Little Missenden Church of England School

LITTLE MISSENDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 10 – 12 February 2004

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LITTLE MISSENDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 Little Missenden Church of England School - 2 - February 2004 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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LITTLE MISSENDEN CHURCH OF ENGLAND 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. Little Missenden Church of England School - 3 - February 2004

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Type of school: Infant School School category: Voluntary Aided – Church of England Age range of pupils: 4 - 7 Gender of pupils: Mixed Number on roll: 37

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Little Missenden Amersham Buckinghamshire Postcode: HP7 0RA

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Telephone number: 01494 862021 Fax number: 01494 862021

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: Buckinghamshire Name of chair of governors: Mrs Davina Palmer

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 12 October 1998

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

Little Missenden CE (VA) Infant school is a much smaller than average rural school for pupils from the ages of four to seven. It serves the village of Little Missenden, which is near to the town of Amersham, with some pupils coming from further afield. There were 32 full-time pupils and five part- time pupils on roll at the time of the inspection. Initially attendance is full-time for those children who are five in the autumn term and part-time for those who are five in the spring and summer terms. All the children attend full-time at the beginning of the spring term. Since the last inspection, the school has been the subject of local authority re-organisation and it is no longer a First School. The school draws from an area where the socio-economic circumstances are relatively favourable. There is a wide range of attainment on entry to the school, at this stage it appears to be above average. The

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CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SCHOOL

percentage of pupils known to be eligible for free school meals is very low. Almost all pupils are from white English speaking families. There are few pupils from minority ethnic groups and none is at an early stage of learning English as an additional language. A lower than average proportion of pupils have special educational needs, and none has a statement. Few pupils join or leave the school at non-standard times. The school gained a DfES achievement award in 2003. It is currently working towards the ‘Quality Mark Award’ for the teaching of basic skills, and the Healthy School Standard. An inspection of religious education and collective worship was being carried out at the same time by the diocesan authorities. Little Missenden Church of England School - 4 - February 2004

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

22272 Elisabeth de Lancey Lead inspector English Art and design Geography History Music Foundation Stage English as an additional language 9619 Bob Miller Lay inspector 21100 Alan Morgan Team inspector Mathematics Science Information and communication technology Design technology Physical education Special educational needs

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Nord Anglia School Inspection Services Anglia House Carrs Road Cheadle Stockport SK8 2LA

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Members of the inspection team Subject responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be made initially to the inspection contractor. The procedures are set out in the leaflet ‘Complaining about Ofsted Inspections’ , which is available from Ofsted Publications Centre (telephone 07002 637833) or Ofsted’s website (www.ofsted.gov.uk). Little Missenden Church of England School - 5 - February 2004

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED BY PUPILS 8

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL 10

Teaching and learning The curriculum Care, guidance and support Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS 27

Little Missenden Church of England School - 6 - February 2004

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OVERALL EVALUATION

This is a good school which is held in high regard by the community. Pupils make a good start in the reception class and good progress through the school. By the time they leave they reach standards which are better than those expected for their age. Overall, the quality of teaching and learning is good and pupils achieve well. The leadership of the headteacher and governors is good. Although, in common with most small schools, costs are relatively high but the school offers good value for money.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

The school’s main strengths and weaknesses are: • Over time, standards in reading, writing and mathematics are very good by the end of Year 2. • The leadership of the headteacher and governors is good. • Overall teaching is good and there are some very good features. • Children make a good start to school in the reception class. • There is a good range of activities to enrich the curriculum; design and technology and music are strong features. • The staff show sensitive care for pupils and they understand their personal development needs very well. • Parents give very good support which makes a significant impact on pupils’ learning. • The school’s very good links with the local community play a significant part in pupils’ learning. • There is good analysis and use of assessment information in reading, writing and mathematics, but weaknesses in geography and history. • There are too few opportunities for pupils to learn independently and take responsibility.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

• The present organisation of the curriculum does not allow pupils to build on their knowledge in history and geography. • Systems are not in place for monitoring teaching and learning in some subjects.

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OVERALL EVALUATION

Since the school was last inspected in October 1998, improvement has been good. Most of the points for improvement have been addressed well. Resources for information and communication technology have improved and ICT is used effectively to support learning. There is an attractive, secure outdoor area for children in the Foundation Stage. The information in the school prospectus and governors’ annual report meets statutory requirements. High standards in the National Curriculum tests have been maintained.

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

all schools similar schools Results in National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2, compared with: 2001 2002 2003 2003 reading A B A* A* writing A* A A A mathematics A A A* A* Key: A - well above average; B – above average; C – average; D – below average; E – well below average Similar schools are those with similar percentages of pupils eligible for free school meals

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STANDARDS ACHIEVED

In the table above A* refers to the highest five percent compared with all or similar schools. Care should be taken when interpreting the information in the table because year groups are small and comparisons with similar schools and from year-to-year are unreliable. Current pupils’ achievement is good. Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well and almost all the children will meet expectations in all areas of learning and many will exceed them. In Years 1 and 2 pupils achieve well in reading, writing and mathematics and reach above average standards. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are average and pupils’ achievement is satisfactory. Pupils Little Missenden Church of England School - 7 - February 2004 with special educational needs make good progress and achieve well due to the early identification of their individual needs and the sensitive support and guidance they are given. The school

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encourages pupils’ personal qualities, including their spiritual, social, moral and cultural

development well. Assemblies make a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. The school successfully develops pupils’ sense of community. Pupils have good attitudes to learning and form positive relationships with one another. Their behaviour is good. Attendance is well above average.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

The school provides a good standard of education. This is because teaching overall is good and pupils learn well. It is consistently good in the Foundation Stage, where learning is managed well. The skills of literacy, numeracy and ICT are taught effectively. Staff foster very good relationships with their pupils and those who are new to the school settle in very quickly. Assessment overall is sound and used satisfactorily to plan work that meets pupils’ individual needs. It is good in the Foundation Stage. The school plans a broad curriculum but the teaching of some subjects is too fragmented. There are too few opportunities for pupils to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in other subjects and to extend their geographical and historical knowledge. The curriculum is enriched by the strong emphasis given to extra-curricular and out-of-school activities. Pupils have equal access to all the curriculum opportunities provided. The accommodation is

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION

restricted in some areas, but the school makes best use of it. Resources are satisfactory but some of the books are out-of-date and need replacing. The school cares very well for its pupils and monitors their progress well. Parents give the school very good support and are kept well informed.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The leadership provided by the headteacher is good. Governance is good; governors monitor and evaluate the school’s work and know its strengths and weaknesses well. Although the curriculum co- ordinators have a clear view of the standards of work in subjects for which they are responsible, the monitoring of teaching and learning is not rigorous enough. The management of the provision for pupils with special educational needs is good.

