Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School

School report Malden Manor Primary and Nursery School Sheephouse Way, New Malden, Surrey, KT3 5PF

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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.  Good teaching and pupils’ positive attitudes to learning enable pupils to make good progress and attain standards which are above those usually found by the end of Year 6.  Pupils who receive additional help make good progress because this support is effective.  Pupils behave well and their attendance is good. Relationships between pupils and adults are trusting and so pupils feel safe and happy in school.  Senior leaders, including the governing body, have an accurate view of the school’s strengths and where further development is needed. This ensures that there is a strong focus on raising standards and ensuring pupils’ good progress.  The headteacher and senior team have brought together an effective team of staff who work hard for the pupils. Staff have been encouraged to lead key aspects of the school’s work and they have responded well and contributed effectively to improve teaching.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The vast majority of parents and carers say that their child is happy at school and they would recommend the school to others.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because:

 Occasionally, pupils do not understand the work in lessons and have to wait for additional help which slows their progress.  The marking of pupils’ work is regular but does not consistently show pupils how to improve their work.  Boys’ attainment in writing, although similar to boys’ nationally, is not as good as that of girls in the younger years and their handwriting could be improved.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 19 lessons or part lessons, four of which were observed jointly with the headteacher and members of the senior leadership team. The inspectors also observed senior leaders feeding back to teachers about the strengths and areas to improve in their teaching.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in their books. They held formal discussions with pupils and spoke to others informally in lessons, at break and at lunchtimes. Inspectors also listened to pupils from Years 2 and 6 read.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, the Chair of the Governing Body and vice chair, and the school improvement partner from the local authority.  Inspectors analysed a range of school documentation, including: safeguarding records and those related to pupils’ behaviour and attendance; minutes of the governing body; records of monitoring teaching and pupils’ learning; and the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plan.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors looked in particular at how successfully the school spends additional pupil premium funds it receives on pupils’ learning and progress. Inspectors also examined the impact of funds used specifically to increase pupils’ participation in sport.  Inspectors also looked at teachers’ planning and records of pupils’ progress for all year groups.  Inspectors took account of 51 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and 41 written responses by staff to the questionnaire sent to them. In addition, inspectors spoke to parents and carers when they dropped pupils off at school.

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Inspection team

Susan Payne, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Gordon Jackson Additional Inspector Victoria Turner Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for the pupil premium, which is additional funding provided by the government for children in local authority care, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from families with a parent or carer in the armed forces, is average.  The proportion of pupils identified as disabled and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below the national average, as is the proportion supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs.  The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is much higher than average, as is the number of pupils whose first language is not English.  The school meets the current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress set by the government.  The school has a nursery which 52 children attend. The school also has eight places for two year

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Information about this school

olds in nursery provision provided by Twinkle Twos, which was inspected separately in February 2014.  The school has an out-of-hours club which offers childcare for pupils before and after school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Ensure that more teaching is outstanding by:  making sure that pupils understand their work clearly in lessons  showing pupils what they have to do to improve their work through marking and giving them time to respond to the comments.  Improve attainment in boys’ writing, particularly in the younger classes, by:  making sure that when boys write, it is on topics which motivate and engage them  improving handwriting by making sure that pupils are shown how to form letters correctly and apply this in their writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children coming into the Nursery and Reception classes have skills and abilities well below the levels typically expected for their age. As a result of a focus on how well children speak and listen, they make good, and occasionally better, progress in developing these skills. For example, children in Nursery and Reception were encouraged to use subject-specific vocabulary and explain their learning about adding two numbers together, using methods called ‘How many altogether?’ and ‘How many more?’  This good progress is continued across Key Stage 1. In 2013, Year 2 pupils reached the levels expected for their age. More pupils than nationally are attaining the higher levels for their age in reading, writing and mathematics.  Typically, pupils leave school at the end of Year 6 with levels of attainment which are at least those expected for their age. An increasing proportion of the most able pupils are attaining the

