Little Missenden Church of England School

Little Missenden Church of England School is performing strongly overall. Inspectors found outstanding behaviour and personal development, alongside good quality of education, leadership and management, and early years provision. Pupils flourish in a caring village school where the school’s values are modelled exceptionally well, behaviour is impeccable, and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are supported effectively. Pupils feel safe, happy and valued, and they are well prepared for their next stage of education. The curriculum is ambitious and early reading is a clear priority, with systematic phonics teaching and quick catch-up support for pupils who fall behind. Music, clubs and community involvement enrich pupils’ wider development, and leadership has a clear inclusive vision with effective governor and community partnerships. Safeguarding arrangements are effective, and parents are highly supportive of the school. The main area for improvement is the wider curriculum. Some activities do not consistently help pupils revisit and consolidate key knowledge and vocabulary, and a small number of pupils do not build securely on prior knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects. This was the school’s first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and the report notes the school’s previous good grade.

Strengths

• Pupils model the school’s values exceptionally well and are kind, polite and supportive.
• Behaviour is impeccable, with staff applying the behaviour policy fairly and consistently.
• Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities receive timely, considerate and effective support.
• Pupils feel safe, happy and valued as individuals.
• Staff have high expectations and pupils are well prepared for their next stage of education.
• Music, clubs and community activities enrich pupils’ wider development.
• Pupils learn fundamental British values well and take active leadership and community roles.
• The curriculum is ambitious and lessons in most subjects help pupils build knowledge successfully.
• Early reading is a priority, with systematic phonics teaching and quick catch-up support.
• Children make a positive start in the early years and engage purposefully in learning.
• Leadership has a clear, inclusive vision, and governors work in effective partnership with the school community.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• Some wider curriculum activities do not consistently help pupils revisit and consolidate key knowledge and vocabulary.
• A small number of pupils do not build securely on prior knowledge in some wider curriculum subjects.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Little Missenden Church of England School attended 96.4% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 8.7% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Little Missenden Church of England School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Little Missenden Church of England School had 9.5 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 16.7% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 32.1% of pupils at Little Missenden Church of England School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.6% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Little Missenden Church of England School received £21,199 and spent £20,477 for each of its 28 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £126,000 (£4,495 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Amersham · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

What is Little Missenden Church of England School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Little Missenden Church of England School is Good, from an inspection in May 2025.

When was Little Missenden Church of England School last inspected by Ofsted?

Little Missenden Church of England School was last inspected in May 2025.

How many pupils does Little Missenden Church of England School have?

Little Missenden Church of England School has 28 pupils on roll.

What age range does Little Missenden Church of England School cover?

Little Missenden Church of England School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Little Missenden Church of England School?

Little Missenden Church of England School is at Little Missenden, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, HP7 0RA.