Mursley Church of England School

Inspection of Mursley Church of England School Main Street, Mursley, Milton Keynes, Buckinghamshire MK17 0RT

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 4 and 5 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils proudly show the school’s values of honesty, respect, forgiveness and love. In every part of the school, a sense of warmth and positivity pervades. Pupils value their friendships with their peers and their relationships with staff. This can be seen clearly during social times. These are joyful moments in the school day, where pupils show kindness to each other. Pupils are inclusive in their actions and words. They are respectful of difference and celebrate it. Pupils are thoughtful and considerate and actively support each other to behave well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from the ambitious culture set by the school. They know adults want the best for them and that they will help them. Pupils understand the high expectations adults have for their learning and conduct. Pupils constantly strive to meet these expectations and do so very well. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are active and positive participants in their community. Whether as ‘courageous advocates’ or play leaders, pupils take their leadership roles seriously. All pupils contribute to a range of charitable and community events. In doing so, they learn what it means to make a positive contribution to society.

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

Across most of the curriculum, the school has set out the ambitious knowledge pupils need to know. The school has sequenced the order of what pupils will learn and how they will learn it. As a result, pupils learn well through most of the curriculum. They can talk about what they know with confidence and make links to other learning. This is most evident in English and mathematics. In these subjects, children in pre-school and Reception rapidly secure knowledge of early literacy and number.

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

Pupils learn to read very well. The teaching of phonics is expert. Teachers regularly check how well pupils are learning to read. When teachers spot that a pupil has fallen behind with their reading, they rapidly put in place effective support, which closes gaps in pupils’ phonics knowledge. Additional activities are also put in place to support pupils with SEND. The needs of pupils with SEND are identified well by the school. Teachers make effective changes to lessons, which enable pupils with SEND to achieve well.

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

The school has not finished its work to improve the non-core curriculum. Consequently, there are a small number of non-core subjects where the sequence of learning has not been defined. In addition, assessment in non-core subjects does not consistently check the ambitious knowledge the school intends pupils to learn. This means pupils are not learning as well as they could through the entire curriculum. The school is aware of this, and work on these areas is part of the school’s improvement plan.

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

Children in the early years foundation stage learn why it is important to respect the ideas and views of others. This develops as pupils move through the school and learn about different religions and cultures. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. 4 and 5 March 2025

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Through school events such as international day, pupils and their families find out about, and celebrate, differences in the local community. The school has put in place purposeful trips that link to the curriculum. For instance, trips to Hampton Court Palace, local author performances, farms and local venues such as libraries and post offices provide opportunities to enrich pupils’ learning.

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Pupils’ behaviour is exceptional. In the early years foundation stage, children confidently follow the rules and routines of the classroom. They understand why learning is important and sustain attention on activities well. In all classrooms throughout the school, pupils have extremely positive attitudes. They are motivated and enthusiastic learners who care about their work. Classrooms are consistently calm and purposeful and low-level disruption does not take place. Pupils play a tangible contribution to the positive culture in the school as they consistently model positive behaviour. They care about their school community. They actively encourage each other to behave and learn well. Pupils’ attendance is excellent. It is rare for a pupil to be persistently absent. When they are, the school puts in place effective support to help pupils and their families.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. They believe in, and are motivated by, the vision of school leaders. They trust the school will take their workload and well-being into consideration when making decisions. School leaders are reflective about the impact of their work. They work well with governors, the local authority and the diocese to continue to refine the school’s provision so that it can be of the highest quality for pupils who attend here.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school has not refined the sequencing of the curriculum in a small number of non- core subjects. This means pupils are not learning as well as they could in these areas. The school should continue to shape the curriculum in these subjects and ensure that staff have the expertise to help pupils build coherent knowledge effectively over time.  Assessment in foundation subjects does not consistently check the knowledge pupils are learning. This means that, currently, teachers are not clear about what pupils do and do not understand and, subsequently, are not able to help pupils build knowledge well. The school should ensure that teachers know how to precisely identify pupils’ knowledge gaps in foundation subjects so they can provide accurate support to close them. 4 and 5 March 2025

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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). 4 and 5 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 12 September 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 The school is a Church of England school in the Diocese of Oxford. It was last inspected under section 48 of the Education Act 2005 in June 2024. The next inspection will be due within five years of the date of the last inspection.  The school does not currently use 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 4 and 5 March 2025

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began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors met with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team.  The lead inspector met with the chair and other members of the governing body.  The lead inspector met with representatives from the local authority and the diocese.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour around the school and in lessons. They also spoke to pupils in lessons and during playtimes and lunchtimes.  The lead inspector considered a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluations of the school, their school improvement plan and minutes from governors’ meetings.

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 Inspectors considered parents and carers responses to Ofsted Parent View.  Inspectors took account of the views of staff through conversations and the responses to the online staff survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Nina Marabese, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Ian Elkington Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 March 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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