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PARENTS’ AND PUPILS’ VIEWS OF THE SCHOOL

Parents think very highly of the school. They are particularly pleased with the school’s strong Christian ethos, the high quality of care and the education provided for their children. Most pupils like coming to school and enjoy their learning.

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IMPROVEMENTS NEEDED

The most important things the school should do to improve are: • Give pupils more opportunities to learn independently and to take responsibility. • Continue to review the organisation of the curriculum to provide a balanced range of learning opportunities in geography and history. • Apply an effective system for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching and learning in all subjects and for sharing amongst teachers those aspects that are particularly successful. Little Missenden Church of England School - 8 - February 2004

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Standards achieved in areas of learning, subjects and courses

Early assessments of children’s learning show that their attainment on entry is above average. Throughout the school pupils achieve well. By the end of the reception year, most children are likely to exceed expectations in all areas of learning. Currently, by Year 2, all pupils reach at least average standards in reading, writing and mathematics and the pupils of higher attainment reach standards which are higher than expected in these subjects. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress towards their individual targets. Overall standards are above average.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children in the Foundation Stage achieve well in all areas of learning. • Standards in speaking and listening, reading, writing and mathematics are above average. • Standards have remained consistently high in writing and mathematics over the past three years. • The achievement of pupils with special educational needs is good because staff give pupils sensitive support and guidance.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Standards in national tests at the end of Year 2 – average point scores in 2003

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Main strengths and weaknesses

Standards in: School results National results reading 19.3 (17.0) 15.7 (15.8) writing 16.7 (16.4) 14.6 (14.4) mathematics 19.0 (18.1) 16.3 (16.5) There were 6 pupils in the year group. Figures in brackets are for the previous year.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

1. Teacher assessments show a broad range of attainment when children enter school but overall it is above average. The quality of teaching in the Foundation Stage is consistently good and most children achieve well and are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the time they enter Year 1. The good achievement is due to the way that the teacher plans lessons and bases activities on careful assessments of their learning. She manages the learning of the mixed reception and Year 1 class during the afternoons well so that the reception children have good role models for learning.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

2. Trends in pupils’ standards of attainment are affected by the small numbers of pupils and the composition of each year group. Consequently, care should be taken when examining trends in attainment over time. With the exception of reading in 2002, when standards dipped, because there were a higher proportion of pupils with special educational needs in the group, standards in reading, writing and mathematics have remained high over a number of years. Teacher assessments in science show that standards are well above average compared with those in similar schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

3. In Years 1 and 2 all pupils, including those with special educational needs achieve well which reflects the good quality of the teaching. Boys and girls do equally well. Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are currently above average. Standards in ICT are average. Resources have improved and are used effectively to support learning. There is not enough evidence to report on standards and achievement in art and design, design and technology, geography, history and music. Little Missenden Church of England School - 9 - February 2004

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities

Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and their behaviour is good. The school promotes pupils’ personal development well. Provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral and social and cultural development is good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils’ personal development is very well promoted in the reception class. • In most lessons pupils do their best and take a pride in their work. • Pupils behave well and have very good relationships with staff and one another. • Pupils’ personal development is promoted very well through assemblies, attendance at school clubs and other extra-curricular activities.

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Commentary

4. Pupils’ attitudes to school are positive and similar to those reported at the time of the last inspection. Children and parents agree that pupils like coming to school because the other children are friendly and most lessons are interesting and fun. Attendance is excellent and pupils arrive punctually.

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Commentary

Attendance in the latest complete reporting year (%)

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Commentary

Authorised absence Unauthorised absence School data 2.3 School data 0.0 National data 5.4 National data 0.4 The table gives the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year.

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Commentary

5. The pupils’ positive attitudes towards learning are evident from the earliest age. Children in the reception class are happy and settled. Staff help them to feel secure, proud of themselves and aware of others. Their enthusiasm for learning is developed well and they report that they love all the activities they are offered in the reception class in particular; they enjoy listening to stories and playing on the wheeled toys in the outdoor area. They are likely to exceed the early learning goals in their personal, social and emotional development by the end of the reception year. Pupils throughout the school report that they are expected to work hard and they are trusted to do things on their own. They are willing to take responsibility and deal with it in a mature and sensible way; for example, when the oldest pupils use the tape recorder in assemblies or look after the youngest children at lunchtimes. However, they are given too few

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Commentary

opportunities to demonstrate their independence. Most pupils concentrate well, take a pride in their work and do their best. They respond well to the good range of activities they are offered and all pupils feel equally valued and included, irrespective of their differences. There was no evidence of bullying and parents agree that should any incidents arise they would be dealt with quickly and effectively by staff.

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Commentary

6. Pupils’ personal development is good. Assemblies are well planned and make a very good contribution to pupils’ spiritual development. Their social development is effectively promoted through circle time, when teachers encourage pupils to discuss their thoughts and feelings and this helps them to see things from others’ points of view. Pupils have a good sense of right and wrong, and are polite and friendly to one another and adults, including visitors to school. Teachers help pupils to work together. This begins in the reception class where children are encouraged to work in pairs or small groups, to share equipment and take turns. They learn about some of the celebrations and beliefs of other faiths in religious education, and the school is effective in promoting mutual respect and concern for others. Little Missenden Church of England School - 10 - February 2004 7. Pupils and staff enjoy music and the pupils sing well. They appreciate art in its various forms,

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Commentary

enjoying what they create and appreciating the work of others. Artists, drama, music and dance groups visit the school. Pupils’ knowledge of their own and other cultures is further developed through visits to places of historical interest, French club, support for overseas charities and links with an African school.

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Exclusions

The school did not exclude any pupils during the last reporting year.

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QUALITY OF EDUCATION PROVIDED BY THE SCHOOL

The quality of education is good. Overall the quality of teaching and learning is good. The provision for pupils in the reception class is good and has some very strong features. The school makes good provision for pupils with special educational needs and those of the higher attaining pupils able are met well.

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Teaching and learning

Throughout the school, the quality of teaching and learning is good. The provision for pupils in the reception class is good and good use is made of assessment to guide children’s work. In Years 1 and 2 , assessment is satisfactory; it is good in the Foundation Stage.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• Where teaching is of high quality, teachers consistently challenge pupils’ thinking to extend their learning. • Effective lesson introductions are a strong feature of teaching across the school. • The teaching of pupils with special educational needs is good, and they achieve well. • There are insufficient opportunities for pupils to work independently.

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Commentary

8. Teaching in the Foundation Stage is good. The teacher has a good understanding of the needs of young children. She uses a wide range of strategies to involve children, capture their interest and stimulate their learning. There is a strong focus on pupils’ personal, social and emotional development and the rules and routines of the classroom are clearly understood by all the children Assessment and recording procedures are effectively linked to the national profile guidance and activities are well matched to children’s interests and abilities.

