Maple Grove Primary School

Inspection of Maple Grove Primary School High Road, Pitsea, Basildon, Essex SS13 3AB

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Inspection dates: 14 and 15 September 2021

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 14 and 15 September 2021

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Maple Grove Primary School. They rise to the high expectations that leaders and teachers have of them. Staff have a caring and consistent approach. Pupils behave well and want to learn in lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of clubs and activities, such as the sports and computing clubs. Virtual headsets are used to allow pupils to visit ‘virtually’ places they have not been. Pupils learn about leadership through the school council. They learn how to communicate well with each other through the school’s ‘a, b, c’ approach of adding to, building on, and challenging other people’s ideas.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are strong relationships between leaders, pupils, and pupils’ families. Pupils get the support they need because staff put them at the centre of the important decisions. Pupils are welcoming and inclusive of others with different backgrounds and identities. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get involved in all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying is rare. Pupils are confident that their teachers will sort it out if it happens. Pupils feel safe and cared for by staff.

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better?

Pupils get off to a good start with their learning. Leaders have mapped out the key things they want children in Reception to learn to be ready for the next stage. For example, leaders carefully teach pupils about pencil grip, which they know will be important for extended writing and art. This means that children are well prepared for the transition to Year 1.

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better?

Reading is a high priority. Leaders have successfully ensured that all members of the school community support and promote reading. Teachers make sure that they read high-quality books to pupils. Teachers usually teach the phonics programme well. They generally choose books for pupils that match the sounds that they have been taught. As a result, most pupils quickly become more confident in their reading.

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better?

Leaders have designed a curriculum which is ambitious and well thought through. It focuses on the key knowledge pupils need to learn in each subject. Leaders have sequenced the curriculum so that pupils understand the links between different subjects. For example, pupils have knowledge from history about how ancient civilisations used the materials that are introduced in art lessons. Leaders ensure teachers have appropriate curriculum planning documents to underpin teachers’ subject knowledge. As a result, pupils remember much from the subjects they are taught.

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better?

Some teachers’ knowledge of what needs to be taught is not fully developed. They are still getting to grips with the content of some subjects, such as history, 14 and 15 September 2021

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geography and religious education (RE). Occasionally, assessments are not precise enough for teachers to check whether pupils have learned important pieces of knowledge. This means that teachers have some, but not all, of the information they need to ensure pupils have fully grasped the intended learning.

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Leaders and teachers ensure that pupils with SEND get the right level of support. Teachers match their teaching well to pupils’ individual needs. This enables pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum successfully.

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In personal, social and health education (PSHE), teachers help pupils to become informed members of society. There are specific lessons to develop resilience and positive attitudes. Pupils are prepared for life in modern Britain. For example, they learn about how democratic decisions are made.

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Pupils largely behave well. They enjoy being at school. Teachers create a calm and positive environment so that pupils can learn. On the few occasions when inappropriate behaviour disrupts pupils’ learning, staff respond quickly and effectively.

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Leaders have prioritised making sure that pupils attend well. They have done this by working closely with families and external agencies. As a result, attendance levels have improved.

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The multi-academy trust provides leadership support. It has also provided staff training in reading. This has helped teachers and improved the curriculum.

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Leaders have created a school environment where staff want to work, and parents want to send their children. Staff have effective support to manage their workload and are very proud to be part of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders of safeguarding, senior leaders, pastoral leaders and managers have clear responsibilities. They challenge each other to make sure that their decisions lead to effective help for pupils. Leaders support the most vulnerable pupils to attend well. They make sure that the curriculum includes information about how pupils can keep themselves safe. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe, for example by knowing how to act appropriately online.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and managers check that safeguarding concerns are acted on quickly. They also check that staff know what they need to about safeguarding pupils. Leaders make referrals to external agencies as appropriate. They use their knowledge of safeguarding to push for the right level of support for pupils and families who need it. 14 and 15 September 2021

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some teachers do not have a strong understanding of the subject content pupils need to learn. This means that some of the teaching decisions that they make are not as well informed as they should be. Leaders should ensure all teachers have the knowledge and understanding they need to make accurate decisions about which content to focus on when teaching the full curriculum.  In a number of subjects, the assessments and success criteria that leaders ask teachers to use do not reveal whether pupils know crucial components of the curriculum. This means that assessments are not always telling teachers whether pupils have learned the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that assessment in all subjects is well matched to the precise content of the curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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 .

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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. 14 and 15 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200562 Type of school Primary

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Lion Academy Trust.  The headteacher joined the school when it opened in May 2017.  The school is partnered with Barclay Primary School in the multi-academy trust. An executive headteacher, a deputy headteacher and a lead practitioner from this other school are based in Maple Grove Primary School two days each week.

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Information about this inspection

The inspector(s) carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke to the headteacher, the executive headteacher, senior leaders and phase leaders. They also spoke to the chair of trustees and a member of the parental advisory board.  Inspectors conducted deep dives in the following subjects during the inspection: reading, mathematics, art, history and geography. This included discussions with subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors visited lessons in these subjects and looked at pupils’ work. 14 and 15 September 2021

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 Inspectors spoke to leaders and pupils about, and looked at documentation for, RE, PSHE and relationships and sex education.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff, leaders, managers and governors about the school and its safeguarding arrangements. The lead inspector scrutinised the school’s single central record and examined the record of employment checks on staff. Inspectors looked at safeguarding case files and bullying logs to evaluate safeguarding and behaviour.  Inspectors looked at 14 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, which included eight free-text responses submitted during the inspection. There were no responses to the staff survey or the pupil survey during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Richard Kueh, lead inspector Her Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

James Adkins Ofsted Inspector 14 and 15 September 2021

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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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