Maltese Road Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that it is consistently good or better across the school by ensuring that:
  • all teachers plan work that enables pupils to make the best progress they can in mathematics, particularly in the use of problem-solving and reasoning skills
  • the proportion of pupils who achieve greater depth, including those who are disadvantaged, increases in reading, writing and mathematics
  • all teachers probe pupils’ learning so that they think hard about what they are learning and how they can improve their work
  • teachers provide pupils with regular opportunities to practise their basic skills across the wider curriculum.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • developing the role of middle leaders so that they monitor closely the curriculum taught and standards achieved in the subjects for which they are responsible
  • ensuring that leadership and teaching of mathematics are of high quality so that pupils develop their problem-solving and reasoning skills
  • sharing the good practice that exists to increase the effectiveness of teaching and leadership within the school.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• The executive headteacher has established a culture of high expectations and ambition for all pupils who attend the school, irrespective of their background or the additional challenges that they might face. All staff, including governors, share the school’s vision to ‘inspire, learn, achieve’. They are overwhelmingly positive about leadership within the school and are proud to work at Maltese Road, where they are committed to providing pupils with the best possible opportunities. One pupil said, ‘All members of staff are helpful and kind and if you need help with your work they will help.’
• The partnership that the executive headteacher and head of school have developed is highly effective. Responsibilities about decision-making are equally shared. As a result, they have a very clear understanding of what the school is currently working on and what needs further improvement. They are accurate in their assessment of the school’s strengths and weaknesses in teaching and provide good support and training to improve the quality of pupils’ learning. Leaders collaborate very effectively with the other schools in the trust and those in the wider community to ensure that their own evaluations are accurate.
• Leaders’ improvement plans are well focused and set precise, measurable targets. Consequently, leaders are able to demonstrate that they are continuing to improve the quality of education at their growing school. They have adapted systems and processes to accommodate the considerable rise in school numbers and have recruited well to teaching and leadership positions as the need arose.
• Leaders have developed effective systems to track the progress of pupils. The head of school, whose responsibility includes SEN and/or disabilities, provides accurate information for leaders and governors about pupils’ strengths and areas for development. She holds pupil progress meetings regularly, where pupils who are at risk of falling behind are identified. Prompt interventions are put in place and outcomes monitored. Evidence seen during the inspection showed that pupils who receive support, for example to improve their spelling, writing or mathematical skills, are making accelerated progress.
• The curriculum is broad and balanced, adapting to the needs of the school as it grows. The development of pupils’ English and mathematics skills is at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils are beginning to be supported to develop these skills further through an interesting and wide range of topics. However, although English is further developed in this regard than mathematics, pupils are not yet consistently given opportunities to consolidate their basic skills in subjects like history and geography.
• The provision for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is highly effective. Equality and diversity are promoted well in lessons, in assemblies and through the behaviour of adults around the school. Pupils are encouraged to think about their feelings, for example in such activities as writing a recipe for a happy home. As one pupil wrote, his home would need ‘a dash of generosity, a sprinkle of gratefulness, a splash of love, and two dashes of peace’.
• Pupils gain a good understanding of the importance of British values, such as democracy, tolerance and respect. This is evident through voting, for example for the school council and the other many positions of responsibility that pupils hold. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.
• Strong leadership of the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities by the special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) ensures that funding for pupils is well spent. Pupils’ needs are quickly identified and addressed through close liaison between learning support assistants and the SENCo. They assess the progress that pupils make and plan strategies to offer them additional help when they need it. If something is not working, they have no hesitation in altering the provision or stopping it to find what will be successful. Leaders work with a variety of professionals, including those in specialist provisions and special schools, and the headteacher of the virtual school. As a result, pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress towards the appropriate targets set out in their individual plans.
• Leaders have identified the barriers to learning for those pupils who are eligible for the additional pupil premium funding. The growing numbers and complex needs of disadvantaged pupils are being supported through a range of additional learning programmes in order to accelerate pupils’ progress and improve some pupils’ attendance. Current pupils’ progress is improving as they move through the school, through such creative initiatives as one-to-one sessions in the ‘rainbow room’ and access to the midday assistant who is employed solely to care for disadvantaged pupils.
• The primary physical education (PE) and sport premium is spent effectively. Leaders employ a specialist PE teacher to develop pupils’ dance skills. Pupils’ participation in PE and sports activities, and their developing skills, are monitored closely. Pupils benefit from the various opportunities offered to them, including after-school clubs. The school takes part in many competitions. For example, two teams are representing the school at county level in archery this term. The school is a member of the local sports partnership and is working towards gaining the gold award for the Schools’ Games Mark.
• The leaders of English, SEN and/or disabilities, science and PE provide effective leadership. They are knowledgeable and know the strengths and areas of development within the subjects they lead. Many middle and some senior leaders are new to their positions. The programme of development for all leaders is well planned and focuses on the needs of the school as it continues to grow. However, much of the work is still in its infancy and has not yet had time to fully impact on pupils’ outcomes. The majority of middle leaders are able, keen and enthusiastic about their developing roles. However, they are not yet fully conversant with the part that they play in whole-school improvement.

