigour. As a result, some gaps or misconceptions in pupils’ knowledge are not noticed or addressed. This means that pupils do not consistently remember key content the school expects.

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

Reading is a strength of the school. Staff closely follow a clear phonics programme when teaching pupils to read. This starts at the earliest opportunity in the Reception class. Pupils read books that are well matched to their knowledge of letters and their corresponding sounds. The school pays close attention to how accurately and fluently pupils read. Pupils who need extra support are given swift and effective extra support. 11 and 12 February 2025

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Consequently, pupils are fluent and accurate readers. Pupils love reading. The school provides books that reflect a wide range of cultures, and families from across the world.

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The school has an exceptionally strong culture of kindness and respect. The school’s focus on pupils taking responsibility for their own actions is visible across the school. Pupils are impeccably polite and well mannered. From Reception onwards, pupils learn the language and skills to manage their emotions and seek support when they need it. Staff are clear and consistent in their expectations and routines. Pupils react to these with joy and have pride in their accomplishments. The school promotes pupils’ attendance successfully. Pupils attend well. The school has made significant improvements to pupils’ attendance, including for those who are disadvantaged.

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The school prioritises promoting pupils’ personal development. Pupils develop a strong understanding of how to be modern British citizens. Pupils are well informed and critical consumers of current affairs. They show an awareness of how to manage their welfare and safety and how to treat others with respect. Pupils relish the wide range of leadership opportunities the school provides. The roles of ambassadors and play rangers provide pupils with opportunities to help others. As a result, pupils develop a sense of calm and maturity in their actions and thinking.

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The school is led well. Governors are well informed and offer constructive challenge. The school uses work with other schools to refine aspects of the school’s practice. Staff benefit from the continued investment in their professional development. Staff who are new to their teaching career are given effective support. The school has a positive working relationship with most parents and carers.

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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, the checks on what pupils have previously learned lack sufficient rigour. This means that sometimes pupils do not develop a secure understanding before new content is introduced. The school must accurately assess pupils’ knowledge and understanding and use this information to inform future teaching. 11 and 12 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). 11 and 12 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 5 March 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently use any alternative provision.

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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 began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 11 and 12 February 2025

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 The inspection team met with the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and pupils. The lead inspector met with the members of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, history and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors also reviewed pupils’ work from a range of other subjects.  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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 The inspection team observed behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Inspectors spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around the school.  Inspectors spoke with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the views expressed in Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors spoke with groups of staff and considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Toby Martlew, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Martin Dyer Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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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