Nelson Mandela School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 2 July 2024

This is a 'Rights Respecting School'. This means the school places pupils' rights at the heart of its ethos and curriculum. The award underpins and validates the high level of respect that adults and pupils afford one another. The school is a community school in every sense of the word. It works in close collaboration with parents and carers, and pupils are actively involved in supporting community events. These include litter picking and supporting a food bank. The school has high expectations of pupils' work and behaviour. Pupils meet these expectations. Presentation in their books is excellent. Pupils understand and follow the behaviour systems in place. They show positive attitudes to learning and enjoy talking about what they are doing. Pupils feel safe at school. They know they can talk to a trusted adult and that they will be listened to. Pupils enjoy a wide range of events, visits and visitors. These include exciting activities such as performing Shakespeare plays with the Royal Shakespeare Company, meeting an England cricketer and visiting local museums. The school has achieved a number of prestigious curriculum awards, including art, science and physical education (PE). These awards broaden and enhance the opportunities pupils receive.

What the school should improve

• The school is still shaping its approach to assessment in the foundation subjects. This limits teachers' ability to identify where provision could be further strengthened. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to check where gaps in pupils' knowledge exist in order to inform future planning.
• The early years curriculum is not coherently designed and implemented across all seven areas of learning, especially in knowledge and understanding of the world. Activities lack a focus and do not build children's knowledge in some areas to prepare them well enough for Year 1. The school should ensure that the early years curriculum is well sequenced and progressive in all areas of learning, and that there is a suitable balance of adult-led and child-initiated activities.
• The number of pupils who are persistently absent is too high, particularly in the early years and Year 1. This means that younger pupils miss important lessons and do not develop the foundation skills needed to be successful learners year- on-year. The school should focus its attention on helping parents understand the importance of regular attendance, especially for younger pupils, in order to reduce persistent absenteeism in the school.

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