Small Can Be Outstanding

Jenny Earp, headteacher of Coleshill Infant School in Buckinghamshrie, defends small schools in the wake of the recent press about mass closures.

In recent weeks there has been a great deal of debate concerning small, faith schools, questioning their effectiveness and relevance in modern times. A small school in Buckinghamshire has gone a long way to proving that ‘small’ can be outstanding and offers exceptional educational provision.

Coleshill Church of England Infant School is a small, successful village school with 47 pupils aged from four to seven. It is a warm, friendly, caring school with happy, confident children where fun and laughter is as important as learning itself. The school was built in 1847 and is situated in a village close to Amersham in Buckinghamshire. The beautiful outdoor area has stunning views of the Chiltern Hills and is used at every opportunity to enhance the children’s learning. Coleshill is a Church of England Voluntary Controlled School with a strong Christian ethos and has very strong links with All Saint’s Church as well as the wider community. The school is known to have high expectations and in recent years has achieved many awards including the Basic Skills Quality Mark Award, the NACE Challenge Award for excellence in whole-school provision for able, gifted and talented pupils, the National Healthy Schools status and Activemark. The last two Ofsteds have been ‘outstanding’ and the school was mentioned in the Chief Inspector of School’s report for being particularly successful, after which  he visited the school twice, praising its leadership and educational provision.

I have been in post for nine years and am proud of the school’s very high standards. The school’s most recent Ofsted report, in December, 2007 said: ‘This is an outstanding school in all respects. On crossing the threshold of Coleshill, one is instantly struck by the exciting and vibrant learning environment.’ The SIAS inspection report, in January 2008 also judged the school to be outstanding in all categories with no key issues except ‘to ensure that the joy of learning that is a hallmark of the school is maintained.’

Although the school is very small, it is part of a cluster of eight other small schools, also located in South Bucks. The schools work together, sharing resources and good practice, working collaboratively on a variety of projects and often undertaking Inset training together.
Small schools offer a wonderful opportunity for young children to make an exceptional start to their educational careers and as an important part of our heritage, should be preserved at all costs.