Moorbrook School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this welcoming school. Kind and compassionate staff greet them warmly as they arrive at school each morning.

Pupils who are new to the school settle in quickly. Staff support pupils well to help them to focus on their learning.

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

They respond well to the high aspirations that the school has for their achievement and conduct. Most pupils achieve well. By the end of Year 11, many pupils gain qualifications that prepare them well for further study or the world of work.

The school prioritises pupils' social and emotional development by supporting them to develop impor...tant skills, such as resilience and confidence. Pupils are ably supported to manage their emotions and make positive choices. As a result of this work, pupils develop well from their differing starting points.

This helps them to follow the school's rules.

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visits beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils spoke excitedly about climbing, hill walking, visits to the beach and sports competitions, theatre trips and museum visits.

These experiences enable pupils to develop exciting new interests and find undiscovered talents.

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

Pupils who come to this school have often experienced significant barriers to their learning in the past. The school successfully supports pupils to settle in quickly and to attend school regularly.

As a result, pupils typically develop positive attitudes to learning and grow in confidence. Staff understand the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs of pupils. They are trained to use effective strategies that promote positive behaviour.

This helps pupils to learn to manage their feelings and emotions appropriately.

The school has worked successfully to secure improvements to the quality of the curriculum since the last inspection. The school has identified the key knowledge and subject-specific skills pupils should learn in each subject.

Mostly, teachers deliver the curriculum well. However, the curriculum is relatively new in a small number of subjects. Teachers are still familiarising themselves with the content of these new subject curriculums.

Consequently, they are not as adept at checking pupils' prior learning before introducing new information. This means, on occasion, the activities some pupils complete do not match their needs as well as they might. This hampers some pupils from learning as well as they could.

The school has identified the specific reading needs of each pupil. It has put in place the necessary support so pupils become confident and fluent readers. Many pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge catch up quickly with their peers.

The school has established systems for checking and evaluating the delivery of the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, the school does not use these systems as effectively as it could. Consequently, the school sometimes does not identify or address the most important issues with how some curriculum content is delivered.

On occasions, the curriculum is not delivered as intended and pupils' learning is hindered.

All pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan). The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND.

It provides pupils with the specialist support they need so they can learn successfully alongside their peers.

The school has high expectations of pupils' attendance. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers preventing pupils from attending school.

For some pupils who do not attend school regularly, the school offers effective support to families to reduce absence levels.

The school's programme to promote pupils' personal development prepares them well for adulthood. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to care for their physical and mental health.

Through the outdoor learning opportunities that the school provides, pupils develop their teamwork and communication skills. Pupils benefit from independent careers advice and a well-considered package of careers education.

Staff are proud to work at this school.

The school is considerate of their workload and well-being. Governors support the school well. They have a range of skills that allow them to understand the school and support its development.

Governors are well informed about the school's curriculum.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Occasionally, staff do not identify or address gaps in some pupils' knowledge before they introduce new learning.

This means that the learning of these pupils is not as secure as it should be. The school should support staff in checking that pupils have successfully embedded prior knowledge before they introduce new curriculum content. ? In a small number of subjects, the school is not effective at evaluating the delivery and impact of the curriculum.

This means that some weaknesses are not identified and acted on in a timely manner. In turn, this hinders pupils' achievement in these subjects. The school should ensure that it gathers and evaluates information about the curriculum effectively so that it can quickly address any shortcomings in subject curriculums.