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Commentary

9. All pupils and each of the adults who work with them relate very well to each other. This helps to generate a secure context for effective learning to take place. Staff set a good example for other adults by encouraging pupils and acknowledging their contributions, and using praise appropriately. As a result, pupils recognise their involvement is welcomed, and they participate enthusiastically in lessons, offering comment and ideas confidently. These are key elements in all lessons across the school.

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Commentary

10. High quality teaching is characterised by the consistent promotion of pupils’ independence and thorough probing of their thinking. This requires pupils to draw on their own initiative by thinking through their previous learning and developing it in the new contexts presented to them. They are challenged to explain the resource selection or the decisions they have made, and to justify the conclusions they have reached. By these means, pupils increase their understanding, and teachers foster pupils’ recognition of what they must do to improve , the way they work and the standards they attain. Little Missenden Church of England School - 11 - February 2004 11. All lessons begin positively. Teachers explain carefully to their classes what each lesson will be about and what they will be learning during that session. Teachers make good use of questions to engage all pupils and help them recall their previous work from which the staff

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Commentary

then build effective introductions to the lesson. This interaction engages pupils from the outset and sustains their interest in learning. By this means, teachers support sensitively pupils with special educational needs, recognise their contributions and promote their learning. Teachers make good use of their subject knowledge to develop pupils’ thinking by responding confidently to pupils’ questions and observations. When necessary, they also make good use of pupils’ interventions to develop other learning opportunities; for example, researching information with pupils for questions about which the teachers are uncertain. This helps to maintain a brisk pace to their lessons and keeps the pupils focused on the tasks in hand.

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Commentary

12. In a minority of lessons, where teaching is less successful, group work does not offer an appropriate challenge for all pupils. There is insufficient distinction between the work offered to address the full range of pupils’ abilities or to match appropriately the abilities of specific groups of pupils. As a result, the pace of learning slows and during these sessions a few pupils do not make the progress they should. This is also the case when learning opportunities are overlooked and teachers do not extend the challenges they pose; for example, encouraging pupils to make their own selection of books to further their studies.

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Commentary

13. Overall, assessment is satisfactory. Teachers know their pupils very well and, overall, make appropriate use of this understanding to inform their teaching. In the Foundation Stage, assessment and recording procedures are effectively linked to the national profile guidance and activities are well matched to children’s interests and abilities. In Years 1 and 2, formal assessment procedures for English, mathematics and science are good. With the established tracking systems and the analysis of test results they offer staff a valuable information source to inform preparations for pupils’ learning. However, this is not used consistently to ensure that all pupils are challenged appropriately, as illustrated in the above paragraph. The detailed individual pupil records maintained in design and technology usefully support planning in this subject. It is too early to judge the effectiveness of the recently introduced assessments for art

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Commentary

and design and information and communication technology. For most of the remaining subjects the current teacher assessment procedures appear to be helping to raise standards. The exceptions are history and geography. This is recognised by the school and a review of assessment in these subjects is a priority in the school’s improvement plan.

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection in 14 lessons

The table gives the number of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons; figures in brackets show percentages where 30 or more lessons are seen.

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The curriculum

14. The school provides a broad curriculum which effectively meets pupils’ needs. It is currently being reviewed because the school no longer has pupils in Year 3. Pupils in Year 1 are presently taught with pupils in Year 2 in the morning, and with children in the Foundation Stage in the afternoon. Opportunities for enrichment through visits, visitors and activities are very good and extra curricular activities are good.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The curriculum for children in the reception class effectively covers all areas of learning. • Basic skills of literacy and numeracy skills are developed well. • The provision for pupils with special educational needs is good. Little Missenden Church of England School - 12 - February 2004 • Additional activities, educational visits, visitors, participation in local events and opportunities to join in local community events enrich pupils’ learning. • The organisation of the curriculum does not enable pupils to build sufficiently on their previous knowledge in geography and history.

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Commentary

15. The school provides a broad and interesting curriculum for all its pupils. It meets the requirements of the Foundation Stage and the National Curriculum and enables them to attain high standards in reading, writing and mathematics. The school has been effective in using the literacy and numeracy strategy to help raise standards further and is beginning to look at ways of developing both subjects within a broader curriculum. At present, appropriate time is allocated for each subject , however; in Year 2, science, geography and history are taught intensely within topics for blocks of time. During the autumn term the school’s emphasis was on science and at the time of the inspection pupils were beginning their geography topic. History topics will follow later this term. As a result of this organisation the teaching of history and geography is fragmented because they are visited infrequently. Sex and relationships

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Commentary

education is taught in line with the school’s policy and drugs education is taught as part of the programme for personal, social, health and citizenship programme. The improved provision for ICT, together with the increased expertise of staff enables pupils to have more frequent access to computers and this has had a positive impact on their learning.

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Commentary

16. The curriculum for pupils in the Foundation Stage is good and meets the needs of the children very well. It is based securely on the early learning goals which children are expected to reach in all areas of learning by the time they enter Year 1. It enables the children to make good progress in their development and ensures that they make a smooth transition into the requirements of the National Curriculum. There is a strong emphasis on children’s personal, social and emotional development through a stimulating and challenging curriculum that includes good use of the outdoor area and provides valuable opportunities to learn through play. The daily programme of purposeful activities is well planned to develop children’s enthusiasm for school and to promote their growing independence. In Years 1 and 2, the curriculum builds effectively on the provision for children in the Foundation Stage and pupils

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Commentary

are well prepared for transfer into junior school.

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Commentary

17. Teachers take care to ensure that all pupils have equal access to every aspect of the curriculum. There is good provision for pupils with special educational needs. Pupils are given additional help in lessons from teachers, teaching assistants and volunteers. Their progress is carefully planned and regularly assessed so that they receive the right support in lessons and around school. Particular attention is given to those who need literacy support and this clearly helps them to achieve well.

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Commentary

18. Extra curricular activities are varied and include French, games and music clubs. Parents value highly the excellent opportunities given to pupils to perform in assemblies and Christmas productions and to sing and dance with community groups. Pupils benefit from regular swimming lessons which they report they enjoy very much.

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Commentary

19. The school has an appropriate number of teachers and teaching assistants to cover the curriculum. Accommodation is satisfactory and enables all the National Curriculum subjects to be taught with the exception of some aspects of gymnastics for which teaching and learning is restricted due to the available facilities. However , the school’s overall programme does much to compensate for this. Resources are satisfactory overall, but some of the book stock is out- dated.

