Myland Community Primary School

Myland Community Primary School Mill Road, Mile End, Colchester CO4 5LD

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This a good school

 Leaders and managers have eradicated weak teaching. As a result, most pupils are now making the progress of which they are capable.  Pupils enjoy the tasks teachers set, have positive attitudes to learning and behave well.  Disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs or disability receive effective support. As a result, they make good progress.  British values are promoted effectively and pupils leave the school well prepared to become active citizens in modern Britain.  Outstanding provision in the early years means that children progress extremely well and are well prepared for Year 1.  Attendance is very good for the large majority of pupils. It is consistently higher than national averages.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Senior leaders do not make full use of the good- quality information they have to evaluate the impact of initiatives fully.  The most-able pupils are not always challenged in their work to reach the highest standards of attainment.  Not all leaders communicate effectively to members of the school community about their actions and priorities to improve the school to ensure that the views of all staff and parents are valued.  Pupils in Years 2 to 6 do not have ready access to sufficient resources to support a deepening of understanding in mathematics.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring that: senior leaders are more succinct when evaluating the impact of actions taken across the school so that final, whole-school documentation has more precision, identifies trends and shows specific impact new subject and middle leaders evaluate performance in their areas of responsibility so that they can plan long-term actions for improvement all staff and parents understand changes and improvements, and feel that what they say is valued and considered.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and the rate of pupils’ progress by ensuring that: teachers provide access to sufficient resources and support to enable pupils to deepen their mathematical understanding the most-able pupils are provided with more challenging work that will develop their higher levels of understanding.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 There have been changes to key leadership posts since the previous inspection. The senior leadership team has been extended to include three assistant headteachers and literacy and numeracy leaders. It also includes the teacher with responsibility for the provision for pupils with special educational needs or disability. Together with the headteacher, they carry out comprehensive monitoring of the quality of teaching and learning through, for example, regular book scrutinies, classroom visits and lesson observations.  Leaders are at various stages in developing their skills. Leaders have successfully eradicated the weakest teaching since the previous inspection. They provide effective training and support to teachers to improve the quality of teaching.  The leader for mathematics is relatively new to her role. However, she has already been proactive in identifying issues in mathematics teaching and has supported staff by giving them advice. She is well

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

supported by the relevant governor. She has identified aspects of teachers’ knowledge and understanding that need to develop, and the impact of this can already be seen in the quality of pupils’ learning and progress in their books.  The leader responsible for the provision for pupils with special educational needs or disability has a good understanding of the strengths and weakness in teaching for these pupils and for low-attaining pupils. She has ensured that additional small-group support is carefully planned and well taught; this is helping pupils to make better progress. However, she is also aware that in some class lessons, the work provided for these pupils is either too difficult or lacks challenge. In response, leaders are using the good practice that exists within the school to improve teaching and ensure that all teachers provide the right level of challenge and support for pupils who may find learning difficult.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 Pupil premium funding is used effectively. In 2015, disadvantaged children made more progress than their peers in Year 6. The school’s assessment information shows that currently, disadvantaged pupils make similar rates of progress as others at the school; however, their attainment is lower. The school needs to ensure that documentation provided on its website has sufficient detail to show the impact of the spending in relation to the progress and attainment of these children.  The school demonstrates a strong commitment to providing equal opportunities. This is reflected in the fact that all pupils now have a better opportunity to succeed. The leadership team also works hard to ensure that pupils learn about British values and the diversity of life in modern Britain, at the same time as learning about the dangers of radicalisation and extremism. The school has detailed and up-to-date policies and procedures to cater for these aspects of pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

development.  The school’s curriculum has been carefully developed to enthuse and motivate pupils in their learning. There is evidence of this in displays around the school and in the year books that record key moments throughout the year, such as the Diwali workshop and Pancake Day. Pupils now have many opportunities to write longer pieces when learning in subjects other than English and their topic books show true pride in their presentation.  The primary school sports funding has been used effectively to increase the opportunities for pupils to take part in a wider range of sports. As a result, pupils are enthusiastic about sport, with a high proportion taking part in competitive activities. Each class is helping the whole school ‘run to Rio’ for the Olympics, and the children talk enthusiastically about how far they have run and the competition they are having with other classes.  Most parents are aware of the school’s improvements and understand leaders’ priorities. They are positive

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

about the way in which the school has improved since the previous inspection. The leadership team works hard to involve parents with weekly ‘share sessions’ that parents can attend after school. Workshops and participation in class activities provide opportunities for parents to understand aspects of the curriculum and to be involved in their children’s learning.  The online questionnaires for parents and staff showed that the majority believe the school is well led and managed. However, when talking to parents and staff, and taking into consideration their responses to the online questionnaires, some were concerned about how well the leadership of the school listens to their views and consults with them.  The local authority rightly views the school as a good school and therefore currently offers ‘light-touch’ support.  The governance of the school  Governance is good and has improved significantly since the previous inspection. Governors have acted

