Meadlands Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Meadlands Primary School Broughton Avenue, Ham, Richmond, Surrey TW10 7TS

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 September 2021

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Outcome

Meadlands Primary and Nursery School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Meadlands. They know they are listened to. In key stage 2, pupil representatives work with leaders to make decisions about the school. Pupils feel safe. They know who they can talk to if they have worries. Even the youngest pupils understand that rules are important to keep everyone safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders want all pupils to learn and be successful. They have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary pupils need to know across all subjects. This is helping pupils to remember and learn more. Pupils talk enthusiastically about their learning. They say they are encouraged to be independent and take on responsibilities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is good. Sometimes, low-level disruption occurs, but pupils refocus quickly when prompted. They are kind and caring towards each other. Pupils say that if bullying occurs, it is always dealt with effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

A wide range of clubs supports pupils’ wider development. Leaders take advantage of the local environment to ensure pupils learn beyond the curriculum. They also have strong links with their community to ensure experiences beyond the local area.

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

Leaders have high expectations for pupils becoming confident, fluent readers. Phonics teaching is strong across the early years and key stage 1, starting in the Nursery. Regular assessment ensures staff identify those who are falling behind. Pupils receive carefully planned interventions to ensure they catch up quickly. Staff are well trained.

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

Books used to teach children to read in Reception are well matched to the sounds that they are learning. This is also the case for those pupils who are struggling readers. This ensures they become fluent readers as quickly as possible. Pupils enjoy reading and joining in with stories that are read to them. Leaders have plans to increase further the range of books available for pupils to practise their phonics, particularly in Year 1. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Leaders are clear about the importance of vocabulary development in pupils’ learning. This is evident in plans, teaching, and pupil books. In mathematics, pupils’ use of mathematical vocabulary is embedded well. For example, in the Nursery, children learn number names and in Reception use precise language to identify addition and equals signs. Pupils can talk confidently about their learning in mathematics. With support from their teachers, they understand how their learning links to real life experiences. Consequently, they develop strong mathematical knowledge.

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In other curriculum subjects, leaders have identified the key knowledge pupils need to know. While this knowledge is clearly being learned, pupils do not always make connections between their learning over the longer term. For example, in history pupils have a good understanding of the passage of time within a period of history. They are not, however, able to understand how periods of history link together over time.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported to access the same learning across the curriculum, with adaptions where necessary. Staff are trained and understand the needs of the pupils they are supporting. This ensures pupils get the right help when they need it. Leaders work well with outside agencies to ensure SEND pupils access all the support they need. They work with parents to produce detailed support plans.

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Almost all parents and most pupils feel behaviour is good. When younger pupils lose concentration in class, it is always challenged swiftly and does not affect learning. Pupils play collaboratively at a wide range of activities outside and on the playground. Older pupils play with and help the younger ones.

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Pupils enjoy a wide range of clubs and trips. While many of these have been paused due to COVID-19 restrictions, all are now available once more. Leaders were proactive at finding other ways to supplement learning during restrictions, for example, virtual trips to museums. They were aware, however, that this did not match real-life experiences and are happy that the regular enrichment curriculum has restarted.

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Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they receive from school leaders and governors. They say the ‘open door’ policy and consideration of their workload ensures their well-being is high priority. Staff are well trained and appreciate the opportunities they receive both within the school and with their wider professional development.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are well trained. They know who to go to with concerns and they report these quickly. Leaders use external agencies for advice and next steps. This ensures that any support needed is provided. 29 and 30 September 2021

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Leaders and staff have safeguarding at the heart of all they do. They ensure that pupils and parents buy into this culture. Well-being and mental health are high on the agenda. Pupils talk confidently about these subjects.

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Leaders ensure that teaching of important personal, social and health matters is tailored to pupils’ needs. For example, pupils are taught about ‘appropriate touch and consent. Pupils know how to keep safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have identified the key knowledge and vocabulary that pupils need to learn. This is embedded and can be seen across lessons and in pupils’ books. While pupils are remembering key knowledge, they are not always connecting this knowledge over time. Leaders need to ensure that pupils are able to make and understand these links, and that these connections are reinforced in teaching. This will maximise the impact of their well-planned curriculum and enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of knowledge and vocabulary.

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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 or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2016. 29 and 30 September 2021

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 29 and 30 September 2021

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School details

Inspection number 10200097 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 and 23 September 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The Nursery is currently operating from another part of the school while a new building is being constructed.  The school is a smaller than average-sized primary school.  The school runs a breakfast and after-school club.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and members of staff. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority, and met with six governors, including the chair of governors.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at 29 and 30 September 2021

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curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector also looked at curriculum plans and samples of pupils’ work for religious education, design and technology, geography and art.  The inspector considered early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception classes.  The inspector looked at a range of documents, including leaders’ priorities for improvement.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding by scrutinising records and through discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The views of pupils, parents and staff were gathered through discussions, and Ofsted’s surveys were considered.

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Inspection team

Sam Ingram, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector 29 and 30 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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