Wingrave Church of England Combined School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Wingrave Church of England Combined School Winslow Road, Wingrave, Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire HP22 4QG

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this warm and welcoming school community. Strong, nurturing relationships help them to feel safe and valued. Staff ensure that each pupil can succeed, build confidence and develop a love of learning. The school maintains high academic expectations in a calm and purposeful environment. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage in their education. Pupils say they enjoy school because their teachers are kind and supportive and encourage them to do their best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

High aspirations, rooted in the school’s values, shape everyday life. Pupils take pride in their leadership roles and are eager to make a difference. For example, the school council helps to organise charity events and helps leaders with decisions on whole-school initiatives. This active involvement gives pupils a sense of purpose and strengthens their commitment to school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They stay focused on their learning and respect each other’s right to learn. In the early years, caring staff nurture children’s learning and development. From the start, children learn the importance of kindness and consideration towards others. The school promotes positive behaviour and celebrates success. For instance, during school assemblies, pupils celebrate each other’s achievements with genuine enthusiasm. This reflects the school’s inclusive and respectful culture. Outdoor spaces, such as the peace garden, provide calming areas for reflection. These areas help staff to support pupils’ well-being. 13 and 14 May 2025

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

The school has designed a highly ambitious curriculum for pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). It carefully selects the vocabulary, knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. The curriculum is well ordered from the early years onwards. This allows pupils to build securely on what they already know. Pupils develop detailed knowledge across subjects and recall it with confidence. For example, in Reception, children explore mark-making and experiment with different media. By Year 6, they use these skills in art and design to create mock propaganda posters in the style of Van Gogh, conveying mood and meaning through their work.

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

High-quality training ensures that staff build their subject expertise and can explain important ideas clearly to pupils. Teachers check pupils’ understanding carefully and correct any mistakes quickly. This helps pupils to build secure knowledge and deepen their understanding across subjects. In science, for example, pupils in Year 3 were able to explain the importance of fair testing and how changing one thing at a time affects the results when growing plants.

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

Reading is prioritised across the school. Staff are well trained in the agreed phonics programme and model saying letter sounds with precision. Pupils receive reading books that closely match the sounds they are learning. A love of reading is nurtured through approaches such as guided reading, independent reading time and meaningful discussions about different books. Pupils say that reading helps them to feel calm and motivates them to grow their vocabulary. The school’s selection of ambitious texts exposes pupils to a broad and varied range of literature.

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

The school identifies the needs of pupils with SEND swiftly and accurately. Staff are well trained to meet these pupils’ individual needs. Where needed, pupils benefit from personalised support, including high-quality, targeted interactions with staff. As a result, pupils with SEND progress very well through the curriculum.

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

Pupils demonstrate exceptional respect for one another, articulating their thoughts and feelings with remarkable clarity. Their exemplary attitudes create a positive learning environment where everyone can learn without disruption. This culture of responsibility begins in the early years, where children develop independence from the start of their time at the school. For example, they take responsibility for watering plants and fill spray bottles using the water butt confidently. They understand that water helps the plants to grow. The school is unwavering in its commitment to maintaining high attendance among pupils. As a result, attendance levels are high for all groups of pupils.

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

Personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that support their personal growth and well-being. They take on meaningful roles, for which they are elected by their peers. Pupils acting as ‘peer mediators’ are trained to help resolve minor conflicts on the playground. They help to reinforce the school’s ethos of kindness and mutual respect. The school encourages pupils to reflect on their own experiences and consider the perspectives of others. Pupils demonstrate mature attitudes when discussing equality, diversity and fundamental British values. They 13 and 14 May 2025

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understand the importance of treating everyone fairly. Pupils respect different cultures, beliefs and identities.

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Leaders and governors place pupils at the heart of their decisions, ensuring pupils’ needs shape the school’s direction and actions. Staff describe the school as a family. They value the consideration given to their workload. They appreciate that leaders actively seek their views when managing change.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in April 2016.

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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. 13 and 14 May 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). 13 and 14 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Elizabeth Freedman

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 November 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Wingrave Church of England Combined School is a Church of England school within the Diocese of Oxford.  The most recent section 48 inspection, which is an inspection of a school’s religious character, took place in July 2024.  The school makes use of one registered alternative provision.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with all senior leaders, a number of teaching and support staff, governors and representatives from the diocese and local authority. 13 and 14 May 2025

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 The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, around the school, at playtime and at lunchtime.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaires for staff and pupils. The inspector also reviewed the views of parents and carers in Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 13 and 14 May 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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