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Care, guidance and support

The school ensures children’s care, welfare, health and safety very well. It provides them with very effective support and guidance, including those with special educational needs, but does not Little Missenden Church of England School - 13 - February 2004 sufficiently involve them well in its organisation and development. Achievement and personal development are monitored well.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a healthy and safe environment in which to work and play. • Pupils have very good, trusting relationships with staff. • There are very good induction arrangements for children when they start school and when they transfer to the junior school. • Pupils have access to well-informed support, advice and guidance. • Pupils have too few opportunities to become involved in making decisions about the running of the school.

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Commentary

20. The formal policies and practices relating to health and safety and child protection are well considered and properly carried out . All staff are fully aware of child protection procedures . Formal written risk assessments are regularly undertaken for the premises, equipment and school trips. Good maintenance ensures the building and equipment are kept in a clean and safe condition. Hazards are minimised or eliminated and the school promotes healthy living.

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Commentary

21. All staff know the children very well and recognise their needs very quickly. They place a high priority on the welfare of the pupils in their charge and act quickly if a child is unhappy. Induction procedures for new pupils are good. Staff are particularly successful in ensuring that new arrivals are helped to settle into school and as a result they rapidly feel at home in the school community. Pupils report that they have a very good and trusting relationship with at least one adult member of staff in the school.

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Commentary

22. There is detailed and effective assessment of pupils with special educational needs and they are given very good support and guidance. The monitoring of pupils’ personal development is informal but effective. The progress of pupils in reading, writing and mathematics is monitored well. The staff set targets for pupils based on assessments of their work and older pupils are beginning to understand the steps they need to take to improve their work. Staff have a comprehensive understanding of children’s achievements and their development is based on very good ongoing assessment procedures for personal development. Children in the reception class are supported well by the very good induction programme.

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Commentary

23. The pupils are consulted annually on a formal basis by questionnaire. Most feel that teachers listen to their ideas and that they are trusted to do things on their own . However, the lack of further, formal consultation is a missed opportunity for pupils, particularly the older ones, to become more involved in school improvement.

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Partnership with parents, other schools and the community

There is a very effective partnership with parents, and very good links with the community. Good links have been established with the local pre-school providers and junior schools.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• The contribution made by parents to their children’s learning both at home and in school is excellent. • Parents are kept well informed and the end-of-year reports meet requirements. • The school works effectively with parents, seeks their views and responds well to their concerns. • The school makes very good use of community links and works closely with local schools. Little Missenden Church of England School - 14 - February 2004

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Commentary

24. Parents hold the school in very high regard. They indicate that they are very pleased with what the school provides and are confident that the staff provide well for the needs of their children. They report that they are kept very well informed about school events through regular newsletters. The prospectus and annual governors’ report are informative and well written. Parents are particularly appreciative of the information they receive about the curriculum which enables them to become more fully involved in their children’s learning. The end-of-year academic reports that parents receive about their child’s progress are of high quality and include their present levels of attainment and identify the next steps in their learning. There are very good opportunities for parents to discuss their children’s work and progress, both at formal meetings and at the beginning and end of the school day.

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Commentary

25. Staff work very closely with parents and they give very good support to the school’s work They make an outstanding contribution to their children’s learning. A good number come into school to help with projects, art, design and technology and listening to children read. Almost without exception, parents help with their child’s work at home. This is having a really positive effect on children’s achievement. Parents of children with special educational needs are fully involved in decisions about their children’s individual education plans and the support they will receive.

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Commentary

26. The parents are consulted and their views and opinions are valued and appropriately acted upon. For example, when drawing up the school improvement plan. They report that the school is very effective in dealing with any concerns or complaints. Parents are proud of the school and its achievements. They show strong support and most participate in its life and work. The parent-school association [PSALMS] is a thriving organisation that regularly raises funds for school resources and takes a clear interest in their quality.

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Commentary

27. The school makes very good use of its community links. There is a strong affiliation with the village and the local church, and members of Christian faith groups are regular visitors to the school. Pupils visit museums, art galleries, and local conservation areas and take part in organised country dancing events. Members of the community, including poets and musicians regularly come into school to perform and read to the children. These visits and visitors have a very positive effect on pupils’ learning. The school has very good links with local pre-schools and nurseries so that pupils transfer smoothly from one stage of education to the next.

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LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

The school’s leadership and management are good and it is governed well. The headteacher provides strong leadership through her proven commitment to the school and its pupils.

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Main strengths and weaknesses

• All staff have a clear commitment to sustaining high standards. • Staff and governors work effectively together. • School’s financial management is very good. • The school’s procedures for monitoring teaching and learning are not as rigorous as they should be.

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Commentary

28. The school benefits from the strong leadership of the headteacher. She gives a clear educational direction and purpose to the school founded upon Christian principles. Through her Little Missenden Church of England School - 15 - February 2004 informed guidance and support, staff and governors have developed effective teams. There are good levels of formal and informal consultation between them, and all work to sustain the school’s positive ethos. This is shaped by the school’s clearly expressed aims and values which are agreed and understood by all staff and governors and fully supported by parents. All respondents to the parents’ questionnaire consider the school to be led and managed well.

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Commentary

29. The aims provide a clear focus for the school’s improvement plan which is properly agreed and implemented by staff and governors. This useful plan opens with a clear review of the previous year’s planning and sets out appropriate priorities for the coming year. However, the plan is not set within the context of a strategic programme to which reference is made in the minutes of governors’ meetings.

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Commentary

30. In the subjects for which they have responsibility, staff offer good guidance and support to their colleagues. They monitor planning and scrutinise pupils’ work effectively. They track pupils’ attainment and chart their progress. As curriculum co-ordinators, they sustain useful contacts with the local authority advisers, their small schools’ cluster and other outside sources to ensure they have ready access to good quality advice for the development of their subject. This includes valuable opportunities for professional training and support for performance management initiatives. However, only the headteacher has a regular programme of classroom monitoring. Other curriculum co-ordinators do not monitor teaching and learning in the subjects for which they are responsible and are not in a position to collate effective practice and share it with colleagues. Special educational needs are managed successfully. The

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Commentary

headteacher, in her role as special educational needs co-ordinator, ensures all pupils with special educational needs are quickly identified and appropriately supported. Of particular note, is the headteacher’s active engagement of parents at every stage of the assessment process and of the staff’s support for their full participation in the strategies devised to meet their children’s needs. The school also maintains an appropriate register of gifted and talented pupils.

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Commentary

31. The hard working governors are engaged in all aspects of the school organisation and, as a result, fulfil their legal obligations effectively. They sustain close ties with parents through their statutory duties, community involvement and annual supper when governors and parents meet socially to develop their relationship. Governors have a clear vision for the school and are fully aware of the school’s achievements in securing their mutual commitment to the development of each pupil. Their monitoring of the school is informed effectively by their adherence to the principles of best value, as is their very good financial management. Governors draw readily on the advice of the headteacher and staff to develop the work of their active working parties and to keep them informed about organisational and curriculum matters. To complement this and assist their monitoring of standards and educational provision they have a termly programme

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Commentary

of formal classroom visits for which they have undertaken training. The outcomes of these designated visits are reported to the governing body to further inform its practice. They do not hold back from their role as critical friend in compiling these reports. In addition, they review national test results and receive termly reports from the headteacher. Inspection scrutiny of governors ’ minutes suggest that this wide range of sources have provided a useful information base for governors’ monitoring of English, mathematics and science. However, they have not been as successful in enabling governors to form as cohesive a picture of provision and standards in all other subjects.

