Mission Grove Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Mission Grove Primary School Buxton Road, Walthamstow, London E17 7EJ

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Outcome

Mission Grove Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Mission Grove are happy and enjoy learning. Pupils value the opportunities and experiences on offer. For example, pupils can take on roles of responsibility, such as a sports leader, eco-councillor, art councillor or by becoming a member of the school council. There is a very wide range of clubs that pupils can attend after school. ‘Enrichment Fridays’, where pupils choose from a multitude of activities, also provide further opportunities for pupils to develop their talents and interests. Older pupils look forward to going camping and on residential trips. Pupils enjoy participating in sport competitions and musical concerts.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff have high expectations of what pupils can achieve. This includes those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils do well across the curriculum because their learning is planned with ambition.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud members of this community. Pupils know the school’s motto ‘respect yourself and respect others’. They said this is what pupils here do. Bullying is rare. If it does occur, adults deal with it quickly. Relationships between staff and pupils are based on mutual respect. This helps pupils to feel safe. Pupils know that if they have any worries, they can talk to an adult. Pupils typically behave well. They are focused in lessons and they know what is expected of them.

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

Leaders have developed a creative and ambitious curriculum that is broad and balanced. Curriculum thinking starts in the early years, where children get a good start to their education. Each area of learning is well thought out and resourced. Leaders and teachers focus on making sure that children are ready for their next steps, including the move to Year 1. They also make sure that children learn to play happily alongside and with one another. Adults are skilled in supporting children’s learning and language, both through play and adult-led activities. Staff provide regular opportunities for parents to be involved in their children’s learning in the early years, for example through ‘stay and play’ sessions. 11 and 12 July 2023

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Careful thought has gone into the curriculum content and the order in which it is taught. This is to ensure that pupils have opportunities to revisit their learning and build on it further. Leaders have identified the key knowledge, skills and vocabulary they want pupils to learn and remember. However, pupils are not always remembering this crucial content. This is particularly the case for the subjects that have undergone recent changes. In these subjects, the way in which subject content is taught sometimes does not focus on ensuring that pupils become secure and fluent in their recall of knowledge.

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Leaders’ clear curriculum thinking supports teachers’ subject knowledge. It enables them to understand what they are teaching and explain new learning clearly to pupils. Teachers use assessment effectively in order to check pupils’ knowledge of the curriculum. They are responsive with this information, using it to devise extra support for pupils where needed. This means that pupils achieve well overall. As appropriate, teaching of the curriculum is well adapted for pupils with SEND. Staff ensure that pupils receive the help they need to learn core ideas in a subject. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life.

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Leaders have prioritised reading. All staff have been trained in the school’s approach to teaching phonics. As a result, pupils experience high-quality phonics sessions. These provide pupils with many opportunities to learn, practise and recap putting sounds together to read words. Daily practice enables pupils to develop their skills and become confident and fluent readers. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they have been taught and know. Leaders carefully track and check what pupils know and can remember. They ensure that any pupil who is struggling with their reading is given extra support. Reading for pleasure is promoted through the ‘library buses’ on the playground, where pupils can enjoy reading books at lunchtimes. Pupils visit the local library, enjoy visits from authors and aim to become a ‘millionaire reader’, where they are challenged to read a million words.

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The provision for pupils’ wider development helps pupils be prepared for life in modern Britain. Older pupils have the opportunity to develop their entrepreneurial skills through ‘enterprise week, where they plan and make their own products to sell to the wider community. Pupils are taught to be caring and think about how to help others. In early years, for example, children particularly enjoy being able to look after the school’s resident chickens, ducks and rabbits.

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Governors provide a balance of support and challenge. On occasions, the challenge provided focuses on the operational aspects of the school rather than setting and evaluating the strategic aspects. This means that, at times, leaders’ work to identify priorities and then take suitable actions can lack sharpness and rigour.

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Staff are proud to work here. They appreciate leaders’ consideration for their workload and well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 11 and 12 July 2023

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The safeguarding culture ensures that everyone is vigilant. Staff and governors receive training so they know the signs to look out for that a pupil may be at risk of harm. There are clear procedures for reporting concerns. Leaders’ oversight ensures that pupils and their families receive timely and appropriate support.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe. They learn how to keep safe online, for example. Pupils are taught to identify and understand emotions they experience. They are taught strategies to develop positive mental health. Visitors to the school, such as the police, talk to pupils about keeping safe in the local area.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Many areas of the curriculum have been recently changed and new curriculum thinking implemented. These changes are being embedded, and consequently, in some instances, pupils’ understanding of core ideas in a subject is not secure in their long- term memories. Leaders need to continue to work with subject leaders and teachers to embed the curriculum, prioritising and making sure that teaching enables pupils to commit what they have been taught to their long-term memory and make links across their learning.  At times, leaders at all levels, including governors, are not looking at their area of responsibility or subject strategically enough. This means that, in a few instances, leaders are not fully informed or able to identify patterns and trends and then take action to enhance the effectiveness of the school. All leaders should build on their existing work to improve the school by adopting a more strategic approach in specific

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

areas and, in turn, ensure that trends and patterns can be tracked and effective action taken.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2012. 11 and 12 July 2023

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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. 11 and 12 July 2023

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School details

Local authority London Borough of Waltham Forest

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School details

Inspection number 10240437 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Matilda Thaddeus-Johns

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School details

Date of previous inspection 28 March 2017, under section 8 of the 2005 Education Act

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school that is split over two sites.  There is a provision for 2-year-olds at this school.  Leaders do not make use of any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, the inspectors 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. They listened to pupils read. Other subjects were also considered as part of this inspection, including music, art, computing and geography.  The inspectors met with the headteacher, school leaders, chair of governors and a local authority representative. 11 and 12 July 2023

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 The inspectors spoke with leaders, staff and pupils about safeguarding. The inspectors also checked safeguarding records and documentation.  The inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey and staff survey.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

David Lloyd Ofsted Inspector 11 and 12 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 looked after children, safeguarding and child protection.

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