Butlers Court School

110291 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire LEA LEA 278402 Inspection number 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 Inspection dates Mike Thompson AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Wattleton Road School address Primary Type of school Beaconsfield Community School category HP9 1RW 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01494 673538 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01494 670921 Fax number 383 Number on roll Mr Paul Henry Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr J H Astbury Headteacher 4 April 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 278402 13 December 2005 - 4 to 11 14 December 2005 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Butlers Court is a large primary school. Most of its pupils are of White British heritage. Their home circumstances are significantly more advantaged than those of pupils in most other schools. A small proportion of pupils have learning difficulties and disabilities.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with the school's own evaluation of its effectiveness. This is a good and effective school with some outstanding features. It gives good value for money. The large majority of parents and pupils hold their school in very high regard. Their views are fully justified. The quality of education, including teaching, is good. In the Foundation Stage it is good overall, but the curriculum is not as extensive as it should be because the area for outdoor learning is inadequate. In all year groups, most pupils achieve well and attain high standards. The teachers know how well their pupils are doing and are good at using what they know to ensure that they make good progress in their learning. The pupils' excellent behaviour and the high standard of their personal development contribute strongly to the very good climate for learning in all classes. Pupils are well cared for and feel safe and happy. The leadership of the headteacher

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Grade: 2

is very good. A highly committed staff team and the governing body give him good support. Together, they have developed an accurate understanding of the school's strengths and weaknesses, and have devised a clear plan for the further improvement of the school. The school has made good progress since its last inspection, and is well placed to develop further.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Provide high quality opportunities for outdoor learning in the Foundation Stage.

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Grade: 2

Children's attainment on entry to the Reception class is significantly better than is normally found in children at the age of four. They make good progress in developing their skills in the early stages of reading, writing and mathematics, and in learning to work cooperatively and to share with one another. By the time that they transfer to Year 1, the standards that children achieve are well above expectations.Standards are high in all classes. The school's performance in the national tests at the end of Year 2 and 6 is consistently well above the national averages for these year groups. Throughout the school, most pupils make good progress in sustaining these high levels of performance. This occurs because they are taught well, they are given challenging targets to achieve and their rates of progress in meeting these targets are rigorously checked. However, occasionally, pupils do not maintain a good pace of learning and

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Grade: 2

so make satisfactory progress overall.Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make good progress because they are given good quality help in meeting their targets.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Spiritual development is enhanced by many opportunities for reflection in, for example, 2 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 assemblies. Pupils' behaviour is generally excellent. Relationships are also exemplary; pupils get on very well with their teachers and each other. They experience a diversity of cultures through, for instance, visits to a synagogue or when celebrating festivals. Attendance is very good and almost all pupils enjoy school.Pupils are well aware of the importance of healthy eating and staying fit. They participate fully in games, physical education lessons and the good range of sports clubs the school offers. The pupils contribute extremely well to community decisions through the school council. They are aware of how important it is to help others both in school and the wider

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Grade: 1

community. They raise money for charities such as the Tsunami appeal and orphaned children in Romania. The high standards achieved in English and mathematics prepares them very well for future citizenship and life-long learning.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is often good and in some lessons it is outstanding. In all lessons the teachers make it clear to pupils what they are expected to learn. Carefully prepared tasks challenge pupils at different levels, interesting and motivating them to learn effectively. As a result, they make good progress. In some lessons teaching is satisfactory and pupils learn at a slower rate than is generally the case throughout the school. In the Reception class teaching is good. Activities captivate the children's interest. For example, when the teacher produced objects from a magician's top hat, the children then 'sounded out' the name of each object by breaking it up into the sounds that make up the word, and then tried to write the word. Planning and assessment are very thorough. As a result, the children do well in all types of tasks. The teachers set the pupils targets which they refer to in lessons so that they are always mindful of what

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Grade: 2

they are trying to achieve. They generally move lessons along at a crisp pace using a range of strategies to engage the pupils. In an outstanding literacy lesson in Year 5 the teachers used drama to help the pupils to grasp how characterisation and setting can be developed in stories. The teachers identify what the pupils already know and what they need to learn next. They make helpful comments on the pupils' work to foster improvement. In response one pupil wrote, 'I understand now. Thank you for helping me'. At the end of lessons the teachers often ask pupils to evaluate the extent of their own learning.

