Grendon Underwood Combined School

GRENDON UNDERWOOD COMBINED SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 19 th - 21 st November 2001

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GRENDON UNDERWOOD COMBINED SCHOOL

Short inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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GRENDON UNDERWOOD COMBINED SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Main Street Grendon Underwood Buckinghamshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The governing body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: June 1997 Grendon Underwood Combined School - 4

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Team members

20086 Mr D Speakman Registered inspector 9056 Miss V Cain Lay inspector 27568 Mrs M Davidson Team inspector 23026 Mrs M Mullan Team inspector

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Team members

Evenlode Associates Ltd 6 Abbey Close Alcester Warwickshire B49 5QW

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Team members

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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Team members

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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Team members

Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE Grendon Underwood Combined School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

This is a primary school that provides education for boys and girls between the ages of four and eleven. Numbers are slightly down on the last inspection because Year 7 pupils are now educated in secondary schools. There are currently 265 pupils on roll making it bigger than the average-sized primary school. Pupils’ social and economic circumstances, while covering a wide range, are average overall. Most children are admitted to the reception class at the age of four, but a significant number also joins the school at nine from other first schools in the surrounding area. The attainment on entry to the school is about average overall, but spans a wide range. The vast majority of pupils are of a white United Kingdom origin, but a very small number comes from other minority ethnic groups. All pupils have English as a home language. Thirty-six pupils are on the Code of Practice register of Special Educational Needs. Four pupils

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

have a statement of special educational needs. The proportion of pupils on the register of special needs is below average, but the proportion with statements is average. No pupils claim free school meals and this is well below the national average. During the last two years the school has experienced significant staff changes. There is a new headteacher and deputy headteacher and both teachers in the infant classes are new to the school. Three other teachers are new to the school since the previous inspection.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

The effectiveness of this school is very good. It provides a good quality education and enables pupils to achieve well. The quality of leadership and management is very good. Pupils make good progress in the Reception Year and in Key Stage 2, whilst progress is satisfactory in the infant years. Pupils achieve standards that are very high by the time they leave the school. They develop very good attitudes to their learning and behaviour is very good. Pupils’ personal development and relationships are excellent. The many significant strengths of the school far outweigh the small number of areas that could be improved. When the above factors are set against the above average cost of educating each pupil, the school provides good value for money.

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What the school does well

• By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and good standards in information and communication technology. • The quality of teaching is good overall. • The leadership and management of school are very good. • The school achieves very good attitudes, behaviour, personal development and relationships. This is supported by excellent provision for their moral and social development. • There is a good curriculum including excellent provision for extra curricular activities. • The school caters well for a wide range of abilities.

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What could be improved

• The presentation and celebration of pupils’ work. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has shown a good level of improvement since it was last inspected in June 1997. Standards have improved in English and mathematics and are now well above average. Standards in information and communication technology are better and are above expectations for pupils of this age. Teaching is now good, particularly in the reception and Key Stage 2. Good value for money has been maintained. The school has fully addressed the key issues raised at the time of the previous inspection. It has adopted and effective strategic approach to curriculum planning. There has been very good progress in developing the monitoring and evaluation, particularly of the quality of teaching and standards, and this is very effective. The attainment of higher attaining pupils is now appropriate and they achieve well. The school now complies with all curriculum and performance management requirements. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

1999 2000 2001 2001 highest 5% nationally A* English A A A B well above average above average A B Mathematics A A B C average below average C D Science A* A B C well below average E

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

Pupils enter the school with standards that are generally similar to those expected for pupils of this age. They make good progress and enter Key Stage 1 with above average standards. Good teaching in the reception class enables children to develop their skills quickly and by the time they move to Year 1, many have already started the National Curriculum. In the National Curriculum tests seven-year-olds generally achieve average standards, although their performance in the National Curriculum tests last year were below average in writing and mathematics, and only average in reading. Results were well below those of similar schools. This was due to some disruption to teaching for these pupils, and this is now resolved. At eleven, standards in National Tests for English, mathematics and science have remained consistently well above the national average. The school exceeded its targets for 88 per cent of pupils to reach the

