Mayflower Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Mayflower Primary School is a happy school. Everyone is made to feel welcome here. As the school day begins, pupils are greeted cheerfully by their teachers.

Pupils talk about their school with affection. They like their teachers and hold their school leaders in high regard.

All of the adults in school have high expectations of how pupils should behave.

Pupils live up to these expectations. In lessons, they listen carefully and work hard. At playtimes and lunchtimes, their good behaviour continues.

The school is a harmonious place in which to work and play.

Pupils feel safe in school. They are clear about what bullying is but do not really w...orry about it.

Pupils are confident that an adult in school will listen if they ever feel that they are being bullied, and make it stop.

Leaders are ambitious that pupils will make a positive difference in their school and local community. Pupils also learn about their rights and responsibilities as global citizens.

Nevertheless, leaders have not ensured that the curriculum for all subjects is sequenced as well as it could be, and are not checking closely enough how well pupils are recalling what has been taught.

Parents are delighted with the work of the school. They appreciate the efforts that leaders make to include them in their children's education.

Parents recognise the high level of care and support each pupil is given.

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

While pupils learn a broad range of subjects, leaders have not ensured that the quality of education is good across the curriculum. Curriculum plans have been written for all subjects.

These plans identify the end points that pupils need to reach. However, many curriculum plans do not break this down into the small steps of learning that pupils need to make in order to reach the end points. Leaders have not thought carefully enough about the order in which pupils learn new knowledge.

Not all subject leaders have a strong overview of the subject they lead. Some subject leaders have not been given the time or opportunity to develop their subject fully. Others do not have the skills they need to lead a subject effectively.

Subject leaders do not know if teachers are expertly delivering the curriculum or how well pupils are remembering key learning.

Many teachers have good subject knowledge and communicate new learning effectively. In history, Year 4 pupils retain important knowledge about the Romans.

They discuss how the Roman army was successful because they were well trained and had good battle tactics. In Year 5, pupils use their knowledge of World War II to order the events that led to 'Kindertransport'.Leaders are ambitious that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life.

However, in lessons, pupils with SEND do not consistently get the help they need to access the curriculum. The support they are given is not always successful in supporting them to achieve the intended learning.

The early years curriculum has been designed to prepare children well for the next stage in their education.

The topics chosen engage and excite them as they learn. Children access a wide range of age-appropriate activities. They develop curiosity about the world.

For example, children observe what happens as a pumpkin rots over a period of time. They are enthusiastic about finding sticks to make a kite.

Early reading is taught systematically.

Staff deliver phonics lessons with confidence and precision. They check that pupils remember new sounds. Pupils who need it get extra help to keep up.

The books pupils read are matched closely to the sounds they know. Pupils who are at the earliest stage of reading are confident to read aloud. Children in the early years do not start to learn phonics quickly enough.

They do not start to use phonics to read and write as early as they could.

Leaders prioritise pupils' personal development. Pupils develop positive attitudes to all aspects of school life.

They embrace the opportunities they are given to take on additional responsibilities. For example, pupils can stand to be elected as 'young consultants' or volunteer to lead a club for their peers. The curriculum is enhanced through visits and visitors to school.

For example, pupils recently had a visit from the great-grandson of a suffragette. Pupils have a well-developed understanding of equality. They are adamant that everyone deserves to be treated with respect.

Governors are committed to the school and the pupils. They have worked hard to ensure that they have the skills they need to hold leaders to account. Staff are proud to work at the school.

They all agree that leaders consider their well-being and workload.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders regard safeguarding pupils as having the utmost importance in the school.

They are determined that no pupil should be left exposed to harm. Staff are trained to spot the signs that a pupil may be at risk. They report their concerns without delay.

Records of concerns are detailed. Appropriate action is taken to ensure that pupils and families are given the help they need.

Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe.

They have a number of different ways of letting an adult in school know if they are worried or upset.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not designed a well-thought-out curriculum. The key knowledge that pupils need to know and remember is not precisely identified or sequenced.

Teachers decide for themselves what pupils need to learn in order to reach the identified end points. Leaders should ensure that all curriculum plans are complete and sequenced to ensure that pupils' knowledge builds over time. ? Many subject curriculum leaders do not lead their subjects strategically or with confidence.

They do not have a clear overview of their subject and are not always well equipped to offer support to colleagues. Leaders should ensure that subject leaders have the skills and time to develop a curriculum that will support pupils to know and remember more, and to systematically check how well teachers are delivering the intended curriculum. ? Children in the early years do not start to learn phonics quickly enough.

They do not learn to read as early as they could. Leaders should ensure that pupils get off to a prompt start when learning phonics. ? Pupils with SEND are not consistently provided with the support they need in lessons.

Leaders do not routinely ensure that the curriculum is designed and implemented so that pupils with SEND know and remember more. As a result, pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that a clear strategy is developed and communicated effectively to all staff, to ensure that every identified pupil with SEND gets the help that they need.