The Meadows Primary School

Inspection of The Meadows Primary School Calder Road, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN5 9BB

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Inspection dates: 11 and 12 January 2023

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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 11 and 12 January 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

The Meadows Primary School is a caring school where pupils are happy and safe. Relationships between staff and pupils are based on mutual respect. One pupil said: ‘If it wasn’t for the teachers, it just wouldn’t be the same special place.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils describe their peers as kind and supportive. Pupils know how important it is to work and play together in a cooperative way. They congratulate each other when they do something well and have an opportunity to nominate each other for an award in the weekly celebration assembly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. Pupils understand the school’s ‘good to be green’ behaviour system. Pupils behave well in lessons and at social times. They respond promptly if their teachers need to remind them about little things, for example sitting smartly. Pupils are confident that if bullying happens, it will be dealt with firmly. As a result, there is a calm atmosphere around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders support pupils to develop personally and become responsible members of their communities. There is a wealth of opportunities for pupils to take on responsibilities, for example mini police, litter pickers, road safety team and the ‘smashing assembly squad’.

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better?

Leaders have developed a well-constructed curriculum. Curriculum plans identify the key knowledge that pupils need to learn and remember in each subject. Each curriculum unit is based on a big question. These big questions engage pupils in their learning and helps them to make links between different subjects. For example, in the Reception Year, children were learning about places linked to the story of Little Red Riding Hood. Children were shown an aerial map of their school. They were then asked to identify landmarks where they could hide Little Red Riding Hood’s basket from the Big Bad Wolf. This approach was highly successful in communicating important geographical knowledge to children in an exciting and age-appropriate way. In every year group, each unit of work ends with an ‘authentic outcome’ where pupils have an opportunity to showcase their learning.

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better?

Curriculum leadership is strong. Subject leaders provide teachers with expert support. Teachers’ subject knowledge is good. They deliver new ideas and content to pupils with clarity and confidence.

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better?

The curriculum is relatively new. Each curriculum unit has been taught once. Leaders are starting to review the impact of the curriculum and make changes where they are needed. For example, in science leaders are adjusting the sequence of the learning content. This is ensuring that pupils’ new learning consistently builds on prior learning and is addressing gaps in their knowledge. 11 and 12 January 2023

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Leaders have placed an emphasis on developing pupils’ vocabulary. Curriculum plans identify the subject-specific words pupils need to learn. Pupils use this vocabulary as they talk about, and record, what they have learned. In the early years, adults model new language well and engage children in high-quality discussions.

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Children begin to learn to read as soon as they start at the school during the daily phonics lessons. These lessons enable pupils to acquire new sounds and apply them as they read and write. Books are matched to the sounds they know. This helps pupils to read accurately and fluently. Pupils who find it more difficult to remember the sounds they have been taught get extra help. Leaders prioritise story time. However, they have not yet strategically chosen the books that are read to pupils nor identified the key texts that all pupils should read.

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Leaders are ambitious that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) will be involved in all aspects of school life. Pupils’ additional needs are identified promptly. Staff use a wide range of appropriate strategies to support pupils’ learning. This is helping pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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Pupils’ personal development is a strength of the school. Pupils are taught about how to look after themselves, physically and mentally. Pastoral support is provided when pupils need additional time to talk. Pupils accept difference and say that everyone should be accepted for who they are. There is a vast array of after-school clubs that pupils can choose to attend, including sports, cookery, coding and dance. Pupils and parents appreciate the learning opportunities that the school provides beyond the typical school day.

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Leaders, including governors, have identified the right school improvement priorities. They are taking appropriate action to improve outcomes for pupils in some subjects. They have established a positive working environment. Staff value the support they receive from leaders to develop the skills and attributes they need to deliver an effective education for all pupils. They say that their workload is thoughtfully managed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Pupils’ safety and well-being is prioritised. Staff are trained to keep a close eye on pupils. They know how to spot and report any concerns they have that a pupil may be at risk of harm. Leaders take swift and appropriate action when concerns are raised. They work closely with external agencies to make sure that pupils and their families get the right help, including when concerns arise as a result of mental health issues.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about how to recognise potential risks. They know that they should tell a trusted adult when they have a problem or a worry. 11 and 12 January 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The curriculum is relatively new. It is not yet fully clear how successfully pupils are remembering the intended learning over time. Leaders should ensure that they closely monitor the impact of the curriculum and check that all pupils retain the key knowledge that is taught in the long term.  Leaders have not identified the key texts that pupils should read in each year group. As a result, leaders cannot be sure that pupils are exposed to a wide range of high-quality texts that become increasingly more challenging as they move through the school. Leaders should strategically plan the books that pupils read, and have read to them, in each year group.

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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. 11 and 12 January 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10227809 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.themeadowsprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 March 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club that is managed by the governing body.  The school does 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. 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 headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs team and the early years leader.  The lead inspector met with four representatives of the governing body, including the chair and vice-chair of governors. She also held a telephone conversation with a representative of the local authority. 11 and 12 January 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, geography and history. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and met with teachers and pupils from the lessons visited. The lead inspector also listened to pupils reading to a member of staff.  Inspectors checked the school’s safeguarding arrangements, including the recruitment checks made on staff. Documentation and records relating to safeguarding were reviewed. Inspectors spoke to staff about their understanding of their safeguarding responsibilities and to pupils about how safe they felt in school.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in assembly and around the school, including during playtime and lunchtime. Discussions were held with pupils and staff about their views on behaviour in the school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent

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View, and the responses to the online survey for staff and pupils.

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Inspection team

Caroline Poole, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Clive Worrall Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 January 2023

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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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