Flamstead End School

Inspection of Flamstead End School Longfield Lane, Cheshunt, Waltham Cross, Hertfordshire EN7 6AG

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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The headteacher of this school is Sarah Baker. This school is part of Generations Educational Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Alison Garner, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Clarke.

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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 January 2015. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 23 and 24 April 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff support and nurture pupils well at Flamsted End School. Pupils are at the heart of everything that happens throughout the school. Pupils’ personal development is a priority. The school ensures that there are ample opportunities to help pupils grow into confident, well-rounded individuals. Pupils are highly valued as individuals. Their achievements and successes are routinely shared and celebrated. This makes the school a happy and inclusive place to be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour and learning. Pupils follow routines well, attend regularly and enjoy their lessons. They are happy and strive to do their best. Pupils take on roles such as well-being leaders, school council members and ambassadors. They enjoy sharing their achievements with visitors. These experiences build responsibility, leadership and emotional maturity. Pupils also develop character and a strong sense of belonging. The school’s ethos promotes mutual respect and trust between adults and pupils. Pupils feel safe, valued and confident to seek help when needed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

From the start, children receive an exceptional early education. Across the early years, they build strong foundations in communication, language and number. Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. They develop confidence, resilience and respect. They understand what it means to be a good citizen and are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

The school’s curriculum is thoughtfully designed to foster a love of learning. It is carefully structured and identifies the essential knowledge pupils are expected to learn. English and mathematics are introduced early, with children in the early years engaging in a rich variety of experiences that lay strong foundations. These are built on effectively as pupils move through the school, leading to strong outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics.

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

The reading curriculum promotes a love of reading. Children in early years are immersed in rich vocabulary and a wide range of high-quality stories. This helps to foster a deep love of language and learning. Events such as ‘The Masked Reader’, story jars and parent workshops make reading exciting for all. Staff keep a close eye on how well pupils are keeping up with the reading curriculum. Skilled staff provide timely support to help pupils keep up if they are at risk of falling behind. This helps pupils to become confident, fluent readers.

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

The curriculum is well sequenced and begins in the early years, where children engage in exceptionally well considered activities that spark curiosity. Staff help children extend their thinking and deepen their learning across all areas. As pupils move through the school, they build on this effectively. Pupils achieve well in most foundation subjects. They make strong links between topics. For example, in art, pupils apply techniques inspired by 23 and 24 April 2025

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artists like J.M.W. Turner, using light, colour and brushwork to create atmosphere. In history, they confidently use subject-specific vocabulary and understand the importance of reliable sources. Pupils recall prior learning with enthusiasm, including what they have learned about the Islamic Golden Age and the Ancient Egyptians. However, in a few subjects, the activities which pupils are given do not align with the intended curriculum as well as they could. Occasionally, activities do not help pupils to learn the most important knowledge set out in the curriculum.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are identified early. In the early years, these children are supported well to access the curriculum. Some pupils benefit from extra, specialised support in order to meet their needs. This supports their emotional well-being and helps them develop academically. However, in a few cases, the activities designed to meet individual learning needs are not well matched to pupils’ specific goals. As a result, some pupils do not achieve as well as they could.

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Pupils behave well in lessons and at breaktimes. Lunchtimes are fun and lively. Pupils engage positively with one another.

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The school is exceptional in nurturing pupils’ personal growth through powerful, inclusive initiatives which develop pupils’ self-esteem. This begins in the early years, where children learn to engage independently in their learning and begin to understand relationships. Pupils flourish in a wide range of leadership roles. These help to significantly boost their confidence and sense of responsibility. The school provides pupils with a wide variety of opportunities to develop their understanding of themselves and others, including keeping safe in different situations. Educational visits and after-school clubs are extremely well considered to ensure that all pupils, particularly the most vulnerable, benefit from all that the school has to offer.

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The school is fully committed to improving pupils’ life chances. Leaders at all levels, including the trust, have worked effectively to continually develop the school’s work. Leaders provide a clear and strategic vision for the school. Staff feel well supported in their roles.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few of the foundation subjects, the activities which pupils are given do not help them to learn the intended curriculum as well as they could. This affects how well some pupils build their knowledge in these subjects. The school should ensure that teaching activities in these subjects help pupils to build their knowledge securely over time. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 Sometimes, pupils with SEND are not given learning activities which are well matched to their individual needs and targets. This sometimes affects how well pupils with SEND achieve across parts of the curriculum. The school should ensure that, in lessons, learning activities are well matched to pupils’ needs.

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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). 23 and 24 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher took up post in April 2023.  The school is part of the Generations Educational Trust.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school manages its own breakfast club 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. 23 and 24 April 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection that 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.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector met with members of the trust, the CEO and members of the governing body.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, geography, art, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single

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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.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions. Inspectors also considered the views of staff and pupils through their responses to Ofsted’s online survey.

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Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Wayne Jarvis Ofsted Inspector 23 and 24 April 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 looked-after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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