Meadgate Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Meadgate Primary School fosters a caring, inclusive community where pupils are at the heart of everything.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are provided with the right support to help them achieve well alongside their peers.

Throughout the school, pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils enjoy school and are enthusiastic about learning.

They are happy and show great interest in all that they do. Pupils are kind to each other, hold doors open and say thank you without being prompted.

Pupils embrace a variety of responsibilities such as reading ambassadors and play leaders.

They approach these roles with enthusias...m and commitment. This gives them a strong sense of pride and connection to school life.

Positive, supportive relationships between adults and pupils are central to the school's ethos.

Pupils feel safe in school and are confident they can turn to staff with any concerns.

The school's thoughtful approach to early language acquisition supports all pupils, including those with SEND and from diverse language backgrounds, ensuring they build strong communication skills from the start.

Leaders set high standards for behaviour and learning.

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum and are well prepared for the next stage of education.

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

At this school, dedicated staff at all levels are committed to helping pupils build a strong foundation for learning throughout their primary education. Leaders are driven by a vision for every pupil, regardless of background, ability or language, to become successful readers, enabling full access to the school's ambitious curriculum.

Consequently, most pupils achieve well and leave school as proficient readers.

Children in the early years benefit from an excellent start to their education. The school works diligently to identify children's needs as soon as they begin, ensuring that all pupils, including those with SEND, receive timely and tailored support.

This approach enables children to develop strong skills in English and mathematics, which they build on effectively as they progress through the school.

The reading curriculum is taught well. The school ensures no child is left behind by implementing a rigorous cycle of continuous assessments and interventions.

This enables staff to gain an accurate understanding of which sounds pupils still need to learn and practise.

In lessons, pupils present their work clearly and are able to discuss their learning over time in a range of subjects. This is because the school's curriculum in all subjects has clear end points and links back to pupils' prior learning.

In most subjects, staff routinely check pupils' knowledge, allowing them to adapt learning activities to better meet individual needs. However, there are occasions when the curriculum is not delivered as effectively as possible. For instance, in some lessons, important vocabulary is not consistently reinforced.

Therefore, pupils do not always remember to use it when explaining what they know. Additionally, there are times when the learning focus is unclear, for example whether it is on understanding subject content or completing another task. As a result, some pupils do not remember some important knowledge as well as they could.

Pupils consistently show kindness and respect towards each other in and out of lessons. There are clear routines and consistent boundaries in place. This calm and supportive environment maximises learning time and makes school an enjoyable experience.

The school works with families to make sure they get the help they need. This partnership fosters a strong sense of community. Parents describe the school as 'amazing', 'caring' and 'supportive'.

The strong collaboration between the school and families has led to pupils regularly attending school.

Through a wide range of sporting activities, responsibilities and assemblies, the school provides pupils with numerous opportunities to excel and celebrate their successes. Most pupils engage in a variety of trips and clubs that significantly enrich their learning experiences and well-being.

They take great pride in their roles and responsibilities in the school, with positions such as prefect highly sought after and serving as an aspirational goal for many.

Pupils are taught to build positive relationships and foster mutual respect, creating a strong, inclusive school community. They show empathy and a commitment to creating a kinder, fairer world.

Pupils gain a strong understanding of British values and different religions, with parents contributing to the learning by sharing their cultural festivals. This promotes a rich appreciation of the diverse cultures represented in the school and supports pupils in developing a broad, inclusive perspective.

Leaders, governors and the trust set clear priorities and provide strong support to drive improvement.

They value staff, giving them the training they need to succeed. Staff feel valued and share leaders' commitment to every pupil's success.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, activities are not always designed to help pupils retain key information effectively. This results in some pupils not achieving as well as they could.The school should provide support to staff to be able to consistently plan activities that reinforce essential learning, including key vocabulary pupils will need to extend and deepen their learning.

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