Mundella Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Mundella Primary School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a warm, friendly and welcoming school. Pupils are happy here and they feel safe.

Expectations of what pupils can achieve are high across the board, from the foundation stage to Year 6.

Although pupils do well at the end of key stage 2, the school does not just focus on academic outcomes. Leaders want their pupils to grow into well-rounded young people, ready to take their place in the world. The school curriculum has been built to achieve this.

Standards of behaviour are high. Even when confined indoors on a wet lunchtime, pupils behave well. They respect the scho...ol's rules and they manage their own behaviour very well.

Teachers trust them to conduct themselves properly. Bullying is not tolerated and is rare. Pupils strongly believe that adults in the school would spot it quickly and sort it out if it happened.

Pupils are proud of the school. They speak very highly of the quality of the teaching they receive and the support that is provided for them. Staff are similarly proud to work here.

They feel supported and valued by leaders. There is a strong sense of 'the Mundella family' and the 'Mundella way of doing things', which runs through the school.

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

Leaders have put an effective curriculum in place.

Pupils experience a broad and balanced range of subjects. Leaders have carefully thought through their curriculum. It is well organised, so that teachers follow logically sequenced series of lessons.

Leaders have changed the curriculum in the best interests of pupils. For example, although pupils did very well in mathematics at the end of key stage 2 in 2019, leaders spotted that pupils had gaps in their mathematics knowledge. A new mathematics scheme was introduced as a result.

This begins in the early years, where children have started to learn the essentials of number skills. In history, a new curriculum has been introduced. It is organised chronologically to help pupils build up their understanding of history.

Pupils have started to make links between different historical events as a result. There is more work to do to establish the necessary history skills in the curriculum, but it is well underway. Leaders have already started work on improvements to the curriculum in a small number of subjects such as design technology and music.

Teaching across the school is strong. From the early years to Year 6, teachers explain the topics and ideas clearly. They check that pupils have 'got it'.

They, and teaching assistants, help out when pupils get stuck.

Leaders have made the importance of reading a priority. As a result of good teaching, pupils do very well in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1.

Teachers in the early years and key stage 1 are skilled at checking how well the pupils are getting on with learning their letters and the sounds they make. Extra support is put in place for those pupils who are finding reading more of a challenge, including in the early years. All staff use the same phonics scheme, so pupils do not get confused.

The books that pupils read are carefully matched to their reading level. These strategies help the weakest readers. They are catching up quickly.

The support is skilled, but there is a little inconsistency in the approaches staff take to help pupils catch up with their reading. Pupils' comprehension of what they have just read is sometimes not checked.

Behaviour throughout the school is strong.

In the early years, the children are calm, cooperative and considerate. They are quickly learning how to get on with other children. Low-level disruption is rare and efficiently handled.

Bullying is not tolerated. All of the pupils who spoke to the inspector said that they knew that school would sort out any worries about bullying. They especially appreciate the 'Worry Boxes', which gives them a way of letting school know about things that are on their mind.

Leaders have put a broad curriculum in place. For instance, a philosophy course helps pupils reflect on their world. They participate in community events and fundraising work, including sleepovers for a homeless charity.

In the early years, children are learning about making choices by voting for which book they will have at story time.

The support and provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is strong. For example, termly reviews held with staff, parents, carers and pupils are used to adapt the teaching and the curriculum where necessary.

The school is well-led and managed. Staff feel valued and supported. Leaders' decisions are driven by what is in the best interests of pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Staff are vigilant.

They know their pupils well and know the warning signs to look out for. Staff are clear on their responsibilities and what to do should they be worried about any safeguarding matter.

Processes for checking the suitability of staff to work at the school meet requirements.

Safeguarding leaders are effective in spotting when a pupil needs help, taking the necessary action and making sure that the pupil is kept safe. Links with external agencies are made when required.

In the early years, safeguarding arrangements are similarly effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The school's curriculum is not planned and sequenced well enough in a small number of subjects. In other subjects, substantial work has already been done to implement new curriculums. It is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan the curriculum and train staff in how to teach it that they are well into the process of bringing about a coherent and sequenced curriculum.

Leaders should continue the work already underway to implement their curriculum across all subject areas. . The teaching of phonics and early reading is strong.

It has led to outcomes in the phonics screening check in Year 1 that are in the top 20% of schools nationally. Staff charged with helping those pupils who are finding reading more of a challenge use the school's chosen phonics scheme with fidelity, and support is quickly put in place. The effectiveness of this support could be further improved if all staff consistently use the school's chosen support strategies.

At present, there is variability in the application of these methods, so pupils experience a varied level of help. It would also further sharpen the support for the weakest readers if their comprehension of texts is checked, as well as their ability to decode and segment words and how well they blend sounds.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called a section 8 inspection of a good school or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged Mundella Primary School to be good on 19 September 2011.

Also at this postcode