Maidwell Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's family ethos helps to make it a safe and welcoming haven. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and help them quickly when necessary. Tailored pastoral support ensures that pupils thrive.

Shared values permeate all aspects of school life. One pupil explained this, saying, 'Our values are about unity. They are what hold us together.'

High expectations of behaviour are deeply embedded and become second nature to pupils.

There have been many changes to the curriculum recently and more are planned. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), value their lessons and are eager to share what they have learned.
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However, there is still work to do to ensure that the curriculum is modified, when necessary, to suit pupils' next steps.

The school is ambitious for all pupils. They achieve well and become confident and articulate learners, who are well prepared for secondary school.

Parents and carers are unanimous in their praise of the school. One parent summed up the views of many when they said, 'Our children are well educated, take part in a huge variety of activities and are very happy. What more could you want?'

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

Leaders, including governors, know what is working well and what still needs to improve.

They support staff effectively during times of change. A close eye is kept on staff well-being. Staff benefit from the training that they have had, including the chance to work with colleagues from other schools.

There is a 'buzz' about the improvements that are being made.

Recent improvements have been made to the teaching of reading. The school has raised expectations of what the youngest children will know and be able to do.

Children in Reception Year are keen to add new sounds to their 'washing line' of those that they have learned before. Those who need extra help to keep up get this. Pupils practise their knowledge of phonics through reading well-chosen books.

Older pupils read fluently from a wide range of texts. They knowledgeably recommend books and authors that they have enjoyed.

A broad curriculum is in place.

Pupils become fluent mathematicians. They write engaging poetry, selecting their words with care. They can explain what they are learning about different types of rocks and have mastered important vocabulary, such as 'permeable' and 'sedimentary'.

Teachers prompt this recall at the beginning of lessons. In some subjects, such as mathematics, checks of pupils' learning are well developed. Teachers know precisely what pupils know and remember over time.

In a few subjects, this is still being developed.

Strong relationships with staff mean that the youngest children quickly learn to become independent. They access resources for themselves and focus for long periods of time on the models that they are building.

Children quickly learn to overcome any anxieties about getting in and out of the swimming pool. They blow objects along the surface of the water with confidence and get themselves changed with minimal adult help.

Pupils feel that the staff support them well when learning is tricky.

They say they are 'scooped up' and get the help they need. The school now identifies at an early stage any difficulties that pupils have, including pupils with SEND. They make sure that these pupils get extra help to catch up.

However, the activities that these pupils undertake are sometimes not focused sharply enough. Sometimes, tasks do not help these pupils practise the early skills that they are trying to master.

All pupils benefit from an exceptionally wide range of opportunities, such as weekly swimming lessons and yoga.

These activities are chosen with particular care to enhance the curriculum and broaden pupils' horizons. For example, visits to places of worship deepen pupils' knowledge of a range of faiths and cultures. This enables them to compare their own beliefs and world views in greater detail.

Their deep knowledge of fundamental British values prepares them extremely well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils value the opportunities that they have to work together. For example, during assembly times, older pupils facilitate discussion groups with pupils of all ages.

This develops a shared knowledge of how Maidwell Primary School helps pupils to be 'Motivated, Positive and Safe'.

Attendance is strong. Careful checks are made to ensure that any issues are spotted.

These are rapidly addressed so that all pupils can make the most of their time at school. Pupils feel that they are listened to. They say that their opinions make a difference.

They describe the initiatives that they have led, such as swimathons. Older pupils are excellent role models for younger pupils, supporting them discretely and with sensitivity.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, the curriculum is not shaped carefully enough to support pupils who are at the early stages of learning. These pupils do not always get the chances that they need to practise important foundational knowledge. The school should ensure that the curriculum is further refined and adapted, so that all pupils undertake appropriate tasks linked to what they need to learn next.

• In a few subjects, systems to check what pupils can recall over time are not fully in place. This means that teachers do not always know whether pupils have secured key information. The school should continue to develop assessment in these subjects so that teachers can use this information to inform pupils' future learning.