The Malling School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 28 March 2023

Leaders place pupils' character development at the heart of everything that takes place here. Staff encourage pupils to truly live out 'The Malling School Way', both in their learning and conduct. Pupils do the right thing because they are taught the importance of being 'caring, determined and reflective'. They are encouraged to develop their own identity while learning to understand and celebrate that of others. Consequently, there is a real sense of belonging here. Pupils' behaviour is exemplary. Pupils have extremely high expectations of themselves and each other. When pupils join the school, they quickly learn what is expected of them. Pupils actively support the well-being of others. Any rare acts of unkindness or bullying are tackled immediately by caring staff. As one pupil said, 'Bullying happens in the world, but we don't accept it at this school.' Pupils flourish in this exceptionally inclusive and ambitious community. They develop their interests and talents through a myriad of extracurricular activities. Many pupils delight in taking part in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme and enjoy the variety of trips on offer. Students in the sixth form relish being positive role models for younger pupils and take this responsibility seriously.

What the school should improve

• A small number of teachers do not check what pupils know and understand carefully enough before moving them on to more complex concepts. When this happens, pupils struggle to make links in their learning. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers consistently assess pupils' prior knowledge accurately to inform what to teach next so that all pupils achieve as well as they should.

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