Melbourn Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Ensure that work in mathematics is not too hard or too easy for pupils.
• Ensure that pupils understand the importance of producing their best work all of the time.
• Further increase the pace of change by ensuring that action planning and monitoring of provision is more sharply focused on the most important priorities.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

• The school is well led by a determined and caring headteacher who has ensured that her high expectations are reflected in good outcomes for pupils. With good support from the assistant headteachers, the local authority and the governing body, she acted swiftly after the previous inspection to secure the required improvements in the quality of teaching, especially in Key Stage 2.
• Together, senior leaders have established an aspirational culture among staff and pupils. This is seen in the good drive for continued improvement. Middle leaders play a good part in this process because they are fully involved in looking for strengths and weaknesses in provision by, for example, visiting lessons, sampling work and looking at information on pupils’ progress.
• Leaders evaluate the school’s work thoroughly but, since the previous inspection, they have spent too much time on gathering an enormous amount of evidence on every aspect of the school’s work, including a wealth of pupil performance information and other paperwork. Action planning is over-detailed and the monitoring of provision focuses too much on the ‘big picture’ rather than concentrating more sharply on identifying and then tackling the remaining minor inconsistencies across the school.
• Teachers are set sharp targets for improvement. These are followed up rigorously by leaders to ensure that support is having the right effect. Leaders make good use of training to aid school development. For example, recent training on how to teach spelling, grammar and punctuation has been instrumental in increasing teachers’ confidence in this area of their work.
• Leaders ensure that additional government funding for primary sports and physical education is used to good effect. School monitoring shows that it has increased pupil participation rates in physical activity both during and after the school day. The school ensures that the benefits of the funding will continue in the future by using sports coaches to work alongside class teachers. This is helping to increase their confidence in delivering high-quality sports teaching.
• The school spends the additional government funding for the small number of disadvantaged pupils well. They are given good support that ensures that they make the same good progress as others. Funding also helps to support their social and emotional development by enabling them to take part in the full range of school activities such as clubs, outings and residential visits.
• The curriculum (the topics and subjects taught) is rich and varied. It provides pupils with many memorable experiences through visits and special events such as a recent ‘Let Me Entertain You’ day. There is a strong emphasis on teaching the basic skills of literacy and numeracy but creativity in art and music are also promoted extremely well.
• Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development and the promotion of British values are threaded throughout school life and are supported well. The school has a ‘Value of the Half-Term’ and the impact of this is seen in pupils’ behaviour and in their kind responses to each other. Pupils have a good understanding of right and wrong. They write about ‘Children’s Rights’ and are taught to reflect on what is happening in society as a whole, for example by celebrating special occasions or talking about the news. School elections at the time of national elections help pupils to understand how democracy works. Members of the ‘winning party’ party speak very positively of the ‘school campout’, which was their reward.
• The school has a very strong partnership with parents. They are kept well informed about what the school is teaching through workshops. Regular coffee mornings allow parents to meet informally with staff and are felt to be extremely valuable by those who attend. The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, are very pleased with the education provided by the school, typically making comments such as ‘I couldn’t be happier with the school’ and ‘the improvements in the ethos, management and teaching has been dramatic, even when viewed from the outside’.
• The governance of the school

The governing body responded decisively to recommendations from the external review of governance carried out shortly after the previous inspection. They reviewed their roles and responsibilities and greatly increased their involvement in checking the quality of provision for themselves. Consequently, they have a very secure understanding of the school’s current strengths and weaknesses and a very clear vision for the next stages of development. Governors are rigorous in holding leaders to account. They provide good levels of challenge where needed. This has been an important factor in the school’s rapid improvement over the last two years. Governors have a clear picture of where teaching is stronger or weaker and how it is being improved. They check that systems to manage staff performance are properly implemented and that teachers’ pay rewards good teaching.

