Mudeford Community Infants' School

Inspection of a good school: Mudeford Community Infants’ School Queen’s Road, Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset BH23 3HH

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Outcome

Mudeford Community Infants’ School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe at this inclusive school. The ‘community rules’ sit at the school’s heart. Children in Reception learn routines quickly. Across the school, pupils typically behave well in lessons, work hard and become confident learners. Parents and carers are exceptionally positive about the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Committed staff are always on hand if pupils have a worry or need help. Playtimes are fun because there are many activities, such as football, cheer leading, hula hooping and exploring the climbing frame.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils experience lots of exciting visits as part of their curriculum themes, for example, to a science museum and the local coastline. Many visitors extend pupils’ curriculum knowledge, for example learning about Shabbat. Pupils are proud to take part in sporting events. Community volunteers support pupils to grow vegetables. The school provides regular opportunities for pupils to share their learning with parents. For example, through performing on stage or becoming chefs in the ‘pop up restaurant’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff deliberately focus on teaching the foundational knowledge of reading, writing, speaking, mathematics and science. This ensures that they can access the other subjects on offer and prepares pupils well for junior school.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders evaluate the school’s strengths and aspects that require refinement accurately. Leaders and staff work together to ensure that the curriculum is continually improving. Staff are particularly positive about leaders’ strong communication and support for their well-being and workload.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Children in Reception get off to a great start. Across the school, there are well-established curriculums in English and mathematics. Staff have regular training to keep their subject knowledge secure and up to date. Staff ensure that pupils learn to read and spell 18 and 19 June 2024

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accurately and write with the complexity expected for their age. In mathematics, pupils have lots of opportunities to practise the quick recall of number facts and to reason and problem solve. By the time pupils reach the end of Year 2, they achieve highly in reading and mathematics. The school has recently revamped its curriculum in subjects beyond English and mathematics. The curriculum includes the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. Pupils remember this basic knowledge very well, for example, in design and technology and geography. However, the school’s work to deepen pupils’ knowledge when they are ready is at an earlier stage.

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Across the school, staff use assessment well to find out what pupils know and remember. This helps them to identify and address gaps in pupils’ learning in English and mathematics. However, there are occasions when staff do not adapt their teaching to address misconceptions when they arise within sequences of work or lessons. This slows pupils’ learning. In wider subject curriculums such as geography, the school’s assessment systems are beginning to develop well.

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Well-crafted bespoke curriculums are in place for pupils who need them. This ensures that these pupils access the breadth of curriculum they should. Most pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities achieve well over time. However, there are occasions within sequences of work when teaching does not prioritise pupil’s individualised targets astutely.

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The governing body works strategically to ensure that the school has the resources it needs to deliver a successful curriculum. Governor visits provide assurances that pupils are receiving a good quality of education. However, the governing body does not fulfil its duties in some aspects of its work as well. It does not have sufficient oversight over some important operational systems, for example the school’s single central record. The governing body has been slow to ensure that all its members complete mandatory training.

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Leaders have stringent systems in place to check pupils’ attendance. As a result, pupils attend well. Very few pupils are persistently absent. The school’s work to develop pupils personally is effective. Pupils learn about making and keeping friends and accepting difference. The curriculum teaches pupils about different faiths and what it is to be a responsible citizen growing up in modern Britain. Pupils learn about how to keep physically and mentally fit and healthy. All pupils in Year 2 learn first aid.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 18 and 19 June 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There are occasions when staff do not adapt their teaching to address pupils’ misconceptions when they arise, or teaching does not meet pupils’ individualised targets precisely. This slows a minority of pupils’ learning down. The school must ensure that teaching is adapted consistently well so that all pupils can thrive in their learning.  Leaders have not yet refined some specific subject content to provide pupils with deeper knowledge across a few subjects. Pupils do not always learn the depth of knowledge they could. The school must ensure that all aspects of the wider curriculum include the necessary subject content that pupils need to achieve highly.  Governors do not have full oversight of the school’s work. This means that they are unable to provide challenge and support to the school as effectively as they might. The governing body must ensure that its members complete all mandatory training so that

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

they have a strong understanding of their roles and responsibilities and, therefore, can hold the school to account effectively for all aspects of its work.

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Background

When we have judged [a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good on 19–20 September 2018.

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How can I feed back my views?

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. 18 and 19 June 2024

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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 June 2024

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 19 and 20 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 There are two Reception, Year 1 and Year 2 classes.  There is a before- and after-school club on site. This is registered separately with Ofsted and was not in scope for this inspection.  Since the previous inspection, the leadership structure has changed. There is now a full-time deputy headteacher as well as a full-time headteacher.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in this evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other staff during the inspection. She held meetings with the chairperson and vice chairperson of the 18 and 19 June 2024

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governing body and two representatives of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole local authority.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, looked at curriculum planning, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also talked to pupils about other subjects, including design technology.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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 inspector considered the responses to the questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent

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View, including free-text comments and a letter from a parent. The inspector considered the responses to the online surveys for staff. There were no responses to the pupil survey. The inspector held meetings with school staff and groups of pupils during the inspection to gather their views.

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Inspection team

Julie Carrington, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 18 and 19 June 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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