Meridian Primary School

Overview

The inspection found that the school requires improvement across all key judgement areas, following a period of instability. While new leadership has established a clear vision and values, crucial changes to raise standards are still in the early stages of development. The report highlights significant inconsistencies in teaching quality and behaviour management, though it notes that staff feel supported during this transition.

Strengths

• The curriculum in mathematics and early reading is "structured well," with teachers knowing "what to teach and when," enabling pupils to achieve well in these subjects.
• Pupils and staff maintain "positive and courteous relationships," ensuring pupils "feel safe and comfortable seeking help with concerns or worries."
• Pupils demonstrate respect for differences and are keen to show they understand the school’s values of "resilience, kindness, respect, community and curiosity."
• The governing body has worked closely with the local authority to ensure stable leadership, appointing an interim headteacher and developing "well-considered plans to improve key areas."

Areas to improve

• Staff must share and consistently act on "high expectations for pupils’ behaviour" to prevent distractions and ensure pupils complete work to a high standard.
• The school must prioritise staff training so teachers have the "expertise required to teach all subjects effectively," particularly where curriculum understanding is currently lacking.
• Assessments must be used effectively to identify prior knowledge, ensuring learning tasks "build on prior knowledge effectively" for all pupils, including those with SEND.

Safeguarding

The report states that "the arrangements for safeguarding are effective."