Hughenden Primary School

Hughenden Primary School Inspection report

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110328 Unique Reference Number Buckinghamshire Local Authority 288635 Inspection number 6 June 2007 Inspection date Sean O'Toole Reporting inspector

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

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Primary Type of school Community School category 4 °8 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 93 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Eric Powell Chair Mrs Sandy McClelland Headteacher 14 January 2002 Date of previous school inspection Spring Valley Drive School address Hughenden Valley High Wycombe HP14 4LR

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01494 562501 Telephone number 0 Fax number

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4 °8 Age group 6 June 2007 Inspection date 288635 Inspection number .

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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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

The school is located in an area of socio-economic advantage. Most pupils come from White British backgrounds. Approximately one in six is from a minority ethnic group and none is at an early stage of learning English. A small percentage have learning difficulties and two have statements of special educational needs. The school has had several staff changes in the last year. In September 2007 it was designated as a primary school and currently includes pupils in Year 3.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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Grade: 2

The pupils and their parents are overwhelmingly positive about this good school. As one boy said, 'This is a school where everything is thumbs up!' The school is highly successful in creating a caring environment where boys and girls thrive and develop outstanding personal qualities as well as achieving academic success. The balance between supporting and challenging pupils is just about right and, as a result, standards at the end of Year 3 are very high in reading, writing and mathematics. Provision in the Foundation Stage is satisfactory. Children happily settle into the school's routines and make good progress in their personal, social and emotional development. Because assessment information is not used well enough these children are not always given sufficiently challenging work and their academic progress is only satisfactory. More able children, in particular, should do better. Elsewhere in the school, achievement is good and standards rise

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Grade: 2

quickly. By the end of Year 2 most pupils are working at levels which are well in advance of those expected for their age. These skills are pushed to the limit in Year 3 by excellent teaching and consequently these pupils make rapid progress. One of the reasons for the pupils' academic success is the development of their outstanding personal qualities. Pupils of all abilities and backgrounds behave impeccably and show much thoughtfulness for others. They work hard and concentrate for long periods. Their wide ranging interests equip them excellently for the future and their outstanding understanding of how to keep healthy and safe adds to their awareness of the needs of others. Supporting the development of these qualities is the teaching, which is mostly good. Staff plan and prepare lessons well make very good use of targets so that the pupils know what they need to do to improve. In some lessons, in Years 1 and 2, pupils do not complete sufficient work as the pace

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Grade: 2

of teaching is sometimes rather slow. Because of good leadership and management the school has successfully built on its strengths and maintained high standards for some years. The transition to a primary school has been managed exceptionally well and parents are delighted about how well they have been involved in and kept informed of the changes. Justifiably, the headteacher is highly regarded and has managed staff changes very well. She is ambitious for the pupils' success and strongly supported by the governors and other staff. This is a school which works hard to include everyone in its work and is in a good position to build on its success. Summing up its strengths, one parent wrote, 'The teachers really know your children and their characters. You do not feel that they are just a number. Any issues you have or suggestions are always listened to and then acted upon.'

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the provision and standards in the Foundation Stage, focusing especially on the use of assessment to ensure that work is challenging enough for all children. • Accelerate the pace of learning in some lessons in Years 1 and 2 to help pupils to become more productive. 4 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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Grade: 2

Children start school with skills and knowledge which are similar to those of most four year olds. They make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage and develop good personal, social and emotional skills. However, the work is not always challenging enough and progress in the other areas of learning is only satisfactory. More able children are not given sufficient challenges. Standards at the end of Year 2 have been maintained at high levels for several years and are especially good in reading and mathematics. The school's focus on improving writing has led to improvements in this area and standards are now well above average. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) have improved much since the previous inspection and pupils competently use a range of programs to support their learning. In Year 3, the outstanding teaching has helped the pupils to work at levels which are well beyond expectations for their

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Grade: 2

age. Achievement for pupils of all backgrounds and abilities is good overall and excellent in Year 3. Pupils with learning difficulties and statements of special educational needs achieve well because of the good levels of support provided. The leadership team make good use of data to set challenging targets for pupils. Regular checks on progress mean that any gaps in pupils' learning are quickly dealt with.

