Malvern Way Infant and Nursery School

Inspection of Malvern Way Infant and Nursery School Malvern Way, Croxley Green, Rickmansworth, Hertfordshire WD3 3QQ

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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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 Outstanding

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since March 2014. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in this welcoming school. They benefit from respectful and nurturing relationships with adults and other pupils. Pupils feel happy and valued. They know that if they have a worry, however small, they can speak to an adult who will listen and help them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons is impeccable. Pupils who need additional help with their behaviour receive quick and effective support. The school teaches pupils about the importance of ‘helping hands’. This helps them to understand responsibility. Pupils demonstrate this value by looking after Patrick, the school’s tortoise.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has the highest expectations for pupils. Pupils achieve highly across the curriculum. They are proud of the high-quality work they produce in different subjects. For instance, Year 2 pupils beam with pride as they play ‘London’s Burning’ on ocarinas, demonstrating an excellent understanding of pitch and tempo.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy the many opportunities to develop roles of responsibility. For example, ‘eco- warriors’ work hard to save paper for recycling. They do this because they want to look after the environment. The school ensures that as many pupils as possible enjoy a wide range of activities that develop their talents and interests. These include karate, street dance and i-Rock clubs.

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

The curriculum is extremely ambitious. Leaders have identified the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary that pupils need to learn year-on-year. Pupils learn knowledge in a logical order, building on what they already know. For example, Year 2 pupils confidently recall number bonds and use these facts to solve missing number problems. Year 1 pupils sort animal pictures into groups of herbivores, carnivores and omnivores. They use their growing knowledge to describe how these animals are suited to their habitats.

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

Staff are experts at delivering the curriculum. They check what pupils know and understand by revisiting learning regularly. If pupils have misconceptions, teachers intervene quickly to ensure pupils’ understanding is secure. The school identifies pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) swiftly. Teachers adapt their approaches skilfully so that pupils with SEND access all that the school has to offer successfully.

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

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Children in the Reception Year visit the local library. ‘Secret parent readers’ share their favourite books with pupils. In the early years, children take great delight in joining in with the class story. These experiences develop a love of reading.

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

The school’s approach to teaching reading is consistent and effective. Children begin to learn to read as soon as they join the Reception Year. The school aims for all pupils to read fluently as soon as they can. Books are matched closely to pupils’ phonics 25 and 26 February 2025

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knowledge. This helps pupils to develop confidence. If pupils are at risk of falling behind, they swiftly receive the help they need to keep up with their peers. Vocabulary development is a focus across the school. In the Reception Year, teachers introduce children to ambitious vocabulary. When designing an animal enclosure, children use words such as ‘enclosure’, ‘exit’ and ‘edge’ with understanding.

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Pupils are highly motivated and show positive attitudes to their learning. They are resilient when faced with challenging tasks. Classrooms are harmonious places to learn. From the Nursery Year onwards, children learn to share and collaborate well.

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Personal development is a core part of the wider offer. The school’s values are interwoven across all aspects of school life. The school has carefully selected ‘treasured texts’, which support pupils to recognise and celebrate cultures that may differ from their own. This helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils learn to manage risk. For instance, pupils learn to use a flint to make a spark, creating a fire in the school’s firepit. The school teaches pupils to ride bicycles without support so that they develop confidence. Pupils contribute to the wider community by picking up litter in the local area. They grow vegetables in the school’s allotment and share them with the community. These experiences support pupils to understand the school value that ‘everyone matters’.

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Pupils are taught about consent in an age-appropriate manner. Pupils learn not to publish personal information online. They know to inform an adult if they see anything online that makes them feel uncomfortable.

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Governors and school leaders are relentlessly determined to provide the very best learning opportunities for pupils. Governors have appropriate processes in place to check the school’s effectiveness. Teachers value the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload and support their well-being. Staff are overwhelmingly proud to be part of the ‘Malvern Way team’.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 6 and 7 March 2014, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school runs a breakfast club.  The school does not currently make use of 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. 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 management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspectors held meetings with the senior leadership team.  An inspector met with representatives of the governing body and a representative from the local authority.  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 carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, history and music. 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.  Inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The lead inspector listened to some pupils in Years 1 and 2 reading to a familiar adult.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  Inspectors considered the responses to the online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View. They also took into consideration Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ania Vaughan Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 February 2025

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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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