Mornington Primary School

Inspection of Mornington Primary School Mornington Crescent, Nuthall, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire NG16 1RF

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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 12 and 13 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Mornington is a popular and vibrant school. Pupils and staff are proud to celebrate the range of faiths and cultures represented in the school community. Many parents and carers express positive views about the care and education their children receive. They say that teachers are caring and approachable.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that they are happy and enjoy school. They are polite and well behaved, in lessons and as they move around school. Pupils say that they feel safe. They understand that bullying is wrong. Pupils say that they would tell an adult straight away if there was a problem. Staff handle concerns quickly and effectively.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are aware of the school’s values expressed as ‘three Rs’: ready, respectful, responsible. They say that it is ‘okay to be different’ because they respect everyone.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils can join a wide range of clubs and activities. These include sports, crafts, yoga, chess, music and many others. These activities help to promote pupils’ personal development, health and well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years settle quickly at school. They make a strong start in early reading and mathematics. Pupils of all ages show positive attitudes to learning. Strong relationships support pupils to learn and develop well.

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better?

Leaders are ambitious for all pupils to become inquisitive lifelong learners. They have rewritten the curriculum in all subjects to reflect the context of the school. They have named it the ‘inquiry curriculum’. Leaders have designed the curriculum to ensure that pupils develop key skills and knowledge as they progress from early years to Year 6. Leaders have also been keen to ensure that there are meaningful connections between subject areas. For example, pupils learn about aspects of history, music and art as part of an ‘inquiry unit’ covering social history since the 1950s. Pupils speak enthusiastically about the ‘inquiry curriculum’. This approach clearly captures their interest and helps them to recall much of what they have been taught.

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better?

Currently, leaders are revisiting and refining the curriculum in computing, art and design and technology. This is to ensure that the content of these subject areas is still relevant to pupils’ needs.

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better?

Teachers, supported by subject leaders, carefully plan what pupils will learn, and when. Leaders follow a systematic plan of checks to ensure that the curriculum enables pupils to know and remember more over time. Teachers also check pupils’ knowledge by means of end-of-unit assessments. 12 and 13 July 2022

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In mathematics, leaders recognised that pupils were not achieving as well as they should over time. They rewrote the curriculum to enable pupils to develop secure mathematical knowledge and skills. There are early signs that this is having a positive impact on pupils’ long-term memory. However, there are some inconsistencies in how teachers across the school deliver the mathematics curriculum. Leaders have not provided enough precise guidance for teachers. For example, pupils sometimes move on to new concepts before they have a firm grasp of previous learning.

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Leaders prioritise reading, clearly stating: ‘Reading is the key to success’. Leaders and staff widely promote a love of books and reading with all pupils. A new, systematic phonics programme was introduced in September 2021. All staff have received training to deliver the new programme. Children begin learning phonics as soon as they join the school. Staff say that the new approach to phonics is going well. They say that there is ‘more consistency’. Most pupils are now reading from books that match their phonics knowledge. They are developing as fluent, confident readers.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive support to access the full curriculum. Staff liaise with parents and external agencies to identify and review pupils’ additional needs. Pupils with SEND are actively encouraged to take part in all aspects of school life.

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Children in the early years develop sound knowledge and skills across all areas of the curriculum. Staff ensure that the activities they plan are meaningful and interesting. For example, children learn about money through the class ‘farm shop’. Staff promote children’s health and well-being by providing healthy snacks. Parents who spoke with inspectors praised how well the staff support and teach their children.

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Leaders and staff promote pupils’ wider development well. The school’s values promote respect and equalities. Pupils learn about the wide range of faiths and cultures reflected in modern Britain. They are developing as thoughtful, respectful citizens.

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Staff say that they feel proud and happy to work at Mornington. They appreciate leaders’ concern for their workload and well-being. Governors and trustees value the importance of having a happy, well-trained workforce.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have established an open safeguarding culture where everyone recognises that a concern ‘could happen here’. All staff understand the importance of noting concerns straight away. Records show that leaders respond quickly when staff raise a concern. The actions taken are appropriate. There is good provision for pastoral support, for example through access to counselling or the school’s emotional literacy 12 and 13 July 2022

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support assistant (ELSA). Staff make sure that pupils understand how to keep themselves safe, for example by teaching about bullying and online sexual abuse.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have rewritten the curriculum so that it sets out the key knowledge and skills pupils should acquire, and when, from the early years to Year 6. In a small number of foundation subjects, and in mathematics, the subject-specific content is not as precisely identified and sequenced as in all other subjects. Teachers are not given clear enough guidance to support the consistent implementation of the curriculum, in those areas. Pupils’ knowledge and skills do not build sequentially as well as they might. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum supports all pupils to know and remember more, in all subjects, as they progress through the school.

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How can I feed back my views?

school, 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. 12 and 13 July 2022

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School details

Local authority Nottinghamshire County Council

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School details

Inspection number 10227127 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

 Mornington Primary School converted to become an academy in March 2018. When its predecessor school, Mornington Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  The acting headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  Inspectors met with the acting headteacher, the head of school, curriculum leaders, and a range of staff.  The lead inspector met with the chief executive officer and deputy chief executive officer from the East Midlands Education Trust. 12 and 13 July 2022

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 The lead inspector met with the chair and two other members of the local governing board.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in: reading; mathematics; geography; and music. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders to discuss the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector observed pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum and reviewed pupils’ work in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at other times around school.  Inspectors evaluated the effectiveness of safeguarding by reviewing the school’s record of pre-employment checks and by holding discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Christine Watkins, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kyna Adkins Ofsted Inspector 12 and 13 July 2022

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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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