Malcolm Sargent Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Malcolm Sargent Primary School Empingham Road, Stamford, Lincolnshire PE9 2SR

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Inspection dates: 10 and 11 December 2024

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Outcome

Malcolm Sargent Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The executive principal of this is school is Tristan Revell. The school is a single-academy trust. The trust is overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Ken Swanson.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Malcolm Sargent Primary School is welcoming and friendly. Pupils receive a quality education across the curriculum. They benefit from a rich personal development programme and extra-curricular activities. Pupils are proud of their school. They fulfil the school’s vision of ‘love to learn’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is run by dedicated leaders, who set high aspirations for all pupils. Staff work hard to ensure that pupils meet these aspirations. Classrooms are places where many pupils can do their best and enjoy their learning. A calm atmosphere permeates Malcolm Sargent. This enables pupils to get the most out of their school experience.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils mirror the attitudes and personalities of the adults who teach and care for them. Staff are kind, passionate and polite. Many pupils demonstrate the same attributes. A strong culture of respect is well established at the school. Malcolm Sargent is a place where pupils feel safe and happy. It is a place where pupils can be themselves. One pupil summed this up perfectly by saying, ‘You can just be you, and we all respect that.’

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

Pupils benefit from a broad and balanced curriculum. Carefully sequenced subject curriculums set out exactly how pupils will gain a deep body of knowledge. The school’s curriculum sets out for staff how their lessons will build on learning from previous years, and how their teaching links to what will come next. This means that many pupils develop their knowledge and acquire new skills in a logical and sensible order. When there are 10 and 11 December 2024

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carefully planned learning activities, pupils engage in their learning and, as a result, they ‘love to learn’. In a writing lesson, for instance, Year 5 pupils could talk confidently about how they would use their history knowledge of the Anglo-Saxons to write a diary entry of a soldier in battle. Pupils are resilient in their learning and want to do well. They are prepared to connect their learning to the activities that have been taught. Staff in the early years plan together effectively to allow all pupils the chance to deepen their knowledge. This was seen in early years, where pupils could explain why they were making stables out of different materials, dressing up as the angel Gabriel, and learning all about the Nativity.

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In many lessons, pupils are keen to complete work and achieve well. There are some pupils in different year groups who are ready for the next challenge in their learning. They complete the work to a high standard but can sometimes be sat waiting for the next task or activity. Some pupils said that they would like to extend their learning in all subjects, as they said it ‘was enjoyable in maths and writing’.

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Staff are passionate about books and the power of reading. Their love of learning has rubbed off on pupils. The reading journey at the school starts the moment the children join in Reception. Staff are skilled in developing children’s spoken language. They take every chance to introduce new words and extend children’s communication skills. Pupils quickly learn to read accurately and fluently. Pupils enjoy the variety of texts they read in and beyond the classroom. Staff are keen for pupils to see themselves through the books that they read.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) achieve well. Staff make sure that pupils with SEND learn the same ambitious content as their classmates. Adults supporting learning are fully engaged in assisting the needs of the most vulnerable. Parents and carers of pupils with SEND recognise and appreciate the challenges the school faces in meeting the complex needs of all.

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Pupils demonstrate ‘The Malcolm Sargent Way’; which is to be kind, respectful, honest and hard working. Pupils said that you can be friends with anyone in the school, and if someone looks lonely, you would ‘invite them to play’. Pupils explained that if bullying does happen, it is dealt with quickly, as ‘we respect each other’. This positive culture means pupils want to attend school and do. As a result, overall attendance is strong.

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The school has thought carefully about creating ‘first-hand experiences’, which allow for all pupils to be involved in school life. Pupils profit from a very wide range of clubs, roles, events and trips to develop their talents and interests. The effective school council influences what the school does, and the pupils are proud to be part of the sub- committees that affect change.

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The school is preparing pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils are very knowledgeable about fundamental British values and protected characteristics. They are interested in the different ways people choose to live their lives. Pupils are aware of world faiths but are not always clear about what religions they have studied. 10 and 11 December 2024

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Leaders frequently review all aspects of school life to ensure that pupils can achieve their very best. The school ensures that all staff, no matter their responsibility, receive quality training so that they can do their job well. Staff really enjoy working at Malcolm Sargent and they appreciate the support provided by leaders. One staff member summed up the views of many by saying, ‘I never, ever want to work anywhere else, I love my job.’

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils are not moved on to new learning when they are ready. This hinders their progress. The school needs to continue to develop the curriculum so that all pupils can excel at the highest level.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness in October 2019. 10 and 11 December 2024

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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.

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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). 10 and 11 December 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection 29 October 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The executive principal has been in post since 2008.  The school is a standalone academy.  The school has had an increase in pupils with SEND attending the school, who have educational health care plans that state a special school setting.

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Information about this inspection

 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.  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 10 and 11 December 2024

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector visited ‘first-hand experience’ activities in Year 4 and Year 5.  The lead inspector met with trustees and reviewed documentation, such as the minutes of trustee meetings.  Inspectors met with leaders throughout the inspection.  The lead inspector met with associate staff as well as middle leaders and teachers.  Inspectors met with groups of pupils from a range of different year groups, including pupils with SEND. They spoke with pupils informally and observed the behaviour of pupils during social times.  Inspectors took note of the responses to the online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View and Ofsted’s staff and pupil survey.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation, including the school improvement plan

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and governors’ minutes of meetings. They considered information about pupils’ attendance, behaviour and suspensions, and the wider curriculum.

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Inspection team

Sally Wicken, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Chrissie Barrington Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 December 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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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