Meadow Farm Community Primary School

Inspection of Meadow Farm Community Primary School Foyle Avenue, Chaddesden, Derby, Derbyshire DE21 6TZ

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Inspection dates: 18 and 19 October 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 18 and 19 October 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be a part of this happy and inclusive school, which is at the heart of the community. Staff greet pupils every day with a smile, and pupils respond well to the warm and positive relationships in school. They treat each other with kindness, which adults model every day. If pupils have any worries, trusted adults help them. Pupils feel safe in school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations of how pupils should behave. Pupils respond well to these high expectations, including during social times, when pupils play together successfully. Pupils are taught about what they should do if they feel they are being bullied. Incidents are rare and not tolerated by the school. The vast majority of pupils trust that adults will deal with it swiftly. Pupils know, and live up to, the school values of being confident, caring and accomplished learners. They relish the wide range of opportunities to learn beyond the classroom and develop their character through the school’s ASPIRE curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the school. They highly value the weekly opportunities they have to visit the school and help their children learn in early years. A parent’s comment, typical of many, was, ‘Meadow Farm is a wonderful school which has helped my children’s learning in a really positive way.’

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better?

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum that details the precise knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn. In most lessons, pupils focus on learning activities that help them to practise these skills and learn new ideas. However, in a small number of lessons, the tasks provided by staff do not always help pupils to understand and remember what was intended. The curriculum is designed to support the development of pupils’ character and positive learning behaviours. Pupils understand the ASPIRE aims of the curriculum and staff encourage pupils to be resilient learners, facing new challenges with confidence.

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better?

Children in early years get off to a good start. The development of language and communication is a priority. Staff design learning activities that capture children’s interests. As a result, children are keen and enthusiastic learners and make good use of the learning opportunities to grow and develop.

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better?

The school identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) through regular progress meetings with staff and families. Teachers adapt lessons well to include pupils with SEND. As a result, most pupils with SEND do well. Some pupils’ plans lack precision. Targets on their education, health and care (EHC) plans are not as clearly reflected in their school plans as they could be. Monitoring of these targets by staff could be tighter to ensure that pupils’ needs are fully met. 18 and 19 October 2023

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The school has prioritised reading and has ensured that all staff are well trained in phonics. Staff use a consistent approach when teaching phonics. Pupils read books that are closely matched to the sounds they have learned. As pupils move through the school, they read a wide range of carefully selected books and stories. Older pupils enjoy reading independently, and the school library is a vibrant space with a rich set of texts that all pupils can enjoy.

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Behaviour is good, so learning time is rarely lost. Children in the Nursery and Reception classes quickly learn about these expectations. They readily follow instructions from adults and treat one another with care and consideration. Rarely, lessons in Nursery are disturbed by some children who are still learning to concentrate. Staff skilfully support these children to pay attention so that disruption is minimal.

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The school places great emphasis on pupils’ personal development. Diverse experiences enrich pupils’ learning about faiths and cultures. These include a whole- school Judaism Day, and visits to a mosque, gurdwara, mandir and the local church. Pupils learn about different types of families and relationships to understand modern Britain. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, both when learning online and in the wider world. For example, pupils learn about water safety with a water company and take part in a programme to learn to ride a bicycle.

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Popular after-school clubs, such as those for art, choir, yoga and sports, add to pupils’ enjoyment. They enjoy the responsibilities that come with the leadership positions that all pupils have, such as well-being leaders. Pupils are proud to represent the school at many sporting fixtures, where they compete against other local schools. Older pupils speak fondly of the recent residential visit, where they enjoyed adventurous activities, such as using a zip wire.

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Leaders are highly regarded by staff in school. The school has a team of dedicated and committed staff members. They are proud to be part of the Meadow Farm family and work together well in the best interests of all pupils. Those responsible for governance know the strengths of the school well. Governors support and challenge the school and fulfil their duties with diligence.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, there are slight inconsistencies in the implementation of the curriculum. This can result in pupils having gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The school needs to provide further pedagogical and curriculum- 18 and 19 October 2023

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based training to ensure that all staff have the knowledge and skills to deliver the curriculum consistently and effectively for all pupils.  For some pupils with SEND, targets on their EHC plans are not as clearly or precisely reflected in their school plans as they could be. The school must ensure that staff check the quality and effectiveness of support plans for all pupils with SEND and how well these are being implemented across the curriculum to ensure that the needs of all pupils with SEND are fully met.

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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’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 18 and 19 October 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 20 and 21 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 This school is a smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The school does not use 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, science and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 18 and 19 October 2023

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 The lead inspector listened to pupils reading to a trusted adult.  The inspectors spoke with school leaders, subject leaders and pupils.  To look further at the curriculum, inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum plans in history and religious education.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair, and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors examined a range of school documentation, including leaders’ self- evaluation, improvement plans, records of governance, and documentation relating to pupils’ attendance and behaviour. Inspectors also reviewed the documents available on the school’s website.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive

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culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered responses to Ofsted Parent View. The inspectors considered comments made by parents online during the inspection and met with some parents at the start and end of the second day of the inspection.  Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff and for pupils.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Liz Moore Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 October 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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