8 replies to this topic

[Rob75]

I understand Little Chalfont was graded outstanding by OFSTED this week. The report isn't up on the OFSTED website yet.

I hadn't appreciated previously that only 6% of primaries are rated outstanding, so that really does seem like something to be proud of.

[K&P]

Impressive. Really - Ofsted are tough old buggers!

K

[ThreeDaysGrace]

Call me a cynical old so and so, but Chesham Bois school was given an outstanding a couple of years back. I wouldn't send my pet cat there. I don't pay much attention to OFSTED at all, but that's just my opinion

[cathindia]

I agree with the previous poster that Ofsted reports do not always show the whole story (take the problems with Henry Allen for example - parents are very happy with it despite the ofsted report) and some outstanding schools may not be as good in practice as you would expect them to be, but I would like to speak up on behalf of Chesham Bois. I understand (we have spoken privately) some of the pp concerns. Education is a very emotive, and to an extent, subjective issue and what is right for one child may not be right for another. But I would like to put on record that my 2 children and I are very happy with Chesham Bois. We have only been here 1/2 term, but my older 2 children have settled in very well. They have been well looked after and cared for and are very happy at the school. When my daughter was having a few problems (not due to the school, but due to my leaving her early each morning as I have another child to drop off at a different school), the school was fantastic at offering different solutions until we found one she was comfortable with. As a parent I have also been very happy with the standard of education they are receiving. That is not to say the school is perfect, but then nobody/nothing is. But our experience so far has been extremely positive.

[ThreeDaysGrace]

Hello cathindia!

My post may have been rather a blunt one, sorry! My daughter was very happy when she was there too, but other things coloured my views as you know! Glad your 2 are settling in well

[cathindia]

Thanks for your comment Three Days Grace. It has been a great relief to me that all 3 children are enjoying their new schools. (My youngest is at St George's). I hope your children are doing well in their respective schools too. It was great to read that Bell Lane has improved so much. Have a lovely weekend.

[Veronica]

I understand Little Chalfont was graded outstanding by OFSTED this week. The report isn't up on the OFSTED website yet.

It usually takes a couple of weeks for OfSTED to upload the report to their website, but I understand that it is there at the moment. Also having said that only 6% of the schools in the country receive outstanding, shows that most of the schools in the South Bucks and Chilterns area are so good, look at schools like Elangeni, Chestnut Lane, schools in Beaconsfield, Elmtree in Chesham, Chesham Bois, Heritage House School, The Beacon School ... all received outstanding in the last 2 years.

[echinosum]

If you read the report, it is mostly about what is technically called management bollocks. My wife is a teacher, at a local school that also succeeded in getting an outstanding rating at its last inspection, and they had an advisor on how to do that, and it was mostly about the management bollocks, ie, having documented procedures, paperwork up to date, etc. Actual teaching and the effect on the pupils is fairly small part of this.

When you talk to people in other areas who have children at schools not rated outstanding, you realise that most schools are sloppy about even the obvious stuff that ought to be taken for granted. (Cousin - "Since they didn't seem to be bothered teaching my son to read, I realised I would have to do it myself". Friend - "He was already devouring Harry Potter by the shelf-load, but the school persisted in sending him home with Janet & John level material." Friend - "They seem to spend the whole of December doing Christmas specials, so very little 3Rs happens for 3 weeks.")

So you basically really only need actually to do what you are supposed to do to get "outstanding". The reality is that the 94% are at best satisfactory, and most of the 6% are not really outstanding, they are merely competent. But these are not messages that are politically acceptable. As my wife says, there is nothing in her view special about LCPS, it is simply competent, a condition which is rather more common in her country of origin than it is here. It is also fortunate in having a fairly large army of parents able to help out with reading etc, and very generous levels of additional income through the PTA, because of the high income level of the area.

To me, in general, a term like "outstanding" does not imply a quantity like 6%. In most realms of life, the outstanding are down at levels like 0.1%, or even rather less.

[PeterC]

If you read the report, it is mostly about what is technically called management bollocks.

A little off topic but it reminds me of my daughters' former secondary school (not in Bucks). Their response to bullying was to have a "policy". They didn't actually do anything but that was all right as they had a "policy".