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Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

nationally expected Level 4 in both English and mathematics. The findings of this inspection show standards in reading, writing and mathematics of seven-year-olds are currently above average. Inspection findings also show that by the time they leave the school at the age of 11 the vast majority of pupils attain standards in English and mathematics that are well above average. Most pupils demonstrate very good speaking and listening skills, which have a positive impact on standards in other subjects. The good quality of pupils’ writing, not only in literacy lessons but also in other subjects, is another very positive aspect of their English work. In mathematics, pupils’ ability to use different methods, and to work things out in their heads, enables them to make quick and accurate calculations. Attainment in information and communication technology is also above expectations.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Pupils have very good attitudes to school. They enjoy their lessons and other learning opportunities offered by the school. Pupils are very responsible and carry out duties and routine school procedures very well. Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Behaviour in classrooms is very good and some excellent behaviour was seen in class. No disruptive or inconsiderate behaviour was seen during the inspection, but there was a small amount of unsettled behaviour where teaching was weakest. Behaviour in the playground is very good. Pupils move around the school in a very orderly way and they are polite. Personal development and relationships Pupils’ personal development is excellent. Pupils develop a growing maturity and reliability in their manner of working, their communication skills and their ability to take personal and group responsibility. Relationships between pupils and between pupils and adults are also excellent.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Very good and remains well above average. It has a very positive effect on learning and attainment. Punctuality is good and lessons start on time.

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Aspect Comment

Pupils show high levels of maturity in their attitudes towards their work and can be relied upon to work sensibly without the direct supervision of their teacher. This means that teachers can focus their attention on groups of pupils without interruption and enable them all to make good progress. Pupils behave very well both in and out of class, in a manner that is considerate of others. They show good self-discipline and Grendon Underwood Combined School - 8 excellent levels of personal development in the ways in which they approach their work, their relationships with other pupils and complete the jobs they are asked to do. Older pupils show very caring attitudes to younger children.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Good Satisfactory Good Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

In 19 of the 22 lessons seen the quality of teaching was good or better. It was very good in 7 lessons. In the other 3 lessons the teaching was satisfactory. No unsatisfactory or poor teaching was observed. Taking all available evidence into account, the quality of teaching is good in the reception class, Year 1 and in Key Stage 2. It is satisfactory in Year 2. The quality of teaching in English and mathematics is good overall. Pupils are given regular and wide ranging opportunities to read and write, and teachers have high expectations of the standards that pupils’ achieve. The different aspects of English are taught well and pupils are given good opportunities to practise their language and literacy skill in other subjects. Pupils are taught to read very well and at an early stage of their schooling. In mathematics, teachers emphasise the need for pupils to calculate mentally and teach the techniques for problem solving regularly and

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

effectively. This gives the pupils confidence with numbers and the ability to solve mathematical problems. Teaching in information and communication technology skills is effective and results in good standards of attainment. The basic skills in each of these subjects are taught well. Pupils are mostly well managed, and high standards of behaviour are achieved. Occasionally, the management of pupils is less effective and in these instances, pupils do not settle to their work as quickly. Pupils work is not always fully celebrated and is not effectively displayed to encourage pupils to be proud of what they do. Opportunities are missed to create a fully stimulating learning environment through displaying their finished work. This sometimes leads to a lack of quality in the presentation of their work.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum This is good for pupils in the reception and infant years and is very good for those in Key Stage 2. It covers all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. Provision for literacy and numeracy is very effective. There is an excellent range and quality of extra-curricular activities. Provision for pupils with special educational needs Very good. Pupils receive effective support from their teachers and support staff, which enables them to make good progress and to achieve well

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Provision for pupils’ personal development is very good. It is good for cultural and satisfactory for their spiritual development. Provision for their social and moral development is excellent.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils The school’s care for its pupils is good. The procedures for supporting the development of individual pupils, both academically and personally, are very good and contribute positively to the standards attained. Satisfactory attention is paid to the health and safety of all pupils and arrangements for child protection are sound.

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Aspect Comment

Assessment procedures are very good. The school tracks the achievement of all pupils and this ensures pupils at all levels of attainment receive appropriate tasks. The school gives older pupils the responsibility of looking after younger ones and good opportunities to show care and consideration and in helping them feel confident in school. The school follows the local education authority policy for child protection. The Grendon Underwood Combined School - 9 headteacher and all staff have received professional training. Staff are aware of the procedures and are vigilant. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 10

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff This is very good. The headteacher works very effectively with his senior managers and together, they have established a very clear vision regarding the development of the school. This is clearly communicated to and shared by all members of staff. The reflection of the school’s aims in its work is very good. How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities This is very good. Governors have high levels of involvement in the school. They are conscientious, well organised and fulfil their statutory responsibilities very well. The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher, key staff and governors work well together to identify the school’s strengths and areas for development. The headteacher and senior managers monitor teaching effectively and know teachers’ strengths and weaknesses well. The strategic use of resources

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Aspect Comment

The financial management of the school is good. The school takes great care to ensure that money is well targeted. Spending is very well linked to priorities in the school development plan. The school carefully considers the impact of financial commitments on standards.

