Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School

Inspection of Maiden Newton, Greenford Church of England Primary School Chilfrome Lane, Maiden Newton, Dorchester, Dorset DT2 0AX

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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 20 and 21 March 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

This school is nurturing and welcoming. It has cultivated an atmosphere where pupils are respectful and celebrate difference. Inclusivity is woven through school life. Pupils truly ‘Grow together and prepare for life’ as the school vision states. This is demonstrated by the way different year groups play together. The broad personal development offer at the school means pupils feel ready for their next stage.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Children in the early years settle quickly. Older pupils benefit from class charters that guide them to behave well. They do. The school’s guinea pigs, ‘Bubble’ and ‘Squeak’, play a part in supporting pupils to be calm and caring. Pupils take the role of looking after them seriously. Pupils are provided with effective pastoral support. This means they engage well in lessons. The school has high expectations for all pupils. As a result, they have positive attitudes towards learning. Pupils take pride in all they do.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils develop their confidence through leadership roles, such as being members of the school council. A sentiment of many pupils is that they feel their voices are heard and acted on. Pupils enjoy a variety of clubs, including woodwork, tinkering and kickboxing. This helps to diversify pupils’ interests.

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better?

The school has a clear vision for pupils to do well. Significant changes have been made to the curriculum in the last two years in an effort to realise this vision. These changes have been carefully thought through. There is now a broad and balanced curriculum in place, starting in the early years. Consequently, pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are building their knowledge well across a range of subjects.

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better?

In subjects such as mathematics, the school has decided on the most important knowledge pupils need to learn at each stage of their education. Staff encourage pupils to revisit the knowledge they have been taught. This helps pupils remember this knowledge and connect current learning to previous learning. The school has been quick to review the way the curriculum is taught in the light of the weak outcomes some key stage 2 pupils achieved in mathematics in 2023. Because of this work, pupils know and understand more of what they are learning. However, in some wider curriculum subjects, the precise knowledge is not as clear. Because of this, some pupils struggle to remember their learning long term in these subjects.

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better?

Children get off to a flying start in the early years, including when learning to read. Skilled staff teach engaging phonics sessions. Regular assessment means any pupils who fall behind are given effective support to keep up. Pupils practise reading with books that contain the sounds they are secure in. Because of this, pupils become fluent readers. Author visits and rewards for reading a million words are just some of the initiatives used to spark pupils’ interest in reading. 20 and 21 March 2024

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Staff use a variety of strategies to help pupils learn the curriculum well. For example, the school has made the teaching of vocabulary a priority in lessons. Children in early years engage in high-quality talk when talking about materials, using words such as ‘waterproof’ to describe them. In many subjects, learning is checked based on the key knowledge pupils need to acquire. In some subjects, however, assessment is not precise enough. Consequently, some gaps are not identified, and some pupils do not build their knowledge well enough.

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Pupils with SEND are well supported. These pupils are identified early. A strength of the school is the training given to staff to enable them to support pupils with SEND effectively. For example, leaders have created subject-specific guidance to support different areas of need. As a result, these pupils learn the curriculum successfully.

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The school ensures that pupils learn about the wider world. They develop an appreciation of the differences between people. For example, pupils know the protected characteristics well. They can explain why people should be treated equally. Pupils are encouraged to develop spiritually through the school’s ‘windows, mirrors and doors’ approach: windows to see new ways of looking at the world, mirrors to reflect on these and doors to live out those beliefs and values. Pupils treasure this time for reflection.

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Respectful relationships exist between pupils and staff. Pupils know the school rules well. As a result, they are engaged in their learning. Attendance is a high priority for leaders. Consequently, pupils attend well.

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Governors hold the school to account effectively. They are given the information they need to challenge leaders. Governors and school leaders have worked with determination in an effort to realise their vision to provide the best education they can for all 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 wider curriculum subjects, the most important knowledge pupils need to learn is not always clear. This means some pupils struggle to remember their learning long term. The school should refine the subject knowledge it wants pupils to remember and decide on the small steps of learning to help secure this knowledge.  In a minority of subjects, assessment of what pupils know and remember is not precise enough. As a result, gaps in knowledge are not always identified and addressed. The school should refine its approach to assessment to ensure that pupils are supported to overcome their misconceptions. 20 and 21 March 2024

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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 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). 20 and 21 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 10 May 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There has been a change in headteacher since the previous inspection. The headteacher was appointed in January 2022.  The school is a voluntary-controlled Church of England school, which is part of the Diocese of Salisbury. The previous section 48 inspection took place in February 2018, when the school was judged to be good.  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.

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Information about this inspection

 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. 20 and 21 March 2024

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 Inspectors met with the headteacher, school staff, parents, pupils, governors and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, 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.  The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1, 2 and 3 read to a known adult.  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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school, including at lunchtime and breaktimes. In addition, the inspectors met with pupils formally

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and informally to hear their views.  Inspectors considered responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text responses. They also looked at responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Lakmini Harkus, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Kate Masters Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 March 2024

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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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