Mickleover Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Mickleover Primary School Vicarage Road, Mickleover, Derby, Derbyshire DE3 0EY

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Outcome

Mickleover Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Mickleover Primary School are happy and confident. Pupils spoken with during the inspection were keen to talk about how their teachers are kind and helpful and how they make learning enjoyable. Pupils are polite and respectful to adults and are kind and caring towards each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have high expectations for all pupils, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils respond to these expectations by working hard and behaving well. This enables pupils to achieve well. Across the school, staff tackle any low-level disruption immediately so that there is no negative impact on learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe because they know they can speak to an adult if they have any concerns or worries. Pupils can also talk to Hector, the school therapy dog. Bullying is not common. If it does happen, adults deal with it quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Many pupils form part of the large school choir. Pupils spoke proudly about their role as mini leaders in school, supporting younger children at playtime.

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What is it like to attend this school?

One parent’s comment, typical of many, was: ‘My children love coming to this school. It provides a caring, safe environment where they can thrive both academically and socially.’

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have put in place a well-designed and ambitious curriculum, which they have broken down into small steps that build on pupils’ knowledge from the early years to Year 6. Teachers explain content clearly and use questions to extend pupils’ understanding. Teachers are confident and secure in their subject knowledge. Staff use assessment effectively within lessons and at specified points in the term. Teachers use information from these assessments to adapt teaching, support pupils and provide challenge for those who are ready. This helps them to identify which pupils need more help or guidance. 3 and 4 July 2023

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Teachers support pupils with SEND well. Leaders waste no time in identifying the extra help these pupils need to enable them to be successful. The new special educational needs and/or disabilities coordinator (SENDCo) is further developing the targets set for pupils with SEND to make them even more precise. Pupils who find playtimes more difficult can come into the calming nurture space, where they can enjoy quiet games and activities.

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Children get off to a good start in early years. Leaders understand the importance of the early years as a foundation for future learning. Adults use resources effectively to support children’s early numeracy and literacy. Leaders have made reading a priority. They ensure that staff receive training so that they teach phonics consistently well. Children start learning phonics as soon as they start Reception. The reading curriculum is well planned. Leaders make sure that the books pupils read match the sounds they know. As a result, pupils become increasingly enthusiastic, fluent and accurate readers. Leaders carefully plan additional support for readers who need it. Well-trained staff support them to read confidently. This ensures that pupils achieve well both in reading and, subsequently, in other areas of the curriculum.

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Leaders have chosen a broad and relevant range of texts that pupils find interesting. Themed books of the week support the teaching of phonics. Pupils read a wide range of books often, which helps them to learn a rich set of vocabulary. Children in Reception talked excitedly about the whales they were sculpting and the features of snails they were writing about that stemmed from their current class reading book ‘The snail and the whale’.

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Leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about different religions such as Sikhism, Hinduism, Islam and Christianity. However, some pupils do not develop a strong knowledge of these faiths. Pupils have a clear understanding of fundamental British values. They explore a variety of cultures through art, music and stories. This helps them to recognise and respect difference. Opportunities such as mini leaders, librarians and school councillors help pupils to take on responsibilities. Pupils enjoy a range of clubs, which are well attended, and spoke excitedly about their outdoor adventure residential trip. Some pupils need help to improve their attendance so that they do not miss out on these valuable experiences and learning.

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Leaders have positive working relationships with their staff. There is a strong commitment to staff’s professional development. Leaders, including governors, consider staff’s workload and well-being. Leaders work well with governors to further develop and strengthen the quality of education.

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Staff are happy and proud to work at this school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

A strong culture of safeguarding underpins leaders’ intentions to ensure pupils are safe. Leaders provide regular training to ensure that staff are alert to any signs that pupils 3 and 4 July 2023

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might be at risk. Staff report concerns promptly, and leaders respond swiftly. Leaders and inclusion staff work well with external agencies to support pupils and families. They are not afraid to challenge these agencies if leaders think more should be done.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in the wider community, for example road safety, and when they are online.

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Leaders complete all the required checks when recruiting staff to the school.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Not all pupils have a strong understanding of different religions and cultures. This means that they do not understand and appreciate religious differences as well as they might. This is because they have not had sufficient opportunity to return to this information and recap their learning over time. As a result, pupils have gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure pupils learn about different faiths in more sustained ways so that they remember important knowledge.  Some groups of pupils do not attend school as often as they should. This means they miss out on learning the curriculum and the wider opportunities that leaders offer pupils. Leaders should explore further ways of working with parents and carers to improve the attendance of some pupils.

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

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Background

This is the third ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2013.

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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Stephen Handsley

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 June 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  Leaders make use of one registered alternative provider.

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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 leaders and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders. The inspector also met with the inclusion lead and the new SENDCo.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspector 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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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 To gather further infromation about the curriculum, the inspector looked at samples of pupils’ work and the curriculum plans in science and religious education. The inspector also discussed the curriculum with subject leaders in these areas.  The inspector listened to a sample of pupils read to a familiar adult.  The inspector examined a range of school documents, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance and documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour. The inspector also reviewed the documents available on the school website.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons at different times of the day and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They spoke formally with groups of pupils, as well as talking to pupils in lessons and around school.  The inspector met with leaders about the school’s safeguarding procedures. The inspector reviewed policies and records relating to safeguarding. The inspector spoke

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to pupils and staff about pupils’ safety.  The inspector met with the chair and vice-chair of governors.  The inspector had a discussion with a representative of the local authority.  The inspector took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, and to the staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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