Marlborough Primary School

Inspection of Marlborough Primary School Draycott Avenue, London SW3 3AP

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Good 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

At Marlborough Primary School, uniqueness is celebrated. Pupils are proud to talk about their different beliefs and backgrounds. They focus on what makes them the same rather than what makes them different. This means that pupils demonstrate exemplary character, champion inclusivity and advocate for each other. Pupils readily contribute to their wider community through regular fundraising events.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s vision is that all pupils ‘excel, enjoy and achieve’. Leaders have high ambitions for pupils. Pupils’ successes are reflected across the curriculum, including in national assessments. They take pride in their achievements and are happy coming to school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour is excellent. Children in early years are supported to transition well and quickly adopt established routines modelled by older pupils. Pupils know their trusted adults and feel that their concerns will be dealt with swiftly. As a result, pupils feel safe and are kept safe at school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), benefit from all the school has to offer. All pupils can develop their interests through the wide range of clubs and enrichment opportunities, including ukulele, skateboarding and chess. All pupils receive music lessons in addition to learning an instrument as part of an ensemble from Year 2 onwards.

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

The school’s curriculum is broad and ambitious. In each subject, and areas of learning in early years, leaders have specified the precise knowledge and skills they want all pupils to be taught. This builds over time so that pupils can access more complex tasks. For example, in music, children in Nursery develop their musical awareness by learning to clap, sway and join in with familiar songs. This also supports children’s wider learning through the development of social awareness, turn-taking and self-control. In Reception, children start learning to sing together. This means that older pupils can sing short melodies in three-part harmony. Similarly, in mathematics, pupils secure the building blocks so that they can tackle problem-solving with increasing independence. Teaching supports pupils to practise components such as counting in 2s, 5s and 10s before moving on to more complex ‘using and proving’ tasks. As a result, pupils develop high levels of

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

understanding across the curriculum, working towards the school’s ‘landmarks’ in learning.

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

The school places great emphasis on reading, so that pupils become confident and fluent readers over their time at school. The curriculum, beginning in early years, is designed around key texts that leaders want pupils to know inside out and revisit across the curriculum. Staff are well trained to deliver the reading programme, so children begin learning to read as soon as they start school. Pupils use books that are matched to their reading knowledge. Teachers’ regular checks effectively spot any gaps in phonics 24 and 25 September 2024

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knowledge. Pupils who need support to keep up and catch up get the right help. This means that pupils become accurate readers over their time at the school.

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Teachers identify any pupils who have SEND. Leaders support staff to design and adapt the curriculum to ensure that their teaching allows all pupils with SEND to access the curriculum. Specialist additional training is provided for staff working in the resource provision to ensure that pupils are supported to access the curriculum from their starting points.

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Pupils enjoy a calm and orderly learning environment, supported by clear expectations and routines. Leaders work with pupils to review school rules. This means pupils are confident that adults will manage behaviour fairly. Beginning in early years, children are taught to speak about their emotions so that they can better understand their behaviours. As a result, pupils support one another in lessons to focus on the work. Leaders have worked with families to keep attendance high so that all children can benefit from the curriculum and wider offer.

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The curriculum for personal development is excellent. Pupils learn key concepts and develop their understanding through the curriculum. For example, pupils in Year 3 learn about rules and routines, which supports them to learn about democracy and law-making. Pupils put this into action by voting for their favourite designs in the outdoor play spaces. Recently, pupils wrote to their newly elected MP with their concerns around littering in the local area. In this way, the curriculum supports pupils to develop as active citizens.

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Staff, including those at the early stages of their career, feel that leaders engage positively with them, and are considerate of their workload and well-being. Leaders have supported staff to develop their expertise, including through training and development opportunities. Governors fulfil their statutory duties and are well informed of the work of the school. Leaders and those responsible for governance have worked together to develop the areas of further improvement for the school so that all pupils continue to benefit from the high- quality education on offer.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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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. 24 and 25 September 2024

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Sally Keck (head of school) Jagdeep Birdi (executive headteacher) Website www.marlborough.rbkc.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 26 February 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Marlborough Primary School is part of the Colville and Marlborough Federation. Since the previous inspection, an executive headteacher and head of school have been appointed. The executive headteacher is responsible for both schools in the federation.  The school has a specially resourced provision and SEN unit for pupils with autism. Twenty pupils currently attend the provision.  The governing body also runs a separate day care for children aged from six months on the same premises (URN: 2781714). Marlborough Primary School’s nursery provision begins at three years old and was considered as part of this inspection.  The school currently does not use any alternative providers.  The school runs its own breakfast and after-school clubs.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and 24 and 25 September 2024

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management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education 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 inspector held meetings with the executive headteacher, head of school, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  The lead inspector met with a group of governors, including the chair of the governing body. She also spoke with the local authority school improvement partner.  The inspectors did deep dives in these subjects: reading, music, art and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of their work. The inspectors also considered the

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curriculum in other subjects.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, inspectors reviewed the single central record of pre-employment checks; 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 inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation provided by leaders, including their priorities for improvement.  The inspectors considered the views of parents, pupils and staff through discussions and their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Matea Marcinko, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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