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Commentary

32. The school has appropriate development priorities. It has effectively engaged local authority advisers and is seeking the Quality Mark award. Improvement since the last inspection has been good. The school has a clear capacity for sustained improvement. Little Missenden Church of England School - 16 - February 2004 Financial information for the year April 2002 to March 2003

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Commentary

Income and expenditure (£) Balances (£) Total income 118,538 Balance from previous year 9,208 Total expenditure 120,658 Balance carried forward to the next 7,088 Expenditure per pupil 3,261 Little Missenden Church of England School - 17 - February 2004

p.16

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Provision for children in the Foundation Stage is good. Children enter the reception class at the beginning of the academic year in which they are five. Initially , attendance is full-time for those children who are five in the autumn term and part-time for those who are five in the spring and summer terms. All the children attend full-time at the beginning of the spring term. There is a good induction process which helps parents prepare their children for school. Children’s attainment on entry to the reception class is generally above that expected for their age. They achieve well in all areas of learning and by the time they leave the reception class they have achieved the early learning goals in all areas of learning and many are working in the early stages of the National Curriculum.

p.17

AREAS OF LEARNING IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

Overall the quality of teaching is good with very strong features in some areas. The teacher plans a good balance of activities, some of which are carefully directed and others which children choose for themselves. Activities are generally well matched to children’s needs with sessions of an appropriate length to sustain their interest and concentration. As a result, the children achieve well. Assessment and recording procedures are thorough and link children’s achievements to the early learning goals (the national targets in the different areas of learning). These procedures are good and used well to build on what the children already know. Children with special educational needs receive very sensitive support and make good progress towards their targets. The accommodation is satisfactory and the school makes effective use of its new, secure outside area. Resources are good.

p.17

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in personal, social and emotional development is very good.

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• The school provides a safe environment and adults demonstrate good levels of care and consideration towards the children. • Classroom routines are well established and the children are enthusiastic and confident learners. • Relationships between the children and adults are very good and inspire confidence in children.

p.17

Commentary

33. Children enter the reception class with personal, social and emotional skills that are usually above those expected for their age. They soon form good relationships with one another and the adults with whom they work. Parents confirm that their children settle quickly into school, become familiar with the classroom routines , and are very contented in the reception class. For example, they settle happily on the carpet after they have said ‘goodbye’ to their parents, confidently select their own activities and persevere well with those that adults ask them to do. They respond well to the good range of activities they are offered, play happily together and become more aware of the needs of others; for example, in learning to take turns and to share equipment fairly. They show good independence in classroom routines such as dressing themselves and tidying up after lessons. Teaching and learning are good. Adults value the

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Commentary

contributions of children and use praise and encouragement sensitively to reward effort and to promote children’s confidence and self-esteem. Almost all children are likely to exceed the expectations in this area of learning by the time they leave the reception class.

p.17

COMMUNICATION, LANGUAGE AND LITERACY

Provision in communication, language and literacy is good . Little Missenden Church of England School - 18 - February 2004

p.17

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Children make good progress in developing speaking, listening, reading and writing skills and achieve well. • The teacher reads stories expressively and teaches early reading skills very well. • There are not sufficient opportunities for pupils to develop their independent writing skills.

p.18

Commentary

34. Children generally start school with good communication skills. Teaching and learning are good and the children achieve well because staff are very good at developing children’s literacy skills. They follow a progressive programme that is carefully linked to the curriculum for children in the Foundation Stage and leads into the early stages of the National Curriculum. Great emphasis is given to talk. The teacher is skilled at encouraging children to speak and to develop their vocabulary when they are involved in activities. For example, after listening to the traditional tale of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’, pupils retell the story using puppets. They remember the names of the characters and the main events in the stories and creatively recall them in their role-play. The teacher constantly encourages children to talk about their activities and helps them to extend their language by insisting they are more precise. This encourages

p.18

Commentary

them to use words such as scared, frightened and terrified when they explain how they think Goldilocks would have felt when she woke up to see the three bears. The children love to listen to stories and rhymes, joining in with the parts they know and predicting what will come next. They are enthusiastic about reading and eagerly select their favourite books. They handle them carefully and understand that books are made up of words and pictures. They know the letters of the alphabet and use their knowledge of letter sounds to read simple words. Children of higher attainment recognise a number of words by sight and some read simple books. Parents reading with their children at home help to develop their enjoyment, and reading diaries are used well to communicate between school and home. The children write their names accurately, hold a pencil correctly and form clearly distinguishable letters. Children of higher

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Commentary

attainment write sentences independently using their emerging phonic knowledge well to write simple words and some write sentences. They are becoming aware of the need for punctuation. There is, however, scope for providing more opportunities for children to write independently; for example, in the role-play area. By the time they leave the reception class, most pupils exceed the early learning goals in this area of learning.

p.18

MATHEMATICAL DEVELOPMENT

Provision in mathematical development is good .

p.18

Main strengths and weaknesses

• There is a good emphasis on developing children’s understanding of mathematics through well- planned practical activities. • Resources are well organised and used effectively to support learning. • Mathematical vocabulary is used well.

p.18

Commentary

35. Children enter the reception class with mathematical skills that are above those expected. They make good progress in developing their mathematical understanding because teaching is good. The teacher has a good understanding of the needs of young children. She uses assessment effectively to help identify children’s starting points and planning takes account of the early learning goals and the National Numeracy guidance for children in the reception class. The teacher plans a good range of number games and practical activities that capture the children’s interest, and uses resources well to develop children’s mathematical skills. As a Little Missenden Church of England School - 19 - February 2004 result, children show confidence and enjoyment in their mathematical work. Most children are confident in dealing with numbers from zero to ten, and show a good understanding of mathematical terms such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’. For example, when they play ‘Please

p.18

Commentary

Mrs Gatelady’, they recognise that only numbers greater than five have been allowed through the gate. Many work confidently with numbers to 20 and understand the meaning of one, two and three more; for example, one child knew that he needed three more shapes to complete his printed pattern. Children compare objects and predict correctly which are the heaviest and the lightest. They show good spatial awareness and confidently use language to describe size, shape and position. Counting rhymes and songs support children’s learning well.

p.19

KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF THE WORLD

Provision in knowledge and understanding of the world is good .