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The achievement of pupils is good

higher levels and making faster progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, in all year groups, share in the good progress made by other pupils. These pupils receive additional support both in and outside lessons, enabling them to achieve as well as similar pupils nationally.  Pupils eligible for additional funding through the pupil premium were approximately six months behind in reading and writing and 12 months behind in mathematics. These gaps are narrowing and these pupils make good progress, at least as much as other pupils in the school.  As a result of effective language support, pupils with English as an additional language, from varied backgrounds, share in the achievement seen by other groups in school.  Pupils learn well in mathematics; for example, pupils in Year 4 were challenged to investigate fractions, using money, which showed the teacher’s high expectations.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Achievement in reading is good. Inspectors heard pupils reading confidently and accurately. Pupils said that they enjoy reading.  Occasionally, pupils do not achieve as well as they could in lessons. This happens when pupils, working on their own, have not fully understood the teacher’s explanation about the task. They have to wait for additional adult help and cannot move on with their learning. Although achievement in writing is good overall, boys’ writing, in the younger years, is not as good as that of girls. Work in books shows that they are given too few opportunities to write about things that are real, relevant and interesting to them or to use real-life situations to motivate and engage them. As a result they do not take pride in their work and they do not take care with their handwriting.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching assistants are used well in classrooms and they actively engage with groups of pupils and individuals to support learning effectively.  Staff enjoy very trusting and respectful relationships with pupils and they manage behaviour well. This supports the good progress pupils make.  In mathematics, teachers engage pupils through opportunities to use and apply their calculation skills to real-life problems, in order to deepen their understanding.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, including the most able. They ask questions that help pupils think, to deepen their learning and to develop vocabulary. For example, in a Year 3 geography lesson the teacher encouraged children to talk together to think of exciting words that describe Australia, to which pupils responded well.  Teachers use the outdoor space well to give the pupils ‘hands-on’ learning experiences. For

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The quality of teaching is good

example, when studying habitats, Year 2 pupils learn how to carry out a fair investigation and to test their predictions about what living things they would discover in different parts of the school grounds.  When reading to inspectors, pupils in Key Stage 1 were able to tackle unknown words well, using the strategies that they have been taught, including the use of phonics.  Older pupils have good reading skills, which help them understand and read better in other subjects of the curriculum and prepare them well for secondary school. Pupils throughout the school enjoy reading.  Reading is promoted well with the youngest children when teachers plan opportunities for children to talk about books and learn to handle them correctly.  Teachers check pupils’ progress regularly and use this information to plan work which builds on pupils’ understanding. A Year 6 literacy lesson about play scripts clearly followed on from

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The quality of teaching is good

previous work completed by the pupils and engaged all pupils in full discussions of creative ideas.  Early identification of pupils who need extra support in lessons, individually or in small groups, ensures that they make the same good progress as the other pupils in the school. These include disabled pupils and those with special educational needs, those who are eligible for additional support and those who speak English as an additional language.  Occasionally, pupils do not understand the work or task because teachers have not explained it clearly enough, especially for pupils who will not be working with an adult. This results in these pupils having to wait for additional adult help so they can move on in their learning, and slows their progress.  Marking is generally good and usually accurate, but teachers do not always provide enough guidance or show pupils how they can improve their work. When guidance is given, it is not

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The quality of teaching is good

often evident that pupils have been given the time to respond to it.  Parents and carers agree that teaching is good and that their children make good progress; the inspection confirmed this.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They are well mannered and polite to each other and adults. Pupils’ attitudes to learning are largely very positive and they have good skills in working together. For example, Year 5 pupils worked well together to plan and organise an effective assembly for parents and carers, showcasing their science learning about the water cycle.  Pupils understand what bullying is but say that it is not a problem. Pupils say that if there is an incident of unkindness or someone is hurt, they have adults to turn to and they are confident that situations are dealt with effectively.  Pupils treat each other well. They understand the school’s five values and its motto, ‘Being the best we can be’. Older children are given the opportunity to take on responsibilities, for example to train as a peer mediator or to be a member of the school council, and to develop their

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

capacity to become responsible citizens.  Inspectors analysed the school’s records of behaviour, which showed that it is consistently good over time. This is based on clear expectations of how pupils should behave which foster positive relationships, equality of opportunity and ensure there is no discrimination. Pupils are aware of the school’s rewards used to promote and celebrate good behaviour.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils spoken to said that they feel safe in school because they trust their teachers and find all staff caring. They say that they enjoy coming to school and that their teachers make learning fun.  Attendance is now above average and is improving because of the clear systems that are in place to encourage pupils to attend school regularly. There have been no recent exclusions and racist incidents are very low.  Behaviour is not yet outstanding because occasionally, when the pupils are unclear about what