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Grade: 2

The pupils say that the school provides an enjoyable and varied curriculum and inspectors agree. Teachers plan tasks and activities that build on previous work and enables pupils to make good progress. The Foundation Stage curriculum is good in almost all respects but inadequate resources for outdoor learning restrict the range of activities that can be offered. The school is aware of this and has plans to develop the accommodation for the children in the Reception year group. Throughout the 3 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 school the pupils increasingly use their literacy, numeracy and information and communication technology skills in other subjects. The curriculum is enlivened through a variety of visits in the local area and beyond. For example Year 6 pupils visited the Black Country Museum to extend their study of the Victorians. One pupil commented,

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Grade: 2

'We have lots of opportunities...it's such a great school'. The older pupils visit France on a residential visit. A good range of lunchtime and after school clubs, including sports and music, adds to the richness of the pupils' experiences. Pupils make a useful contribution to the local community. For example, the school plays an active part in the annual Beaconsfield Festival of Lights, which is held in December. Basic skills are taught well and suitable emphasis is given through the curriculum to develop pupils' understanding of how to stay safe and healthy.

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Grade: 2

Inspectors agree with parents' views that the school is very good at looking after their children. The staff value the pupils and support them very well. There are strong links with the community and with outside agencies. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities have individual education plans which set them clear and achievable targets to help them to make progress. Their teachers and the teaching assistants provide the resources and help they need in lessons. Throughout the school, the pupils' academic progress is monitored effectively. The pupils are set clear targets and are given thoughtful support to guide them towards achieving high standards. Systems for child protection are fully in place and are understood by all staff. There are very good procedures to identify vulnerable pupils. Pupils are confident that any instances of bullying will be dealt with effectively. The very strong personal, social and health

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Grade: 2

education programme gives pupils excellent guidance and preparation for citizenship.

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Grade: 2

The headteacher is a very effective leader and is supported well by his senior management team. He shows a strong determination to ensure that all pupils reach their potential. He has high expectations of what can be achieved and these are consistently realised. The senior management team know the school very well and make very good use of information gathered through their regular monitoring to guide its development. They have ensured that the curriculum contains a wide variety of activities so that all pupils can find something in which they can be successful. Teachers monitor their areas of responsibility well and use the information which they gather to make useful contributions to the school's improvement. The evaluations made by the headteacher and his staff are thorough and accurate. They are used well to set challenging targets for the school's performance. The school is good at seeking and

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Grade: 2

using information from parents to help inform its work. It provides a good range of information for parents, and communications from the school are good. Despite this, a small minority are not satisfied with the quality of communication between the school and themselves. Throughout the school, there is a strong commitment to continuous 4 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 improvement. The headteacher has a very good staff team and deploys them very effectively. There is a clear sense of shared purpose to ensure that pupils do well and are fully included in activities. There are good opportunities for staff training, closely linked to their individual responsibilities and the school's priorities set out in its clear improvement plan. Very good use is made of the building and the spacious grounds to provide a stimulating learning environment. Governance is good. Governors carefully

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Grade: 2

monitor the work of the school and are good at holding it to account. They provide useful support for school initiatives and ensure that it meets its legal responsibilities. 5 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Butlers Court School, 13 December 2005 to 14 December 2005

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 1 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 1 The attendance of learners NA 1 How well learners enjoy their education NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 1 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Following our visit to your school we would like to tell you what we think about how well you are getting on and how well your school is helping you to learn. There are lots of things that we like about your school. Some of them are:* you make good progress and achieve high standards* your school is friendly and welcoming. You behave really well and get on very well with each other * you listen carefully to what your teachers have to say and learn a lot in lessons* you are taught well and when you find work hard you are given the right sort of help* the school is good at organising lots of extra things for you to do * all of the adults in your school make sure that you are well looked after * your headteacher and all of the other people who help run your school are good at making sure that you get the very best education.We think that you go to a good school. All of the adults in your school want it to be even better. To help them to do this we think that

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

the most important thing to do next is to make sure that the children in the Reception class have a better area for activities outside their classroom.

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