p.19

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Staff make good use of the school’s grounds and the local area to promote children’s learning. • Children’s use of information and communication technology supports their learning in communication, language and literacy and their mathematical development. • Staff use building and making opportunities effectively to develop the children’s manual skills and extend their language and mathematical skills.

p.19

Commentary

36. Teaching and learning are good. Children make good progress and achieve well. Their attainment is above that expected for their age and they are likely to exceed the early learning goals by the time they leave the reception class. The teacher’s effective engagement with each of the children during their activities helps them to develop their ideas, stimulates further enquiry and helps them sustain their explorations. Her insistence on clear and full responses to her questions helps to foster children’s speaking skills and their confidence in expressing their ideas.

p.19

Commentary

37. Staff make good use of ICT to develop pupils’ learning by giving them good opportunities to experiment and a range of programs to work through. They give children clear instructions and encourage children to talk about what they do and to help each other create the effects they want. They use the mouse well and control the cursor carefully to select appropriate images; for example, identifying the smaller building or longer pencil. They are patient in identifying appropriate letters on the keyboard and are especially pleased to find those in their own names.

p.19

Commentary

38. There are good opportunities for children to explore and investigate the world around them. The school grounds offer a wide range of experiences to excite early scientific enquiry and engage children in finding out about the natural world. Activities in the garden stimulate children’s curiosity and motivate them to ask questions and comment on the living things they find. They use a range of construction kits and learn how to fit the parts together to make objects of their choice. Attractive displays of toys through the ages help children to gain a good sense of the passage of time. The secure area in which they play is well resourced and presents a range of materials for them to explore.

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

39. It was not possible during the inspection to gather enough evidence to make a secure judgement about provision. The following points were noted, arising from observing children in their classroom and in the outdoor area and from discussions with the teacher and an examination of planning and assessments. Children’s physical development on entry to the reception class is above average. There is a good range of practical activities to develop Little Missenden Church of England School - 20 - February 2004 children’s manipulative skills and they handle pencils, scissors, construction toys and the computer mouse with good control and co-ordination. For example, in a music lesson children played their instruments with good control and sensitivity. Good use is made of the outdoor area, which is an improvement since the time of the last inspection. Children love to build with the large wooden blocks in this area and show a good awareness of space when using the

p.19

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT

wheeled toys. However, the school has no hall and some aspects of physical development are limited but the school makes good use of the available accommodation.

p.20

CREATIVE DEVELOPMENT

40. During the inspection, it was possible to see only brief examples of this area of learning. Evidence from displays and examples of children’s work indicate that there is a sound range of creative activities which stimulate the children. Children are encouraged to use their imagination by painting, model-making and engaging in role-play. Music is a particular strength. The children enjoy a range of musical activities which include singing and music making with instruments and they participate in these activities with great enthusiasm. The teaching of music is very good.

p.20

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils speaking and listening skills are very good. • Standards in reading are above average. • Pupils use their ICT skills effectively to support their learning. • There are not enough opportunities for pupils to apply their independent writing skills across subjects.

p.20

Commentary

41. The school has sustained high standards in almost all aspects of English. The exception is in the use of pupils’ independent writing skills across the curriculum, which need to be developed.

p.20

Commentary

42. Evidence from this inspection shows that pupils’ speaking and listening skills are very good. They are articulate and express themselves clearly. They listen attentively in lessons, develop a wide vocabulary and contribute actively to group and class discussions. All staff value the answers of pupils and ensure that all pupils have the opportunity to contribute to discussion. They reinforce language well encouraging pupils to use a broader range of words in their oral and written responses.

p.20

Commentary

43. Pupils make good progress in reading as they move through the school, and their achievement is good. They make good progress largely because the school has a systematic approach to the teaching of letter sounds, and pupils’ knowledge of letter sounds (phonics) is good. Teachers model a good range of ways to help pupils read words that are new to them. They have recently adopted a new structured scheme for reading which includes a variety of fiction and non-fiction books, some of which are particularly popular with boys. Parents make a strong contribution to pupils’ achievements in reading and give their time generously to listening to pupils read. The system of withdrawing individual pupils from lessons, in particular during the introductions to lessons, needs to be reviewed. By Year 2, pupils read fluently, confidently and those with higher attainment read with good expression. This is because

p.20

Commentary

teachers model reading well and give good opportunities for pupils to dramatise parts of stories and to consider how the characters would speak. Many children are enthusiastic readers who explain their preferences for certain books and authors. Most pupils understand the difference between fiction and non-fiction and how to locate information using the contents and index. Little Missenden Church of England School - 21 - February 2004 The pupils of higher attainment in Year 2 understand glossaries and can explain how they locate a non-fiction text in the school’s recently refurbished library.

p.20

Commentary

44. After discussing features of different types of writing, such as stories, poems and reports, pupils use these as models in their own writing. For example, they use the structure of well- known stories to develop their writing and to express their ideas. Older pupils write stories and responses from different points of view. For instance, they write the wolf’s story in ‘Red Riding Hood’ using speech marks correctly. Their basic spelling and punctuation are usually correct. In one lesson in Years 1 and 2, pupils were required to consider different ways of presenting a text and to write their responses in an appropriate script. Pupils clearly enjoyed this activity; one group of pupils used ICT effectively to compose their work and were thrilled to discover that they could create different borders to enhance their work.

p.21

Commentary

45. Pupils are beginning to use dictionaries to check out their work. Progress in handwriting is slow and there is little evidence of pupils joining their letters consistently. The school uses assessment to set targets that are beginning to help pupils gain good knowledge of how they can improve their work.

p.21

Commentary

46. Teaching and learning are good overall. Strengths include:

p.21

Commentary

• Very lively lesson introductions with clear learning objectives which are reviewed at the end of lessons and help pupils identify the gains they have made in their learning. • The emphasis teachers place on developing pupils’ vocabulary. • Good use of role-play which encourages pupils to read expressively. • The contributions of all pupils are valued and this encourages the younger and the more reticent pupils to offer their ideas. • The effective use of ICT to develop pupils’ literacy skills. • Good use of marking in which pupils’ achievements are praised and the next steps in their learning are identified.

p.21

Commentary

47. Where teaching and learning are less successful teachers do not expect enough in writing, independent work does not build upon whole-class work at the beginning of the lessons and there is an overuse of exercises, which restrict creativity. Marking is supportive but limited to the correction of spellings and does not consistently help pupils to improve their work.

p.21

Commentary

48. The curriculum co-ordinator offers sound leadership. She has a clear view of strengths and uses assessment data to identify weaknesses. The library area has been well developed. Resources are satisfactory but there is a need to provide more up-to-date books. Accommodation is used well to support learning.