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Grade: 1

Personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils are clearly happy and develop secure and purposeful relationships with their peers and adults. Their behaviour is exemplary and this shows itself in the kind and thoughtful ways that pupils support one another. The 'helping hands' take their responsibilities seriously. Spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is outstanding. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and appreciate the opportunities to find out about different traditions. They are very knowledgeable about how to stay fit and healthy and talk excitedly about the opportunities to join in a good range of physical activities especially folk dancing and football. Pupils show much concern for others and keenly raise funds to support charities. They enjoy being part of village life and participate enthusiastically in local events. They also contribute much to making the school successful

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Grade: 1

through their hard work, willingness to do homework and participation in extra activities. Strong academic skills and the ability to work collaboratively equip the pupils exceedingly well for the future.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are mostly good and satisfactory in the Foundation Stage. There are some outstanding qualities to teaching in Year 3 where pupils are set challenging work, lessons have brisk pace and the teacher's expectations mean that pupils' work is of consistently high quality. In Years 1 to 3 the pupils are involved in setting their own targets and this works very well as they are clear about what they need to do to improve. Lessons are well planned and tasks matched to the needs of individuals. This is especially the case for those with learning difficulties. Pupils' books show that productivity levels are not as high as they might be and 5 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007 this is due to the sometimes slow pace of lessons. Nonetheless, teachers make learning fun and pupils work hard. In the Foundation Stage insufficient use is made of assessment to identify

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Grade: 2

strengths and weaknesses in the children's learning and this results in lack of challenge. There is not enough rigour in planning work which inspires and enthuses these children and the more able, in particular, sometimes mark time.

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Grade: 2

Most aspects of the curriculum are good although the provision in the Foundation Stage is only satisfactory as activities are often not challenging enough. The recent change to a primary curriculum has been managed very well. In Years 1 to 3, staff have made good headway in linking work between subjects and this has been effective in ICT and writing and brought improved standards. A strength is in the provision for personal, social and health education and consequently pupils have a thorough understanding of how to live healthily. They are also confident about sharing their thoughts and feelings. The curriculum is enriched well through a good range of extra activities which include sport and contribute much to pupils' fitness. Other clubs, including French, enhance pupils' understanding of the wider world.

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Grade: 1

The school provides excellent support for its pupils. As one parent said, 'The staff are fantastic, they really connect with the children...who come on in leaps and bounds.' The high quality care includes excellent knowledge of child protection procedures, good quality risk assessment and detailed attention to matters of health and safety. All requirements regarding safeguarding children are met. Pupils say that they feel safe and can turn to any adult if they need to. Vulnerable pupils also receive excellent support which enables them to join in all of the school's activities. Academic guidance is good and especially effective in involving the pupils in Years 1 to 3 in setting and monitoring their own targets. However, assessment in the Foundation Stage is not used well enough to guide teaching and learning.

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Grade: 2

The school has moved on well since the previous inspection under the strong leadership of the headteacher. Staff turnover and the recent change to primary status have been managed very well. Parents speak highly of the ways in which the headteacher keeps them informed and also involves them in decision making. The headteacher, with the involvement of governors and staff, has accurately identified the school's strengths and areas for development and produced a useful strategic plan which prioritises the next steps in improvement. Regular and robust monitoring have led to better teaching. A good focus on raising standards in writing has been successful as has the drive to raise standards in ICT. Evidence shows that the Foundation Stage has improved under the guidance of the headteacher but more remains to be done to lift the overall quality for these young children. 6 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 7 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 3 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

1 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The behaviour of learners 2 The attendance of learners 1 How well learners enjoy their education 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 8 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 9 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

14 June 2007 Dear Children Inspection of Hughenden Primary School,High Wycombe,HP14 4LR What a friendly place to come to visit. Thank you for making my time with you so pleasant. I enjoyed talking to you and listening to how much you like coming to school. It was also good to see how much you enjoy learning. I was very impressed by the good work you do in reading, writing, mathematics and information and communication technology. I was disappointed to have only one day in your school because I would have liked to have seen more of your work. Your parents said how much they liked the school and lots of you told me how well you get on together and how helpful the teachers are. It was good to see how kind you are and how willingly you help others. Your school is good. All of the adults working with you care very much about you and want you to do well. They make lessons interesting and also give you lots of homework which you

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

said you enjoyed. You listen well in lessons and work hard. I was very impressed with how Year 3 worked on solving some complicated problems and also enjoyed looking at the interesting work you are doing in history. It was good to see how hard you have worked to improve your writing. I have asked the teachers to make parts of the school even better. Sometimes the activities in the Foundation Stage need to be a bit harder and more interesting. In some lessons in Years 1 and 2 I have asked the teachers to give you more time to work. You can help by speeding up and doing as much as you can. Thank you again for helping to make my day interesting. I hope you will always be as happy at school. Sean O'Toole Lead inspector 10 of 10 Inspection Report: Hughenden Primary School, 6 June 2007

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