Bedgrove Infant School

Inspection of Bedgrove Infant School Ingram Avenue, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP21 9DJ

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding 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 June 2013. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 17 October 2018. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 18 and 19 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s mantra ‘Proud to be Purple’ colours every aspect of life marvellously. Pupils feel happy and safe in this vibrant school. They say that the best thing about the school is the exciting learning that they experience each day. Pupils and staff embody their values of being professional, positive and powerful. They have perseverance and pride. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive. This is because the school structures key experiences carefully to build each pupil’s confidence and resilience. The school ensures that every child is able to participate fully, in both the academic curriculum and a wealth of enrichment activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school succeeds in its mission to provide an exceptional education for pupils. Published test outcomes show that pupils attain above national averages. This is reflected in the high-quality work that pupils complete in school in English, mathematics and across the wider curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic ambassadors for their school. They demonstrate a genuine love of learning. This is because staff carefully nurture pupils’ enthusiasm. Pupils talk about their learning with interest and make links easily between the knowledge that they gain. Across the school, pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are respectful, kind and polite. Everyone works and plays happily together.

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

The school has a highly ambitious curriculum, which supports pupils to achieve exceptionally well. The school has mapped out precisely the knowledge that pupils need to develop. This starts from the Nursery onwards and is designed so that pupils revisit and build on prior learning systematically and as needed. Throughout the school, staff explain ideas thoughtfully, with a constant focus on developing pupils’ spoken language and vocabulary. Staff pay meticulous attention to every detail of pupils’ learning, checking what they know and remember carefully. In every activity, staff exert themselves to inspire children’s enthusiasm for learning. Consequently, pupils master and apply knowledge independently.

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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. The school is furnished with comfortable reading spaces. These are stocked with carefully chosen books from a range of genres, cultures and themes, which promote pupils’ love of reading. Expert staff ensure that children in the Reception Year and pupils in key stage 1 learn phonics quickly and securely. Staff make sure that the books that pupils read are carefully matched to the sounds that they already know. Over time, pupils develop into confident and highly competent readers.

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

The school identifies pupils’ needs quickly. Staff work hard to reduce pupils’ barriers to learning. They use appropriate expertise or seek advice from external specialists. This enables pupils to shine in each subject. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life and achieve very well. 18 and 19 March 2025

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Pupils’ attitudes to learning are superb. Starting in the early years, children become utterly absorbed in their tasks and determined to persevere. Pupils across the school, show an impressive determination to learn. They speak knowledgeably about the work they do to make sure they remember the ‘pertinent points’ of learning over time. Teachers demonstrate consistency and fairness in how they support pupils with their behaviour. They model the expectations of conduct that they have for pupils well and the warmth and trust between pupils and staff is clear to see. Attendance is a high priority. The school shows tenacity and dedication to helping families overcome barriers to their children attending school successfully. As a result, overall absence is low.

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The school plans an impressive range of wider opportunities for pupils, which helps them to flourish personally, socially and emotionally. These include opportunities to participate in music and sports, as well as exploring the local area through visiting the local shops and places of worship. Pupils take great pride in their ‘purple’ values. They say ‘being purple’ helps them to be good friends to each other, to show respect and to persevere, even when things are challenging. Pupils aspire to be Purple Planet Protectors, Reading Ambassadors or one of the many other leadership roles within the school. Through its values, the school provides pupils with a strong moral compass. It develops pupils’ characters, so that they understand the difference between right and wrong and become kind and responsible citizens. Pupils are knowledgeable about online safety and physical health.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. The governing body works effectively in partnership with school leaders. Together, they are tenacious in their ambition to continuously improve the school. Leaders manage staff workload carefully. They adjust practices so that staff can focus on pupils’ learning.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 18 and 19 March 2025

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 17 October 2018 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This is a larger than average sized infant school.  The school offers morning and after-school care, led by an external provider.  The school makes use of one registered 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. 18 and 19 March 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector also met with governors, including the chair of the governing body.  The lead inspector spoke by telephone with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music, computing and history. Inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also looked at curriculum information and pupils’ work in other subjects, including writing, geography and religious education.

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 Inspectors spoke with staff to discuss the curriculum, safeguarding and their workload. Inspectors met with pupils and spoke with them about their learning and their views on safety and behaviour.  The lead inspector listened to a range of pupils read.  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.  Inspectors considered the responses to the staff survey and spoke to a range of staff about their views of the school.  The inspectors spoke to a range of parents and took account of the responses to Ofsted Parent View questionnaire and the free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Clare Morgan, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Matthew Rixson Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 2025

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