Malorees Primary School

Inspection of Malorees Infant School Christchurch Avenue, London NW6 7PB

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Inspection dates: 29 and 30 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 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders nurture a strong sense of community in the school. Leaders have high expectations that pupils will achieve well and fulfil the school’s motto: ‘We’re aiming higher, we’re dreaming bigger’. Leaders organise regular workshops and provide resources to help parents and carers to support their child’s learning at home, including on the correct use of phonics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know that learning is important. Expectations are high. Teachers help pupils to remember things by making links between the different subjects they study. Pupils are enthusiastic about reading and choosing books from the library about topics that interest them. They like to take on important responsibilities, including as reading ambassadors promoting reading to others, and helping administrative staff with various tasks.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils get on well together and behave sensibly and politely. They quickly settle in and make friends when they join the school. If pupils are worried about anything, including if there is any bullying, pupils use the worry box or talk to a teacher who will make things better. Pupils are safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to attend a range of clubs and go on educational excursions. They thoroughly enjoy lots of outdoor learning activities, including feeding birds, planting bulbs and playing together.

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better?

Leaders have developed the school’s curriculum in recent years, across all subjects. They ensure that pupils’ learning follows a clear progression of knowledge, skills and understanding, from the early years onwards.

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better?

Leaders have set out what they expect to see in every lesson. Teachers follow routines that help pupils to develop their technical vocabulary and to revisit and apply their prior learning to more demanding ideas. Teachers make purposeful links between subject content and a chosen reading book to help reinforce pupils’ learning. In the early years, children developed their use of numbers and became familiar with terms used in science and geography through reading the story of ‘Goldilocks and the Three Bears’. Staff routinely check on pupils’ learning. They identify those who need more support and recognise when aspects of the curriculum need revisiting.

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better?

Leaders have identified the key facts that they expect pupils to learn in each subject over time. On a few occasions, teachers’ subject knowledge is not as strong and confident as it needs to be to develop pupils’ ideas and thinking and to be alert to misconceptions. Sometimes, teachers’ chosen resources and pupils’ tasks do not develop learning as effectively as leaders intend. Subject leaders are in the early stages of implementing their planned staff development programme to address any training needs. 29 and 30 November 2022

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Leaders provide training and guidance for staff so that they identify when a pupil with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) might need support. Leaders check that staff know and use the right strategies to enable pupils with SEND to access the same ambitious curriculum as others.

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All leaders and staff have received training in the chosen phonics scheme for the teaching of early reading. Children start to learn phonics as soon as they are ready in the Nursery class. Staff are swift to recognise when any children are falling behind in reading. Children receive extra help to catch up. Pupils read books that enable them to practise the sounds they are learning.

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Teachers’ clear expectations and well-established routines mean that pupils, and children in the early years, are generally settled in class. They take part in discussions readily, debating differences of opinion sensibly. When needed, pupils swiftly respond to their teachers’ reminders to refocus.

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The school’s programme of personal, social and health education (PSHE) and relationships education starts in the early years. Lessons cover themes, including safe and unsafe situations, pupils’ own and others’ roles in society and online safety, in an age-appropriate way. Pupils are encouraged to respect and celebrate differences across the diverse profile of pupils. Children in the early years are taught about different family structures. Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. Children and their families often share their own experiences, for example about how they celebrate different festivals.

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Staff appreciate the support they receive from leaders for their continuing professional development and the availability of leaders to help resolve any concerns about their workload. Leaders consult with staff, parents and pupils to make sure that the school’s community is involved in decision-making about the work of the school.

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The governing body ensures that members receive training and the information they need so that they know and fulfil their statutory responsibilities. For example, the governing body checks that all pupils have an equal opportunity to access the curriculum and enrichment activities.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that all staff have up-to-date safeguarding training and recognise that safeguarding pupils is everyone’s responsibility. Leaders provide regular reminders and updates.

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Safeguarding

Staff know and follow expected referral processes if they have any concern about a pupil. Leaders take appropriate actions when safeguarding concerns are raised. They work with outside agencies and provide support for pupils and their families. 29 and 30 November 2022

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Aspects of PSHE and relationships education help pupils to recognise risk and encourage pupils to keep themselves safe.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, leaders are in the early stages of developing staff’s subject knowledge and expertise. Sometimes, pupils’ thinking is not developed, or misconceptions put right swiftly, because teachers’ subject knowledge is not as strong as it needs to be. Subject leaders should continue with their planned staff training programmes to strengthen staff’s subject knowledge where needed.  Very occasionally, teachers’ choice of resources and tasks do not have a precise learning end-point or outcome. Pupils, and children in the early years, then do not know and remember the key facts clearly that leaders intend them to learn. Leaders should ensure that teachers are clear about the knowledge that they expect pupils to learn when studying a specific aspect of the curriculum and about the resources that enable this.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents 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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Fiona Landes (Co-Chair) Beth Silver (Co-Chair) Headteacher Marcel Rentall

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School details

Date of previous inspection 11 November 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is in a hard federation with Malorees Junior School. The infant and junior schools share the same site.  Since the previous inspection, the executive headteacher has left the school. The head of school is now the deputy headteacher of the federation. The headteacher of the federation took up their post in September 2021.  Leaders do not use 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. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 29 and 30 November 2022

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 Inspectors held meetings with school leaders, including the co-chairs of the governing body and two other governors. An inspector also met, and held a telephone conversation, with representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, physical education and science. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspection of safeguarding included meeting with the leaders with responsibility for safeguarding, looking at records of leaders’ work with outside agencies to support pupils and their families, looking at systems for the reporting of safeguarding concerns, talking to pupils and staff and consideration of relevant areas of the curriculum.  Inspectors considered the responses to online surveys completed by pupils, staff

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Inspection team

Amanda Carter-Fraser, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rutinderjit Mahil-Pooni Ofsted Inspector 29 and 30 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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