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Aspect Comment

The school is led and managed very effectively. In the short time that the headteacher and senior management team have held these responsibilities, they have set up very effective management systems that enable them to closely monitor and support a wide range of the school’s provision. The governing body works well and effectively supports the headteacher and his staff in their work. Governors know their school well. Good attention is given to ensuring that the best value for spending is achieved

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Children like school and they make good progress. • Behaviour is good. • The teaching is good • Children are expected to work hard and do their best. • Children are helped to become mature and responsible. • Homework. • Information about how their children are getting on. • Feeling comfortable about approaching the school with concerns. • How the school works closely parents. • Leadership and management. • Extra-curricular activities.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection team agrees with the positive comments made by the parents. The inspection team does not agree with the parents’ view that there is an insufficient provision of activities outside of lessons. These are excellent and provide valuable support for the curriculum and pupils’ personal development. There was no evidence during the inspection that parents need feel uncomfortable about approaching the school and the school seeks a variety of ways of taking parents’ views into account. Leadership and management are very good. Information for parents is very good and the pupils’ annual reports are good. Homework is used appropriately and supports the academic standards well. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 11

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

good standards in information and communication technology.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

1. Standards achieved by pupils currently in Year 6 are well above average for pupils of this age in English and mathematics. Standards in literacy and numeracy in other subjects are very good. Pupils in Year 2 are now attaining standards that are above those expected for their age in English and mathematics. Pupils make steady progress as they move through the school. When they start in Reception, their attainment is generally as expected for pupils at this age, with a significant amount of both below and above average attainment. By the time the pupils are seven, their attainment is good overall and it is well above average by the time they are eleven. This pattern is seen in both English and mathematics and represents good achievement for all pupils.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

2. Children achieve well in the reception class. They enter school with attainment that is at the levels expected for children of this age and by the time the reach statutory school age most achieve the early learning goals for children in the Foundation Stage and a significant number will exceed them. Pupils develop their language and literacy skills well. They develop secure early reading skills. Many are able to recognise simple words and have a good knowledge of the sounds of a good range of letters. Children’s speaking and listening skills are good. They have a wider than usual range of vocabulary and express themselves competently and clearly for their age. They are beginning to recognise and observe basic writing conventions. They are beginning to write simple sentences. They all know that there should be spaces between words and some know that ‘I’ should be written as a capital letter when they are writing about themselves. They

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

develop a good understanding of number and count reliably and accurately. Their ideas of shape and space develop well.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

3. Standards in English are good in the infant classes and very good by the time pupils are eleven. Standards in reading and writing are good and in speaking and listening, are very good for seven- year olds. For eleven-year-olds, all aspects of language and literacy are well above expectations for pupils of this age. Standards in reading are consistently above expectations for pupils at all ages. Pupils read with confidence and expression. They understand what they are reading and are able to cope with some demanding texts. Pupils read a good range of fiction that includes the Famous Five books for younger pupils, whilst older ones cope quite well with Harry Potter novels. They are able to talk about the stories with a clear understanding and recall major themes in the books. They show evidence of very wide reading experience. Pupils’ good attitudes to reading are supported by book fairs and book weeks. Standards in writing are also well above average.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

Pupils use punctuation well in a range of imaginative and factual writing. They accurately use a good range of basic punctuation automatically and some more difficult punctuation, such as the possessive apostrophe, speech marks and exclamation marks. They write well in wide variety of contexts. They write good quality reviews, in the style of newspaper reports, and their writing includes their responses to current issues in both an emotional and analytical style. Their creative writing and stories that they make up show a mature style, in which ideas are developed well. The very good standards in writing in English are reflected in other subjects. Some very impressive writing on the Egyptians was seen in history books. Pupils were able to write at length and accurately about the discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb. Pupils are able to use historical sources to extract information and record the differences in the lifestyles of rich and poor people.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

