Meadowpark School

Meadowpark School The Old School House, High Street, Cricklade, Wiltshire SN6 6DD

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Outstanding

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is highly effective. As a result, it is alright to be different at this school.  The curriculum is a significant strength, resulting in pupils’ love of reading and development of their self-esteem.  Pupils feel safe in school. They are taught well about how to keep themselves safe, including when using modern technology.  Through good teaching, pupils make good progress. Those who have attended the school the longest make the best progress.  The proprietors are aspirational and have high expectations. They, staff and pupils create a warm, supportive and welcoming environment for new pupils and visitors.  Communication between the school and current parents is generally good. The school’s website is not as helpful as it could be.  Children in the early years make good progress in all areas of their learning and development.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ behaviour is good. Pupils behave well around the school. Some pupils do not have the same good attitudes for learning as others. This hampers their progress.  Senior leaders are developing the implementation of the school’s new assessment system to track pupils’ progress from their starting points. Training is being provided to help middle leaders to monitor and drive improvement across all year groups.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school meets the requirements of the schedule to the Education (Independent School Standards) Regulations 2014 (‘the independent school standards’) and associated requirements.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ outcomes, by: – ensuring that the new assessment systems are consistently employed in all classes and are used to help pupils maximise their potential.  Improve the quality of leadership and management, by: – ensuring that middle leaders have a better understanding of outcomes across the whole school and use the information from their monitoring to improve pupils’ progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Senior staff have a good understanding of the school. They know where things are working, what needs to improve and how to go about it. When making significant changes they have welcomed the involvement of staff and parents and encouraged them to share their views. Senior leaders make appropriate adjustments where feasible. For example, the relevance of homework has been improved.  Senior leaders have high expectations of staff and pupils. As a result, most pupils are well behaved, motivated and keen to learn. Staff morale is high.  The curriculum is carefully matched to meet pupils’ interests and needs. All the required areas of learning are covered in depth. The good range of after-school clubs and activities supplement taught aspects well. Educational trips and support of the local community enhance pupils’ learning experiences and awareness of local issues.  Communication between the school and parents is generally good. Parents have daily

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

access to staff to discuss their children face to face. Parents also have detailed annual reports on their children’s achievements and next steps in their learning in all subjects.  Parents have noted that the school’s website is not as helpful as it could be. There is a portal for those parents with children currently at the school to be kept up to date with news. However, prospective parents and others have more limited information provided, for example, about the school’s term dates. The proprietors have already appointed a marketing manager to resolve this, and a review of the website is about to happen.  The headteacher has in the past been responsible for observing the work of teachers at the school. Last year, she enabled staff to review each other’s work and observe teaching in other classes. Staff have also had joint training and undertaken moderation exercises of pupils’ work with another school. This has enabled them to share best practice and learn

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

from each other.  Over the past year, the school has begun to assign responsibilities and tasks for middle leadership. These leaders have started to monitor aspects of the school’s work, for example by subject. This work is at the very early stages of development. These leaders can, and do, reflect on their understanding as class teachers, but have not yet expanded their monitoring to cover all groups in the school. Further training and support is being arranged for them.  Leaders have ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.

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Governance

 The two proprietors, in their individual roles of headteacher and bursar, have a comprehensive understanding of the school. They have ensured that all of the independent school standards are met.  They are beginning to work more closely with other schools and have broadened their sources of support. For example, they have introduced another governor to help enhance the quality of external advice, support and challenge.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. There is a strong culture of safeguarding within the school.  Considerable care is taken to ensure that the premises provide a safe and secure environment for pupils.  All of the required checks are made on staff before they join the school. Records are appropriately kept.  The school has an appropriate safeguarding policy, which staff understand and follow. Staff know what to do if they have any concerns about a child or an adult. The school works effectively with agencies, parents and carers to keep pupils safe.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Homework provided by teachers is generally appropriate to each pupil’s age. It covers a wide range of activities that are directly linked to pupils’ current classwork. As result, it helps pupils remember what they have learned in class and extends their learning.  Teachers are highly effective in helping pupils develop their reading skills and appreciation of different texts. For example, they explore with them through adventure stories how the author has used different sentence lengths and punctuation to create different atmospheres.  Pupils regularly use their writing and mathematical skills in a variety of different ways through activities that have been carefully planned by teachers. This makes learning interesting for the pupils and shows them why they need to learn specific techniques for their future lives.  In science, pupils undertake a suitable range of experiments and activities. Sometimes

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

the space provided for them to record their results hinders their ability to demonstrate deeper understanding or extension of learning.  Teachers have a good understanding about what the pupils in their class know, understand and can do. They know how to support them in their learning so that they make good progress.  Teachers share accurate information with each other at the end of the year about the pupils they will be teaching. They are less well informed about the progress each pupil has made throughout their whole time at the school. A new assessment system has been put in place, along with new middle leadership roles, to remedy this. However, these systems and roles are in the very early stages of being putting into practice.  Some parents would appreciate more information in advance about what their children will be learning and how they will be assessed, so that they are better prepared to help

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  Pupils’ physical and emotional well-being, including their mental health, are carefully considered. While pupils make good academic progress, the school is not a hothouse. Pupils are supported to develop and flourish into well-rounded individuals.  Pupils are taught how to be good citizens, and about life in modern Britain. As a result, they have high levels of respect and support for others who are different from themselves.  During their time in school, pupils learn how to keep themselves, and each other, safe.  Older pupils are great representatives for their school. They display high levels of responsibility and are good role models for younger pupils. They do this through their considerate behaviour, and when completing their duties, for example, as monitors.  The school’s premises and grounds are well cared for. Classrooms provide attractive

