Moorlands Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is an inclusive school. Central to the school's mission is an 'endeavour to make the school a happy, lively and caring place', and this is exactly what inspectors found. The school is a place where pupils feel safe, knowing that the adults care about them.

If pupils have worries or problems, they know someone will listen. As a result, pupils are happy here.

Staff have high expectations for pupils' learning.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Pupils achieve highly. Alongside a broad curriculum, there is an effective personal, social, health and economic education (PSHE) programme.

The school also ...provides a number of experiences to bring pupils' learning to life, including a range of clubs, trips, pupil leadership roles, outdoor learning and opportunities to develop citizenship. Consequently, pupils are prepared well for life in modern Britain.

Pupils know and understand the school's core values of 'ready, respectful and safe'.

Their positive behaviour shows that they strive to uphold these values. This begins in early years, where children quickly learn routines and settle well to school life. Pupils are respectful of both their peers and adults.

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

The school has developed an ambitious curriculum that clearly identifies what pupils should know. Content is sequenced logically from Reception to Year 6. This supports teachers to know exactly what to teach and when.

Pupils with SEND have their needs identified accurately. For a small number of pupils with SEND, the school has adapted the curriculum thoughtfully and effectively to ensure their success.

Teachers have the subject knowledge they need to deliver the curriculum well.

Staff make effective use of resources to explain and model new content. Learning activities are engaging. Teachers adapt learning so pupils with SEND can access it alongside their peers.

Pupils achieve well across the curriculum. However, the school's approach to checking pupils' understanding is more effective in some subjects than in others. In addition, in some subjects, the school is still developing ways to support pupils to remember what they have been taught over time.

As a result, in a small number of subjects, some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

The school has prioritised reading. It has selected a diverse range of high-quality texts that link to topics across the curriculum.

Pupils enjoy reading to their peers and acting as librarians. They relish receiving rewards for reading at home. Children begin to learn phonics as soon as they start in the Reception Year.

The school trains staff to deliver the phonics programme confidently and effectively. Pupils practise reading using books that closely match to the sounds that they have learned. Regular checks are made on pupils' progress through the phonics programme.

Pupils who fall behind are supported by expert staff to catch up and keep up with their peers. As a result, most pupils learn to read fluently and confidently.Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning.

From the early years onwards, pupils develop confidence, resilience and a desire to learn. The school supports pupils to behave well. The school has established clear routines and ensures that expectations are understood clearly.

Behaviour throughout the school and during break times is positive, with pupils showing consideration for their peers.

The school works positively with families and professionals to support them to improve the attendance of all pupils. However, although the majority of pupils attend well, a small proportion are persistently absent.

The school recognises that there is scope to further raise expectations to ensure regular school attendance is a priority for all pupils

Personal development is a strength. The school is determined to provide pupils with opportunities that they may not otherwise receive. It offers a range of educational visits, including residential trips, to ensure that pupils see a diverse range of places and people.

Through charity events and community links, pupils develop empathy, teamwork and communication skills. The PSHE curriculum teaches pupils how to lead safe, healthy lifestyles. Pupils demonstrate secure knowledge of how to stay safe, particularly online.

The school uses visitors, such as the police and fire service, to enhance pupils' learning.

Leaders at all levels are aligned to the school's vision. They are reflective and work well together to improve what they do.

Governors have an accurate view of the school and a clear vision for future priorities. Staff value leaders' work to support their workload and well-being and are rightly proud to be a part of the team at this inclusive school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective, but minor improvements are required.

The safeguarding culture is positive, and pupils are well looked after. However, at the start of the inspection, the school's safeguarding policy did not reflect current statutory requirements. The school rectified this during the inspection.

Suitable actions are taken to respond to any worries about the safety of pupils but the records of these actions and consequent outcomes are sometimes not clear enough. When discussed during the inspection, the school recognised the potential increased risk to pupils caused by this lack of clarity, particularly in relation to the oversight of severely and/or persistently absent pupils and took immediate and appropriate action. Until the inspection, there was not systematic oversight to ensure that this important work always meets current expectations.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, pupils' understanding is not checked carefully enough. This means that some pupils develop misconceptions that go unaddressed or are reinforced. The school should ensure that pupils' understanding is checked accurately and used to inform what they need to learn next.

• Most pupils attend well, however, the number of persistently absent remains high. These pupils do not benefit from everything the school has to offer. The school should work to raise expectations for all pupils to attend regularly and improve its approach to evaluating the impact of actions taken to improve attendance.

• The school made necessary changes to its safeguarding policy and its recording processes during the inspection. Some minor improvements are now needed to ensure that all of the school's policies and procedures meet current statutory expectations consistently. The school and those responsible for governance must work to ensure that future updates are made in a timely fashion and the improved processes are maintained.

Also at this postcode