Meath Green Infant School

Inspection of Meath Green Infant School Kiln Lane, Meath Green, Horley, Surrey RH6 8JG

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

This school was last inspected 13 years ago and judged ‘Outstanding’ under a previous inspection framework. This reflected the school’s overall effectiveness under the inspection framework in use at the time.

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

From then until this year, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last inspection. 15 and 16 March 2022

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Meath Green Infant School offers a particularly welcoming community where children thrive. First-class leadership and teamwork in early years ensure that children get off to a flying start in Reception. The headteacher and her staff nurture warm relationships, so pupils feel safe and secure. Parents and carers are united in their praise for the school, describing it as ‘a wonderful school where our children flourish’.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are supported to develop language skills and acquire a love of reading. They develop a sense of curiosity, and relish their learning and discussing their work. Lessons are enriched by a wealth of high-quality outdoor learning opportunities and a range of clubs and activities. Skilled teachers and teaching assistants communicate their infectious enthusiasm to help pupils really enjoy school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Standards in reading, writing and mathematics are high. In other subjects, although learning is engaging, not enough is always expected of these willing pupils. Staff are working diligently to ensure that the level of challenge is consistently high across all subjects.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in behaving well here, and any unkindness or inappropriate behaviour is rare. Pupils value the school’s rules, know what is expected of them and look out for each other. They trust that adults will listen to and resolve any worries they may have.

p.2

better?

The headteacher, leaders and staff at Meath Green Infant School form a tight-knit, caring team with a passion to achieve the very best for each and every pupil. Teachers ensure that pupils make good progress in English and mathematics. Very effective leadership has reinvigorated the teaching of these core subjects. Here, staff training is coupled with ambitious and detailed planning that makes it clear what pupils have to learn and in what order. Stimulating and engaging lessons and activities support all pupils to achieve success.

p.2

better?

In Reception Year, leaders have prioritised developing communication and language skills and nurturing a sense of curiosity. Expert interactions between staff and children and particularly high-quality resources underpin the first-class provision across all areas of the early years curriculum. Learning builds on what children already know and can do, and they make particularly strong progress.

p.2

better?

In key stage 1, learning across different subjects is strong and impressive in some aspects, such as art. Teachers work together to share subject knowledge and to design carefully mapped sequences of learning through the years. Learning is enriched and extended well by the school’s impressive outdoor learning environments. In science and some foundation subjects, staff are at an earlier stage of implementing their plans. Here, teachers need to check pupils’ knowledge and 15 and 16 March 2022

p.2

3

vocabulary more accurately before delivering new content. Leaders have plans in place to do this.

p.3

3

The promotion of reading is given top priority. Teachers and teaching assistants are skilled and confident in teaching phonics. They work in seamless partnership to develop pupils’ reading skills and skilfully assess their progress. Pupils are supported to read with books that match their reading levels and to develop the habit of reading for pleasure. Appropriate support is given to any pupils who are falling behind their peers. Leaders are planning to enhance the impact of these support sessions through further monitoring and training. Over time, pupils are supported to become fluent and confident readers.

p.3

3

Teaching assistants support and challenge disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) particularly well. Leaders seek support from a range of outside agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND receive a suitable, tailored programme. The overwhelming majority of parents are keen to praise the support on offer and say how well staff know their children as individuals.

p.3

3

Pupils behave very well, and any disruption during lessons is rare. They play happily at breaktimes and are considerate of others. Leaders are working hard with families to ensure that the attendance of a small number of pupils improves. Pupils’ personal development is at the heart of the curriculum at Meath Green. There is a rich range of clubs and activities currently on offer, or soon to return. The school endows pupils with resilience, confidence and a passion for learning. They are well prepared for their next stage of education.

p.3

3

Leaders have forged particularly strong links with parents and the local community. These are built on mutual trust and respect. Parents really value the tireless dedication and hard work of staff at all levels, particularly during the pandemic. One parent spoke for many in saying: ‘The school during lockdown was faultless in their provision of support and learning.’

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe here and their parents confirm this.

p.3

Safeguarding

Suitable checks are made to ensure that all adults are safe to work with children. Regular safeguarding training enables staff to recognise signs that may suggest a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff know what to do if they are concerned. Leaders work proactively with external agencies when necessary to ensure that pupils get the help they need.

p.3

Safeguarding

There is an effective system in place to ensure that staff report and record any concerns they may have about pupils. However, some aspects of the school’s record- keeping relating to safeguarding and behaviour lack detail. Safeguarding leaders and governors have plans to address this. This is required as a matter of priority. 15 and 16 March 2022

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculums in science and some foundation subjects are not yet sufficiently well planned. For this reason, the transitional arrangements have been applied. Leaders have started to identify key components of knowledge and to sequence these across the year groups in these areas, but this work is not yet complete. Further work and training are required to ensure consistency of implementation across classes and to assist all pupils to learn with increasing success in all subjects.  Some record-keeping in relation to safeguarding and behaviour lacks sufficient detail. This runs the risk that leaders’ actions may not precisely meet all the education and well-being needs of vulnerable pupils. More complete and robust systems of record-keeping and monitoring by leaders and governors are urgently needed to rectify this.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

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 .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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. 15 and 16 March 2022

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

Date of previous inspection

15 January 2008, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is an average-sized infant school offering three classes to pupils in each of Reception, Year 1 and Year 2.  The school hosts a breakfast and after-school club that is run by OSCAHS Active Community Childcare. The after-school club is open to pupils attending Meath Green Junior School.  The school makes use of one alternative provider, although no pupils were attending it at the time of this inspection.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 15 and 16 March 2022

p.5

6

 Deep dives were conducted in reading, mathematics, history and art. As part of these, inspectors met with leaders, visited lessons, talked to pupils about their work and met with teaching staff to talk about their approach to designing and delivering the curriculum. Inspectors also reviewed plans for the teaching of science and personal, social and health education.  Meetings were held with the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of teaching and support staff.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s policies and practices and met with safeguarding leads to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding. Records of safeguarding incidents were scrutinised and discussed. Inspectors also reviewed the school’s records of the recruitment checks made on adults working in the school. The views of parents and staff, as represented in meetings and in the responses to Ofsted’s surveys, were considered.

p.6

6

 The lead inspector met with members of the local governing body and representatives of the local authority.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils to discuss their views about many different aspects of their school. Inspectors also held informal conversations with pupils at break- and lunchtime and held conversations with a number of parents at the school gate.

p.6

Inspection team

Matthew Newberry, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Alice Early Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 March 2022

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7