p.21

Language and literacy across the curriculum

49. Literacy skills are taught soundly across the curriculum. Speaking and listening skills are developed well. However, although there are examples of pupils applying their writing skills in science, some work is copied and some is restricted to worksheets which do not challenge pupils. There are too few examples of pupils applying and improving their independent writing skills in other subjects and there is scope for further improvement.

p.21

MATHEMATICS

Little Missenden Church of England School - 22 - February 2004 Provision for mathematics is good .

p.22

Main strengths and weaknesses

• High standards have been sustained over time because of good teaching throughout the school. • Pupils achieve well because teachers consistently challenge their responses. • Good assessment procedures, involving all staff, help teachers maintain pupils’ good progress. • ICT is used effectively to develop pupils’ learning.

p.22

Commentary

50. In the 2003 national tests just over two-thirds of the pupils attained above the expected standard with the remainder attaining the expected standard. These results placed the school in the top five per cent of schools. Over the past three years, in comparison with schools with a similar intake the school has attained results well above the average. Inspection evidence indicates that similar standards are likely to be attained this year. Pupils make good progress and achieve well. There is no difference in the performance of boys and girls. The very few pupils with special educational needs are well supported and their achievement is good.

p.22

Commentary

51. During discussions, pupils expressed their enjoyment of mathematics and many cited it as their favourite subject. By the time they are seven, they display a clear understanding of the number system and sequence correctly numbers to 1000. They sort accurately odd and even numbers and explain clearly why they have made their allocations. Using shopping lists they total bills and identify precisely the change to be given. They use simple fractions correctly to describe their division of items and groups, and tell the time to the quarter hour. Pupils measure and weigh using a variety of units and read scales to confirm the volume of liquids. They name two-dimensional objects and describe their properties. They call successfully on this knowledge to identify irregular shapes and experiment in drawing shapes with an increasing number of sides. Pupils make good use of their mathematical understanding to

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Commentary

solve the puzzles and problems their teachers pose.

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Commentary

52. Teaching and learning are good. Strengths include:

p.22

Commentary

• Clearly explained learning objectives for each lesson. • Staff’s lively introductions involve and challenge all pupils. • Teachers use questions effectively to probe pupils’ understanding and test their ideas. • Staff put appropriate stress on pupils’ learning and use of basic number skills. • Teachers insist pupils use correct mathematical terms when explaining their strategies . • Staff insist pupils draw on their own knowledge base initially to tackle new problems. • Pupils work hard, and use time effectively to think through their responses and modify them when necessary. • Good use of ICT to enrich pupils’ studies .

p.22

Commentary

53. On a few occasions, learning possibilities are missed as pupils’ thoughts are not followed through or opportunities to develop pupils’ understanding further are not taken.

p.22

Commentary

54. The curriculum co-ordinator offers good leadership. She leads the staff in the effective assessment of pupils’ attainment and the careful tracking of their progress. These profiles have helped staff sustain the school’s high standards over recent years. Overall, resources are satisfactory and the accommodation is well used to enhance pupils’ studies.

p.22

Mathematics across the curriculum

Little Missenden Church of England School - 23 - February 2004 55. Staff successfully encourage pupils to use their mathematical skills in other subjects: in measuring in science and design and technology and using regular shapes in art work. They use their understanding of mathematics when studying and contrasting items; for example, comparing the relative sizes of old and new toys in history. Pupils apply these skills well and make good use of mathematical language when reporting on their work at the end of lessons.

p.23

SCIENCE

56. Because of timetabling arrangements it was not possible to observe science lessons. There are no judgements on provision, teaching and learning. The observations below are based on the scrutiny of pupils’ work, discussions with pupils and staff and an examination of school documentation. Investigations are an important part of pupils’ studies and include long-term explorations of animal life cycles; for example, their study of Puss Moths, which were at the pupal stage during the inspection. The clearest recollections and scientific understanding which emerged in discussion with pupils related to the investigations they had undertaken. The headteacher is the curriculum co-ordinator for this subject and leads effectively the termly assessment meetings during which staff monitor pupils’ attainments. A useful file of pupils’ assessed work is maintained to enable staff to track their progress over time.

p.23

SCIENCE

57. In the 2003 teacher assessment, just over two-thirds of the pupils attained above the standard expected for their age, with the remainder attaining the expected standard. This attainment is very high in comparison to all schools and those with a similar intake. This is within the top five per cent of schools. Inspection evidence suggests that equivalent standards may be attained this year. All pupils , including those with special educational needs , make good progress and achieve well. There is no difference in the performance of boys and girls.

p.23

Main strengths and weaknesses

• Pupils have good ICT skills. • ICT is used effectively to support pupils’ learning in English, mathematics and art and design. • Teachers use ICT well to support the learning of pupils with special educational needs. • Insufficient use is made of ICT to promote pupils’ independent research skills.

p.23

Commentary

58. Pupils are using their good ICT skills regularly to develop their learning in key subjects. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection. Pupils’ progress is satisfactory, their achievement is sound and they attain average standards. Year 2 pupils are working confidently at the expected standard and, by the time they are seven, many are likely to be working to the next higher standard. There is no difference in the performance of boys and girls. The school makes appropriate provision for pupils with special educational needs; they make steady progress and their achievement is satisfactory.

p.23

Commentary

59. Pupil discussions highlighted their interest in ICT and their enjoyment in using it to support their learning. They display a good level of basic computer skills and confidence in handling the equipment given to them. This includes computers, calculators, programmable toys and a digital camera. They manoeuvre a mouse competently, use the keyboard with care and move objects about the screen with some precision. They bring down menus and make relevant selections to support their tasks. They save, retrieve and print their work. Using appropriate word processing packages, pupils compile texts with a variety of fonts for a range of purposes. They arrange simple images on screen to design their own pictures. 60. Teaching and learning are satisfactory. Strengths in teaching include: Little Missenden Church of England School - 24 - February 2004 • Teachers ensure that ICT lessons are tightly focussed to ensure pupils have time to

p.23

Commentary

develop basic skills. • Staff recognise that pupils need time and appropriate activities to become familiar with the keyboard. • Teachers insist that pupils try to solve problems initially by drawing on their own skills. • Regular, planned use of ICT has a positive effect on pupils’ learning; for example , in mathematics. • Teachers encourage and challenge pupils to develop their competence and extend their learning.

p.24

Commentary

61. Following the completion of the national training programme, the curriculum co-ordinator has encouraged staff to further develop their skills. She makes good use of technical support to ensure equipment is in good working order and readily available for school use, and to develop the range of ICT facilities. Resources are good and they are deployed effectively to promote pupils’ learning. New procedures for assessment have been introduced but it is too early to judge their effectiveness.

