Moorgate Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Moorgate Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Moorgate Primary school is a place where pupils, and children in the early years, flourish.

Staff have pupils' best interests at heart. To this end, they have fostered mutually supportive relationships with families.

Staff know pupils and their families well.

Pupils told the inspector that this helps them to feel very happy and safe in school. Pupils feel that they are well cared for by their teachers.

The school's motto is 'aspire, achieve, sparkle', and this is embodied in the high expectations for both the academic and social skills that pupils develop... at the school.

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum. This is reflected in how well pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education.

Pupils, including those pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), behave well and they are thoughtful of others.

Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are dealt with effectively and sensitively by leaders. This includes any rare occurrences of bullying. Classrooms, including in the early years, are hives of learning activity.

Pupils enjoy learning and they contribute enthusiastically during lessons.

Pupils learn about a range of important issues through the wider curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a broad range of opportunities to enrich their learning.

For example, pupils relish learning alongside members of the wider community in the intergenerational gardening club, the community library and through the school's citizenship award.

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

Leaders, including governors, have shown relentless determination to create a school where pupils thrive. As such, when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, they achieve well and they are suitably equipped for life at a secondary school in modern Britain.

Through the curriculum, leaders have found the right balance between academic success and developing pupils to be confident and resilient to setbacks. As a result, pupils, including those who attend the specially resourced provision, readily display a can-do attitude and they are not afraid to have a go.

Leaders have carefully considered pupils' needs and developed an aspirational, ambitious and challenging curriculum.

All subjects are meticulously organised, so that pupils' learning builds logically over time. Leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember in each subject from the early years to Year 6.

Teachers order learning logically and make links between different subjects and earlier learning clear to pupils.

This helps pupils to apply what they know already when they are learning something new. In lessons, teaching staff check routinely that pupils understand new learning and how it links to what they know already. Staff use this information effectively to design what pupils should learn next.

Leaders have placed a high priority on the development of the reading curriculum. This starts as soon as children join the school as two year olds. Staff deliver the school's phonics programme with confidence.

Pupils enjoy reading books that are matched accurately to the sounds that they know. Those pupils that need extra help are identified and supported by staff to keep up with their peers.

Older pupils are keen readers.

They talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors. They benefit from being regular visitors to the community library and the 'special shelves' that help to foster their love of reading. When children begin in the Nursery Year, staff find out what makes each child unique and use this to design activities that support children's language development.

This helps to cultivate children's love of reading and develop enquiring minds.

Pupils with SEND take part in all aspects of school life. Leaders ensure that staff are equipped well to identify and provide support for these pupils.

Teachers have an accurate knowledge of pupils' needs. Staff make sure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers by adapting how they deliver the curriculum. Those pupils with more complex needs receive tailored support from skilled adults.

Pupils behave consistently well in lessons. They work sensibly with their friends. Learning is seldom disrupted by poor behaviour.

At social times, pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer to them in the playground. Older pupils in the school are excellent role models for younger pupils in the school.

Leaders have designed an array of extensive opportunities to promote pupils' personal development.

These are fully interwoven and embedded into the school's curriculum. Pupils learn about the importance of democracy, equality and tolerance. They understand the value of looking after their mental and physical health.

This prepares pupils well for growing up in modern Britain. Pupils enjoy a range of activities and clubs on offer, including drumming, dance and art club. In the early years, children experience a wide range of activities that help to foster their curiosity about the wider world.

Leaders and governors have a strong shared vision for the school. Staff are proud to be part of the team. They call it a family.

They appreciate the ways in which leaders support them to manage their workload effectively.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders know their school community well.

They are highly alert to the local and contextual risks that pupils may face. They make sure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil's welfare.

Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They are adept at working with a wide range of external agencies, including representatives of health, social care and the police, to ensure that support is in place for vulnerable pupils and their families.

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to talk about their feelings.

Pupils know who they can speak to if they are feeling worried or anxious. Pupils learn about ways in which they can keep themselves safe, including when working and playing online.

Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2016.