The Mawney Foundation School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

The Mawney Foundation School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy in this school and display a real enthusiasm for learning.

All pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), are included in this warm and inclusive learning community. One pupil, summing up the views of many, said, 'Our school is really special because everyone respects and cares for each other.'

Leaders place high importance on effective communication with parents and carers.

Examples of pupils' work are regularly shared with parents through digital technology. Parents are overwhelmingl...y supportive of the school and report that pupils are safe and well cared for.

Pupils' self-confidence and self-esteem are supported through the importance staff place on mental health and well-being.

Pupils and teachers value their mindfulness lessons and all pupils love Rosie, the school's therapy dog.

Staff have high expectations of behaviour. Pupils listen well and fully engage in their learning.

All lessons are calm and purposeful. Behaviour in the playground is very positive. Team games are organised by the sports coach at lunchtime and pupils also enjoy a wide range of after-school activities.

Bullying is rare, but when it happens, it is dealt with quickly and effectively.

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

Leaders and governors have developed a curriculum that is exciting and enjoyable for all pupils. The curriculum is rich in practical activities and enables pupils to increase their knowledge and improve their skills.

Staff are skilful and have strong subject knowledge.

Pupils are enthusiastic and highly motivated in their learning. Adults listen to pupils' views.

Pupils are very proud of the responsibilities that they are given. School council representatives, classroom ambassadors, peer mentors and eco-warriors all make a positive contribution to the life of the school.

Most subjects are planned in a clear sequence.

New knowledge builds on previous learning and this enables pupils to remember more. Pupils achieve very well in reading, writing and mathematics and are well prepared for secondary school.

Leaders place reading at the heart of all learning.

All pupils are read to every day. Children in the early years and in Years 1 and 2 are confident in using sounds to support their reading. Phonics is taught and assessed well.

Pupils have access to a wide range of books to take home. Teachers choose these books carefully to support the sounds that are being taught. Older pupils act as reading buddies to support younger pupils with their reading.

Children in the Reception Year require greater opportunities to apply their knowledge of sounds in their writing. This will give children the confidence and fluency they need in readiness for Year 1.

Teachers introduce vocabulary and tricky words very carefully.

Pupils have opportunities to practise and repeat new words and phrases. Pupils become confident and fluent readers very quickly. Pupils with SEND and disadvantaged pupils achieve well.

A wide range of support is available for pupils who require additional teaching. In Years 3 to 6, pupils deepen their understanding of the high-quality texts they read. They become increasingly skilful in their use of grammar.

By the end of Year 6, outcomes in reading and writing are strong.

The mathematics curriculum is a real strength of the school. Pupils are confident in their number skills and can apply their mathematical knowledge to solve problems.

Pupils know more and remember more from the way they are being taught. As one pupil explained, 'Everything comes back to me from my learning in the past.'

In history, the order in which the content is taught is not as clear.

Pupils have few opportunities to draw on previous learning. Pupils' minds are overloaded by too many themes being taught at the same time. As a result, pupils do not remember what they have been previously taught.

This also applies to geography, design technology and art. Leaders need to be clear about the content they want pupils to learn and the order in which it will be taught. They have already made a convincing start to turn this around.

Leaders ensure that all pupils with SEND receive the therapeutic support and additional teaching they require. Support staff are well trained and deliver strong teaching support.

Staff enjoy working at this school.

They told me that leaders and governors care about their workload. They feel appreciated by leaders. Staff value the opportunities they are given to develop their leadership skills.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.All staff have received up-to-date training in keeping children safe. Staff are vigilant in identifying signs of risk or harm.

They follow clear procedures for reporting initial concerns. All appropriate checks are in place for the recruitment of staff. Leaders have developed a strong culture of safeguarding in the school.

The pastoral and safeguarding teams know their families well. They signpost vulnerable families to the support services they need. Pupils learn how to stay safe online and also to stay safe in the wider community.

Leaders work closely with outside agencies, including the police, to ensure pupils are aware of stranger danger, drugs, gangs and knife crime.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

Although phonics is taught well, children in the Reception year have too few opportunities to apply their phonics sounds in their writing. This means that children are not prepared as well as they should be for Year 1.

Leaders should plan systematically for children to apply their phonics sounds in their writing. . Leaders are not sufficiently clear in their intent for the history, geography, design technology and art curriculum.

The content and structure of these subjects need to be sequenced clearly to ensure knowledge builds on previous learning. This will allow pupils to know more and remember more. .

The school's curriculum is not sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear from the actions that leaders have already taken to plan next year's curriculum and train staff in how to deliver it that they are in a process of bringing it about.

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 The Mawney Foundation School to be good in June 2011.

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