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good when moving about the school, during breaks and when taking part in activities at the start or end of the school day.  The oldest pupils, and those who have been longest at the school, behave extremely well. They are respectful, kind and courteous.  Staff have high expectations for consistently good behaviour and provide clear boundaries. However, some pupils do not have good attitudes to learning and can cause some low-level disruption, which hinders their progress. When behaviour slips, staff support pupils well to encourage them to display good behaviour.  Attendance levels are average.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils make good progress in all their subjects. Throughout the school day, opportunities are fully exploited to develop and extend pupils’ writing and reading skills. Pupils are able to write in a range of different styles that are purposeful and relevant to real-life situations.  When reading aloud, pupils use expressive vocabulary and intonation well to demonstrate the meaning of the text and what the author intends the reader to feel. They regularly read a wide range of different types of books in lessons, and the vast majority also read for pleasure at home.  In mathematics, pupils have a good knowledge and understanding of time and money. Across the school, their understanding of fractions is less strong. They are beginning to develop greater levels of reasoning when solving problems. This is new work for them, which they enjoy.  Pupils learn to swim, take part in team sports and have regular physical exercise.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 Pupils are taught Spanish and French language throughout the school. Pupils make good progress in their pronunciation and develop their understanding of the different cultures.  The most able pupils report that they find the work set for them ‘do-able, but challenging’. The work in their books and other evidence seen around the school is consistent with their views. Likewise, those pupils who are struggling with their learning are ably supported by staff so that work is set at an appropriate level for them to make good progress.  Pupils excel in a wide range of musical and aesthetic subjects and areas. Individual pupils with exceptional gifts or talents are encouraged to pursue them. Pupils sing in harmony and with feeling, for example during assembly.

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Early years provision Good

 Children make good progress developing what they know and can do when they start at the school. Those children who have been in the school’s nursery and have completed the whole of the Reception Year at the school make strong progress.  As a result of good quality teaching, children generally leave the Reception Year ready to start Year 1. Those who have been at the aligned nursery continue to progress and achieve a good level of development.  Parents are kept well informed about their children’s progress and areas of development. Effective collaboration between home and school is a strength. For example, it enables children’s learning of phonics (letters and the sounds they represent) to be secure. This acts as a solid foundation to develop their reading and speaking skills when they join Year 1.  Children learn and play sociably with each other, and are polite with adults. They develop good awareness of self-care and hygiene habits. They learn how to keep themselves safe.

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Early years provision Good

Through the use of the adventure playground and use of the wider grounds locally, they understand how to manage risks and learn about their local environment. Sometimes the outside area is not used as effectively to fully develop other aspects of learning, such as children’s writing and number skills.  Good relationships with parents, other providers and external services enable children in the Reception class to be kept safe and well cared for. Parents report that they feel supported by staff and that their children feel safe and happy at school.  Leaders and managers have ensured that the curriculum provided is effective in preparing children for the demands of the national curriculum. The Reception Year provides a good range of child-initiated learning and adult-initiated learning.  Observations and assessment of children’s learning are regular. Staff use these records to plan extra support, where needed, and to make sure future activities are suitably

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Early years provision Good

challenging. They are moderated with other providers to ensure external and internal consistency and accuracy.  All of the independent school standards are met in relation to the early years provision and there are no breaches of statutory welfare requirements.

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 109(1) and (2) of the Education and Skills Act 2008, the purpose of which is to advise the Secretary of State for Education about the school’s suitability for continued registration as an independent school.

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School details

Annual fees (day pupils) £6,585 to £8,550

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–6 March 2014

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Information about this school

 Meadowpark School is an independent day school for boys and girls. It is registered to provide education for 85 children from the age of four to 11 years. The school offers before-school care from 8am and after-school care until 6pm.  Currently, eight children receive early years funding.  There are very few pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, or who are disadvantaged.  Those pupils who speak English as an additional language are fluent in English.  The school uses local sporting and swimming facilities.  The previous standard Ofsted inspection of the school took place in 2014. Since then the number of pupils attending the school has doubled.  The two proprietors of Education Plus Limited, acting as the two directors, are responsible for the governance of the school. A further governor, external to the running of the school, was appointed during the inspection.  Education Plus Limited offers nursery provision that is independently registered on the

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Information about this school

Early Years Register. This provision was inspected separately, but at the same time as the inspection of the school, by Ofsted under sections 49 and 50 of the Childcare Act 2006. That inspection report can be found on the Ofsted website.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed learning in all classes and scrutinised examples of the pupils’ past and current work. They also listened to pupils read in lessons.  The inspectors held meetings with the proprietors, leaders, and other staff at the school. They considered the 10 responses to the Ofsted questionnaire for school staff.  The inspectors spoke with pupils in groups, in lessons, and around the school.  The inspectors considered the 43 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View. In addition, they spoke briefly with several parents during the inspection.  The inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s records relating to safeguarding and the quality of teaching, learning and assessment. Policies, and school information on progress, along with pupils’ behaviour and attendance records, were studied.

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Inspection team

Steffi Penny, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Mike Brady Her Majesty’s 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

Parent View 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

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, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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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.gov.uk/ofsted

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