Writing in science is in a style that is appropriate to the subjects and activity. Speaking and listening skills are very well developed at all stages. By the time they reach Year 6, pupils are very confident and articulate in both formal and informal learning situations. They express themselves clearly. Their answers to questions are clear, concise and relevant to the questions asked. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 12 4. Standards in mathematics are well above average by the time pupils are in Year 6. Most pupils are currently working at levels above national expectations and all pupils at very high levels when compared to their prior attainment. They have a good knowledge and understanding of number, and most accurately add, multiply, subtract and divide numbers, including those to two decimal places. They deal with fractions, decimals, percentages and ratio competently and apply their

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

knowledge well in questions. Most have developed good knowledge and understanding of shapes and handle data effectively, being able to compare sets of data using the mean, median and mode.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

5. A strength in pupils’ knowledge and understanding in mathematics is their ability to solve problems, to recognise pattern and find rules for solving problems. Pupils in Year 6 worked out an organised and logical way of calculating how many combinations of different coloured shorts and football shirts there can be for given numbers of shorts and shirts. They first worked this out using diagrams and, after investigating a few different situations, soon realised that they could work this out numerically, using multiplication. They were very soon confident in applying their rule and checking that it was correct. This is a skill expected of older pupils.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

6. Attainment in information and communication technology is better than expected for pupils of this age. Pupils in Year 5 designed a decorated box. They first drew the net of a cuboid on screen and then some pupils designed a pattern to fit each face by copying from region to region. Others designed their pattern first and then imported it into the different faces. To successfully complete this task pupils had to be competent in stretching their designs to fit the shape of the faces on the net. This highly demanding and challenging activity gave pupils the opportunity to use and develop a good range of skills. They used clip art and word art very effectively and cut, copied and pasted designs into different regions of their box net. To do this correctly they paid attention to detail, such as rotating a whole design to fit a region of their net. In another lesson pupils used their Internet skills to log into a web site, which contained a wide range of information on a Mosque.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

They easily found the way around the site to answer questions to build knowledge of the Muslim faith.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

The quality of teaching is good overall.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

7. Teaching for children in the reception class is carefully planned so that they all have balanced learning experiences each day. The use of their time is thought out well and there is a very good balance of teacher-supervised and child-selected activity. Activity is carefully timed so children do not stay at one activity for too long. They are encouraged to move to different activities, ensuring a balanced learning diet. This, together with good, regular routines, contributes significantly to children’s personal, social and emotional development. Children are managed effectively. There are clear expectations of behaviour, which are effective in establishing a quiet and productive working atmosphere. Learning support assistants are purposefully deployed. They know what they are required to do and fulfil their commitments effectively. They support both the teacher and children well and make a significant contribution to the good achievement of children

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

8. Teaching in English is good. Teachers plan their lessons carefully to provide a good balance of activity and so all aspects of language and literacy, including reading, writing, spelling and speaking and listening are developed well. Teachers adopt a style appropriate to the age of pupils and the task. For example, when pupils are in the early stages of learning to read, the opening to lessons often consist of a well-focussed Big Book session, with plenty of good opportunity for repetition and for pupils to participate. By the time pupils are in the junior classes, the style of teaching reading has changed and is now beginning to concentrate on style.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

9. Classes are mostly managed effectively. From an early age, pupils are given good opportunity to work within groups. This develops their independence and confidence well and gives them the opportunity to improve their speaking and listening skills well. They are taught when it is appropriate to work quietly and when to discuss their work. Through this they become very Grendon Underwood Combined School - 13 capable of working reliably, without direct supervision, allowing the teacher to focus on specific groups. Usually teachers are very definite, ensure that all pupils are clear about what is required of them and lessons proceed smoothly, in a calm working atmosphere. Teachers have high expectations of all ages and abilities of pupil. They set challenging tasks, such as in a writers’ workshop, when the theme was an adult interview. This was explained clearly so that pupils understood the ideas and met expectations. Teachers use demanding vocabulary and again, this

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

exposure encourages the development of very good standards in all aspects of English.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

