Maidenbower Infant School and Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 1 July 2025

The school provides an exceptionally nurturing environment. Pupils are well known by staff, who provide expert care for each of them. Pupils feel safe at the school and are confident that staff will help them if they have any worries. The school's values, such as kindness, are a strong feature of school life. Pupils talk about how they are helped to get on well together and how to resolve any disagreements. Breaktimes see pupils playing very happily together. Older pupils are keen to help younger ones. They take up roles such as 'playground angels', where they help organise activities. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in school life. Staff expertly support those from the school's specially resourced provision for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (specially resourced provision) to mix happily with the rest of the school at breaktimes. The school has high expectations for pupils' achievement. These are largely achieved. Pupils enjoy learning and work hard to achieve their goals. Lesson times are typified by a buzz of purposeful learning activities. Pupils are mature and responsible, such as when they help organise classroom equipment. Pupils relish the rich range of clubs, activities and visits that help develop their interests.

What the school should improve

• Some of the checks made on pupils' understanding of new knowledge during learning activities do not accurately identify gaps and misconceptions. This means that some pupils are moved on before they are ready and do not secure learning as well as they could. The school should ensure that staff have the knowledge and expertise to identify and address gaps and misconceptions in pupils' knowledge.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)