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

quickly upon guidance and training in order to improve their effectiveness. They are now fully involved in determining the strategic direction of the school. However, they have sometimes become too involved in the operational leadership of the school. Governors know about the quality of teaching and how it affects pupils’ outcomes and decisions on teachers’ pay. They check that funding, such as the pupil premium, is used to good effect and have rightly asked for more impact to be provided within reports.  The governing body is extremely effective in ensuring that all statutory requirements are met for safeguarding pupils. Training is up to date and staff are aware of their responsibilities because of clear procedures and policies to keep children safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 The quality of teaching has improved since the previous inspection. As a result, pupils’ outcomes in reading, writing and mathematics have improved and are good.  Teachers and teaching assistants know the pupils well. There are good, trusting relationships, and consequently pupils are confident to try things out for themselves, take risks and become resilient learners. They know that their opinions will be valued and that teachers will take time to explain if they do not understand something.  Teachers’ planning of learning ensures that there are good opportunities to develop reading, writing and mathematical skills in a range of subjects and these meaningful links support pupils’ learning. Pupils say that this helps make their lessons interesting and it is ensuring that pupils have opportunities to apply their skills.  The teaching of reading and phonics is good and leads to good outcomes. Pupils read fluently and

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

accurately. They write at length and use complex sentences at levels that are at least appropriate for their age. They draft, edit and improve their work when they write extended pieces.  In mathematics, teachers provide plenty of opportunities for pupils to practise calculation and apply it in problem-solving tasks. Pupils do not always have the resources they need to help them to reach the correct answer and to understand abstract concepts in order to support the deepening of mathematical understanding. Sometimes, teachers move on too quickly and ignore pupils’ misconceptions. When this happens, progress is not as strong. The best learning takes place where adults challenge pupils’ misconceptions and use these as teaching points.  In a very small number of lessons, the classes were not as expertly managed as they could be. This resulted in pupils finding it difficult to maintain concentration and their learning was not good. At times,

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

this was when pupils who were already keen to get on and work independently had to wait to get started or listen to information that was not fully relevant. Occasionally, teachers do not give pupils enough challenge, especially the most-able pupils, to extend their learning within the lesson.  Teachers work closely with senior leaders to check on the progress of individual pupils and groups of pupils. They quickly identify any pupils or groups who may be falling behind, including disadvantaged pupils and those who have special educational needs or disability. Appropriate additional support is provided, either in class or out of lessons, which enables them to make good progress and catch up to the best of their ability. Skilled teaching assistants make a good contribution to pupils’ learning, especially to engage and meet the needs of those who may be struggling.  The school’s policy for marking and feedback is used consistently across the school. Pupils’ use of ‘fix it’

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

activities have helped them to take ownership of their learning and to understand what to do to progress further.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  Pupils feel very safe in school. They show good understanding of the different forms bullying can take. Although they say that bullying occurs occasionally, they are confident that it will be dealt with well by the adults in school. They know how to keep safe when using the internet and what to do if they are worried about anything they see.  The school premises and accommodation are safe and secure. Pupils say that they feel safe and were seen staying safe around the school. They use equipment such as computers safely and they abide by fair play in sporting activities. Parents agree that pupils are safe in school.  The calm, caring atmosphere and the way in which staff promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength of the school. This helps pupils become considerate and sensible. They

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Personal development and welfare

show respect for each other, staff and the different religions and cultures represented in school.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well behaved in lessons and have good attitudes to learning. Low-level disruption, such as talking while others are talking, is rare. There is an orderly feel to classrooms, and pupils show respect to adults and each other, engaging politely and confidently. When moving around the school, the children ask visitors, ‘Have you had a good day?’.  They are well behaved on arrival to and around the school. Pupils’ behaviour during assemblies, at breaktimes and at lunchtimes is nearly always positive. Pupils respond well to the school’s code of conduct.  Pupils enjoy their learning and this is reflected in the pride they take in presenting their work neatly and in wearing their school uniform.  Attendance is above average and has improved year on year since the previous inspection. Pupils enjoy coming to school. The school has robust systems in place to ensure that attendance remains above the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Decisive action taken by the headteacher to eliminate weak teaching and raise standards has resulted in sustained improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils currently in the school are making good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  In the past, pupils did not have the phonics skills required for reading. With good-quality teaching, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in phonics has significantly improved. The most recent phonics check results in Year 1 were above national expectations and current pupils are on track to achieve higher.  By the end of Year 6 in 2015, pupils did not reach the standards expected for their age in writing, but made accelerated progress for their age in grammar, punctuation and spelling. The school has made sure that more of an equal emphasis has now been placed on both aspects of writing. Work in books and the

