The Mawney Foundation School

Inspection of The Mawney Foundation School Mawney Road, Romford, Essex RM7 7HR

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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 20 and 21 May 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish at this caring and welcoming school. The school has high ambition for what pupils can achieve and how they should conduct themselves. Many pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well. Positive relationships are central to everything at the school. Pupils are rightly proud of their school and all that it has to offer.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand that many different types of people make up modern-day Britain. They understand and demonstrate the importance of treating others with respect, regardless of their differences. Pupils are keen to follow staff’s instructions. They behave well. Pupils who need extra help in managing their emotions receive effective support from caring and nurturing staff.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe in school. They know whom they can talk to if they are worried about anything. Pupils have many opportunities to contribute to the life of the school and are proud to do so. For example, some pupils are elected to the school council, where they learn about how democracy works in practice. Other pupils learn how to help others and develop their character by acting as reading ambassadors or play buddies. Pupils also enjoy taking part in music performances and representing the school in sporting competitions.

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

The school has designed an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. For each subject, it is clear what pupils will learn and how they will build their knowledge and skills over time. This supports teachers in delivering the curriculum well. Pupils revisit learning and link this knowledge to new ideas and concepts. This helps them to deepen their knowledge and understanding.

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

Staff make appropriate checks to determine what pupils know and can remember. In many subjects, teachers model precise language and use questioning successfully to check understanding before moving on to new content. In some parts of the curriculum, however, this is less consistent. As a result, in a small number of subjects, pupils’ understanding is less well developed. In some lessons, pupils find the work too easy because the activities selected do not enable them to apply what they know. This means that some pupils are not learning as securely or achieving as well as they could.

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

Pupils with SEND are accurately identified and supported. Information about how to support these pupils is shared effectively with teachers. This means that pupils with SEND are supported well to learn and progress through the same curriculum as their peers, wherever this is possible.

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

The school is ambitious for every pupil to develop a love of reading. Pupils start to learn to read as soon as they start school. Staff are well trained and typically deliver the daily phonics sessions well. The school tracks and identifies any pupils who are at risk of falling 20 and 21 May 2025

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behind. These pupils receive extra support. As a result, most pupils gain the knowledge and skills they need to read well.

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In early years, children know and enjoy many stories, rhymes and songs. They learn about reading through the well-chosen books that staff share with them. Older pupils understand that reading helps them to broaden their vocabulary and to improve their own writing. The school ensures that reading sits at the heart of the curriculum.

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Pupils are respectful, polite and friendly. Children settle rapidly into the early years provision. The school environment is calm and orderly. Pupils who may struggle with behaviour receive targeted support. The school takes a proactive stance in teaching pupils about bullying and discrimination. This contributes to an open culture where pupils feel secure. The school knows its pupils and their families well and is responsive to any concerns. Over time, the school has established a culture of high attendance. Pupils, including those who are disadvantaged, attend very well.

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Wider educational experiences, such as visits to museums and local parks and residential trips, enrich pupils’ learning. Pupils are taught to be compassionate and kind. They understand the importance of respecting individual differences, equality and diversity. The personal, social and health education curriculum, high-quality story books and well- focused assemblies combine effectively to ensure that this is the case. Pupils gain age- appropriate knowledge about healthy relationships and how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

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The school is well led and managed. Governors understand the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. They provide appropriate support and challenge to the school. Staff value leaders’ ‘open-door’ approach and the consideration given to their well-being. The parents and carers who shared their views during the inspection were overwhelmingly positive about the work of leaders and the wider school team.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes, assessment is not used effectively to check what pupils understand. This leads to gaps in pupils’ knowledge because misconceptions are not consistently identified or addressed. The school should ensure that pupils’ knowledge and understanding are routinely checked before introducing new content.  In some subjects, the tasks pupils complete do not consistently match the ambition of the planned curriculum. This means that some pupils do not develop the depth of understanding they need to tackle future learning. The school should ensure that the tasks and activities chosen enable pupils to learn and remember more. 20 and 21 May 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). 20 and 21 May 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.learningandachievingfederation.co.uk

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders and governors formed a federation with a local junior school in July 2018. This is known as The Learning and Achieving Federation. An executive headteacher works across both schools.  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. 20 and 21 May 2025

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 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. 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, mathematics, science and geography. 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, inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of parents, 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 scrutinised a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school

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and priorities for improvement as well as records relating to attendance and behaviour.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, a selection of subject leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body. They also spoke with a school improvement adviser from the local authority.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils and staff, including through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys. They also considered responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including parents’ free-text responses.

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Inspection team

Robert Grice, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew Hook Ofsted Inspector 20 and 21 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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