Governance of the school

• The governing body of Maltese Road is relatively new. However, governors have gelled well as a corporate body under the support and guidance of the trust. As a result, governors know the school extremely well. While they celebrate its many successes during the short time that the school has been open, they are equally aware of its priorities for improvement.
• Through governors’ meetings and their visits to the school, governors offer leaders increasingly effective challenge and support. They have great confidence in the senior leaders in the school and have a good understanding of the many barriers that leaders face. However, they recognise that leaders’ resilience, skill and collaboration continue to overcome those barriers and, indeed, see them as benefits to the school’s community.
• Governors regularly monitor the progress of all pupils, especially those who are disadvantaged, those who have SEN and/or disabilities and those who are most able. This has been very challenging as governors have only had a slowly growing set of pupils’ outcomes to compare with national averages.
• The trust has supported the school considerably since its inception. The chief executive officer (CEO) has put in place very effective systems to ensure that trust members know well the schools they are responsible for and, in particular, Maltese Road. Along with leaders, the trust has responded quickly and efficiently to the ongoing changes in the school as it grows. The chair of the trust and the CEO have a clear understanding of the strengths and areas of development currently in the school and, indeed, those that will continue to emerge as the school reaches its full capacity.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff at all levels receive regular safeguarding training and know how to identify pupils who are potentially at risk.
• Staff understand and follow leaders’ clear protocols for the reporting of any safeguarding concerns, which are swiftly acted upon by the executive headteacher or head of school.
• Leaders ensure that concerns, no matter how minor, are logged. Senior leaders are tenacious in making sure that child protection referrals are dealt with swiftly and appropriately, and work closely with outside agencies. Child protection files are maintained effectively.
• Secure checks are made on the suitability of staff to work with children in this school and across the trust.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• The majority of teachers plan lessons so that time is used well in ensuring that pupils’ different needs are met. This works particularly well in some classes where teachers probe pupils’ thinking and move them on quickly in their learning.
• Teachers encourage pupils to explain how they are completing a task, sometimes with their classmates. The excellent relationships pupils have with one another and their teachers support this work and help pupils to have a good understanding of what they are learning. For example, pupils dramatised the workings of the body’s circulatory system. This not only gave pupils a clear understanding of how the body works, but also what happens when oxygenated blood does not reach vital organs.
• Pupils who need support, particularly those who have SEN and/or disabilities, receive this through highly effective learning support assistants and a variety of resources. Within the class, in a small group or on a one-to-one basis, these pupils are able to make good progress because their needs are consistently well met.
• Teachers model subject-specific vocabulary well, particularly in English and mathematics. They question pupils effectively to improve their use of new vocabulary. Teachers’ subject knowledge in other areas of the curriculum is developing. Science has had a raised profile during the last year and the leader of science is clear about what needs to be taught throughout pupils’ time in Maltese Road. As a result, work in pupils’ books shows that scientific skills and concepts are built upon and incorporated into other subjects. For example, pupils explored designing and making a dinosaur with at least one moving part, using pneumatic systems.
• Teachers adhere to the school’s marking and feedback procedures. Some teachers’ responses to pupils’ work are moving their learning on considerably. Targeted questions encourage pupils to think hard about their learning and to reflect on their work. ‘Can you use a more complex sentence here?’ wrote one teacher. The result on many occasions was high-quality written work, such as ‘calming down, he offers a ride to Tony and here’s where the adventure starts…’ However, such challenge is not yet widespread.
