Middlemarch School

Inspection of Middlemarch School College Street, Nuneaton, Warwickshire CV10 7BQ

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 March 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils from diverse cultures and backgrounds unite at this lively and vibrant school. Many join the school after Year 3 and throughout the academic year. These pupils are warmly welcomed into the community where fellow pupils act as their ‘buddies’ to help them settle in. As one pupil said, ‘Within a week you feel part of the school.’ The school’s inclusive culture successfully fosters its vision that ‘as a family we achieve’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school expects all pupils to achieve their full potential. Before joining this junior school, pupils’ prior knowledge varies considerably due to their previous educational experiences. The school works effectively to determine pupils’ starting points in what they already know and can do. Pupils make good progress through the school’s curriculum.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils mix happily together. They show respect and care for each other. This creates a positive and joyful environment for learning. When incidents of negative behaviour do happen, pupils trust staff to sort out issues quickly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

During lunch and after school, the school buzzes with chatter and lively activities. Pupils participate enthusiastically in a variety of activities which spark their talents and interests. From coding club to forest school, there is something available for everyone.

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

The school ensures that pupils study a broad range of subjects. It places particular emphasis on supporting those who join the school with gaps in their prior knowledge. This includes staff focusing on teaching the basic knowledge necessary for success in English and mathematics. While the school’s published outcomes do not match national averages, pupils do learn well, gain important knowledge and retain information in their memory over time.

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

The school has identified the knowledge that it expects pupils to learn so they make progress. Staff teach this information in a logical order to build pupils’ understanding. For example, in physical education, pupils learn various hand grips and stances before advancing to more complex skills, such as executing drop volleys in tennis. However, in a small number of subjects, the curriculum is not so well designed. In these cases, the school has not clearly identified the key knowledge that pupils are expected to learn. As a result, teachers are not as effective at teaching the curriculum and checking the depth of pupils’ understanding.

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

Teachers provide clear and useful explanations to help pupils understand new information. They demonstrate methods and use well-chosen resources. Staff successfully adapt their delivery of the curriculum to support the learning of those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils who speak English as an additional language (EAL) also benefit from staff using a well-considered variety of strategies that accelerate their learning. For example, teachers use ‘substitution tables’ that include pictures and words to help pupils understand presentations and instructions. 25 and 26 March 2025

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Many pupils join the school still at the early stages of learning to read; these pupils access the school’s phonics programme. Staff quickly identify pupils who are not fluent readers. Some pupils who join the school speak English as an additional language. Staff support pupils’ language well. Pupils develop their understanding and use of the English language quickly. The school aims to help all pupils who join the school in Year 3 to become fluent readers by the end of Year 4. This goal is met. When pupils join the school in later year groups, phonics continues where needed. Not all pupils meet national reading expectations by Year 6, but many become fluent readers. This progress through the reading curriculum helps to prepare pupils well for secondary education by the time they leave the school.

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Most pupils enjoy attending school and display positive attitudes to learning. Lessons are typically calm, and pupils focus on their work. However, some do not attend regularly enough. The school is committed to improving rates of attendance and is working with the support of the local authority to challenge low attendance. This is making some positive impact. However, there is more to do to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly.

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The school’s curriculum helps to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils study a range of topical issues, including important concepts such as fundamental British values. Most pupils understand these concepts and talk about them seriously. For instance, when discussing the rule of law, one pupil explained, ‘Everyone has to follow the rules; it keeps the country civilised.’

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Those responsible for governance promote the development and well-being of staff effectively. Staff members feel supported in their roles and enjoy working at the school. Most parents and carers also express positive opinions about the school. They understand the school’s ethos and vision; they appreciate the education it provides.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the essential knowledge the school expects pupils to know and remember is not identified clearly enough. This limits teachers’ ability to teach the curriculum and check pupils’ understanding. It means that, on occasion, pupils do not deepen their knowledge as well as they could. The school should identify clearly the key information that pupils are expected to learn in all subjects.  Some pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This limits their learning. The school should provide further challenge and support for families to ensure that all pupils attend school regularly. 25 and 26 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). 25 and 26 March 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 3 April 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school includes a specialist unit for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder. All pupils who attend this provision have education, health and care plans. This unit provides education for up to 11 pupils between the ages of 7 and 11.  The school makes use of one unregistered 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. 25 and 26 March 2025

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 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.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: Early reading, English, mathematics and physical education. 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.  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 met with the headteacher and assistant headteacher. The lead inspector

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also held discussions with those responsible for governance, and representatives of the local authority.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at different times of the day.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also took account of responses to the online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jonathan Leonard, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Edgerton Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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