Marston Moreteyne VC School

Inspection of Marston Moreteyne VC School Church Walk, Marston Moreteyne, Bedfordshire MK43 0NE

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Inspection dates: 27 and 28 February 2024

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005 27 and 28 February 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school puts the pupils at the heart of everything that it does. Pupils are kind and respectful to each other and adults. They feel safe in school. The majority behave well. They have trusted adults that they can go to if they need to. Pupils understand how to be responsible citizens in their school environment, including picking up litter and not being wasteful.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils engage well in lessons. They are keen to learn, and they appreciate that their teachers make learning fun and interesting. As a result, most pupils progress well through the curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have a range of responsibilities available to them, including sport ambassadors, school councillors and eco-councillors. Pupils in these roles work with others from across both sites, learning to cooperate and value each other’s opinions. They have a say in improving the school. This includes the introduction of buddy benches in the playgrounds and how to make the school eco-friendly. Pupils have access to sporting events, local trips, including a visit to different places of worship, and a variety of clubs, including chicken club and dancing. These activities broaden pupils’ experiences.

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better?

The school constructed an ambitious curriculum. In most subjects, the knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn is clearly set out. This starts in the early years. Knowledge is ordered so that pupils build on previous learning. Teachers plan activities that help pupils remember, use and extend what they have learned before. They check that pupils have a secure understanding of the knowledge and vocabulary they need to learn more complex ideas. Staff carefully choose activities that motivate pupils and enable them to develop independence with their learning. This begins in the early years, where children learn independently and alongside others. Overall, pupils leave prepared well for learning in middle school.

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better?

In a few lessons in some subjects, teaching is not as highly effective. In these subjects, teachers do not check on pupils’ understanding as carefully. Pupils have fewer opportunities to practise using their knowledge. They are less secure in their understanding of the building blocks needed to understand more complex knowledge in these subjects.

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better?

Children start to learn to read from Reception. The school’s carefully chosen phonics scheme ensures that pupils build on their knowledge of sounds. Staff teach phonics effectively. Pupils learn to read and spell new words. The school supports parents to reinforce pupils’ learning at home. Staff check pupils’ reading knowledge regularly. They ensure struggling readers get the support they need. Pupils become fluent and confident readers as they continue through the school. 27 and 28 February 2024

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Pupils enjoy reading. They can choose from a wide range of texts from the class and school libraries. Teachers read high-quality texts to their pupils. These link to pupils’ learning about different subjects or cultures. This helps pupils to extend and deepen their understanding.

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The school ensures that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs identified accurately and that these are met. Staff have the expertise to adapt the curriculum successfully. This means that most pupils with SEND learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Some pupils follow a more personalised curriculum to meet their needs. The school works effectively with external agencies to ensure that pupils with SEND have the best support they can. As a result, pupils with SEND make progress through the curriculum.

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The school is calm and orderly. Pupils know the expectations that staff have of them. They follow the clear routines, which start in the early years. Attendance is improving. However, a small group of pupils are absent frequently. The school is working closely with these pupils and their families to improve their attendance.

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Pupils learn to respect and value diversity. The school ensures that pupils know how to keep themselves physically fit and how to look after their well-being. Pupils value the calm spaces available to them throughout the school. They know how and when they can access these. This ensures that pupils can be independent while gaining the appropriate support.

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The school prioritises staff well-being. Staff appreciate this. Staff receive clearly planned training focused on the school’s improvement priorities. Governors are clear about their roles in developing the school. However, there are differences in how the curriculum and some policies and procedures are implemented across the two school sites. This means some pupils have a different experience to most others in the school.

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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 lessons in some subjects, there is not always the same level of high- quality teaching and checking of pupils’ knowledge that is evident in the rest of the curriculum. This means that pupils are not able to remember some important knowledge they need to learn and understand more complex ideas. The school should ensure that all subjects in the curriculum are taught highly effectively.  There are inconsistencies in how effectively some policies and procedures are implemented between the two school sites. As a result, some pupils do not have the same experiences as most pupils in the school. The school should ensure that 27 and 28 February 2024

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policies and procedures are understood and implemented consistently by all staff so that leaders’ and governors’ vision for the school and its pupils is realised fully.

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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). 27 and 28 February 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school used to be known as Church End Lower School. It opened as Moreteyne VC Primary School in September 2019. The school has two sites, Church End and Forest End.  The predecessor school, Church End Lower School, had a short inspection in December 2016 where it continued to be good.  The school uses one registered alternative provision.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school club.  The school has a Christian religious character. The school is yet to receive a statutory inspection of its denominational education and worship, under section 48 of the Education Act 2005). The school’s next section 48 inspection will be within eight school years.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 27 and 28 February 2024

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 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s educational 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 lead inspector spoke with governors from the governing body, a local authority representative as well as a representative from St Albans diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics, history, physical education and art. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and

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considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors gathered the views of pupils by speaking to them during lessons, in the dining hall and at breaktimes. They also considered one response to the Ofsted pupil survey.  Inspectors spoke to groups of staff, to gather their views of the school and considered 44 responses to the Ofsted staff survey.  The inspectors considered 108 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors spoke to parents at the school gate of both sites.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Emma Breckenridge Ofsted Inspector 27 and 28 February 2024

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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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