Malmesbury Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 18 March 2025

Malmesbury Primary is a warm and welcoming school. Pupils enjoy their learning and are safe here. They know that there are adults to speak to if they need additional help. The school provides a nurturing environment. Pupils behave well around the school because they are expected to do so. They are courteous, polite and confident. The school is a friendly and caring community. The school's vision to 'bring out the best in everyone' is embedded in the school's ethos. Pupils benefit from a broad and enriched education. The school has high expectations for pupils. They make good progress through the curriculum, and typically, they achieve in line with national outcomes. The school provides a range of enrichment activities so that pupils gain valuable life experiences. These include events such as 'European Languages Day', where the school encourages respect and curiosity about different cultures, values and beliefs. Pupils take part in talent shows, residential trips and sporting competitions. They contribute to the life of the school by becoming librarians, playground leads or school council representatives.

What the school should improve

• The school's work to support pupils' language acquisition and improve writing outcomes is not embedded across the curriculum. While teachers model ambitious vocabulary and frequently question pupils, they do not consistently encourage pupils to give more sustained responses or apply that vocabulary. This means that some pupils are not developing their communication skills as well as they could and the intended impact on writing outcomes is not fully realised. The school should ensure that its strategies to develop language are frequently applied to support pupils' discussions and generate ideas for written responses.
• Teachers' expectations for the quality of pupils' writing varies across the curriculum. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could in their writing. The school should ensure that they routinely provide pupils with opportunities to develop their writing in line with the same high standards across the curriculum.
• Persistent absence remains high, particularly for some pupils who are disadvantaged, including those with SEND. This means that some pupils may miss valuable knowledge needed to build their understanding. The school should ensure it is doing all it reasonably can to identify barriers to attending school and support families in overcoming them.

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