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Procedures are well understood by staff and are applied consistently. Staff undertake regular training to keep them up to date with current guidance. Strong relationships are in place with a wide range of external agencies to make sure that vulnerable pupils get the help they need.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment has improved since the previous inspection and is now typically good across the school. Most parents are very pleased with the quality of teaching in the school.
• Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. They create a good environment for learning by displaying pupils’ work to celebrate their successes. Teachers have positive relationships with their class. They expect pupils to work hard and to know they can do so without fear of failure.
• The teaching of English is especially strong. Teachers introduce new skills confidently because they have good subject knowledge. Basic skills such as phonics (learning about letters and the sounds that they make), grammar and punctuation are taught well. Teachers often use pupils’ responses to correct errors and they are constantly assessing their learning. Using this information, teachers adapt English work well to meet pupils’ different needs and to provide the right level of challenge, including for the most able.
• In mathematics, work is engaging and often practical. This has improved pupils’ attitudes towards the subject, with several commenting that ‘we love mathematics’. Teachers plan thoroughly but they do not always take enough account of pupils’ starting points when deciding what to teach next. This means that in mathematics there are occasions when work is too hard or too easy for some pupils, especially at the start of lessons.
• Teachers deploy additional adults effectively, not just to help those who struggle with their work, but also to give the most-able pupils an extra boost where needed.
• Teachers give pupils good feedback on how they are doing so they can improve their work. Feedback through the marking of books is helpful because it shows pupils what they have done well and what they can improve. Teachers give pupils extra little tasks to reinforce their learning, or ask them to correct their mistakes. This helps pupils improve their work, although in some cases in Key Stage 1, they cannot read the written feedback, limiting its value.
• Teachers with specialist skills in subjects such as music, art and physical education are deployed well and have a good impact on learning.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare is good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy school and are excited by their learning. They speak very positively about school life, typically making comments such as ‘work is fun’ and ‘every day is different’. They develop good levels of confidence and self-esteem, dealing well with setbacks when they are working. They have very positive attitudes and try hard most of the time. However, they do not always take enough care with the presentation of their work.
• Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe when using the internet. They are clear about the dangers they may face outside school. The school provides them with many opportunities to learn about how to stay safe through assemblies and activities both in and out of lessons.
• Pupils know that bullying can take different forms. They say that there is some occasional bullying but they know who to turn to if it does occur. They are very confident that school staff would deal with any concerns quickly.
• Pupils show good levels of respect and tolerance for each other. They have a good awareness of how their actions may affect others and do their best to make school a happy and safe place for everyone.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils and parents agree that behaviour is typically good. School records confirm that incidents of poor behaviour are rare but are dealt with well when they occur. Pupils like the school’s systems for managing behaviour and respond accordingly. They feel that staff apply rules fairly.
• There is a happy atmosphere in class. Pupils get on well together and greatly value their friendships. They concentrate well and support each other sensibly when, for example, working together in Years 5 and 6 to act out the discovery of Viking artefacts on the Shetland Islands.
• Pupils conduct themselves well when moving around school. They are polite and courteous and eager to please. They behave well in lessons, only occasionally losing concentration when work does not engage them fully.
• Attendance is broadly average. The vast majority of pupils attend regularly and arrive at school on time eager to learn. Leaders are proactive in tackling poor attendance. They have worked closely with outside agencies and families to improve the attendance of the very small number of pupils who are persistently absent.

Outcomes for pupils are good

• Pupils’ attainment is rising and they make good progress across the school, acquiring new skills quickly in a range of subjects. Improving attainment means that pupils are better prepared for the next stage of their education than in the past.
• In 2015, pupils’ attainment by end of Year 6 was broadly average in reading, writing and mathematics. While progress for these pupils had been good over the last two years, this was not enough to compensate fully for previous underachievement caused by weaknesses identified in the previous inspection report. Pupils in the current Year 6 are already working at higher levels than in the past. This rising trend is set to continue as the better attainment already seen in younger age groups begins to filter through the school. For example, attainment at the end of Year 2 was above average in 2015 and was the best for several years.
• The progress of pupils currently in the school is particularly strong in English. This is supported by the good teaching of phonics, with most pupils reaching the expected standard for their age in national screening at the end of Year 1. By the end of Year 6, pupils are fluent readers who tackle a range of texts with competence.
• Pupils also become confident writers by Year 6. A recent focus on teaching pupils the rules of spelling, grammar and punctuation is already proving beneficial, as was seen in Years 1 and 2 where there was a lengthy discussion on imperative sentences and the use of the verb ‘come’. Pupils benefit from many opportunities to write in a variety of styles in different subjects and this has helped to improve skills. Pupils’ writing uses interesting vocabulary to engage readers but they do not always take enough care with their handwriting so that their work is always neat.
• While progress is generally good in mathematics, pupils’ attainment continues to be slightly lower than in reading and writing. This is because work does not always build well enough on what pupils already know, occasionally slowing progress. The school has made a start in tackling this attainment gap by introducing new ways of developing pupils’ calculation skills, but these changes are very recent. Pupils’ books show that, while improving, their work in mathematics is not yet consistently of the same high quality as in English.
• The school successfully ensures that all groups, including the most able, make good progress over time. Support for the small number of disadvantaged pupils is well targeted and helps them to make good progress in English and mathematics, often from much lower starting points.
• Pupils with special educational needs or disability make good progress. Both in class and in small groups, teachers give them work that is matched to their needs. Extra adults also give them support when appropriate, and ensure that they do the best they can.

