Marleigh Primary Academy

Inspection of Marleigh Primary Academy Marleigh Avenue, Cambridge CB5 8BG

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Emily Thompson. The school is part of Anglian Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Jonathan Culpin, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Helen Pain. 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

This is a growing school where pupils are warm and welcoming, especially to new pupils who arrive from all over the world. Pupils celebrate the diversity that this brings to the school. This ensures pupils settle in quickly and feel a sense of belonging to the community.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and demonstrate the school values of respect, reaching high and resilience. Staff have high expectations of the pupils, and they encourage pupils to meet these expectations. Pupils listen to each other’s thoughts and ideas, which they respond to politely. They are enthusiastic to learn and, as a result, they achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Behaviour is positive around the school. Staff have strong relationships with pupils. Pupils know that they can get help from an adult if they need it. Those pupils who need additional support with behaviour, receive it.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending trips that support their learning, for example to an art gallery and to a studio to make a music video. Pupils can take part in a range of sporting competitions, and activities are open to everyone. Older pupils can be voted in as house captains or house vice-captains. These activities encourage teamwork and cooperation.

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

The school has recently reviewed the curriculum to ensure that it is ambitious and broad. The curriculum sets out clearly the order in which pupils should build their knowledge from the early years to Year 6. Teachers have good subject knowledge and make lessons interesting for pupils. Teachers check pupils’ understanding in lessons and over time. In many subjects, this helps pupils to know and remember more. However, in a few subjects, teachers do not match tasks to build on what pupils already know and understand. When this is the case, pupils do not develop and extend their knowledge as well as they could.

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

The school prioritises reading for all pupils. Pupils enjoy reading. They read a wide range of books, including texts that reflect the diversity of the school community. Pupils access the library weekly to choose new books. They recommend authors and books to each other. Staff teach phonics effectively from the early years. They check pupils’ reading knowledge regularly, as well as what new pupils know when they arrive at the school. This ensures that the school can meet pupils’ individual needs by providing the support they need. As a result, pupils quickly learn to read confidently and fluently.

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

The school has clear processes and systems to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) promptly. This enables the school to put in place any support needed quickly. Parents and carers are involved in the processes early so that they work together with the school. The school accesses external agencies when it is appropriate. Staff are well trained to support pupils’ learning and, when necessary, provide bespoke support. This ensures that pupils with SEND have the right provision in place for them. 25 and 26 February 2025

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Staff have had training to implement the behaviour policy effectively. This ensures that there is a consistent approach throughout the school. Pupils respond well to this approach, and it creates a calm environment. Pupils’ attendance has improved greatly. The school communicates its expectations to families and works with them to ensure that any barriers to pupils’ attendance can be overcome.

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The school has a broad personal, health and social education curriculum. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and how to manage their money. They develop an understanding of healthy relationships as well as learning how to stay physically fit and healthy. There is support in place for pupils’ mental well-being, including accessing specially trained staff, completing mindfulness activities and visiting the school dog. This helps promote pupils’ wider development well.

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The school has a focus on science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM), which links to the local area. Pupils develop their knowledge of these subjects through regular STEM days that have a specific focus, for example time or light. They work with experts in these fields. This inspires and engages pupils in these areas and makes them aware of future careers in these fields.

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Staff appreciate the support they receive to manage their workload and well-being. The school and trust work closely together to continue to develop the school as it grows. Parents are positive about and supportive of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, the work set does not develop the pupil’s knowledge and understanding and build on what they already know. This means that pupils are completing work that they are already capable of and they are not building on their learning as well as they could. This slows pupils’ progress through the curriculum in these subjects. The school should ensure that staff set work that takes account of pupils’ prior learning and helps pupils to extend their knowledge and understanding in all subjects.

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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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 The school is part of Anglian Learning Trust.  The school opened in September 2022.  The headteacher has been in post since November 2024.  The school does not 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. 25 and 26 February 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s educational provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body. The lead inspector also spoke with the CEO, the director of primary education and a trustee.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and physical education. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors also considered the curriculum in some other subjects.  Inspectors also spoke to school leaders, including those responsible for SEND,

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behaviour, attendance and personal development.  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 gathered and considered the views of pupils, parents and staff. This included considering the responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.

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Inspection team

Katie Devenport, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Marcus Cooper 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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