Maynards Green Community Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Maynards Green Community Primary School Maynards Green, Heathfield, East Sussex TN21 0DD

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Outcome

Maynards Green Community Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils delight in attending this friendly school. They show a genuine care for one another. Pupils experience a range of activities during the school’s ‘enrichment Friday’ sessions. For example, they learn origami, work with textiles and design digital comic strips. Pupils enjoy using the school swimming pool and explore the school grounds at playtime. Pupils appointed as nature champions ensure that the planters are brimming with flowers and vegetables.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for its pupils. There is a keen desire for all pupils to enjoy their time in class. Learning is purposeful and staff support pupils to succeed. Pupils produce beautiful artwork that adorns the display boards. They are inquisitive and readily talk about what they learn. As a result, pupils achieve well across a broad range of subjects.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave exceptionally well. They are respectful and kind. Playtimes are joyful and active. Pupils relish playing with one another. Pupils appointed as sports leaders encourage active games at playtime. Older pupils mix with younger pupils. This helps to form caring bonds between older and younger pupils. As a result, there is a warm atmosphere across the school, which means pupils feel happy and safe.

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

The school provides a curriculum that meets the needs and interests of the pupils well. Teachers receive helpful training that refines the way that they teach. As a result, teachers are knowledgeable and confident. Leaders make sure that teachers’ workload is manageable. They listen to teachers to ensure that new initiatives do not overburden 7 and 8 May 2025

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them. The school regularly reviews the consistency of how the curriculum is delivered. This means that new initiatives swiftly become everyday practice. Where improvements are needed, the school acts on this diligently to ensure the pupils achieve well.

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Pupils gain detailed knowledge and skills across the curriculum. Children in the early years develop their phonics knowledge well. They enjoy stories and delight in enacting these when at play. They develop the knowledge needed to help them to transition confidently into Year 1. Older pupils learn the reading skills needed to become confident and fluent readers. Teachers help pupils who have fallen behind to gain the reading knowledge needed. Pupils learn about mathematical concepts and apply these across wider subjects. For example, they explore data in computing and interpret graphs in science. This helps pupils to secure their mathematical knowledge.

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Teachers ask helpful questions that encourage pupils to talk about their learning. This helps pupils to embed new knowledge well. Teachers encourage pupils to draw on what they have learned previously. As a result, pupils connect what they have learned before with new content. Teachers identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) well. For example, early identification of speech and language needs in the early years ensures that children’s learning flourishes. The school has developed clear guidelines on how teaching should be adapted to meet pupils’ different needs. However, in some subjects, these adjustments are not always used as they should be. This means that some pupils do not always learn and use new vocabulary as well as others.

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The school has a positive and effective approach to behaviour management. Pupils behave well in class. Children in the early years form positive relationships with one another. They take turns and listen to staff attentively. Staff support pupils to learn about how to manage their own emotions and to recognise emotions in others. The school has high expectations for every pupil to attend well. Where needed, it sensitively supports families of pupils whose attendance falls below the school’s expectations.

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Pupils receive a wide range of meaningful enrichment opportunities. They engage in visits that link purposefully to the school’s curriculum. Pupils take part in competitive sports and arts events across the network of local schools. Visitors to the school are commonplace. For example, pupils work with local scientists and members of emergency services. This builds pupils’ aspirations and connects future careers to what they learn in school. Pupils are respectful of the views of others and thoughtful about current affairs. They discuss local and global issues in assembly time. They go on different ‘welly walks’ with local nature guides. This connects pupils to their local environment. Pupils relish the roles of responsibility they are given. For example, pupils take the lead in assemblies, and school councillors act as a voice for pupils. This creates a culture in the school where each pupil’s voice is valued.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 7 and 8 May 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some pupils do not apply the grammar, punctuation and spelling skills that they have learned when writing across the curriculum. This means that the quality of pupils’ writing in some subjects is too varied. The school should ensure that pupils are enabled to apply their writing skills consistently well when writing across different subjects.  The school’s approach to how learning should be adapted for pupils with SEND is not yet consistently applied across all subjects. This means that some pupils with SEND do not secure their understanding of the key vocabulary outlined in the school’s curriculum. Where this is the case, the school should ensure that staff are able to apply these strategies effectively so that pupils gain the important knowledge needed.

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

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.

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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. 7 and 8 May 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). 7 and 8 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school provides a breakfast and after-school club. This is provided by a registered provider.  The school uses one unregistered alternative provision.

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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 any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with the headteacher, members of the governing body, other leaders and a range of staff.  The inspector spoke to representatives of the local authority. 7 and 8 May 2025

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 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 reviewed a wide range of documents, including those related to governance of the school.  The inspector considered the views of parents and carers through their responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector spoke to staff and considered the views of staff and pupils in the staff and pupil surveys. The inspector spoke to pupils and parents during the inspection.

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Inspection team

Graham Chisnell, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 May 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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