Maharishi Free School

Overview

Maharishi Free School is described as a “nurturing school” where pupils are “extremely well cared for” and staff know each child individually. The report highlights a culture of “mutual respect and understanding,” with pupils who are “polite and friendly” and benefit from strong pastoral support. Leaders and trustees hold the school to account effectively, ensuring a curriculum that prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

Strengths

• Staff “tailor support promoting pupils’ positive social, emotional and mental health,” resulting in a happy and harmonious school community.
• Teachers possess “strong subject knowledge” and deliver the curriculum with clarity, helping pupils apply and practise their understanding.
• The school has “strong processes in place to swiftly identify any additional needs,” allowing pupils with SEND to “progress well through the curriculum.”
• Pupils develop a “secure understanding” of key topics, including consent, online safety, and different religions, preparing them for future education or employment.
• Staff feel “valued and cared for,” with leaders taking workload into account and providing effective professional development.

Areas to improve

• Teachers must better check pupils’ recall of prior learning to address knowledge gaps that currently “hampers how well some pupils remember their learning over time.”
• The school needs to sharpen its focus on reading to identify deficits and ensure pupils who struggle receive “effective support to catch up quickly.”
• The school must implement its attendance strategy more swiftly, as current efforts are “in its infancy” and some pupils remain persistently absent.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective.”