Maybury Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders' expectations and aspirations for pupils are high.

Pupils respond well to these expectations and learn well. The school's vision, 'believe, succeed, achieve', permeates all aspects of school life. The curriculum motivates pupils to give their best and think of others.

Pupils learn about inspirational people and celebrate diversity. A recent anti-racism workshop helped pupils to understand tolerance and difference well.

Behaviour in classrooms, around the school and in the playground is excellent.

Low-level disruption is very rare. Pupils understand the school values, such as resilience, positivity and kindness, well. They do their very best t...o show them in their school life.

They love learning how to look after Max and Bob, the school guinea pigs. Pupils are kind and respectful to adults and each other. Leaders investigate the very rare bullying claims meticulously.

Pupils say that staff listen to them. Staff take concerns seriously. Pupils feel safe in school.

Pupils flourish here. They adore their school and enjoy the various clubs on offer, such as cricket and photography. Maybury Primary is at the heart of the community.

Parents and carers appreciate the community spirit that leaders promote successfully.

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

Leaders have created an ambitious curriculum. They tailor it to the needs of the school community successfully.

Leaders make sure that pupils, right from Nursery, learn about the world beyond their immediate neighbourhood and celebrate the cultures that make up the school. Leaders have planned the knowledge and skills they want pupils to learn in all subjects clearly. Pupils' learning builds well from their starting points in the Nursery class towards agreed end points at Year 6.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They check regularly on what pupils know and remember.In most subjects, and in the early years, pupils achieve well.

This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and disadvantaged pupils. Leaders make sure that disadvantaged pupils consistently benefit from everything the school has to offer. Leaders and staff identify pupils with SEND quickly and put in place well-targeted plans.

Staff support these pupils well in lessons to access the same learning as their classmates. However, in a few subjects, pupils are not learning and remembering knowledge as well as they are in the stronger subjects. Leaders are in the process of making carefully considered improvements in the delivery of these subjects.

Subject leaders are working to embed these refinements in full, so that pupils can achieve exceptionally well across the whole curriculum.

Pupils become confident and fluent readers quickly. From Nursery onwards, pupils love reading and listening to stories and rhymes.

Pupils make sure they read widely and often, so they are in with a chance of winning books from the vending machine. Staff are very skilled in delivering the agreed approach to teaching phonics. They make sure that any pupils who struggle to keep up with the phonics curriculum get bespoke, expert support.

Pupils catch up quickly.Children have an outstanding start to their education in the early years. Staff guide children to deepen their knowledge and understanding expertly.

Children get engrossed in activities, which capture their interests and build on previous learning. Their imagination and creativity blossom. Adults know and use the vocabulary that they want children to learn.

Children use this well in their play. For example, children use the words 'scoop, cone and sprinkles' confidently in the class ice-cream parlour.Leaders provide pupils with an exceptional personal development programme.

This prepares pupils for life beyond Maybury well. The curriculum helps pupils to understand how to stay safe, including when online. All pupils, from Nursery upwards, take part in enterprise weeks.

Pupils learn about the importance of money and how to budget. Pupils raise money through different initiatives, taking on different roles for their chosen business. Careers week, including a careers fair with inspirational visitors, supports pupils in becoming aspirational for their own futures.

Pupils have an exceptional understanding of protected characteristics at an age-appropriate level. They understand the importance of equality and fairness.Leaders are very successful in ensuring that pupils attend school regularly.

They know that there can be no let up and work on this with determination every day. Staff are overwhelmingly positive about the support they get from leaders. They are proud to work at Maybury.

Leaders support staff very well to manage their workload and well-being. Staff appreciate the thoughtfulness of leaders. The trust offers highly effective support to school leaders.

Governors fulfil their statutory duties diligently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

The safeguarding culture is extremely strong.

Keeping pupils safe, in school and beyond, is at the forefront of all adults' minds. Safeguarding training is regular and effective. Leaders review current safeguarding topics with staff on a weekly basis.

This has led to staff understanding the possible risks pupils may face, including within their locality, well. Leaders keep records diligently and act swiftly when needed. They liaise effectively with external services.

Leaders are tenacious in their approach to making sure that pupils and their families get the support they need. Handover of records to other schools is very well considered.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, changes to the curriculum are still fairly early in their development.

Leaders do not fully know how well pupils are learning in these subjects and pupils have some gaps in their subject knowledge. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should continue to implement their ambitious curriculum plans and monitor their impact over time, so that all pupils achieve highly across the whole curriculum.