All Saints Maldon Church of England Voluntary Controlled Primary School

Controlled Primary School

Address: Highlands Drive, Maldon, Essex, CM9 6HY Unique reference number (URN): 115103

p.1

Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

p.1

How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

p.1

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Most pupils attend school regularly. Leaders know the pupils and families who face barriers to regular attendance. They work closely with families to understand these barriers and provide practical help. Leaders build positive relationships with families. This helps them to overcome difficulties that prevent pupils from attending regularly. This work contributes to improving attendance and reducing persistent absence.

p.2

Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Pupils behave well in lessons and around the school. They understand what is expected of them and respond well to adults. Classrooms are calm, and pupils generally have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are safe and know that adults will help them if problems arise. The school deals with bullying and other forms of discrimination or harassment, both online and offline, quickly and effectively. Staff understand the needs of pupils with complex social, emotional or behavioural needs and adapt their approach carefully. The school finds a range of well-considered ways to help these pupils manage their emotions and behaviour. This includes bespoke provision, which helps pupils access, participate and feel fully included in school life successfully.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Children get off to a positive start in the early years. Leaders focus closely on improving the provision. They work effectively with local authority specialists, using external advice and expertise to continue to improve the quality of education. This work makes a difference. More children develop the knowledge and skills they need to move successfully into Year 1.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Teachers know children’s starting points well. They use assessment effectively to pinpoint what children know and can do. Teachers quickly identify children who need extra help and provide appropriate support. They then use what they know about children to plan what comes next. As a result, teaching builds securely on children’s prior learning.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Children settle quickly into well-established routines. They respond well to adults and become increasingly independent. Teachers plan purposeful and engaging experiences that develop children’s language, thinking and understanding. Warm relationships help children to feel safe, confident and ready to learn. Most interactions with staff support children’s learning effectively. At times, however, staff's interactions are less clear in terms of extending children’s language, thinking and learning.

p.2

Early years Expected standard

Children with special educational needs and/or disabilities are included well. Staff understand children's communication, sensory and emotional needs. They adapt activities and provide support that enables these children to participate and learn. Children benefit from a calm, purposeful start that prepares them well for the next stage of their education.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

The school is highly inclusive. Leaders and staff know pupils and their families very well. They identify the barriers that pupils face and provide support that helps pupils to take part in school life. Staff work closely with families and outside professionals to understand and meet pupils’ needs.

p.2

Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) benefit from thoughtful and often highly individual support. This is particularly clear for pupils with communication, sensory, social and emotional needs. Staff use detailed plans and specialist advice to help pupils communicate, manage their emotions and become ready to learn. Staff seek further expertise when they need it.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

Disadvantaged pupils and those facing wider barriers to learning or wellbeing are well known to staff. Pupil premium funding helps pupils to overcome any barriers to their wellbeing and readiness for learning. It enables them to take part in wider opportunities. The school also works carefully to meet the individual needs of pupils who are known to social care.

p.3

Inclusion Expected standard

The school checks pupils’ individual needs closely. For some pupils with SEND, this is more precise for communication, engagement and regulation than for some aspects of their academic learning. Even so, the school’s inclusive approach successfully reduces many of the barriers pupils face and ensures that they are ready to learn. Pupils are valued, supported and included.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders create an inclusive and ambitious culture. They are approachable and know pupils and families well. Leaders engage very positively with parents and the wider community. Their trusted relationships with families and established community links contribute to the school’s inclusive ethos. Staff value the support they receive for their professional development, workload and wellbeing.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders take every opportunity to develop effective professional networks. They seek out external expertise. This helps them to build new partnerships within the local area. Over time, leaders have strengthened leadership capacity in school. This has had a positive impact on the school's provision for pupils, as well as on staff development.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders identify important priorities and take effective action to improve provision. Their work contributes to clear improvements across the early years, phonics, mathematics and writing, as well as attendance and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Leaders know that pupils' achievement at key stage 2 does not consistently match their high expectations. They recognise the need for greater consistency in assessment. Leaders have further increased the leadership capacity in school linked to teaching and achievement. However, this work is at an earlier stage than other aspects of their work.

p.3

Leadership and governance Expected standard

Governors are committed to the school. They understand its context and priorities, providing appropriate support and challenge to leaders. Governors' oversight of inclusion, attendance and behaviour is effective. Their understanding of pupils’ academic progress through key stage 2 is less precise. Leaders and governors remain focused on improving the quality of education while maintaining the school’s inclusive culture.