10. Teaching in mathematics is also good. As in English, the quality ranges from satisfactory to very good, with the greater proportion of teaching being good or very good. Teachers’ knowledge and understanding of mathematics is generally good. Teachers emphasise the need for pupils to calculate mentally and teach the techniques for problem solving regularly and effectively. This gives the pupils confidence with numbers and the ability to solve mathematical problems. Older pupils were instructed very effectively in problem solving. The teachers have rightly recognised this as an important skill in mathematics. Pupils are taught to recognise what information is important in a question, how to plan a strategy for solving the problem and then to check that their answer is realistic. These methods were effectively used in Year 6, when they had to work out the number of combinations of differently coloured football shorts and shirts. Challenging activity

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

11. Teaching in Information and communication technology skills is effective and results in good standards of attainment. The basic skills in this subject are taught well and, as pupils get older, they are given good opportunity to use their existing skills well and concentrate on learning new ones. Planning is good. Teachers give their pupils regular access to the computer suite twice each week. One session is used to introduce or consolidate new skills and the other is used to practise and use existing skills and to support work in other subjects. The combination of these two aspects of information and communication technology ensures that the school fully meets the requirements of the National Curriculum and addresses well the criticisms made in the previous inspection report. Teachers have high expectations and the necessary subject knowledge to support effectively pupils’ good progress.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

12. The use of learning objectives is now an important feature of lesson and curriculum planning in all subjects. Teachers are clear what they intend pupils to learn and pupils are aware of what they are expected to learn. Learning objectives are also reflected in pupils’ targets. Work is marked with learning intentions in mind and pupils’ work is assessed in terms of how successful pupils have been in the intended learning. In lessons, teachers’ questions are designed to test pupils’ success against the learning objectives. These are now deeply embedded in the learning process and all levels of planning.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

The leadership and management of school are very good.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

13. The headteacher provides the school with very good leadership, which supports the school’s drive to maintain high levels of provision and attainment and to enable all pupils to achieve well. The headteacher’s management skills are very good and the systems for school development and improvement he has implemented since his recent appointment are highly focused on effective learning.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

14. The model of management is very good and is based on a very clear vision for the future development of the school and the achievement of high standards. At the centre of the model is effective learning. Teaching, staff development, pupils’ development, curriculum development, the use of resources and the use of information and communication technology all contribute to the central focus. Surrounding and contributing to these areas of provision are management, links with the community and the school’s reputation within the community. When the school management considers areas for improvement, all suggestions must be able to be traced back to effective learning. A criticism at the time of the previous inspection was that there were too Grendon Underwood Combined School - 14 many objectives in the school development plan. When the headteacher was deputy, and for a period of time became acting headteacher, he was required to re-write the school development

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

plan. In doing this he reduced the number of targets within the current year and made them more focused on learning and achievement. This is the school development plan that the school is currently working to and is a very good quality document.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

15. The headteacher receives very strong and effective support from senior staff and teamwork is evident in all they do. The leadership team is made up of phase leaders, but there is also ongoing consultation with all staff on issues that are of direct concern to them. The attention paid to detail by all staff with responsibility is a real strength of the school management. Individual subject development plans, such as English, reflect the same structure as the whole school development structure. There is effective curriculum co-ordination in English, mathematics and information and communication technology. The areas for development are well thought through and are appropriate to where the school is at the moment.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

16. Systems for monitoring the work of the school are very thorough and allow all members of staff to contribute to decisions and to make the best of their knowledge and expertise. Good links exist between the different tiers of management so that there is a regular flow of information throughout the school. The whole staff now monitors what is happening and what has been achieved. There is a newly formed governor sub-group with the specific brief to monitor progress of the school development plan. Monitoring procedures include two-way communication with staff and feedback from the attached advisor, Governing Body, parents and pupils. Procedures for performance management are well established and inform school management of strengths and areas of concern. This includes the observation and monitoring of lessons. The leadership group has developed very thorough assessment of standards of attainment procedures. These include

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

the analysis of data to show trends and the current situation. This effectively meets the recommendations of two key issues in the previous report. These were to introduce procedures for monitoring and evaluating and to comply with statutory requirements for appraisal. Both issues have been fully met.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

17. The Governing Body is well informed and all members are fully involved in the development of the school. The working relationship between the school’s management team and members of the governing body is very good, and this has a very positive effect on the smooth running of the school. Governors know the school well. They actively support its development and monitor its progress and achievements carefully. Governors are as committed as the staff to maintaining the school’s strong position and extending its many positive features.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

The school achieves very good attitudes, behaviour, personal development and relationships. This is supported by excellent provision for their moral and social development.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