p.24

Information and communication technology across the curriculum

62. In mathematics, ICT is used well to support pupils’ consolidation of number facts and help them explore the properties of shapes and comparative measures. Using their word processing skills, pupils generate texts to describe imported graphics or make their own name labels. They also use these skills to edit and amend their extended texts. They use simple ‘painting programs’ to enrich their learning in art and design. To develop their musical skills, they use an appropriate program to compose simple tunes. However, in the sample of work seen there was little evidence of pupils using their computer skills to develop independent investigations through the use of CD-ROMS and the internet; for example, extending their studies in history and geography.

p.24

HISTORY AND GEOGRAPHY

It was only possible during the inspection to observe one lesson each in geography and history. Therefore, it is not possible to reach a secure judgement about the school’s overall provision, standards of attainment and quality of teaching and learning. The following points are based on the lessons observed, consideration of teachers’ planning, talking with pupils and discussion with the teacher who leads both subjects.

p.24

Commentary

63. The school’s curriculum for geography and history is based on the national guidance. For example , in the one geography lesson observed, which was based on the story of ‘Katie Morag and the Two Grandmothers’, pupils compared the forms of transport used on the mainland with those that are appropriate to use on the Isle of Struay. In history, pupils compare toys from the past with toys today. Attractive displays of toys through the ages help children to gain a good sense of the passage of time. However, too little time has been allocated to these subjects so far this year because they are rotated with science and this has limited the development of pupils’ emerging geographical and historical skills and their contribution to literacy and numeracy. The school is currently reviewing timetabling of these subjects which have a high priority in the school improvement plan. The school makes good use of visits and

p.24

Commentary

visitors to the school to encourage pupils’ knowledge and understanding in both subjects. Staff also use the school’s attractive grounds and the village as a resource. Little Missenden Church of England School - 25 - February 2004

p.24

ART AND DESIGN, DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY, MUSIC AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Because of timetabling arrangements only one design and technology lesson and one physical education lesson was seen. Therefore, there are no judgements on provision, teaching and learning. The observations below are based on those lessons, the scrutiny of pupils’ design and technology work, discussions with pupils and staff and an examination of school documentation.

p.25

Commentary

64. The small sample of work seen in design and technology suggests that all Year 2 pupils are working confidently at the expected level and by the end of the year will be working securely towards the next higher level. They achieve well and make good steady progress. Design and technology is a strong feature of the school’s work. In the lesson observed pupils were constructing a wooden, working toy based on lever principles. Their files contained their original designs and card test-models. Each wooden toy reflected the modifications introduced after evaluating that initial work. The pupils’ working practices demonstrated their clear understanding of the teacher’s guidance on health and safety and their familiarity with drills, saws and vices. The teacher’s organisation fostered pupils’ independent working. The work rate achieved and the standard attained indicated the pupils’ capacity to respond effectively to

p.25

Commentary

65. The curriculum co-ordinator is an enthusiast for the subject and this informs her teaching style and her classroom organisation. This was reflected in the pupil discussions where design and technology was a favourite lesson of most of the pupils. This point also emerged unsolicited at the parents meeting where parents spoke of their children’s enjoyment and their own surprise at the skills they had developed. Assessment of pupils’ progress and attainment is reflected in the teacher’s record of her monitoring of pupils’ performance and the products they make. It is used effectively to promote their learning and raise standards.

p.25

Commentary

66. In the one physical education lesson seen, pupils showed increasing control and co- ordination as they developed their games skills. Resources are satisfactory. Although accommodation is limited for gymnastics staff make good use of the facilities available to them. They provide pupils with a broad range of activities, including climbing in the adventure area and field sports in the summer. In addition, swimming is offered throughout the year and by the end of Year 2 all of the pupils swim at least ten metres with some swimming more than 25 metres.

p.25

Commentary

It was not possible during the inspection to observe any lessons in art and design or music. Therefore it was not possible to make a firm judgement about provision. Inspectors talked to pupils and staff about their work and looked at the available samples of work.

p.25

Commentary

67. Displays of pupils’ art and design are satisfactory. They show a sound range of techniques with strengths in sketching. There are good examples of pupils developing their printing skills and using natural materials to create sculptures. Planning in art and design meets the requirements of the National Curriculum. The school follows the local authority’s procedures for assessment.

p.25

Commentary

68. In music, there are very good opportunities for pupils to play the recorder, to take part in school productions and to sing with community groups. The school is successful in encouraging both boys and girls to take part in musical activities and to sing and record with local groups. Teachers are talented and enthusiastic singers who teach the pupils very well and children’s singing in assemblies is of a high standard. It is rhythmic and tuneful, with an unforced tone. All pupils know a good range of songs by heart and they make good attempts at more complex Little Missenden Church of England School - 26 - February 2004 material, such as, singing a round. They are confident and enjoy performing to an audience. Music is a strong feature of the school’s work.

p.25

PERSONAL, SOCIAL AND HEALTH EDUCATION AND CITIZENSHIP

69. Insufficient lessons were seen to make a judgement about provision. However, it is evident that this is a strong area of the school’s work which is underpinned by the school’s caring ethos. Effective opportunities are taken throughout the school day to encourage pupils to respect others and to value their contributions. ‘Circle time’ encourages pupils to consider the views of others. As a result, relationships between pupils are very good. The programme for pupils’ personal, social and health education and citizenship is good and pupils are developing a good understanding of healthy living. It is currently working towards the achievement of the ‘Healthy School’ award . Assemblies foster a strong sense of the school community. The school’s very good use of its strong links with the community have a positive impact on pupils’ developing sense of citizenship. Little Missenden Church of England School - 27 - February 2004

p.26

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The overall effectiveness of the school 3 How inclusive the school is 3 How the school’s effectiveness has changed since its last inspection 3 Value for money provided by the school 3

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Overall standards achieved 3 Pupils’ achievement 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Pupils’ attitudes, values and other personal qualities 3 Attendance 2 Attitudes 3 Behaviour, including the extent of exclusions 3 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 3

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The quality of education provided by the school 3 The quality of teaching 3 How well pupils learn 3 The quality of assessment 4 How well the curriculum meets pupils needs 4 Enrichment of the curriculum, including out-of-school activities 3 Accommodation and resources 4 Pupils’ care, welfare, health and safety 2 Support, advice and guidance for pupils 2 How well the school seeks and acts on pupils’ views 4 The effectiveness of the school’s links with parents 2 The quality of the school’s links with the community 2 The school’s links with other schools and colleges 2

p.27

PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

The leadership and management of the school 3 The governance of the school 3 The leadership of the headteacher 3 The leadership of other key staff 4 The effectiveness of management 4

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PART D: SUMMARY OF THE MAIN INSPECTION JUDGEMENTS

Inspectors make judgements on a scale: excellent (grade 1); very good (2); good (3); satisfactory (4); unsatisfactory (5); poor (6); very poor (7).

p.27