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

they are learning or what to do next, due to lack of guidance or an unclear explanation, pupils can waste time and become distracted.  The out-of-hours club provides a good beginning to the day for pupils who attend and pupils enjoy the activities provided for them after school. The club ensures the pupils are well cared for.  The vast majority of parents and carers who responded to the Ofsted Parent View facility, believe that behaviour is good and their child is safe in school.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher, supported by senior leaders, has driven the school forward extremely well since the last inspection. Attainment and progress rates have both risen because of good attention to detail in improving the quality of teaching and regular, careful checking and analysis of information about pupils’ progress.  The school has an accurate knowledge of its strengths and areas to improve.  The school improvement plan has the correct priorities for further improvements. There is a good level of consultation with staff and governors. The views of parents, carers and pupils are beginning to be taken into account and the school is starting to involve parents and carers successfully in their child’s learning. For example, parents and carers of early years children enjoy coming in to learn alongside their child on ‘Take Part Tuesdays’ and to give their feedback on how their morning went.  The headteacher and senior leaders have developed a committed staff team who work hard for

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The leadership and management are good

the pupils. Subject and team leaders have risen to the challenge in the responsibilities they have been given. They gain a good overview of aspects of teaching and learning by using a range of techniques, including looking at pupils’ workbooks and talking to pupils.  The arrangements for checking teachers’ performance are clear and are linked to the national Teachers’ Standards. The objectives set out for each teacher include how success will be measured against pupils’ achievement.  Pupil premium money is well spent, for example on employing extra staff to provide extra support to pupils who need the support and raise attainment and improve rates of progress. Pupils who have received support have made similar progress to, or better than their peers.  The curriculum is well organised and links through themes engage and interest the pupils. For example, Year 4 pupils have enjoyed learning about the Vikings. They have broadened their

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The leadership and management are good

knowledge through historical skills and research and also developed other skills, such as design, when creating models of Viking ships. Pupils use their basic skills of reading, writing and mathematics in their science investigations. There is a good range of out-of-school activities to support pupils’ interests, including sport and music. The school has already started to plan for the new National Curriculum that will be introduced in schools later this year.  The school is using the government funding for physical education and sport to provide sports coaches to extend the range of activities for pupils and to work alongside teachers so that their skills are further developed in teaching this subject.  Assemblies and a wide range of enrichment activities contribute well to pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  The school has worked well with the local authority since the last inspection. The school

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The leadership and management are good

improvement partner has visited regularly to assess the school’s progress and to promote further development of teaching and learning. For example, the Nursery and Reception class teachers have been shown how to develop strong provision for the youngest children in school, including effective use of the outdoor space to engage the children in their learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body has become more effective since the previous inspection at interpreting data. It is closely involved in promoting and monitoring school improvement.  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s current performance and how staff are taking actions to raise pupils’ progress and attainment.  They ensure that the school meets all statutory safeguarding requirements and they effectively support the pupils who are most in need.  Governors visit the school regularly through their links with different classes and subjects, and

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The leadership and management are good

so gain an accurate view about the quality of teaching.  Governors check that policies are up to date and that finances are managed effectively. For example, they understand and review the impact of the spending of pupil premium funding and sports funding, in order to ensure that the money is used effectively to improve pupils’ progress and physical well-being.  Governors use their skills to challenge and support the headteacher and senior team because they are ambitious for the school and the pupils’ achievements.  Governors are well informed about teachers’ performance management, including that of the headteacher, and they review teachers’ pay accordingly. They are aware of what is being done to reward good teaching and where underperformance has been addressed in the past.

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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 102581 Local authority Kingston upon Thames Inspection number 433667

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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 Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 2–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 462 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Heather McDonald Headteacher Merryl Roberson Date of previous school inspection 15–16 November 2012 Telephone number 020 8337 9620 Fax number 020 8225 6513 Email address schooloffice@maldenmanor.rbksch.org 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 and 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

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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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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