18. The provision for pupils’ personal development and relationships is very good and supports excellent outcomes in this area. The range of responsibilities is wide and all classes have a list of jobs and monitor duties, such as in the library and in supervising corridors. Pupils in Year 6 are given the significant responsibility of supporting younger children in Reception. They act as play leaders and bring these young children into assembly. When the school opens its doors to the public, for such occasions as school plays or at festive times, the pupils effectively perform front of house duties, such as programme selling. All pupils have the opportunity to take part in circle time, when they discuss issues that are important to them. The school plans to start a school council after Christmas. Like other projects in school, this is developed properly. All classes have had lessons on school councils, their purpose and how they work. Pupils will be given the

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

opportunity to vote for their class representative soon.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

19. Pupils are keen and enthusiastic to come to school, fully participate in the learning opportunities given to them, and so achieve high standards. They are made to feel secure in the school and know that they are valued. This effectively supports their self-esteem and confidence. The Grendon Underwood Combined School - 15 school promotes, through example, good relationships, so that pupils are at ease with others and adults alike. Pupils are very welcoming and are concerned that visitors and new pupils are equally at ease. They enter into friendly conversation spontaneously, and are keen to talk about themselves and their school. Parents value the way that the school operates and supports the academic and personal development of their children.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

20. Teachers achieve very good standards of behaviour in class. Parents strongly agreed that this is good. Attitudes and behaviour in lessons is rarely less than good, and more often very good. Only when directions are not clear and pupils are not sure of what is expected of them, does pupils’ response become less than good. Even, so, it still remains satisfactory. Pupils listen attentively and concentrate hard when working individually, or as a member of a group, and this has a direct impact on the high standards achieved. Behaviour in the playground is very good. They move around the school in an orderly way and they are polite. 21. Pupils’ personal development and the quality of relationships are excellent. This aspect is a strength of the school. Throughout their time at the school, pupils are given good opportunities, such as independent work, to develop a growing maturity in how they work, their skills in

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

articulate, polite communication, and their ability to take responsibility. By Year 6, pupils blend a high level of independence with very good relationships with other pupils and adults. Their spontaneous co-operation, and very good communication skills strongly support their learning. Older pupils respond very well to opportunities to take on responsibility and to support the school in a range of ways. Pupils relate to, and support, each other to a very high degree, and parents say that they recall no incidents of inappropriate behaviour or oppressive attitudes within the school. This was evident during the period of inspection, when only highly positive relationships, behaviour and attitudes were seen.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

There is a good curriculum including excellent provision for extra curricular activities.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

22. The curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Years and in Years 1 and 2 is good and very good for those in Years 3 to 6. This represents a significant level of improvement on the findings of the previous inspection, when weaknesses in the curriculum formed the basis of two key issues. The first was to adopt a strategic approach to curriculum planning which matched schemes of work to the full requirements of the National Curriculum; to link teachers’ termly plans to schemes of work and to include specific learning objectives consistently in teachers’ plans. The second was to comply with all statutory requirements relating to curriculum.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

23. The school has made good progress in meeting both key issues. There has been a significant overhaul of the curriculum recently in light of national initiatives and recommendations. The curriculum is planned progressively from year to year and provides a good basis for the development of skills, knowledge and understanding in all subjects. The use of learning objectives is now an important feature of curriculum planning in all subjects.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

24. The school makes good provision for the children in the Foundation Stage and for those in Reception who are capable of working at Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum. It provides a good transition between the two. Curriculum planning is detailed and contains details of what pupils will learn, and a weekly plan of all activities. Planning also contains opportunities for play and for language, literacy and communication threaded throughout the activities. This supports a good and early start to pupils’ personal development and language skills and supports high achievement in these areas of learning.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

25. The curriculum for pupils of statutory school age is good. Good levels of enrichment and excellent provision for extra-curricular activities make the curriculum very good for pupils in Years 3 to 6. The learning opportunities for all pupils include all subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education. There is a good balance between the subjects. There is a very strong personal, social and health education programme, which includes sex education and advice on the use and misuse of harmful substances. All classes have regular opportunities to discuss and express their ideas on Grendon Underwood Combined School - 16 social, moral and behavioural issues in the regular ‘Circle Time’. This makes a significant contribution to the personal development of all pupils. There is a good variety of visits out of school and visitors to school, which enriches the curriculum effectively. The pupils visit the

