Foxes Piece School

Inspection of Foxes Piece School Newfield Road, Marlow, Buckinghamshire SL7 1JW

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 17 and 18 June 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are welcomed each day into a caring environment. They enjoy school and feel safe and valued. Staff take time to get to know each pupil as an individual. They build warm, nurturing relationships that help pupils feel cared for.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A well-considered curriculum, underpinned by the school’s aspirational aims, enables pupils to achieve well. Staff work together to meet the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). This prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils show positive attitudes and behave respectfully. They are kind and considerate towards others. The school promotes and rewards positive behaviour and celebrates pupils’ successes. Staff apply the behaviour policy consistently and model respectful behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school carefully enriches pupils’ experiences beyond the academic curriculum. A variety of workshops, educational visits and themed weeks are purposefully woven into the curriculum. Pupils talk enthusiastically about how these opportunities have enhanced their learning of the wider world and different cultures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is highly effective in building pupils’ character through well-established approaches. Pupil leadership roles are thoughtfully designed with guidance and, where appropriate, bespoke training. For example, peer mediators confidently help others to resolve playground conflicts.

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

The school is highly ambitious in ensuring that pupils achieve well and succeed. The key knowledge, skills and vocabulary pupils need to know and remember across all subjects has been identified. For example, in mathematics, children in the early years practise counting numbers and recognising patterns. Older pupils then apply this number knowledge to solve complex problems.

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

The curriculum is implemented effectively in many subjects. It nurtures pupils’ curiosity and enjoyment of learning. It also helps address misconceptions, which supports pupils in building their knowledge over time. This means that in some subjects, pupils recall key knowledge with increasing confidence. For example, in music, younger pupils in key stage 1 create their own chants and patterns, while Year 6 pupils compose more complex pieces confidently. The school recognises that the curriculum in some subjects is not fully embedded. In these subjects, pupils do not consistently connect new learning with what they have previously been taught. As a result, some pupils struggle to remember the subject-specific skills they have learned over time.

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

Reading is a priority for the school. This starts in the Reception Year and continues through to Year 6. Books are carefully matched to the sounds pupils know. The school checks pupils’ learning to ensure that they build their phonics knowledge effectively. Staff 17 and 18 June 2025

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swiftly identify pupils at risk of falling behind in their reading. They provide these pupils with the support they need, which enables them to catch up quickly. Pupils enjoy their visits to the school library and listening to stories, which play a key role in fostering pupils’ love of reading.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. Their needs are identified early so that appropriate provision can be put in place. Classrooms are inclusive spaces, and pupils are very respectful and understanding of each other. Pupils with SEND are fully included in lessons and receive the support they need to succeed.

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Staff have high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. Pupils respond positively. They behave well and show respect for one another. Children in the Reception Year settle well into school. Staff support them to develop skills and routines, such as sharing and becoming increasingly independent in their learning and play.

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The school is taking steps to improve attendance through tailored support and initiatives such as ‘unmissable Mondays’ and ‘fun Fridays’. These approaches are well planned, and the school is beginning to see early signs of impact.

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The school provides a wide range of opportunities to enhance pupils’ broader development. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum encourages pupils to develop empathy and understanding of other faiths and cultures. As a result, pupils are knowledgeable about fundamental British values and show respect for how others live in modern Britain. The school’s ‘foxy’ values of respect, kindness, equality, independence and resilience are embedded across school life. Reception children also benefit from weekly sessions in the outside wooded learning area. Activities such as bug hunting nurture their confidence, curiosity and care for the environment. Together, these opportunities help to ensure that pupils are exceptionally well prepared for the next stage of their education and life beyond school.

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Governors, alongside leaders, have taken purposeful steps to improve the quality of education and ensure that pupils receive the support they need to develop resilience and perseverance. They prioritise high-quality professional development and place staff’s well- being at the centre of decision-making. Consequently, staff feel well supported and proud to be part of Foxes Piece School.

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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 that are at an early stage of implementation, opportunities for pupils to retrieve subject-specific skills over time are not fully embedded. As a result, some pupils struggle to connect new learning with what they have previously learned. The school needs to refine and embed its curriculum approaches in these subjects to 17 and 18 June 2025

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ensure that pupils can build on previous learning and deepen their understanding and knowledge over time.

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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). 17 and 18 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 November 2022, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs its own after-school club.  The school does not 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.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 17 and 18 June 2025

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 Inspectors met with senior leaders, a number of teaching staff and representatives from the governing body and local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and music. 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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school and priorities for school improvement.  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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 Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration the online Ofsted staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Karen Kent, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Sahreen Siddiqui Ofsted Inspector 17 and 18 June 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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