Marston Montgomery Primary School

Inspection of Marston Montgomery Primary School Thurvaston Road, Marston Montgomery, Ashbourne, Derbyshire DE6 2FF

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 7 and 8 November 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school and feel safe. They say that staff help if they have a worry. Pupils conduct themselves well around school, and the environment is calm. They behave with respect and act responsibly towards others. They understand why it is important to treat everyone fairly and to respect those who are different from themselves.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are positive about the school. One parent, typical of others, commented: ‘The teachers really care about all of the pupils and their success.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy responsibilities as sports monitors and online safety ‘I-vengers’. By raising funds for charities, they understand how they can help others. Pupils can explain about important British values with confidence, but their understanding of different world faiths is not as secure.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience a variety of enrichment opportunities. They learn about conservation, attend residential visits, go to the theatre and visit places of interest. They like taking part in lunchtime sports clubs and enjoy competing against other schools.

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What is it like to attend this school?

After a period of turbulence, the school’s staffing arrangements are more settled. The school has worked at pace to bring about much-needed improvements to the curriculum. However, these changes are not fully implemented. Pupils are not always sure what they are supposed to be learning and sometimes struggle to recall important information.

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better?

This school is beginning to improve. An accurate understanding of what is and is not working means that staff can focus their efforts on changes that will make the biggest difference. Subject leadership is strengthening, although many leaders are new to their roles. Recent changes to the school’s curriculum are starting to have a positive impact. However, there is more work to do before the quality of education is good enough.

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better?

Reading is a priority. The phonics programme has been refined to ensure that well- trained staff teach it consistently well. Children learn phonics as soon as they join Reception Year. They practise new letters and sounds each day. Pupils read books that contain the sounds and words they know. This helps to develops their reading confidence. Pupils at risk of falling behind are supported to catch up quickly. Pupils learn to read well, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They continue to develop a love of reading, with plenty of high-quality books available for them to read.

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better?

The early years curriculum has been redesigned very recently. It sets out exactly what children should know and when they should know it. Children learn important 7 and 8 November 2023

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routines and develop their skills of independence. However, this new curriculum is still in the process of being implemented. Children are not prepared well enough for the next stage.

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The school’s review of the curriculum is ongoing. In some subjects, teachers know exactly what to teach pupils and when. However, in other subjects, it is not clear precisely what pupils need to learn or in what order. In these subjects, teachers do not focus well enough on teaching the important knowledge or checking what pupils can remember. As a result, pupils’ knowledge of these subjects often lacks depth.

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The provision for pupils with SEND is improving. The school has made sure that the needs of these pupils are identified correctly. Plans for these pupils have been reviewed to check that they are appropriate. The school works effectively with a range of external professionals so that pupils with SEND get the right support. However, some of these pupils cannot access the curriculum as well as they should so that they can be successful.

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There is a carefully considered personal, social and health education curriculum in place to support pupils’ well-being. Pupils develop a good understanding of how to look after their mental and physical health and learn about positive relationships. However, their knowledge of different faiths and cultures is fragile.

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The school makes sure that parents understand why it is important for pupils to attend school. Most pupils attend school well.

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Staff have worked well together as a team to implement the recent changes. They are positive about the support they receive with their well-being and workload.

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Governors understand the priorities to improve the school. They check and challenge the work now taking place to bring about improvements. The school also receives effective support from the local authority and from a local multi-academy trust. There is a shared desire among everyone involved to ensure that this school achieves ambitious outcomes for its pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders have not identified the important knowledge that pupils should know in sufficient detail. Teachers do not always have the information they need to make sure that pupils’ knowledge builds on what they already know. This leaves pupils with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders should ensure that the small 7 and 8 November 2023

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steps of important knowledge are identified clearly so that pupils secure their knowledge of every subject.  Some subject leaders do not have sufficient knowledge and skills to carry out their roles effectively. They do not have a precise enough understanding of what is working well in their area of responsibility and what needs to improve. Leaders need to ensure that these subject leaders have the right training and support to be able to lead their areas of responsibility and be effective in their roles.  Teachers do not always consider the needs of pupils with SEND well enough when planning and implementing the curriculum. They do not pay close enough attention to how they adapt the learning so that these pupils can access the full curriculum. The school should check that teachers make effective use of information about pupils with SEND to provide these pupils with the support they need.  Some pupils have limited knowledge and understanding of different religions and

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faiths. They are not fully prepared to appreciate life in modern Britain. The school must ensure that all pupils learn about a diverse range of faiths.

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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). 7 and 8 November 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Teresa Bosley (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Website www.marstonmontgomery.derbyshire.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15 and 16 January 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Acorn Federation. The executive headteacher is also the headteacher of another local primary school.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  The school runs a before- and after-school club that is managed by the governing body.  The number of children in Reception Year is small. As a result, inspectors did not make a separate judgement for the early years provision. The provision is included in the judgements for the rest of the school.  The school has received some support from a local multi-academy trust.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 7 and 8 November 2023

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 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 held meetings with the headteacher, the lead teacher, curriculum leaders, the early years leader, the leader responsible for the provision for pupils with SEND and groups of staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in four subjects: early reading, mathematics, art and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also considered curriculum documentation for a range of other subjects, including science, history and physical education.

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 The lead inspector listened to some pupils from key stage 1 and key stage 2 reading to a familiar adult.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site during playtime and lunchtime. They spoke with several groups of pupils, both formally and informally.  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 a positive and open culture around safeguarding.  The lead inspector met with representatives of the local governing body, including the chair. She met with a representative of the multi-academy trust that has been providing support to the school. She also held a telephone discussion with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors took account of the responses to the Ofsted surveys from parents, pupils and staff. They spoke informally to parents waiting outside the school.

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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jennifer Lewis Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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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