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

Church to worship at important times in the Christian calendar. They have a charitable link with a school in Bucharest, Rumania, and each year some pupils make a visit. Visits to a Church, a Mosque and a Synagogue further widen pupils’ horizons. A good range of visitors to the school also helps to enrich the curriculum. These include visiting clergy, the ‘animal man’ who helps to familiarise pupils with creatures such as pythons, rare birds and insects. During the inspection, pupils visited the British Museum in London, to support their work on the Egyptians in history.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

26. Contrary to some parents’ opinions, there is an excellent provision for extra-curricular activities. These include sporting activities such as boys’ and girls’ football in Years 4, 5 and 6, short tennis for all, cross-country in Years 4, 5 and 6, gymnastics for Years 3 and 4, ball games for year 2 and Year 3 and hockey for Years 4, 5 and 6. Non-sporting activities include the ‘surf club’ where junior aged pupils develop their Internet skills and a drama club and musical activities. One evening each month, there is the opportunity for pupils to attend a ‘Film Club’ where they are given the opportunity to watch popular films, appropriate to their age. Parents support their children in these activities. Many travel to school using local education authority transport, but parents make arrangements for the collection of pupils so that all pupils have the opportunity of taking advantage of these clubs.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

The school caters well for a wide range of abilities.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

27. A great deal of work has gone into making sure that the curriculum meets the learning needs of all pupils. Curriculum organisation is now designed to meet the needs of different groups of pupils. Provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. The special needs co-ordinator has good control and oversight of this. The special educational needs learning support assistant plans work meticulously, maintains good records and supports pupils well. She has a good relationship with the co-ordinator and they regularly consult over the progress that pupils are making. Pupils’ individual education plans are prepared by teachers in consultation with the special needs co- ordinator, who gives valuable support in this process. They are well constructed, contain long- term objectives and appropriate targets for improving pupils’ attainment. Reviews of individual education plans and pupils’ progress are planned to take place at regular intervals and are useful in

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

moving pupils on. There is appropriate support for pupils who need emotional and behavioural support. The approach to group support is effective, but some pupils miss the same lesson each week. The school is aware of this and this will be changed next term.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

28. Pupils who are predicted to be borderline in attaining the national expectations at the end of Year 6 are given extra support in “booster classes”. These support their learning of basic language and literacy skills and give a firm basis on which to make better progress. The organisation of classes and teaching groups based on ability assists teachers in focusing work closely to pupils’ needs. Pupils in Key Stage 2 are placed into ability groups for mathematics. This enables teachers to pitch the work at appropriate levels, and move pupils forward quickly. Even in the teaching sets, there is still a wide range of ability. To cater for pupils’ learning needs even more effectively, teachers plan work at different levels. This ensures that pupils at all levels of attainment are given appropriate work and the best opportunity to make the best possible progress. Those few pupils who need a significant amount of extension work and “fast track” provision are moved up a year.

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By the time they are eleven, pupils achieve very high standards in English and mathematics and

Pupils from Year 4 are currently working with Year 5 pupils. There are plans in hand to provide Year 7 work when these pupils reach Year 6. The curriculum co-ordinator for mathematics plans to start an-out-of-school-hours class specifically designed for the higher attaining pupils. Work planned for this group will be aimed at the higher Levels 5 and 6. This is work well beyond what is expected for the average eleven-year-old. These arrangements address the recommendations of the key issue raised in the previous report that refers to raising attainment of the higher attaining pupils. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 17 Grendon Underwood Combined School - 18

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

Presentation and celebration of pupils’ work.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

29. Pupils work is not always fully celebrated and not effectively displayed to encourage pupils to be proud of what they do. Opportunities are missed to create a fully stimulating learning environment through displaying pupils’ finished work. This sometimes leads to a lack of quality in the presentation of their work and does not do full justice to the levels of attainment and the high levels of achievement. Standards of presentation are sometimes misleading and the quality of work is generally better than the impression gained on first viewing.