p.3

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils benefit from a wide range of opportunities that support their personal development and wellbeing. Leaders have established a well-planned personal development programme. Leaders are in the process of consulting parents on the new relationships and sex education curriculum before it is taught from the summer term, as they are required to do.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The current personal, social, health and economic education and relationships and sex education curriculum is taught effectively. Pupils remember what they learn and talk about it with confidence. They develop their understanding of fundamental British values and learn about healthy relationships, respect and how to keep themselves safe, offline and online.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils enthusiastically embrace the many responsibilities available to them. They are proud to have a genuine voice in their school. Through the school council, for example, pupils gather the views of their classmates and contribute to decisions about school life. Pupils also make a valuable contribution to the wider community. They build relationships with older people locally and take part eagerly in community and charitable events. These experiences help pupils to develop confidence, independence, compassion and a sense of responsibility towards others.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils also take part eagerly in trips, residential visits and community events. The school makes sure that disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities can take part. These experiences help pupils to feel that they belong and have an important part to play in their school.

p.4

Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pastoral care makes a positive difference to pupils. Staff know pupils and their families very well. Pupils know who they can turn to when they need help. Staff provide sensitive support for pupils who face social or emotional barriers. This helps pupils to manage their emotions, build confidence and take part in school life.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils do not achieve consistently well by the end of key stage 2. Fewer pupils reach the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics combined than do so nationally. Some pupils do not build securely enough on their earlier attainment. This includes pupils who are keeping up but could achieve more. As a result, some pupils do not reach the standards of which they are capable.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Children make a positive start in the early years. Pupils’ achievement in phonics and the multiplication tables check has improved year on year. This reflects the positive impact of leaders’ focused work in these areas. Disadvantaged pupils achieve well when compared with disadvantaged pupils nationally.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

Pupils with more complex special educational needs and/or disabilities make important gains from their starting points. They become more able to communicate, manage their emotions and take part in learning. However, these gains are not always matched by equally precise progress in their academic learning.

p.4

Achievement Needs attention

The picture of achievement is therefore uneven. Improvements in pupils’ early learning and in specific areas are clear. However, these gains are not sustained consistently enough as pupils move through key stage 2 and prepare for the next stage of their education.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers do not consistently identify precisely what pupils know and can do, or what they need to learn next. As a result, teaching does not always build securely on pupils’ prior learning. Some pupils are not supported well enough to use and develop their foundational knowledge and skills with increasing fluency. Others are not challenged enough when they are ready to achieve more.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

The school provides a broad and ambitious curriculum. Teachers generally explain new learning clearly, and pupils engage well. The teaching of phonics gives pupils a secure start to learning to read. Where leaders have taken action, for example to strengthen the teaching of mathematics and writing, this is having a positive effect on how well these subjects are taught.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers adapt teaching effectively. They help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities who need further support to communicate and manage their emotions to take part in learning. At times, these adaptations are not as focused on the academic knowledge and skills that pupils are expected to learn and apply.

p.5

Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

There is variation in how securely pupils use what they know. In some areas of the curriculum, such as personal, social, health and economic education, pupils remember and explain their learning with confidence. Across the curriculum, some pupils do not apply and develop their knowledge and skills with enough fluency in their day-to-day learning.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are happy and proud to belong to this welcoming and inclusive school. The school’s ambition that ‘every child shines’ is reflected in the way pupils are known, valued and encouraged to take part. Pupils value the close relationships they have with staff and know that adults understand them well. This helps pupils, including those who face significant barriers, to feel that they belong and have something valuable to contribute. Pupils are safe and know that staff will help them when they have a problem. They behave well in lessons and around the school. They treat each other with respect and know that staff deal with their concerns, including bullying, quickly and effectively.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy learning. Children get off to a positive start in the early years, and pupils learn to read successfully. Improvements in mathematics and writing are also helping pupils to learn more effectively. However, some pupils, particularly in key stage 2, do not build securely enough on their earlier learning or achieve as well as they could. Pupils enthusiastically take on the many responsibilities available to them. They are proud to have a voice in their school and to contribute to the wider community. Pupils relish opportunities to lead, help others and make a difference. These responsibilities, alongside trips, residential visits and other experiences, help pupils develop confidence, independence and an understanding of their contribution to others.

