Floreat Montague Park Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of Floreat Montague Park Primary School William Heelas Way, Wokingham, Berkshire RG40 1BG

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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 Requires improvement 29 and 30 November 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

‘Kindness matters’ at Floreat Montague Park because everyone is valued as a cherished individual. This mantra is the heartbeat of this vibrant, compassionate and welcoming school. Pupils thrive because leaders have created an optimistic and respectful culture. Echoing the sentiments of many, one parent said, ‘All the staff are very supportive, they go above and beyond to support our children, and they do it with a smile on their faces.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations of behaviour and achievement. Pupils work hard to meet these. They behave well in lessons and around the school. Playtimes are calm and cheerful occasions where pupils have fun. Pupils feel safe and well cared for because dedicated pastoral staff take the time to listen, encourage and resolve their worries. Bullying or unkindness are rare, but staff provide support sensitively and effectively so friendships can quickly resume.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders are passionate for pupils to learn about life beyond their own community. Parents value the broad range of enriching and engaging experiences that pupils get to enjoy, such as the residential visits offered for every year group, starting with the infants. Sustainability initiatives and regular visits to the school meadow support and nourish pupils’ spiritual, moral and cultural development.

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better?

Leaders and those with responsibility for governance are pioneers for this school and the community it serves. In recent times, they have worked diligently to steer the school through a period of substantial change and rapid growth. Leaders also maintained a clear focus on designing a broad and ambitious curriculum, which runs seamlessly from the early years to Year 6. Standards are rising from the below national average level in seen in national assessments last summer. There is still some refinement work to finish in science to match the detail and innovation seen in other, stronger areas, such as personal development and geography. Despite these strengths, teachers do not always check or build in sufficient practice time to embed knowledge, across a range of subjects, as well as they should before moving the learning on.

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better?

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. This is because the curriculum is ambitious, very well designed and appealing. This prepares children well for more complex learning in Year 1. For example, it equips them with the knowledge and character traits they need to succeed. Children, including those in the Nursery, delight in the wide array of well-chosen activities. This means that no time for learning is ever wasted.

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better?

Leaders are now working with staff to ensure that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are better supported and understood. Leaders are becoming more effective in helping pupils with high needs who have education, health and care plans (EHC plans) to succeed. However, teachers do not yet set 29 and 30 November 2022

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appropriate or ambitious targets for pupils with SEND. This means that teaching is not consistently adapted to meet their needs and they do not learn as well as they could.

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Since the last inspection, leaders have prioritised reading across the school. They are now ensuring that all pupils learn to read quickly so that they can access the wider curriculum. Staff receive regular training on how to teach early reading well. There is a structured approach to whole-class, small-group and individual reading sessions. This helps pupils gain the knowledge and skills to become confident, fluent readers.

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The foundations of positive behaviour and attitudes are firmly laid down in the early years. Pupils are courteous and polite in lessons and at social playtimes. Occasionally, some older pupils lose focus and need support. Leaders take effective action to minimise the impact and get learning back on track.

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This is a highly inclusive school where personal development is prized. Staff spend time finding out about each pupil’s individual interests, talents and challenges. For example, several pupils have given inspiring talks about their experiences with their additional needs, such as autism or having a stammer. Others have helped to develop understanding and appreciation for their faith or country of origin. Recently, a significant contingent of pupils were welcomed into the school from Hong Kong and Eastern Europe with open arms. The moral purpose shown by leaders is impressive. Leaders leave little to chance and ensure that all pupils have deep knowledge of contextual matters such as high speed road safety or how to stay safe from gang culture.

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The trust board and governors work very well with leaders to justify decisions and identify the impact of priorities. Both groups work closely alongside determined leaders to safeguard the school’s ethos and check that strategic plans are working as intended. Staff appreciate leaders’ care for their well-being and workload. As a result, staff feel valued and proud to be part of the team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have ensured that there is a strong culture of safeguarding. They provide all staff with the training they need to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff follow clearly communicated and agreed processes for reporting concerns. Leaders ensure that accurate records reflect the actions they take to address concerns quickly. They are tenacious when seeking further support from professional agencies when pupils and families really need it. Leaders ensure that appropriate checks are completed when recruiting new staff. Governors have effective processes in place for checking that leaders are taking the right actions to keep pupils safe. 29 and 30 November 2022

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Although teachers understand the needs of pupils with SEND, these needs are not always reflected precisely enough in pupils’ learning targets. Consequently, help for pupils during lessons is not always matched well enough to help them make rapid progress with their learning. Leaders should ensure that all staff clearly understand pupils’ learning needs and use agreed support strategies consistently. In addition, staff require further training and ongoing support to help them adapt their teaching effectively.  Teachers do not consistently incorporate effective assessment opportunities into their lesson designs. Nor do they always utilise opportunities or time within the lesson to check and challenge that all pupils are developing the intended understanding. This means that some pupils do not acquire the knowledge that they need to make good progress across the curriculum. Leaders need to develop assessment so that teachers are systematically checking pupils’ understanding

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

and that all pupils are supported to embed knowledge and use it fluently.

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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. 29 and 30 November 2022

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School details

Website http://www.floreatmontaguepark.org.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 25 and 26 June 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Floreat Montague Park Primary School became part of the GLF Schools multi- academy trust in September 2019. Previously, the school was part of a smaller multi-academy trust.  The headteacher started working at the school in September 2019.  The numbers of pupils on roll is significantly higher than when the school was last inspected in June 2019.  A significant number of staff have joined since September 2021 to accommodate the spike in pupil numbers, meaning additional classes were opened ahead of schedule. This includes families arriving from other countries.  The school hosts a breakfast club and after-school club run by Energy Kidz, who are separately registered.  Nursery provision at the school is for three- to four-year-old children.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  There are more pupils with EHC plans for their SEND than in the average primary school. 29 and 30 November 2022

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 The substantive special educational needs coordinator (SENCo), who is also the assistant headteacher, began working at the school in April 2022. Previously, the school had been without a permanent SENCo for a significant period.

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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.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the early years leader and the SENCo.  The lead inspector met with four governors, including the chair of the school standards board. The lead inspector held a meeting with the chair of trustees and met separately with trust leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education, science and geography. Deep dives included visiting a range of lessons, looking at pupils’ work and talking with leaders, teachers and pupils about how teaching in these subjects builds pupils’ knowledge over time. The lead inspector also heard pupils read to a known adult.  Inspectors checked a wide range of safeguarding documentation, including the

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Information about this inspection

single central record. They also reviewed the school’s records for child protection and assessed the school’s culture of safeguarding throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector reviewed a range of documentation, including the school’s self- evaluation, school improvement plan and relevant school policies.  Inspectors took account of parents’ responses to the Ofsted Parent View questionnaire, along with their written comments. Inspectors also talked with parents on the morning of the first day of inspection.  Inspectors gathered pupils’ views about their learning, what behaviour is like at the school and whether they felt safe. Inspectors also talked to pupils about their views on personal development and the wider school curriculum.  Inspectors met with a range of staff to gather their views on how leaders support them and took account of their responses to the staff survey.  Inspectors also looked at curriculum planning in some other subjects.

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Inspection team

Gareth Flemington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Vickie Farrow 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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