Moorgate Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy attending Moorgate Primary Academy.

They happily live the school motto: achieve, challenge, enjoy. The school does all it can to make sure pupils attend regularly and on time. Pupils know that they can put their worries in the worry box.

They know that staff listen to and act on any worries or concerns they have. Pupils enjoy opportunities to broaden their experiences in the school's curriculum enrichment offer '50 things to do before you leave Moorgate'. They achieve well.

Pupils feel safe in school. This is because school is calm and orderly. The school's approach to managing behaviour is consistent and fair.

Pupils know the five golde...n rules: 'keep everybody safe, treat everyone with kindness, respect everyone and everything, work super hard and have beautiful manners'. They are polite, courteous and respectful of one another. Pupils play well together at social times.

Well-being warriors are on hand to support any pupil that needs it.

The majority of parents and carers are very positive about the quality of education their children receive. One parent's comment on Ofsted Parent View was typical of many when they said: 'My children have thrived at this school.

All staff are approachable and deal with issues quickly.'

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

Leaders have adopted an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. The sequence of learning builds up important knowledge over time.

Teachers have the knowledge and skills to teach the curriculum effectively. They present new learning in a way that engages pupils and helps them to retain knowledge, so that pupils know and remember more. Teachers check how well pupils are learning the curriculum.

Any gaps in learning are identified and revisited. Teachers address any misconceptions or errors quickly. The majority of pupils achieve well.

However, in a few subjects, high-attaining pupils do not always achieve as well as they could. This is because in these subjects, the curriculum is not sufficiently ambitious for these pupils to achieve their potential.

Children in the early years have settled well into school life.

Staff work closely with parents to carefully plan to meet the learning and development needs of all children. Skilled adults engage in high-quality interactions with children. They sing songs and number rhymes together and explore numbers and shapes in the environment.

Children learn to hold a pencil effectively, when writing simple words and sentences.

Pupils read and are read to every day in school. Parents value reading workshops, which help them to support their child's reading at home.

The school library, reading competitions, dressing up as book characters and discussing authors, help to promote a love of reading. Children practise phonics skills when reading books that match the sounds they are learning. However, some pupils have fallen behind in their reading.

These pupils struggle to read well because they are not effectively supported to catch up quickly enough. This is because catch up interventions do not address the gaps in phonic knowledge effectively enough. As a result, some pupils do not read with the confidence and accuracy required for their age.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported in school. Their needs are quickly and accurately identified. Staff adapt learning well for SEND pupils.

All pupils in need of specialist support, such as speech and language support, get the support that they need. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve well.

The school makes sure that pupils have many opportunities to broaden their interests and widen their horizons.

Pupils learn how to keep safe when out and about in the community. They enjoy discussing current affairs and can identify 'fake news'. Pupils consider future jobs and income when making sensible decisions about how to spend and save money.

Choir, art, sports club and working alongside artists and musicians help pupils to develop new talents and interests. Pupils learn about different faiths, including Christianity, Sikhism, Hinduism, Judaism and Buddhism. They learn about the importance of celebrations in different cultures.

For example: Eid, Diwali and Chinese New Year. This helps them to recognise and respect differences. The work of the school council helps pupils to understand democracy and the right to a voice.

By fundraising for local and national charities, pupils learn to be active citizens. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

Leaders know the school well.

They identify the right priorities for improvement. Trust leaders hold the headteacher to account for the performance of the school.

Staff are positive about the support they receive from leaders to manage their workload and well-being.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The curriculum in some subjects is not sufficiently ambitious for higher attaining pupils to achieve as highly as they are capable of. School should ensure that expectations remain high and that the curriculum meets the needs of all pupils.

• Some pupils have fallen behind in their reading in school. They are not receiving effective support to catch up quickly. The school should make sure that these pupils receive the support they need to read with confidence, fluency and accuracy for their age.