Meriden Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Meriden Church of England Primary School Fillongley Road, Meriden, Coventry, West Midlands CV7 7LW

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Inspection dates: 15 and 16 November 2022

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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 Previous inspection grade Good 15 and 16 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has a warm atmosphere. Leaders and staff are caring. They make sure that pupils can learn well in a safe environment. Pupils’ happiness and well-being are prioritised. Pupils feel safe and enjoy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum prepares pupils well for their future. Leaders have high expectations for every child in the school. Teachers plan learning in a way that helps pupils to remember what they learn over time. Pupils are ready for secondary education by the time they leave the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Neither poor behaviour nor bullying are issues in the school. Pupils get on well with each other and their behaviour is good. They trust and respect their teachers. Staff deal effectively with the occasional situations when pupils fall out with each other or do not behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school serves an increasingly diverse community. Leaders make sure that transition for pupils whose family have recently moved to the area is smooth. Many parents appreciate the inclusive ethos of the school. Leaders have a strong focus on ensuring that communication between school and pupils’ homes is effective.

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better?

Leaders have set clear priorities to make sure that pupils have a well-rounded education.

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better?

In Nursery and Reception, staff prepare children well for key stage 1. Children start to understand the world around them. They develop their early literacy, numeracy, and social skills through well-planned activities. Building on the learning from early years, subject leaders have planned programmes of learning with well-defined steps to help pupils progress effectively from Year 1 to Year 6.

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better?

In all the subjects they study, pupils often revisit key learning points. This approach allows them to make good progress over time. In mathematics, for example, pupils start lessons with questions about previous learning. They also have a revision of each week’s learning on ‘Flashback Fridays’. In history and science, teachers apply similar strategies to make sure that pupils have memorised key facts. Experiments in science and educational visits in history make learning engaging and memorable for pupils.

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better?

Teachers encourage pupils to collaborate with each other through setting group tasks. Pupils enjoy this way of learning together. Relationships between staff and pupils are positive and pupils do not disrupt lessons.

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better?

Teachers check how well pupils progress during lessons. They clarify points that pupils have not understood. They record pupils’ progress at the end of each topic. In 15 and 16 November 2022

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English and mathematics, teachers also check progress at regular intervals with formal tests. Teachers use these records and tests well to help them to address gaps in pupils’ learning.

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The disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic had a negative impact on pupils’ handwriting. Letter formation is not always where it needs to be in order to prepare pupils well for the next stage of their education. Leaders are aware of the issue and have made the improvement of handwriting a priority.

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Leaders have introduced a new phonics scheme that is improving the way pupils learn to read. Appropriate grouping by ability, and targeted support in lessons, help pupils who have difficulties with learning to read keep up with others. However, as the phonics scheme is still very new, not all staff have completed the full training to deliver it. As a result, there are some inconsistencies in the teaching of phonics.

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As part of the curriculum, pupils learn what it means to be a respectful, responsible citizen. They learn about democracy, the rule of law, and diversity. They also learn about healthy relationships and appropriate behaviours. Pupils have access to after- school clubs where they can do drama, gymnastics, music, or football. Pupils take responsibilities as members of the school council. Year 6 pupils run several clubs for younger pupils at lunchtime.

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The school has a high proportion of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders make sure that staff have all the information they need to help pupils with SEND access the full curriculum. Teachers have effective strategies in place to support pupils’ learning according to their needs. Staff also make sure that pupils with SEND can take part in all school activities. Pupils with SEND are widely involved in extra-curricular clubs.

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Leaders are mindful of staff’s well-being, and they protect them from excessive workload. Staff enjoy working at the school.

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Governors know the school well. They are ambitious for the school. They support leaders and hold them to account effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff have regular training and updates. They are clear about their duty of care. They are familiar with the school’s approach to identifying and reporting concerns. Leaders follow up every concern thoroughly. They work well with external agencies to support families and protect children at risk. Leaders and governors are trained in safe recruitment. They have the expertise to deal with complaints about staff.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn about risks and how to remain safe in their everyday life. In lessons and presentations in assemblies they learn about online safety and issues in the local community. 15 and 16 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The new phonics scheme is not embedded yet. Some staff have not completed the full training to teach the scheme. As a result, there are inconsistencies in the way pupils are taught phonics. Leaders need to ensure that all staff who teach phonics complete the full training and put this training into action, in order to address these inconsistencies.  The teaching of handwriting has not yet had sufficient impact on the quality of pupils’ work. As a result, pupils’ letter formation, especially in key stage 1, is not accurate enough. Leaders should ensure that teachers focus on developing pupils’ accurate letter formation, so that pupils write well.

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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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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. 15 and 16 November 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10210981 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Bridgett Chandler

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 – 13 October 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The chair of the governing body has been in post since January 2021.  The school is a Church of England school, within the diocese of Coventry. Its most recent section 48 inspection took place in June 2015. The next inspection will be within eight years of the last section 48 inspection.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher who is also designated safeguarding lead (DSL), the deputy headteacher, and the special educational needs coordinator. The lead inspector spoke with the chair and vice-chair of the governing body and five other governors. 15 and 16 November 2022

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, science, history, and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors checked safeguarding arrangements and school records. The inspectors discussed safeguarding policies and case studies with the DSL. They talked to teachers and other staff about the safeguarding training they had received and how they put this training into practice.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktime and lunchtime. The lead inspector talked to parents at the end of the school day.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, the online inspection questionnaire, including written responses. They also considered responses from staff to the online inspection questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Patrick Amieli, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Kerri James Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 November 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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