Maulden Lower School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 13 March 2023

Pupils thrive in this small school. They know the school values such as truthfulness and determination and use these to be the best that they can. Consideration and helpfulness are the expectation here. In the early years, children kindly share equipment. They praise and encourage each other. Older pupils are sports leaders, organising games for younger pupils at breaktimes. They enjoy taking responsibility as 'helping hands' in the classroom. Pupils feel safe. They know that bullying is wrong and say it happens rarely. Pupils are confident to share their worries with their teachers. They trust them to resolve any incidents of unkindness. In lessons, pupils know that their teachers expect them to try hard. They listen to their teachers and each other sensibly. They settle quickly to tasks and persevere with their learning. Pupils feel part of the community here. Pupils and their parents use the book swap in school. They contribute items for local food banks as part of their harvest celebrations. At Christmas, older pupils serve tea for older residents. Regular woodland walks help pupils to know and appreciate their local area.

What the school should improve

• In a few subjects, some teachers are developing their subject knowledge. In these subjects, while most pupils already achieve well, their achievement could be strengthened further. Leaders should continue to develop the expertise of teachers to ensure that all pupils are supported to achieve as well as possible in all subjects.
• Several middle leaders are new to their roles. They have not yet established consistent systems to identify what is working well, or not, and to adjust provision when improvements are required. Leaders should continue to build the skills and capacity of middle leaders to ensure that the planned curriculum is implemented equally well across subjects.

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