p.5

What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils who face barriers to learning or wellbeing receive thoughtful support. Those with complex needs are fully included in school life. They are helped to communicate, manage their emotions and participate successfully alongside their peers. This enables pupils who might otherwise find school difficult to participate more fully in learning and wider school life. Most pupils attend regularly. Pupils whose attendance becomes a concern benefit from close work between the school and their families to help them attend more regularly.

p.6

Next steps

Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment precisely and adapt teaching accordingly, so pupils keep up with their learning and achieve consistently well, particularly through key stage 2. Leaders and governors should monitor pupils’ achievement closely to check that improvements in teaching raise standards consistently through key stage 2, taking further action where necessary.

p.6

About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Lee Smith.

p.6

About this inspection

This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. It is in the Diocese of Chelmsford. Its last section 48 inspection was in 2020.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

p.6

About this inspection

This inspection took place on 15 and 16 September 2026.

p.6

About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher, other school leaders and staff. They also met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative of the local authority.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors visited lessons, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. They considered how well the curriculum is designed and taught and how well pupils achieve.

p.6

About this inspection

Inspectors considered the school’s work to support pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who face other barriers to their learning

p.6

Team inspectors:

Sally Nutman, Ofsted Inspector Ceri Jones, Ofsted Inspector

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

This was the data available at the time of the full inspection, taken from different sources . More recent data may have been published since the full inspection took place.

p.7

Facts and figures used on inspection

The inspector(s) used this data during the full inspection on 15 September 2026

p.7

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.7

What does this mean?

National average: 268 or wellbeing. This included speaking with staff and pupils.

p.7

What does this mean?

Inspectors considered pupils’ behaviour and attendance, their personal development and wellbeing and the provision for children in the early years.

p.7

What does this mean?

Inspectors considered the school’s safeguarding arrangements. They spoke with leaders, staff and pupils and reviewed relevant records.

p.7

What does this mean?

Inspectors considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for parents and carers, pupils and staff, including free-text comments where these were available.

p.7

What does this mean?

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

p.7

What does this mean?

The school currently uses no alternative provision.

p.7

What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

p.8

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last 6 years.

p.8

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

p.8

What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational needs support at the school. National average: 15%

p.8

What does this mean?

Based on the English indices of deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

p.9

What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standards in a combined reading, writing and mathematics measure.

p.9

average

2022/23 (final) 58% 60% Close to average

p.9

Pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.9

average

2024/25 (final) 70% 75% Close to average

p.10

average

2022/23 (final) 69% 73% Close to average

p.10

Pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing.

p.10

average

2024/25 (final) 68% 72% Close to average

p.10

average

2023/24 (final) 69% 72% Close to average

p.10

average

2022/23 (final) 69% 71% Close to average

p.10

Pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.10

average

2024/25 (final) 70% 74% Close to average

p.10

average

2022/23 (final) 71% 73% Close to average

p.10

Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

p.11

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics.

p.11

average

2024/25 (final) 43% 47% Close to average

p.11

average

2022/23 (final) 44% 44% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading.

p.11

average

2024/25 (final) 57% 63% Close to average

p.11

average

2022/23 (final) 63% 60% Close to average

p.11

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing.

p.11

average

2022/23 (final) 63% 58% Close to average

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics.

p.12

average

2024/25 (final) 71% 61% Close to average

p.12

average

2022/23 (final) 63% 59% Close to average

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

p.12

mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics, including the disadvantaged gap.

p.12

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in reading

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in reading and the disadvantaged gap.

p.13

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in teacher-assessed writing

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in teacher- assessed writing and the disadvantaged gap.

p.13

Disadvantaged pupils reaching the expected standard in mathematics

The percentage of disadvantaged pupils meeting the expected standard in mathematics and the disadvantaged gap.

p.14

Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

p.14

national average

2024/25 (3 term) 5.0% 5.2% Close to average

p.14

national average

2023/24 (3 term) 5.5% 5.5% Close to average

p.14

national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.5% 5.9% Close to average

p.14

Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

p.14

national average

2024/25 (3 term) 12.8% 13.0% Close to average

p.15

national average

2023/24 (3 term) 13.8% 14.6% Close to average

p.15

national average

2022/23 (3 term) 13.0% 16.2% Close to average

p.15

Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

p.15

Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

p.15

Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

p.15

Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

p.15

Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

p.15

Urgent improvement

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.16

Urgent improvement

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.16

Urgent improvement

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.16

Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.16