Maun Infant and Nursery School

Maun Infant and Nursery School Walesby Lane, New Ollerton, Newark, NG22 9RJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils make good progress. From starting points which are below those expected for their age, pupils reach standards in English and mathematics at the end of Year 2 that are in line with the national average.  Teaching is good. Teachers plan interesting activities which engage both boys and girls. They make sure that tasks are matched appropriately to pupils' needs so they learn well.  Pupils behave well and enjoy school very much. Children settle quickly into the Nursery and there are good relationships between adults and children. Children are kept safe.  Leaders keep a close watch on teaching quality and pupils' achievement. They are quick to tackle any areas which cause concern.  The school promotes pupils' spiritual, moral and social development well. Developing pupils' imagination and creativity has a high priority.  The governing body is well organised and well informed. Governors use information about

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

pupils' performance effectively to hold school leaders to account.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Not enough teaching is outstanding and in a small minority of lessons it is still not yet good.  Pupils' awareness of the diverse make-up of modern society is underdeveloped.  Attendance rates are below those found nationally in primary schools.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in all classes. They observed 14 lessons, some of them jointly with the headteacher, and made brief visits to several more. They examined the work in pupils’ books.  Inspectors held discussions with pupils, parents and carers, staff, governors, and an officer representing the local authority.  Inspectors looked at a wide range of documents covering safeguarding and child protection, attendance, behaviour, pupils' progress and attainment, the work of the governing body, the school improvement plan, and the monitoring of teaching quality.  They consulted the Parent View website, where 21 parents and carers had posted responses to the online questionnaire, and analysed 22 questionnaires completed by staff.

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Inspection team

Richard Marsden, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Amarjit Cheema Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than an average-sized primary school.  The larger majority of pupils are White British. Very few are from other ethnic groups and very few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is broadly in line with the national figure. This is additional government funding which in this school applies to pupils known to be eligible for free school meals or who are in local authority care.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is currently average. The proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special education needs is well below average.  Children in the Nursery attend part-time, either mornings or afternoons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make sure that all teaching is at least good and that more teaching is outstanding by ensuring all teachers:  ask pupils searching questions which genuinely make them think and extend their learning  listen closely to pupils' answers to questions and then reshape tasks and explanations accordingly, so that pupils' learning is sustained and rapid.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Extend pupils' cultural understanding by creating opportunities for them to have first-hand interaction with their counterparts from contrasting communities beyond the immediate locality.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve attendance so that it is consistently above the national average by strengthening the engagement of families who do not send their children to school regularly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils join the school with knowledge and skills which are below, and in some cases, well below those expected for their age. From the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards they make good progress. By the end of Year 2, their attainment in reading writing and mathematics is in line with the national average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 In the past there have been differences in the achievement rates of boys and girls but the school has done much to eliminate these and there are now no marked differences. Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs achieve well. Teachers identify their needs swiftly and accurately and the school gives them good support and guidance.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The support given to pupils eligible for the pupil premium helps them enjoy their lessons, builds their confidence and ensures that these pupils also achieve well from their starting points. By the end of Year 2 they are just over a term behind other pupils in reading, and almost two terms behind in writing and mathematics. These differences are smaller than are found nationally for equivalent groups of pupils. These pupils benefit greatly from the individual and small group work which the pupil premium has funded.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils enjoy learning to read and they speak enthusiastically about the kinds of books they enjoy. The results of the national check on standards in phonics (the sounds letters make) for Year 1 in 2012 were below average, but by the end of Year 2 the reading standards of this group of pupils were average.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most-able pupils in Year 2 read accurately, fluently and with good expression, showing skills well in advance of those expected at their age. Less-able pupils read more hesitantly although they can show clearly how they have been taught to 'sound out' and 'blend' the letters when they meet unfamiliar words.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils make good progress in writing because teachers use imaginative approaches and choose topics designed to hold pupils' interest. Pupils practise their writing skills across a range of subjects, not just in their English lessons, but in other subjects also. A Year 2 class enjoyed doing role play as they prepared to write about a tea party. In doing so, they generated a lot of language and were eager to move on to the written task which was to follow.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils' progress in mathematics is good. In a typical lesson on handling two-digit numbers, pupils worked in groups which involved many different 'hands-on' and practical tasks. These engaged both boys and girls deeply. Tasks were appropriately matched to their abilities and pupils' progress was rapid.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers know their subjects well and have high expectations of pupils. They give clear explanations. They know pupils' capabilities well and make sure that the tasks they set for pupils are interesting and challenging.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers make every effort to involve pupils quickly and directly in their learning and provide plentiful opportunities for them to work independently and without undue direction from teachers. They make good use of visual aids, computer technology, practical tasks and groups or pair work to keep both boys and girls interested and engaged. Lessons move at a good pace.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants and other adults, including parent volunteers, provide good support for those who need it. In class they use their initiative to support pupils who need help. They are well organised when they take individuals or small groups aside for extra help. This ensures that disabled pupils, those who have special educational needs, those who speak English as an additional language and those eligible for the pupil premium are well supported.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good in the Nursery and Reception classes. Teachers are careful to make sure children know what is expected of them. They have a warm and encouraging manner which gives children confidence to 'have a go'. Teachers and other adults interact constantly with children, taking every opportunity to develop their social, observational and language skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Opportunities for outdoor learning feature prominently in the school’s curriculum. All classes regularly use the school's outdoor classroom in the extensive wooded area of the school grounds. During the inspection some of the most excited chatter and most complex language was heard from pupils during a science lesson held here.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers promote English, mathematics and computer skills effectively across subjects. They mark work regularly and give pupils lots of praise and encouragement, as well as good advice about how to improve.

