Mead Primary School

Inspection of Mead Primary School Amersham Road, Harold Hill, Romford, Essex RM3 9JD

p.1

Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 10 and 11 July 2024

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and thriving in this friendly and inclusive school. Leaders have high expectations for pupils’ learning and behaviour. As a result, lessons are calm and purposeful. Around the school, pupils behave sensibly. The school encourages pupils to help each other and to understand and respect different perspectives and cultural differences. The needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are understood well by all in the school.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

School leaders have swiftly put in place staff training to raise the standard of reading in the school. The reading programme is now a strength of the school. The school’s curriculum is ambitious for pupils. The school supplements the taught curriculum through a wide range of educational visits.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school places emphasis on pupils developing a strong sense of citizenship. Pupils experience a range of community-minded activities each year. Pupils who make up the school’s Pupil Parliament take a leading role. They work with the school’s leaders to ensure pupils’ views are taken into account when key decisions are made.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils across the school participate in the school’s University of Mead at the end of each year. They complete enrichment projects such as arts and crafts, science experiments, drama and music productions. They explore and develop their talents and interests through a different activity each year.

p.2

better?

The school’s curriculum, including in the early years, has been redesigned in recent years to increase its ambition in line with the national curriculum. The curriculum is now structured around the important disciplinary knowledge and skills of each subject. Key learning builds up sequentially over time. The school’s curriculum development work is further ahead in some subjects than it is in others, including in early years. Early mathematics, for example, is well supported through the range of learning opportunities that children can choose. Other areas of the curriculum are less well defined in the learning that children can choose to access.

p.2

better?

The result of a well-planned programme of training for staff and the use of subject- specialist teachers, for example in art, physical education and music, is that the curriculum is typically delivered with confidence, including in the early years. This is particularly the case in English and mathematics. Where the curriculum is newer, teachers are less confident. At times, the explanations of teachers in these subjects are less clear. The activities they choose to help pupils to consolidate their learning can distract pupils from the key knowledge they need to learn. In the early years, recent training for staff has improved the ways in which they interact with children to develop their communication skills and vocabulary. 10 and 11 July 2024

p.2

3

Teachers use checks on pupils’ learning and recall well in the classroom. They use a range of methods to check what pupils know and can remember from previous lessons. Through this, they quickly identify knowledge gaps, and address these before moving on.

p.3

3

Pupils with SEND are supported to access all aspects of the school’s curriculum. Staff quickly identify their needs and ensure these are met by the adults who work with them. Pupils in the school’s specialist SEND provision are exceptionally well catered for. Across the school, pupils are encouraged to understand the experiences of their peers. Awareness days and charity fundraising events are used to educate pupils on different medical conditions, including mental health.

p.3

3

Reading is a passion across the school. Pupils of all ages read widely and with increasing confidence. Leaders have invested in new books to support the school’s chosen phonics programme for early readers. These accurately match the sounds pupils have learned. Teachers accurately model new sounds to pupils and quickly identify any pupils who need extra help. These pupils are supported well to improve their reading fluency and to catch up to their peers.

p.3

3

Pupils are kind and caring. They pay attention in their lessons and love to learn. At present, the attendance of pupils in the school is below national figures. Leaders understand why some families have trouble getting their children to school. They are working hard to overcome these barriers and improve school attendance year on year.

p.3

3

Staff here are happy and well supported by leaders. Recent staff training has greatly increased their knowledge of effective ways to teach. Staff report that workload is manageable. They appreciate the actions of leaders to support their well-being. Early careers teachers are well supported in the school.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, teachers have not given enough consideration to the main knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn in their lessons. As a result, teachers’ explanations and follow-up activities can distract and confuse pupils from the most essential learning points. In the early years, opportunities for learning in the continuous provision do not routinely support children to embed their learning from teacher-led sessions. Leaders should ensure that explanations and lesson activities are sharply focused on teaching and embedding the key knowledge and skills that pupils need to learn, including in the early years. 10 and 11 July 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 10 and 11 July 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 June 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 There is a specially resourced provision for up to 12 pupils with autism spectrum disorder.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school is part of The Learning Federation with Broadford Primary School.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other school leaders. They also met with representatives of the governing body, including the chair of governors, and spoke to a representative of the local authority. 10 and 11 July 2024

p.5

6

 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, music and science. 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.  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 studied a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation and development plan. They reviewed school records relating to behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the views of parents through the Ofsted parent survey, Ofsted Parent View. They also reviewed responses to the online staff and pupil

p.6

Inspection team

Annabel Davies, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Daniel Burton Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 July 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7