Meltham Moor Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending this welcoming and supportive school.

They feel part of the 'Meltham Moor family.' There are warm relationships between staff and pupils. Pupils say that adults help them to feel safe.

Pupils are taught about the importance of care and kindness. They can explain why it is important to be respectful to everybody they meet. They are also aware of different groups in society who may face prejudice and discrimination.

Pupils follow routines as they move around school. They are beginning to understand the importance of the new school rules that have been recently introduced. For example, Nursery children show and explain what it means to do ...'good listening and good sitting'.

Pupils who need help with their behaviour are skilfully supported by adults. Pupils enjoy talking about their learning at school. They have a positive attitude to their learning.

Pupils' behaviour at playtime and lunchtime is cooperative and friendly. They enjoy playing with, and alongside, each other. In the dinner hall, for example, pupils engage in conversation with each other in a positive and respectful way.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders at all levels have high ambitions for what they want pupils to achieve. Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) access the same curriculum as their peers. The specific needs of pupils with SEND are quickly identified.

Staff in the early years are alert to children who need help. In different subjects across the curriculum, leaders have focused on making sure that the knowledge and vocabulary pupils will learn are clearly identified. Pupils are able to talk about what they have learned.

For example, in history, pupils can talk about the kings and queens they have learned about. In physical education, older pupils talk in detail about the technical aspects of how to hold a hockey stick and some of the important rules about the sport. However, in some subjects, pupils are not given sufficient opportunities to link what they are being taught to previous learning.

Across the curriculum, leaders have introduced systems to identify pupils who need more support in individual subjects. Pupils with SEND, and others who need help with their learning, are supported in classrooms. However, in some lessons, staff do not check frequently if all pupils understand in full their new learning, or if pupils need support with their learning.

This means that some pupils, including some with SEND, become too reliant on adult support to learn.

The school has a comprehensive phonics curriculum. Staff have been trained well to deliver this curriculum.

Pupils practise reading books that match the sounds they have previously been taught in phonics lessons. Pupils are taught the new sounds that they are ready to learn. Children in Reception are quickly introduced to phonics lessons.

Leaders quickly identify pupils who need more help with reading. However, some pupils who need extra support with reading are not consistently taught in accordance with the school's chosen phonics curriculum. Pupils across school have a positive view of reading.

They talk with enthusiasm about their favourite books and how they enjoy story time sessions. For example, pupils talk excitedly about the regular 'story assemblies' in which they take part. In these assemblies, pupils enjoy listening to stories that give them opportunities to understand other cultures and protected characteristics.

The personal development of pupils is given high priority by leaders at all levels. There is a broad and deep offer of experiences and opportunities that extend beyond the classroom. 'More at Meltham Moor' represents the breadth of experiences pupils will access before they leave the school.

In different subjects, leaders have carefully planned educational visits, visitors and experiences that build on pupils' learning. In personal, social, health and economic education lessons, pupils learn about a range of issues that help them to understand the wider world and the risks they may face. For example, pupils can explain in detail how to stay safe online and talk about some groups of people in society who may be treated unfairly.

Leaders have deliberately given pupils access to a range of age-appropriate books that help them to understand protected characteristics of people in society.

Children in the early years get a positive start to their education. They are taught to follow routines that help them to develop positive attitudes to learning.

For example, the youngest children in Nursery are carefully and skilfully taught how to listen carefully to instructions. The curriculum is carefully considered across all seven areas of learning. Staff build positive relationships with parents at the earliest opportunity to support children to transition into school smoothly.

Governors and trustees understand their roles. There are systems in place that help leaders keep the school's performance under review. Governors offer challenge to school leaders about the school's performance and pupil outcomes.

Trustees offer further challenge. Leaders build positive relationships with parents. Overwhelmingly, parents speak positively about the work of the school.

Staff at all levels feel well supported by leaders. Staff feel listened to and say that their workload and well-being are considered by leaders.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The teaching of additional phonics sessions for pupils who are struggling to read is not consistently in line with the school's approach to teaching phonics in the classroom. As a result, pupils who need support with reading do not catch up quickly enough. The school should ensure that the teaching of phonics for pupils who need support with reading is in line with their chosen approach and phonics programme.

In some curriculum subjects, pupils do not learn how to link what they are being taught to previous learning. As a result, some opportunities are missed for pupils to deepen their knowledge of subject areas and disciplines. The school should ensure that these concepts and ideas in different subjects are clearly defined and taught to pupils.

• In some parts of the curriculum, staff do not check sufficiently that pupils understand what they are learning. As a result, some pupils, including pupils with SEND, become too reliant on adult support to develop their knowledge and independence. The school should ensure that staff are trained and supported to adapt their teaching in response to pupils' emerging needs.

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