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

30. Due to pressures of time, some pieces of written work in English remain in the initial draft form. Pupils are not given sufficient opportunity to improve the quality, to correct spelling and grammar mistakes and to present corrected work in neat, tidy format that would be suitable for display. This also means that teachers do not always have sufficient work to choose from for display, and there is insufficient pupils’ work displayed in classrooms and in communal areas of the school, such as the hall and corridors. This means that the success that pupils achieve in their work is not always celebrated as much as it could be. 31. This is also reflected in the work in mathematics books, particularly in those of younger pupils. Some sums, for example, are not set out into accurate tens and units columns and this makes their task more difficult. Mathematics presentation is better in Year 6, where pupils are taught the

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WHAT COULD BE IMPROVED

importance of organising their work to avoid mistakes.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

• Improve the quality of the presentation of pupils’ work so that it more accurately reflects the high levels of attainment by:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

- Identifying where the presentation of pupils’ workbooks could be improved and raise the quality. - Increasing the opportunities for pupils to produce final edited copies of work and therefore give them more chances to experience the complete writing process. - Improve the quality of the display of pupils’ work in classrooms and around the school.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(paragraphs 29, 30, 31) Grendon Underwood Combined School - 19

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of lessons observed 22 Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 11

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor Number 0 7 12 3 0 0 0 Percentage 0 32 54 13 0 0 0 The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents about 5 percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll YR – Y6 Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 265 Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals 0 FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs YR – Y6 Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 4 Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 36

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 13 Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 19

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Authorised absence Unauthorised absence

% % School data 3.7 School data 0.1 National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5 Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 20

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2001 22 11 33

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 21 20 21 level 2 and above Girls 10 10 11 Total 31 30 32 Percentage of pupils School 94 (88) 91 (91) 97 (91) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (83) 86 (84) 91 (90)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 20 21 19 level 2 and above Girls 10 9 11 Total 30 30 30 Percentage of pupils School 91 (91) 91 (91) 91 (88) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (84) 89 (88) 89 (88) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Year Boys Girls Total Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2001 44 34 78

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National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 35 32 39 level 4 and above Girls 32 28 33 Total 67 60 72 Percentage of pupils School 86 (95) 77 (98) 92 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 71 (72) 87 (85)

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Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

Numbers of pupils at NC Boys 35 34 40 level 4 and above Girls 32 29 33 Total 67 63 73 Percentage of pupils School 86 (95) 81 (96) 94 (100) at NC level 4 or above National 72 (70) 74 (72) 82 (79) Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 21 Grendon Underwood Combined School - 22

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Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

Black – Caribbean heritage 0 Black – Caribbean heritage 0 0 Black – African heritage 0 Black – African heritage 0 0 Black – other 0 Black – other 0 0 Indian 0 Indian 0 0 Pakistani 0 Pakistani 0 0 Bangladeshi 0 Bangladeshi 0 0 Chinese 0 Chinese 0 0 White 265 White 1 0 Any other minority ethnic group 0 Other minority ethnic groups 0 0 This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 12.2 Financial year 2000/01 Number of pupils per qualified teacher 21.7 Average class size 24.1 £ Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 615,136 Total number of education support staff 7 Total expenditure 603,309 Total aggregate hours worked per week 91 Expenditure per pupil 1,946 Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery Balance brought forward from previous year 6,865

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Qualified teachers and classes: YR – Y6

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) N/a Balance carried forward to next year 18,692 Number of pupils per qualified teacher N/a Total number of education support staff N/a Total aggregate hours worked per week Number of pupils per FTE adult N/a FTE means full-time equivalent.

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 6.2 Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 5.2

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0 Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) FTE means full-time equivalent. Grendon Underwood Combined School - 23 Grendon Underwood Combined School - 24

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Questionnaire return rate

Percentage of responses in each category

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Questionnaire return rate

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

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Questionnaire return rate

My child likes school. 56.6 39.1 4.3 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

My child is making good progress in school. 41.3 50.2 8.7 0 0

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Questionnaire return rate

Behaviour in the school is good. 31.5 59.8 4.3 2.2 2.2

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Questionnaire return rate

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 26.1 58.7 14.1 1.1 0

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Questionnaire return rate

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 35.9 45.7 14.1 0 2.2

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Questionnaire return rate

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 47.8 40.2 7.6 3.3 1.1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 44.6 42.9 3.3 0 3.3

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Questionnaire return rate

The school works closely with parents. 26.1 57.6 12.1 3.3 1.1

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is well led and managed. 25 54.3 8.7 6.5 5.4

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Questionnaire return rate

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 28.3 60.9 7.6 0 3.3

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Questionnaire return rate

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 37 46.7 12 1.1 3.3

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