Prestwood Infant School

Prestwood Infant School is a happy, inclusive and well-led school where pupils feel safe and achieve well. This was its first section 5 inspection, although it was previously judged outstanding before becoming an academy, and it now sits within the Great Learners Trust with a shared executive headteacher. Inspectors found a broad, ambitious curriculum, strong early years provision, effective reading and phonics, good behaviour, high attendance and well-considered personal development. Safeguarding is effective, governance is strong and staff are well supported. The main areas for improvement concern early writing and how consistently teachers respond to misconceptions. The curriculum has not previously given enough emphasis to handwriting and punctuation, so some pupils, including some with SEND, have gaps in foundational writing knowledge; leaders have begun to address this but the impact is not yet clear. In addition, teaching does not always spot and correct gaps or errors promptly, meaning mistakes can become embedded and slow some pupils' progress. Overall, the school has notable strengths in inclusion, early years, reading and personal development, and it is well placed to improve further. The priorities are to embed the strengthened writing curriculum and ensure that assessment and teaching consistently close gaps in pupils' understanding.

Strengths

• Pupils are happy, safe and well cared for in a warm and supportive environment.
• Pupils behave well, are respectful and play calmly together.
• Pupils achieve well across a broad, well-sequenced curriculum.
• Reading and phonics are prioritised, with consistent teaching and targeted support.
• Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and well supported to access the full curriculum.
• Early years provision is strong, building sequentially from pre-school to Reception.
• Personal development is well considered, with enrichment clubs, trips and a school council.
• Attendance is high because of robust processes and strong partnerships with families.
• Governance is effective and gives high priority to staff professional development.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.

Areas for Improvement

• The early writing curriculum has not given enough priority to handwriting and punctuation, leaving gaps for some pupils including some with SEND.
• Teaching does not consistently identify and address misconceptions or gaps in pupils' understanding.
• Unaddressed errors can become embedded and hamper some pupils' achievement.
• The impact of recent improvements to the writing curriculum is not yet evident.

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 Prestwood Infant School attended 94.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 14.1% 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, 1.9% of pupils at Prestwood Infant 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 Prestwood Infant School had 18.2 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% 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, 7.7% of pupils at Prestwood Infant School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.2% 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 2024–25 Prestwood Infant School received £9,095 and spent £8,653 for each of its 135 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £64,000 (£472 per pupil).

Across all 11 schools of Great Learners Trust, income was £6,935 and spending £6,916 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). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Great Missenden · Buckinghamshire local authority: places and applications

Prestwood Infant School is part of Great Learners Trust, which runs 11 schools. The nearest others:

• Prestwood Junior School Great Missenden
• Great Missenden CofE Combined School Great Missenden
• Great Kimble Church of England School Aylesbury
• Manor Farm Junior School High Wycombe
• Princes Risborough Primary School Princes Risborough
• West Wycombe School High Wycombe
• Bedgrove Junior School Aylesbury
• Wooburn Green Primary School High Wycombe
• Bearbrook Combined School Aylesbury
• Elmhurst School Aylesbury

What is Prestwood Infant School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Prestwood Infant School is Good, from an inspection in June 2025.

When was Prestwood Infant School last inspected by Ofsted?

Prestwood Infant School was last inspected in June 2025.

How many pupils does Prestwood Infant School have?

Prestwood Infant School has 156 pupils on roll.

What age range does Prestwood Infant School cover?

Prestwood Infant School for pupils aged 2 to 7.

Where is Prestwood Infant School?

Prestwood Infant School is at Moat Lane, Prestwood, Great Missenden, Buckinghamshire, HP16 9DF.