Bucks Upper Requires Improvement latest Ofsted

[southbucks3]

As for parents in Cressex choosing to move out and got to other schools, Cressex actually got a "good" Ofsted rating last year!

I know, it has had gazillions spent on it, has passionate, great, staff and is doing really well compared to its recent but ofsted only paints a small picture. For example misbourne school went into special measures due to very specific staffing issues that were allowed to spiral, which in turn meant the kids were neglected, it was always the school choice of preference for many people before the glitch and will be again for the foreseeable future. Great Missenden is an attractive and extremely affluent, "safe" town which is an obvious attraction to many parents. Risborough is really lovely but a lot more rural and down to earth.

Kata please don't be too swayed by ofsted, all parents I know are quite happy with the school, some want a little more teaching stability and parents I know want more homework/extension work, but this can be easily sourced outside of school in various ways.
The facilities are very good and the new sports centre is top banana. The school has used basketball to really drive the children into competitive sport and bonding together in their astounding successes of late.
The low level disruption is the only issue I would worry about, when I visit for sports events etc, there does seem to be too much noise and a few kids sitting on desks instead of their chairs in lessons etc. Perhaps it's their teaching ethos, but I think it is something they need to change, as do ofsted in the report, as quieter children can be worried by class chatter.
All in all though, the pupils are always polite and friendly, the exam results are good and there is very little trouble. When the children all tumble onto the high street they are still polite, also the girls wear skirts or trousers, not wycombe high style skirt belts.

[Kata girl]

Good points southbucks3 and the skirts thing did make me smile.
One day all Ofsted reports will have a 'Skirt length' section !!

[Guest55]

I think the point is that PRS doesn't do as well as other Uppers with a similar intake ...

[southbucks3]

Prs gets just as good gcse/ vocational exam results as the other surrounding uppers.

[Guest55]

Not as good as Misbourne or St Michaels I think?

It's intake is more similar to Chalfonts and theirs are miles better - I'll try to link to DfE performance tables.

http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/sch ... me&ord=asc" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Not sure my selection will work - please let me know - [no it didn't - sorry - select the schools and compare all measures not just the top line]

http://www.education.gov.uk/cgi-bin/sch ... o=998&pg=1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[southbucks3]

Last year there was just 1 or 2 % difference between misbourne results and ris. The misbourne head simply only ever quoted his results that did not include maths and English.
Risborough has a far less affluent catchment than chalfont, it needs to be compared to schools in wendover or wing for fairness.
St Michaels is different again as it selects on religion, so should be compared to waddesdon for example.

I'm not all out defending risborough, it has issues, but not as bad as some would make out. I know so many very happy, very intelligent children currently in attendance from lots of different backgrounds.

[Guest55]

Last year there was just 1 or 2 % difference between misbourne results and ris. The misbourne head simply only ever quoted his results that did not include maths and English.
Risborough has a far less affluent catchment than chalfont, it needs to be compared to schools in wendover or wing for fairness.
St Michaels is different again as it selects on religion, so should be compared to waddesdon for example.

I'm not all out defending risborough, it has issues, but not as bad as some would make out. I know so many very happy, very intelligent children currently in attendance from lots of different backgrounds.

Chalfont catchment goes a long way out ... not just leafy areas; it crosses the M40 doesn't it? You cannot compare St Michaels to Waddesdon, the latter is in a far wealthier area plus children in catchment often opt out of 11+ and it gets a very able intake.

[Kata girl]

After my light hearted comment about Ofsted I would say that I think Ofsted is something I value in the absence of other detailed info about a school. Any parent moving somewhere new would I think be in a minority if they chose not to view the latest Ofsted report for the local school or the school they were interested in.
So for me when I read an Ofsted Report it's not just with a pinch of salt - I take it seriously they are the eyes and ears exploring the story behind the results. In the case of PRS this is the second Ofsted they have had which is rated RI. That's 8 different inspectors for the last two Ofsteds. There are many stories of Inner London schools being turned around and yet that hasn't happened here.


Edited to remove typo...

[mystery]

I don't know, but they were idiotic statements from the head and the chair that were referred to earlier. Unless those were misquotes, or out of context, it was not an impressive response.

The way of comparing with 'similar" schools has changed. The comparison is, I think, with schools with similar intake in respect of their ks2 intake, without also any adjustment for socio-economic factors. Not sure whether it is a reliable way of doing it or not.

[Guest55]

The latest Ofsted inspection has judged the school 'Inadequate' and has put the school into Special Measures.

https://reports.ofsted.gov.uk/inspectio ... ELS/137372" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I can find no reference to tis on the school website at present ...