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Outcomes for pupils are good

school’s assessment information show that pupils are making good progress in acquiring English grammar and writing skills. As a result, Year 6 pupils are better prepared than previous cohorts for the move to secondary school.  The teaching of mathematics is effective. The new calculation policy has made sure of a more consistent approach across the classes. Evidence in books shows that pupils gain confidence in calculating using a variety of methods. Pupils are encouraged to give a full explanation as to their choice of method. Some books show opportunities for pupils to apply their skills to solve problems and carry out their reasoning to a greater depth, but this is not always the case. Learning is more successful when there are sufficient resources to help with understanding abstract concepts.  Attainment and progress in reading throughout the school are good. Pupils read with accuracy, and they

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Outcomes for pupils are good

talk confidently about their reading.  Pupils who have special educational needs or disability make good progress. The special educational needs coordinator checks the progress of individual pupils, making sure that they receive the support they need in order to do well.  The work planned for some of the most-able pupils is not sufficiently ambitious. Work in their books shows that these pupils are challenged over time but that the work they are occasionally asked to do is well within their comfort zone. This means that they do not consistently achieve the standard of which they are capable.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 When children join the school in the early years, their skills and knowledge are typical for their age. Thoughtful and very well-planned activities and support provided by staff help children make a rapid start to their learning. They make outstanding progress from their starting points and are extremely well prepared for the move to Year 1.  Children settle extremely well because of the strong relationships they form with the adults working with them. A focus on reading, writing and number that is embedded within a lively curriculum means that many learn to read very quickly. Children are encouraged to explore their environment and engage with one another at all times. Children are enthusiastic and work well together, and clearly enjoy the activities that take place, both indoors and outside.  Children have many opportunities to learn what outstanding behaviour looks like and how to play together cooperatively. They are exceptionally considerate and behave very well. Teachers and other staff

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Early years provision is outstanding

set a friendly, fun tone for the setting. Children are happy, safe and settled.  The quality of teaching in Reception is outstanding. Staff take into account children’s interests. For example, they have developed areas with small-world toys and appropriate books to extend learning both inside and in the outdoors.  Children develop excellent communication skills and develop their physical skills very well. For example, during a role play based on the fairy tale ‘Three Billy Goats Gruff’, children manipulated masks and trudged over a rickety bridge they had made. Staff show high levels of interest in children’s responses and their interests. They use questioning extremely well to extend children’s learning and draw on their own experiences.  The early years staff have developed effective and purposeful partnerships with parents. Parents are welcomed into classes, attend learning sessions and support their children’s learning at home. This

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Early years provision is outstanding

partnership working contributes to children’s excellent outcomes.  Teachers make very effective use of assessment information, which is compiled into ‘learning journey’ books. These provide an attractive, informative summary of progress made over the year as well as a much-valued keepsake. Parents also contribute to these books throughout the year. Teachers make excellent use of these assessments to keep a careful check on the progress children are making and use this information in their planning.  The indoor classrooms are spacious, well organised and extremely well resourced. All the rooms are complemented by an easily accessible outside space, which offers a very inviting and lively learning space that is used well by children in all weathers and throughout the year.  Leadership of the early years provision is outstanding. Over time, this has had considerable impact on improving the quality of provision. The early years leader has worked very effectively to create a rich

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Early years provision is outstanding

learning culture that places the needs of the children at its heart. Children want to do well and please their teachers by doing their very best work.

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School details

Unique reference number 114708 Local authority Essex Inspection number 10011780

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School details

This inspection 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 4  11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 336 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stephen Chamberlain Headteacher Debbie Griggs Telephone number 01206 852109 Website www.myland.essex.sch.uk Email address admin@myland.essex.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 11–12 February 2014

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Information about this school

 Myland Community Primary School is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress by the end of Year 6.  The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs or disability, supported through a special educational needs statement or an education, health and care plan, is average. The proportion receiving special educational needs support is lower than the national average.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils who are eligible for the pupil premium is well below average. The pupil premium is additional funding provided by the government for pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection team observed lessons in all classes, some of which were observed jointly with the headteacher, assistant headteacher or the special educational needs coordinator. Inspectors visited small-group sessions and observed pupils at play during playtime and lunchtime.  The inspectors spoke with parents, pupils, staff, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work books from different year groups, and listened to pupils read.  The inspection team looked at a range of school documents, including checks on the quality of teaching, current achievement information and the systems used to gather an accurate picture of how well pupils are doing.  The school’s procedures for safeguarding pupils were scrutinised.  Inspectors considered 99 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire, Parent View, and comments on free text, along with 44 responses from the staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Cassandra Williams, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Lynda Beale Ofsted Inspector Tracey Hailstone-Ahern Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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