Early years provision is good

• Children in the early years provision make good progress. Children’s attainment has been rising and in 2015 the proportion that reached a good level of development was above average. As a result, children are well prepared for Year 1.
• Teaching is good in the early years. Adults work together well and plan work that is fun and engaging. Children have good opportunities to work on their own as well as spending quality time with adults who steer their learning, particularly checking that the basic skills of literacy and numeracy are covered effectively.
• Adults provide good support to the most able and for children who have special educational needs or disability. While progress is good most of the time, there are some missed opportunities to move learning on even more rapidly. This is because adults do not always intervene quickly enough when children have lost interest in a task or are ready to be moved on to the next stage of their learning.
• Adults support children particularly well in their personal development. They look after children sensitively, keeping them safe and offering warm encouragement to promote good learning. Child protection and safeguarding arrangements are very thorough. There are no breaches of welfare arrangements.
• Children are encouraged to develop their skills of independence from starting school, and they sustain their concentration well. They are able to share and take turns. Children behave well, only occasionally straying off task or behaving inappropriately when not being closely supervised. They have a good understanding of how to stay safe. For example, they are clear about why they should wear helmets when cycling.
• Teachers have good arrangements for assessing children’s learning. Initial assessment arrangements before children start school provide staff with an accurate picture of children’s abilities and needs. Ongoing assessments are accurate and are used well by teachers to decide what to teach next. Extra help is given where needed to different groups such as the small number of disadvantaged children to help them make the same good progress as others.
• Provision is well led and managed. Provision is checked carefully and there is a good understanding of what needs improving. For example, the recent acquisition of new bikes means that a start has been made in improving opportunities for children to improve their physical development when working outside.
• Adults engage extremely well with parents. They make good use of an online assessment system to share information with parents so that they can be fully involved in their learning. Parents are very pleased with the early years provision, typically making comments such as ‘my child has settled well and made very good progress, especially in reading’ and ‘my child has been incredibly happy from day one’.

School details

Unique reference number

110614

Local authority Inspection number

Cambridgeshire 10001948 This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

Type of school School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Number of pupils on the school roll

Primary Community 4–11 Mixed 302

Appropriate authority

The governing body

Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address

Julie Norman Stephanie Wilcox 01763 223457 www.melbournprimaryschool.org.uk office@melbourn.cambs.sch.uk

Date of previous inspection

14–15 November 2013

Information about this school

• This is a larger than average-sized primary school. Children in early years provision are taught in two Reception classes.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability is below average.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is well below average. This is additional government funding provided to give extra support to looked after children and those pupils known to be eligible for free school meals.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils in Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed pupils’ learning in 19 lessons, six of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made some short visits to observe learning at other times.
• Discussions were held with pupils, staff, a representative from the local authority and members of the governing body.
• The inspectors took account of the views of 101 parents and carers who responded to the online questionnaire, Parent View. Inspectors also talked with parents and carers at the start and end of the school day.
• The inspectors heard pupils read and looked at a number of documents, including: the school’s own information about pupils’ learning and progress; planning and monitoring documents; the school development plan; records relating to behaviour and attendance; safeguarding information; and health and safety documentation.
• The inspectors analysed responses to inspection questionnaires from 33 members of staff.

Inspection team

Mike Capper, lead inspector Brenda Watson Joanna Pedlow

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector