Malvern Parish CofE Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Malvern Parish CofE Primary School Manby Road, Malvern, Worcestershire WR14 3BB

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Outcome

Malvern Parish CofE Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Martyn Bream. This school is part of The Diocese of Worcester Multi-Academy 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), Vicki Shelley, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Christopher Stephens.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Malvern Parish CofE Primary School are proud of their ‘amazing’ school. They appreciate the school’s kind, listening staff. There is a strong culture of vigilance and safety. Staff listen to and act on any worries or concerns pupils have. The school works hard to secure high rates of pupil attendance. Pupils enjoy attending and feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for pupils’ achievement. Each day pupils try hard to live the school motto, ‘Learning together for an exciting future.’ There is a learning ‘buzz’ in classrooms. Pupils manage their learning using strategies such as ‘three before me.’ This helps them to focus so they are ready to learn. Pupils learn to persevere and seek alternative ways to work things out. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are well-mannered, polite and respectful. Staff make sure that pupils follow the school rules and routines. Pupils enjoy social times. They learn to resolve occasional friendship issues. Restorative conversations help pupils to reflect on the impact of their actions on others. Staff, pupil playground leaders and peer mediators are on hand to help out and support. Behaviour is well-managed. Pupils meet the high expectations the school sets for pupils’ behaviour and conduct. 8 and 9 April 2025

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

The school provides an ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum for its pupils, right from the start in the early years. Teachers present subject knowledge in a way that brings learning to life. This helps pupils engage and learn well. For example, they persevere when applying their knowledge of circuits to create a burglar alarm. They excitedly recall how the English Civil War started on Powick Bridge and ended in the city of Worcester. However, in a few subjects, some important subject-specific skills are not always explicitly taught in the best sequence. This means that pupils do not build the rich understanding of these subjects that they might.

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

Early reading, including phonics, is well taught by skilled staff. Pupils practise new sounds they learn when reading books that match these sounds. ‘Reading squads’ are highly effective in helping pupils to build reading fluency. Pupils who fall behind in their reading are identified quickly. Additional support, including daily reading opportunities, helps these pupils to catch up quickly. Pupils learn to read at least with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age.

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

Teachers have the knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum successfully. They check learning in lessons and over time. They use this information to identify gaps in learning. However, teachers are less secure at ensuring pupils get sufficient time to practise problem solving in mathematics. As a result, pupils do not apply their mathematical learning as successfully as they might. This hampers the depth of their learning.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are swiftly identified. They get the support they need to learn well and be successful in school. For example, they benefit from adaptions to learning, resources, additional adult support in class or external specialists. Pupils with SEND achieve well in school.

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

The school’s enrichment offer has been carefully thought through. It builds on the school’s values so that pupils learn to persevere, respect and build trust. Pupils learn to keep safe when working on and off-line. They know about healthy and safe relationships. When learning about Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism or Islam, pupils build rich knowledge about the importance of places of worship and special books to these faiths. They learn about day-to-day life and symbolism in different cultures. For example, they explain confidently the significance of the cross, Rangoli patterns, traditional dress or Diwa lamps. This helps pupils to understand and respect difference.

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

Pupils learn to be active citizens when fundraising in the school community and beyond. Pupils auction artwork they create inspired by learning about rainforest. They design and locally source sustainable sportswear and partake in ‘wear red day’ for a local charity. Pupils value the range of opportunities to learn and practise new skills. ‘Needle and thread’, choir, coding and netball club are firm favourites. Pupils proudly undertake responsibilities in school such as junior leaders and curriculum ambassadors. School elections for these roles create great excitement whilst helping pupils to understand democracy. All this means that pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain. 8 and 9 April 2025

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Leaders, governors and trustees know the school well. They make the right checks on the school's work. The trust provides highly effective challenge and support to the school. School leaders are effectively held to account for the performance of the school.

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Staff say the school is 'one big family.’ Positive engagement from listening leaders helps them to do their jobs well. Staff value the proactive support to manage their workload and well-being. This helps them to maintain a healthy work-life balance.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Disciplinary knowledge is not always explicitly taught in the intended sequence as set out by the school in a few subjects. This means that pupils do not build on their learning skills as well as they could. The school should ensure the progression of subject-specific skills is clearly taught as it intends, so that pupils develop and apply these skills as successfully as they do substantive knowledge.  Teachers are less secure at ensuring pupils get sufficient time to practise problem solving in mathematics. This means that pupils do not apply their mathematical learning as successfully as they might. This hampers the depth of their learning. The school should build staff confidence in teaching problem solving in mathematics and ensure they know how and when to teach it.

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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, 8 and 9 April 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the predecessor school, Malvern Parish CofE Primary School to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2012.

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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). 8 and 9 April 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 10 and 11 March 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The headteacher was the former deputy headteacher at the school. He took on the role of headteacher in September 2023. The current deputy headteacher is also new to role since the last inspection.  The school is part of the Diocese of Worcester Multi-Academy Trust.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school is a Church of England school. It received a section 48 inspection of religious education in November 2023. The next section 48 inspection will be within the normal diocesan inspection cycle.  The school provides a before- and after-school club for its pupils. 8 and 9 April 2025

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector observed pupils at informal times of the day as part of their evaluation of safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher and other senior leaders. She met

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Information about this inspection

with the CEO and trust representatives and held a telephone conversation with a representative from the diocese. The inspector also talked to pupils, staff and parents to gather information about school life.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Information about this inspection

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 April 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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