• The vast majority of teachers have high expectations of what pupils can do and should achieve in English and mathematics. Reading is taught well, and younger pupils have well-developed phonics skills which they apply in their reading and writing. However, cross-curricular work seen during the inspection shows that there are limited opportunities in some classes for pupils to practise their English skills and to write at length. Some teachers do not insist on pupils producing their best written work in such subjects as geography, history, religious education and science. As a result, pupils, especially those who are most able, do not always demonstrate their potential.
• Leaders quickly identify any weaknesses in the quality of teaching and put in place support and challenge to ensure rapid improvement. There are several examples of where this has been effective. However, not all teachers are improving quickly enough, which means that some small pockets of weaker teaching and learning remain.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Leaders ensure that this area of the school’s work is at the heart of everything they do. They know their pupils very well and have developed very effective relationships with them and their families. This is no mean feat. As the school has grown and continues to do so, pupils come from a wide geographical area and diverse backgrounds.
• Pupils are confident and successful learners. This requires constant work and revisiting by all staff as new pupils arrive at the school, sometimes on a daily basis. It is to leaders’ credit that it is not immediately evident that many pupils join the school at times other than the start of the academic year. Some had only been in the school for a matter of days at the time of the inspection. Staff get to know pupils’ strengths and areas for development and address them well from the outset. As a result, pupils settle incredibly quickly.
• Leaders have put in place a variety of roles to ensure that pupils are emotionally and socially ready and able to learn effectively. Pupils enjoy time in the ‘rainbow room’, have one-to-one sessions with the play therapist and those pupils who are most vulnerable have their own midday assistant to go to should they need to.
• Pupils feel safe in their ‘amazing, friendly, caring’ school. Their responses to the online questionnaire are overwhelmingly positive. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example when using the internet. They are very confident that the executive headteacher or the head of school will help them with any concerns they have.
• Pupils know what bullying is and are confident that it does not happen at their school. Leaders ensure that pupils know what to do if they feel someone is being bullied. The many posters and displays around the school are a constant reminder for pupils.
• Pupils talk openly and respectfully about the different abilities and characteristics they each have. They recognise that they all have different strengths and weaknesses. They look forward to receiving the ‘Magnificent Malteser’ awards in assembly and to celebrating another pupil’s out-of-school achievements. Teaching about such issues as autism spectrum disorder is part of the school’s curriculum. Pupils are encouraged to be resilient so that they are successful. As one pupil told inspectors, ‘Our teachers teach us the power of yet, not can’t. We can do anything.’
• With maturity and enthusiasm, pupils take on additional responsibilities. Those who are on the school council enjoy the role, with one pupil saying, ‘It gives us so many opportunities to take care of things.’

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. It is not yet outstanding, as some pupils’ attitudes to learning are not as well developed as they could be, which impacts on some pupils’ progress.
• Pupils behave well in and out of lessons. They are very friendly, courteous and well mannered. They follow their teachers’ instructions closely and have good attitudes to learning, particularly where the worked planned by teachers is exciting and meets their needs.
• Pupils behave well at break and lunchtimes. They are well supervised outside, where they play well together and meet up with their friends.
• Leaders are aware of the importance of attendance. The strategies they use have made a significant reduction to the persistent absence of some pupils. Overall attendance is at least at the national average. Pupils look forward to receiving the class award for best attendance and to being mentioned in the school’s newsletter. One parent commented, ‘My daughter really misses school even during the holidays!’

