Monkton Park Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Monkton Park Primary School Sadlers Mead, Chippenham, Wiltshire SN15 3PN

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Outcome

Monkton Park Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a rich and exciting curriculum. They say that their work is fun. Pupils work hard and achieve well because leaders and teachers have high expectations of them. Pupils admire their teachers and talk proudly about how they help them to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and attend regularly. Staff prioritise pupils’ well-being and form caring and supportive relationships with them. As a result, pupils feel happy and safe. They know that adults will help them if they have any worries. Pupils understand how to take responsibility for their actions. This means that poor behaviour and bullying are rare. Pupils appreciate the way staff reward and praise them. For example, pupils love attending ‘hot chocolate Fridays’ to celebrate their efforts and achievements.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly, welcoming and polite. Pupils behave well. They enjoy attending the clubs that the school offers, such as running club and the model railway club. The choir were proud to attend ‘Young Voices’ in Birmingham recently. The headteacher and staff are highly respected by parents, who praise the school’s work. They typically comment, ‘All staff are approachable’ and ‘My child has flourished here’.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

The school is well led by the headteacher. He is ably supported by other leaders and governors. They are dedicated to ensuring that pupils learn well in a range of subjects. Leaders have worked hard to design an ambitious curriculum. Changes to the school’s timetable mean that pupils have more time to learn subjects in depth. Teachers use their good subject knowledge to ensure that pupils understand the key facts and vocabulary they need.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders and teachers have thought carefully about what knowledge pupils should know and when they should learn it. As a result, pupils become immersed in their work. They learn well across sequences of work. For example, in history the younger pupils gain new knowledge about the railways so that they are well informed in readiness for their trip to 5–6 February 2020

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Chippenham railway station. Older pupils apply their knowledge of history to talk confidently about their understanding of the Mayan civilisation.

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The curriculum in the early years meets children’s needs well. Consequently, children see success right from the start. They are keen to explore and find things out. They join in with rhymes and love listening to stories.

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The school prioritises the teaching of reading straight away. Teachers are skilled in teaching phonics and regularly read to pupils. Pupils have regular opportunities to practise and consolidate their reading. As a result, pupils become confident readers. Pupils are inspired to read for pleasure and have a wide selection of books to choose from.

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Leaders and teachers identify pupils at risk of falling behind quickly. When this happens, pupils are supported well to catch up. The special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) provides teachers with effective training and guidance. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the right support to ensure that they can learn well.

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Adults sensitively support pupils who are undergoing difficulties. They help pupils to manage their emotions. Pupils are caring towards others and there are very few instances of poor behaviour. Consequently, disruptions to learning are rare.

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Pupils are motivated to improve their health and fitness in physical education (PE). Teachers plan a well-sequenced curriculum to develop pupils’ knowledge and skills. Pupils maturely discuss how well PE helps them to learn skills such as cooperation and team- building.

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The school provides valuable experiences to support pupils’ wider development. For example, older pupils take on positions of responsibility, such as lunch leaders and play leaders. Pupils sell cakes to raise money for charity. They are able to learn a range of instruments, such as the violin and drums. Pupils have many opportunities to showcase their musical talents.

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Leaders are knowledgeable about what pupils learn in reading, writing and mathematics. However, leaders’ work to gain a greater overview of the depth of knowledge that pupils gain in other subjects is at an early stage. Some subject leaders are new to their roles and have not yet had time to evaluate fully how well their curriculum subject enables pupils to know more and remember more.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Safeguarding procedures are thorough. The school completes the necessary checks to ensure that all staff are safe to work with children. They record this information thoroughly.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide all staff with training so that everyone knows how to keep pupils safe. Adults understand how to refer concerns. Leaders maintain detailed records and routinely 5–6 February 2020

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follow up their actions. Leaders seek specialist advice when required, so that families receive the support that they need. Pupils understand how to keep themselves safe. For example, they can explain how to stay safe when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders’ work to monitor how well the curriculum is implemented in some foundation subjects, such as PE and history, is not developed fully. Leaders do not routinely assure themselves that the curriculum, in these subjects, demands enough of pupils. Leaders need to develop a better understanding of the effectiveness of the implementation of the curriculum.  Some subject leaders are new. They are just beginning to develop in their roles and responsibilities. They do not yet evaluate the impact of the curriculum in their subjects well enough. Senior leaders must provide new subject leaders with the training and support they need to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities consistently well.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Monkton Park Primary School to be good on 9–10 December 2010.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted . 5–6 February 2020

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 5–6 February 2020

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Sean Dennien and Justine Guillon

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School details

Date of previous inspection 20 November 2015 under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Monkton Park Primary School is a community school. The headteacher has been in post for two years.

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Information about this inspection

 I did deep dives in these subjects: reading, PE and history. I had discussions with subject leaders, visited lessons and looked at pupils’ work. I held discussions with teachers and pupils. I listened to children read and looked at reading records.  I had several meetings with the headteacher and the deputy headteacher. I also met with the SENCo.  I had a meeting with three representatives of the governing body, including one of the co-chairs of governors. I had a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  I reviewed the school’s safeguarding records, the school improvement plan and the school’s self-evaluation. I discussed safeguarding procedures and attendance with the headteacher. 5–6 February 2020

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 During the inspection, I spoke informally with pupils and observed their behaviour at different times of the day.  I met parents informally, to gain their views. I reviewed 103 responses to the online survey, Parent View, along with 63 additional free-text comments. I also took account of 27 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 5–6 February 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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, 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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