National Society Statutory Inspection of Anglican Schools Report

Hawridge and Cholesbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Hawridge Chesham Buckinghamshire HP5 2UG Diocese: Oxford Local authority: Buckinghamshire Date of inspection: 3 May 2012 Date of last inspection: 19 November 2008 School’s unique reference number: 110445 Headteacher: Miss Stephanie Bramble Inspector’s name and number: Mrs Lizzie McWhirter MA 244 School context Hawridge and Cholesbury Primary School serves the villages of Hawridge and Cholesbury on the outskirts of Chesham. Currently there are 151 pupils on roll who are mainly from a White British background. The headteacher has been in post since September 2011 and is building a strong team around her. The distinctiveness and effectiveness of Hawridge and Cholesbury as a Church of England school are good This is a welcoming community where everyone is encouraged to achieve their best. It is a place where Christian values make a difference and where there is a real sense of belonging. All are given the opportunities and experiences to support their Christian pilgrimage. Established strengths • The strong sense of community and belonging which exists, based on Christian values. • Quality collective worship and religious education [RE] which nurture pupils’ spiritual development. • The importance of prayer in the life of the school. Focus for development • Involve pupils and governors in the evaluation of collective worship. • Put in place a systematic method for the governors to monitor church school distinctiveness. • Provide a forum for pupils and adults to dialogue together on the deep questions of life. The school, through its distinctive Christian character, is good at meeting the needs of all learners Hawridge and Cholesbury Primary School provides a very nurturing environment and is an inclusive, cohesive community which is much loved by its pupils and much appreciated by its parent body. Pupils speak highly of their teachers and friends and have very positive attitudes to each other, life and learning. They say, ‘this school is a good example of trust because we all trust each other and are friends’. Parents are supportive of this school and say, that they ‘see every day how rewarded the children are and how they learn to treat each other’. They view the spirit of this school as a constant in pupils’ lives, praising the Christian values which are shared, understood and valued. Parents also note that, since the new headteacher has been in post, the school is ‘re-energised and re-focussed, with one to one attention, pinpointing the child’s individual needs’. The giving of harvest parcels to the elderly in the local community is valued and enables pupils to experience the Christian values of service and gratitude, ‘opening their eyes outside their sphere’. A wide range of extra curricular activities, including sport, music, and care for God’s earth, ensures a broad variety of achievement is valued. Bright, prominent displays also support pupils’ learning and contribute to their spiritual development. Prayer corners are used and valued in every class. The quiet garden in the school grounds is much appreciated as a space for reflection by pupils who regard it as ‘the best place to go as it’s much more quiet’. The impact of collective worship on the school community is good Collective worship enjoys a special place in this church school where links with the parish church ensure the Anglican tradition is upheld. Worship clearly engages pupils and is making a difference in their lives. They say that Bible stories such as the choosing of David the shepherd boy show ‘the heart is where God always looks’. Pupils enjoy leading worship and writing their own prayers. Everyone values the importance of prayer in the life of the school. Pupils acknowledge ‘you can pray anywhere’. A highlight is the Thursday class ‘St Ignatius time’ which pupils find helpful and is a time when pupils can ‘sit down and reflect on a word that has sprung into our minds, like service’. Pupils enjoy going to church, whether it is the parish church of St Mary’s, St Leonard’s or St Laurence. They say they pray more in church, noting ‘wherever you pray, God hears it’. Pupils enjoy worship led by a variety of regular and welcome visitors. including the vicar and a local youth worker. Pupils encounter what it means to be part of the wider Anglican communion, speaking highly of the recent visit of the Bishop of Buckingham. One pupil made the comment, ‘it was really cool as I had never met him before’; saying how the Bishop made the blessing of the new building special, ‘getting straight to the point’, celebrating the school’s achievement. Pupils too are keen to contribute their own thoughts and reflections. Some of their ideas value that ‘no one marks or judges them’ and include drawing governors’ attention to their written thoughts in a way to show ’this one is for you to read’. Governors recognise the need to evaluate worship, involving pupils. In these ways, the profile of worship is being raised, supporting pupils’ spiritual development. The effectiveness of the religious education is good Pupils clearly enjoy RE lessons, which contribute greatly to pupils’ spiritual development. They say they are enabled to ‘understand what other people think as well as your own view’, acknowledging no one has the same view of God. RE has a high profile in this school and is supported by the headteacher and her team of staff. Teaching and learning are good and standards are often higher than other core subjects. The headteacher and her staff have developed a systematic method of assessment and tracking in order to inform planning and demonstrate achievement. Excellent relationships ensure pupils collaborate well, think independently, and show respect to teachers and each other. In lessons, pupils are challenged and encouraged to think deeply. For example, Year 2 pupils use different enquiry approaches, such as hot seating and conscience alley, in a lesson about how we apply what we learn from sacred texts to our lives. Year 5 pupils make the link between what they are learning in RE and Christian values, saying ‘God wants us to follow the values, no matter what and spread the word’. They are clear about what mosque life means for Muslims and church life for Christians, valuing learning about signs and symbols and the lives of saints. A number of pupils show very high levels of achievement. To this end, the school welcomes establishing a forum for adults and pupils to dialogue together on the deep questions of faith. The school has recognised clear areas to take this important subject forward. The link governor for RE is the vicar who plans to monitor the subject regularly, feeding back to the whole of the governing body. This has not yet been fully realised. The effectiveness of the leadership and management of the school as a church school is satisfactory Building on the foundations already in place, much has been achieved by the hard work of the headteacher, who together with her governors and staff, model Christian values. They ensure all school policy and practice makes a difference in the pupils’ lives, addressing the school’s effectiveness since the last inspection. There is a good partnership between the school and the local parish churches. St Mary’s Church in Hawridge is used regularly and the school often features in the parish magazine, ‘Hilltop News’. In these ways, church/school links are seen and valued. Parents find staff very approachable. Pupils are clear that Hawridge and Cholesbury is a church school and they are equipped with the tools for prayer and worship. Foundation governors are new in post, but are beginning to make a difference through their active involvement. They are open to new ways of taking the school forward, especially in their monitoring role. Governors acknowledge there is work to be done. The school has identified clear areas for development, such as establishing a systematic way to monitor church school distinctiveness. There is great impetus and renewed vision and energy to accomplish this, taking everyone on board. The school values support from the diocese so that the school’s Church of England foundation can be upheld and celebrated by everyone. SIAS report Hawridge and Cholesbury Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School, Hawridge, Chesham, Buckinghamshire HP5 2UG