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Despite children’s varying starting points, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development at the end of the Reception Year has been above average since the school opened.
• The proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 in 2017 was above the national average and had risen since 2016.
• In 2016, at the end of key stage 1, pupils’ attainment in writing was below the national average. Mathematics and reading were in line with the average. There were only six pupils in this cohort. Results of the cohort of eight pupils in 2017 at the end of Year 2 are broadly similar to 2016. In both years, the proportion of pupils achieving greater depth was below the national average.
• The school has not yet had any published outcomes for key stage 2. 2018 will be the first year for which the school has a set of results for Year 6. There is now a full complement of pupils in the Reception Year and Years 1 and 2. 2018 will also be the first year that the school has results for pupils in Year 2 who were at the school since the Reception Year. A considerable number of pupils across the school, however, have not been at Maltese Road from the age of five. The remainder of the school continues to grow. Pupils in Years 3 and 4 are in the only split year-group class.
• The school’s own assessment information, scrutiny of pupils’ work in their books and observations of pupils’ learning confirm that a significant proportion of current pupils are making good progress from their starting points in reading and writing. There is also a growing proportion of pupils on track to achieve or who are already achieving greater depth in 2018, according to the school’s own assessment information. However, in mathematics, work in pupils’ books shows that some pupils could do better, particularly in their use of problem-solving and reasoning skills.
• Leaders have taken decisive action and have introduced a new approach to the teaching of reading across the school. Consequently, pupils’ progress has increased when compared with previous years. Pupils say they enjoy reading and know well why they choose certain authors to read. One pupil said, ‘My teacher got me into Lemony Snicket books and I haven’t stopped reading them since!’
• The impact that the change in the teaching of reading has had on pupils’ writing is clearly evident. The English subject leaders are rightly proud of the significant progress of pupils, including those who are disadvantaged or who are most able. Examples seen during the inspection demonstrated clearly that pupils are becoming authors, using their reading experience well in their writing. For example, one pupil wrote, ‘Without realising, Dr Claw’s henchmen knocked Agent J out cold.’
• Pupils’ mathematics skills and knowledge are developing well, particularly in key stage 1. Inspectors observed pupils in Year 2 ably switching from addition to subtraction and grasping that one is the inverse of the other. Some pupils in Year 1 were able to divide numbers competently using drawn circles as a strategy. All pupils have a good understanding of arithmetic and are beginning to use it well. In some classes, pupils have the opportunity to apply their basic mathematics skills in problem-solving and reasoning activities. However, this is not consistent across the school and therefore some pupils are not enabled to make as much progress as they might or to achieve greater depth.
• Although assessment of the wider curriculum is still developing, it is clear that pupils are able to practise a wide variety of skills. Some pupils are developing their skills in PE and art well. One group of pupils were drawing in pencil, following on from pastel work. ‘Personally, I prefer to use the pencil medium as I have more control over it’, said one pupil. Coverage of the curriculum is largely appropriate for the different age groups. The walls are adorned with high-quality displays of pupils’ work, for example portraits in the style of the Tudors, pastel drawings of fruit, the ‘wind-up wonders’ in the rainforest display and the work pupils have done as palaeontologists.
• Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities make good progress from their varying starting points. Their needs are very quickly identified by staff and they are supported effectively in their learning. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils has grown considerably overall and in two year groups. The progress of disadvantaged pupils is at least in line with their peers in the school. Leaders are targeting the most able disadvantaged pupils with success. Provision such as the nurture group and daily reading has had an impact on pupils’ progress. Teachers say they have noticed a marked difference in pupils’ readiness to tackle tasks in the classroom. As a result, many of these pupils are now either on track to achieve or are already achieving greater depth in reading, writing and mathematics.

