Muxton Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Muxton Primary School Marshbrook Way, Muxton, Telford, Shropshire TF2 8SA

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of the school community at Muxton Primary School. They happily welcome visitors to their school. Pupils are excited to talk about their learning. They open doors for adults and for each other. Pupils are given responsibilities, such as the well- established Muxton Safeguarding Voice. These pupils wear a distinctive red jumper, which makes them stand out. Pupils approach them and ask for help at play times.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Music and art opportunities enrich the curriculum. For example, pupils exhibit their artwork at community events. They take part in local school choir concerts. This teaches pupils how to perform in front of others.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high aspirations for what pupils can achieve. However, the new curriculum in a small number of subjects is not yet fully embedded. Pupils’ misconceptions and mistakes are not always addressed in a timely way.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum teaches pupils how to be kind to each other. Pupils can name a trusted adult they can speak to. Unkind behaviour, including bullying, is dealt with quickly by staff. This makes pupils feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and governors have created an environment where any safeguarding concerns are acted upon quickly. Pupils are safe as a result. However, systems for recording and reporting concerns are inconsistent.

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The curriculum is broad and ambitious for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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Many subjects, such as mathematics, are well embedded. However, some foundation subjects, such as art and design, have only recently been revised. How knowledge builds over time is clear in these subjects. Some pupils are beginning to progress through the curriculum in these subjects. However, other pupils have not been taught the new curriculums yet. Therefore, their subject-specific knowledge is not as secure.

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Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure across the curriculum. They make sure that pupils have many opportunities to revisit prior learning in all subjects. For example, in mathematics, pupils revisit and practise various calculation methods. This improves their fluency. However, during problem-solving activities, pupils are expected to move through learning tasks too quickly. They do not always understand how to complete the activities correctly. They sometimes move on to new tasks without misconceptions being addressed. Low-level disruptive behaviours occur as a result. This slows down pupils’ progress during lessons.

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Reading is given a high priority in school. Pupils begin to learn phonics from the beginning, in Reception class. Staff teach pupils how to say new sounds with accuracy. Leaders identify pupils who are falling behind and put support in place quickly. However, the quality of this support is variable. Pupils sometimes spend too long not engaging in learning or waiting to be told what to do next. Therefore, learning does not always move on when it should. Pupils choose from a wide range of books. They talk enthusiastically about stories and books they enjoy and take home. Authors regularly visit the school. This broadens pupils’ knowledge of a diverse range of authors as a result.

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Children’s additional needs are accurately identified early on in the Reception class, and effective provision is put in place. This includes support for speech, language and communication needs. Across the school, pupils with SEND are identified quickly and are supported to access the full curriculum.

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The headteacher has an ambition: to create a highly inclusive setting. An inclusion team has been created to support the additional needs of pupils. However, this vision is not always communicated effectively to parents and staff or planned for strategically enough. Leaders and governors are beginning to create strategies to address this. This includes providing support and training for all staff. As a result, some pupils with additional needs have improved their behaviour over time.

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Pupils have a range of lunchtime and after-school extra-curricular activities. This includes a newspaper and radio club led by leaders. Pupils enjoy learning how to ask questions and interview guests.

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Some staff express that their workload and well-being are well considered by leaders and governors. However, others feel that more can be done to support them. Governors and leaders are beginning to take action to address this. 21 and 22 March 2023

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders and staff are vigilant and have a strong understanding of local safeguarding risks. They can identify when pupils are at risk of harm or abuse. Safeguarding training and updates are regular and effective. Staff report and pass on safeguarding concerns in a timely manner. However, systems for recording initial safeguarding concerns are not consistent enough.

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Safeguarding

Leaders work closely with the local authority and external agencies to provide support and make sure pupils are safe. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, and they learn about consent at an age-appropriate level.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Current safeguarding reporting systems are not consistent. As a result, the records of the reporting of initial safeguarding concerns cannot be easily accessed. Leaders should take urgent action to improve the systems and procedures for reporting and recording safeguarding concerns.  The quality of support for pupils who fall behind in their reading is variable. This means that some pupils do not learn to read with fluency as quickly as they should. Leaders should ensure that all pupils who are having difficulties in learning to read are provided with high-quality support so that they quickly catch up with their peers.  A small number of foundation subjects are in the early stages of implementation. As a result, some pupils’ subject-specific knowledge is not always as secure as it could be. Leaders should ensure that the new curriculum is thoroughly embedded in all subjects so that all pupils develop their subject knowledge.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Pupils’ misconceptions and mistakes during lessons are not addressed regularly. As a result, pupils move on to new learning without secure understanding of previous learning. This slows down their learning. Leaders need to make sure that pupils’ misconceptions and mistakes are identified and addressed before moving on.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually, this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns 21 and 22 March 2023

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about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we the school to be good in July 2017.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 21 and 22 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10240764 Type of school Primary

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provision

Appropriate authority The governing body

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provision

Date of previous inspection 6 July 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the last inspection there has been a new chair of governors and assistant headteacher.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provider.  The school has a before- and after-school provision, which is operated by the school.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with school leaders and has taken this into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. She met with five members of the governing body, including the chair. The inspector also met a 21 and 22 March 2023

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representative of the local authority and a representative from the Severn Training and Teaching Alliance.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and art and design. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning, and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The lead inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors spoke to groups of pupils, formally and informally, about their learning and experiences at school.  Safeguarding documents were reviewed, including the checks that leaders make on staff’s suitability to work with children. The inspector examined how staff implement safeguarding policies and procedures effectively across the school.  The inspector considered responses to Ofsted’s parent questionnaire, Parent View, and the free-text responses received during the inspection.

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 The inspector reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.  The inspector looked at a range of documentation provided by the school. This included the school’s self-evaluation, school policies, curriculum documents, SEND records and minutes of meetings and visits by governors.

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Inspection team

Anna Vrahimi, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 21 and 22 March 2023

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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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