Orion Mead Road

Inspection of Mead Road Infant School Mead Road, Chislehurst, Kent BR7 6AD

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Overall effectiveness Good

The executive headteacher of this school is Samantha Norris. The head of school is Alison Stanley. This school is part of the Education for the 21st Century Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Simon Garrill, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by James Toop. There is also a director of primary schools, Fiona Kelly, who is responsible for this school and three others.

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Overall effectiveness Good

Ofsted has not previously inspected Mead Road Infant School as an academy under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 as, until November 2020, the school was exempted by law from routine inspection, so there has been a longer gap than usual between inspections. Judgements in this report are based on the current inspection framework and also reflect changes that may have happened at any point since the last graded inspection of the predecessor school. 1 and 2 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff are very proud to be part of the Mead Road family. School life is underpinned by the school’s core values of determination, pride and curiosity. Staff use every opportunity to promote and celebrate pupils demonstrating these values.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are high expectations of what pupils can achieve. Leaders have established a culture for learning that is understood and followed by all. The mantra ‘every second counts at Mead Road’ ensures a sharp focus on learning. Pupils take their learning seriously and are fully engaged in lessons. They achieve well across the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. The well-embedded ‘6 routines’ ensure that pupils know and understand what is expected of them. For example, the ‘legendary lines’ routine results in movement around the school being calm and orderly. Pupils take ownership and responsibility for doing the right thing, because it is the right thing to do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ personal development threads through every aspect of the school’s provision. Alongside the academic focus, leaders have developed the ‘This is Me’ curriculum. This focuses on developing the whole child. Pupils have opportunities for roles of responsibility, such as being a librarian or a playground pal. They can be part of the school council or eco-council. Pupils can also take part in a wide range of extra- curricular clubs.

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better?

Children get off to a strong start in the early years. The engaging and stimulating environment maximises learning opportunities for children. Every opportunity is used to promote children’s language and communication. Clear routines and expectations help the children settle quickly. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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better?

Teaching pupils to read, and developing a love for reading, is a priority here. Their reading journey begins as soon as pupils start school. Well-trained staff deliver high- quality daily phonics sessions. Pupils have lots of opportunities to practise and use the sounds they know to read words. The books they read are closely matched to the sounds that they know. Regular checks take place on what pupils know. This information is used to provide extra support for any pupil who is falling behind. Pupils benefit from and enjoy daily story time sessions. The school’s library bus provides opportunities for pupils to immerse themselves in a book. Weekly ‘secret reader’ assemblies promote reading a wide range of different texts and stories.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is ambitious and has been carefully chosen. The curriculum is mapped out across all subjects, with clear end goals. Teachers have secure subject knowledge. The knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn have been identified. However, for some of the wider curriculum subjects, these are not as clear as they need to be. As a result, sometimes, in these lessons, the focus on the 1 and 2 November 2023

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knowledge and skills pupils need to learn is not as strong. In turn, pupils are remembering the activities they have completed rather than the core learning.

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In the core subjects, such as mathematics and reading, teachers regularly check what pupils know and can do. This helps them to identify any gaps in learning and address misconceptions. Leaders have identified that this is not in place across the wider curriculum with the same precision. This means that teachers are not able to use pupils’ starting points as effectively in lessons or check that they are remembering the core learning that has been identified.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Pupils’ needs are quickly identified, and additional support is put in place. Staff receive regular training to be able to meet pupils needs, for example through resources provided and adult support. Pupils with SEND are fully included in all aspects of school life and they learn alongside their peers.

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Pupils enjoy school, and this is reflected in their high attendance. Pupils’ character development is explicitly taught through the ‘This is Me’ curriculum. This contributes to their very positive attitudes to learning and behaviour. Assemblies teach and model to pupils, for example, how to meet and greet people and how to disagree politely. Pupils learn how to identify and manage different emotions. Regular ‘well- being Wednesdays’ provide opportunities for pupils to learn how to keep mentally healthy. Pupils learn that everyone is different and that everyone should be treated with respect.

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The trust and governing body provide effective support and challenge to school leaders. Leaders have been bringing about improvements in a sharp and focused way. Staff value the wealth of opportunities provided by the trust for their professional development, which is a high priority. Staff feel well supported by leaders and appreciate the efforts made to manage their workload.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the precise knowledge and skills and the checks that teachers make on pupils’ learning are not yet fully established. This means that sometimes lessons do not have a sharp focus on the knowledge and skills pupils need to learn, and teachers are not able to effectively use assessment information to identify gaps in their knowledge and understanding. The work that has already begun to address this needs to be fully implemented and established across the curriculum. 1 and 2 November 2023

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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). 1 and 2 November 2023

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CEO of the trust

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 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

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school 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.  The inspectors met with the executive headteacher, the head of school and other senior leaders. Inspectors also met with the chief executive officer, the chair of trustees and the chair of governors. 1 and 2 November 2023

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 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. 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. Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the 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 culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors also considered staff’s responses to Ofsted’s survey.  The inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in the playground.

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Inspection team

Julie Wright, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Frances Hawkes Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 November 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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