Early years provision Outstanding

• Leaders are passionate about giving children the best possible start to their education. Leaders have created an environment that is both welcoming and vibrant and allows children to develop a love of learning.
• Most children typically arrive at the school with skills and knowledge that are either in line with or below those typical for their age. From their starting points, adults work diligently with all children, who come from a variety of backgrounds, to ensure that they catch up with other children nationally by the end of Reception. Children are therefore well prepared for their time in Year 1.
• Leaders and other adults know the children extremely well and they set up learning to match their individual needs. In the language-rich environment that leaders have created, children benefit from both one-to-one and group interactions when they need them. There were numerous examples of adults prompting children to think about what they are learning, for example saying, ‘Anyone got any other ideas to start their diary?’ which children instantly responded to. This helps many children to develop the vocabulary and skills that they do not have when they first arrive at school.
• Adults are very effective at planning and engaging children in their early reading, writing and number learning. They successfully introduce phonics and initial letter sounds through play. For example, in the sandpit, children watched with bated breath as incubated chicks hatched. Many children confidently and ably wrote complete sentences and made sensible guesses at unfamiliar words in their ‘chick diaries’.
• During the inspection, it was a joy to watch children happily and cooperatively playing together, listening to each other. They invented their own game of hunting outside on the ‘road’. ‘I see some tracks - quick, follow me,’ said one girl to her friends. Children made the absolute best use of the outdoor space. They made strawberry pies in the mud kitchen, invented a story with puppets and made a brick house that ‘needs stairs and bedrooms’, which were then ably added. Others gathered information from their friends about which farm animal they like best and recorded it on a tally chart. Adults skilfully interjected with questions and prompts to make the most of the opportunities that were provided for the children.
• The skilled teachers and higher learning support assistant provide very effect support and tailor activities for children who have specific needs. As a result, those children who have SEN and/or disabilities and those who are most able make good progress from their starting points.
• Leaders are very successful at engaging parents in their children’s learning. Parents say they like the online system of recording their children’s achievements both at home and at school. This is having a very positive effect on children’s progress. Parents regularly comment on how well their children are doing and on the inviting early years environment. As one parent among many said of her daughter, ‘She planted my lovely Mothers’ Day plant, so it would continue to grow’, which followed on from planting children had done in school.
• Leaders put a high priority on keeping children safe and meeting their social and emotional needs. As a result, children are prepared to take risks and learn from their experiences.

School details

Unique reference number 141511 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10046592 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Academy Age range of pupils 4 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 153 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Mr David Saxon Executive headteacher Dr Nicholas Rudman Telephone number 01245 357 860 Website www.malteseroadprimary.com Email address admin@maltese.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

Information about this school

• Maltese Road Primary School is smaller than the average-sized primary school. Pupil numbers have continued to grow since the school’s opening in 2015. Some year groups are now full. There is currently one mixed-age class in the school.
• The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium is in line with the national average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic backgrounds is in line with the national average, and the proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is below average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is above the national average. The proportion of pupils who have a statement of special educational needs or an education, health and care plan is below the national average.
• 2018 will be the school’s first year of results for the end of key stage 2.

Information about this inspection

• Maltese Road Primary School is part of the Eveleigh LINK Academy Trust, which consists of five primary schools. The school opened in 2015 as a new school with 17 pupils across various year groups and has grown to three quarters of its final capacity within three years. The executive headteacher works part-time at this school and another of the schools within the trust.
• Inspectors observed learning in every class and attended an assembly. The majority of the observations were carried out jointly with the executive headteacher or head of school.
• Inspectors held meetings with the executive headteacher, the head of school, subject leaders, the SENCo, the early years leader, the school business manager, members of the local governing body and members of the trust, including the chief executive officer.
• Inspectors spoke to pupils informally in class and around the school at break and lunchtimes to seek their views about the school. The lead inspector also held a meeting with members of the school council. Inspectors listened to pupils read during learning observations and met with three pupils to listen to them read individually.
• Together with the leaders of English and mathematics, inspectors carried out a scrutiny of a range of work in pupils’ English, science and topic books. Inspectors also examined the school’s assessment information.
• Inspectors examined a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan, records of child protection and safeguarding, school policies and records of teachers’ appraisals.
• The lead inspector took into consideration 91 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, including texts, 45 responses to the pupil questionnaire, 17 responses to the staff questionnaire and conversations with parents at the end of the school day.
• The lead inspector had sight of trust documentation relating to how trust members hold school leaders to account.
• An independent nursery and a pre- and after-school club operate within the school grounds but were not part of this inspection.

Inspection team

Ruth Brock, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Annie Hookway Ofsted Inspector