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The quality of teaching is good

 In the best lessons teachers ask probing questions which develop pupils' understanding deeply. Where teaching is less good, questions are sometimes too bland and do not give pupils opportunities to think deeply about their replies. This limits their learning.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The majority of teachers listen carefully to pupils' replies and reshape tasks and explanations to ensure that pupils remain focused and learning is thorough. Where teaching is less good, however, this does not occur frequently enough and pupils do not make the same rapid progress seen elsewhere in the school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are treated with respect and courtesy and, in return, they show respect for each other and for adults. The school is a calm and well-ordered community where pupils can learn purposefully. Both boys and girls show high levels of enthusiasm for school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Behaviour is managed well from the Early Years Foundation Stage onwards. Teachers take care to establish routines and expectations from the outset. Inappropriate behaviour is 'nipped in the bud' and teachers make sure that it does not disrupt learning. Bullying and safety issues are covered in lessons and assemblies at a level appropriate to pupils' ages. Pupils are safe in school.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils are happy and proud to take on responsibilities and jobs for the school. They develop confidence and self esteem as they serve, for example, as playground buddies, lunchtime helpers, or on the school council. Pupils respond well to opportunities to help people less fortunate than themselves through charity fundraising.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The school provides good support for pupils whose circumstances make them particularly vulnerable, making good use of outside agencies as it does so. It can give examples of how this support has enabled these pupils to play a full part in the life of the school and make good progress in line with other pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is below average for primary schools because a small number of pupils are persistently absent. Inspectors saw evidence of the success the school has had with families of poor attenders, which has led to marked improvement in the attendance of individuals, but the school recognises that more needs to be done in this area.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have regular opportunities to be still and reflect. Teachers take every opportunity to stimulate their imagination and creativity, for example, through participation in the 'Take One Picture project run by the National Gallery.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils learn about different people's cultures and beliefs but their cultural development is limited because they do not have regular opportunities to meet and get to know other children personally from backgrounds which are different from their own.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders and managers have high ambitions for the school and share these effectively with all staff. They keep all areas under close review and are quick to tackle any areas of underperformance. The performance of staff is monitored closely.

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The leadership and management are good

 Subject leaders are well informed about the subjects they lead and play a full part in leading developments within the school. The leadership of the Early Years Foundation Stage is also good. Staff ensure that the provision is rich and exciting and that children settle quickly into the school’s routines and are motivated and keen to learn.

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The leadership and management are good

 Staff are keen to extend their skills and expertise. All staff have personal targets for development and their training needs are addressed individually. Pay rises are carefully managed. Promotion is given only when fully deserved and when the impact on pupils' achievement justifies it.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has supported the ongoing training of teachers, helping them, for example, to narrow the gap in achievement between boys and girls and to track pupils' progress more accurately. It confirms that the standards teachers apply when they mark pupils' work are in line with the standards applied nationally. As a result teachers can give pupils and their parents and carers an accurate view of how well pupils are doing compared with pupils nationally.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils enjoy a varied range of subjects in school and a range of out-of school activities which include gardening, cooking and drama. Visitors, visits to places of interest and special theme days, some involving parents and carers as well as pupils, are greatly enjoyed.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school plans to use the new government sports funding to introduce swimming for Year 2 pupils and to link with other local schools to extend the range of sports offered.

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The leadership and management are good

 Leaders make sure there is no discrimination of any kind. All pupils, regardless of background or need have access to everything the school offers. Parents speak highly about the helpfulness of staff and hold the school in high regard.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is effective in promoting pupils' good achievement. Governors are well organised and well informed. They benefit from training and support provided by the local authority. They know how the school's performance compares with that of school's nationally. They are effective in holding leaders to account and asking key questions to secure the best for pupils. They make visits into school, observe lessons, hold meetings with staff and provide written feedback giving areas for development. Governors understand how teaching quality is monitored. They know how finances, including the pupil premium, are used to promote pupils'

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The leadership and management are good

achievement. They make sure that teachers' pay rises are clearly linked to pupils' achievement and are fully deserved. They make sure that the school's procedures for safeguarding children fully meet national requirements and that all children are kept safe.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 122667 Local authority Nottinghamshire Inspection number 425030

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School details

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

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School details

Type of school Infant School category Community Age range of pupils 3–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 180 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Tom McLafferty Headteacher Mary Haig Date of previous school inspection 17 January 2012 Telephone number 01623 860773 Fax number 01623 860773 Email address office@maun.notts.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk, or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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