Moorside Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a school with a strong sense of community that welcomes visitors warmly. Leaders ensure that new pupils and their families are supported and feel included from their first day in school.

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe. Pupils follow, and understand, the school's rules.

Adults model high-quality behaviours. The deliberate actions of all adults encourage pupils to respect each other. Pupils value other religions and cultures.

Pupils are enthusiastic and demonstrate positive learning behaviours. They move about the school in a quiet, calm and purposeful manner. Pupils know that staff will always help to sort out any concerns and worries th...ey might have.

Pupils say that bullying is very rare, but if it does occur, teachers deal with it in a fair and effective way.Pupils have opportunities to make trips and visits. Many of these are in the local area and help to enhance learning.

Pupils have opportunities to take part in concerts and sports events.Attendance is valued and celebrated. Pupils understand the importance of learning and why they should come to school regularly.

The school works closely with pupils and families who continue to struggle with attendance. Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is timely and effective.

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

The school is developing an ambitious curriculum.

Typically, leaders and teachers understand what they should teach. This helps pupils to build on their prior learning. In most subjects, leaders have identified which aspects of learning pupils need to remember before they move on to future content.

For example, in art, teachers develop pupils' knowledge of drawing skills and techniques progressively. Teachers use their expertise to address misconceptions. They use a variety of approaches to assess pupils' understanding.

The leadership team check assessments stringently to monitor progress.

In a small number of subjects, for instance in science and geography, the school has not identified the sequence of learning or subject vocabulary with sufficient precision. Therefore, pupils' understanding and knowledge does not develop as quickly as it should.

Many children enter the early years with English as an additional language and with limited communication skills. In the early years, staff prioritise the development of children's language. Children learn songs and rhymes to help develop their oracy.

Staff deliver phonics lessons skilfully that are in line with the school's phonics programme. Leaders review progress regularly. All children have regular mathematics lessons.

However, during independent play sessions, adults miss some opportunities to strengthen and develop children's learning. The curriculum for the early years is not sequenced as well as it could be. Children do not have sufficient planned opportunities to practise skills and commit these to their long-term memory.

This means that some children are not prepared fully for the next stage of their learning.

In key stages 1 and 2, staff deliver phonics lessons with fidelity to the scheme. Although some pupils enter key stage 1 without the necessary skills in reading, tutoring is used well to help pupils catch up.

Most achieve in line with their peers by the end of key stage 2.

The school has a team of experienced SEND qualified staff who identify pupils' needs quickly. Pupils with SEND receive the support they need to access a curriculum similar to their peers.

The school ensures that pupils have access to specialist resources, including sensory rooms and quiet spaces, when required. Staff are aware of the needs, including the mental health needs, of their pupils. Pupils who join the school part way through their primary education settle in quickly.

Support for new families is extensive. Leaders prioritise attendance. A dedicated member of pastoral staff checks attendance daily and supports parents with getting pupils into school.

Pupils can explain why the school has rules and can relate these to everyday behaviour. These rules underpin the inclusive nature of the school. Inside and outside of the building, pupils act with consideration towards others.

School councillors have opportunities to discuss and debate changes. They offer ideas to senior leaders for further consideration. Staff treat children with respect and deal with any low-level behaviour calmly.

In assembly, pupils learn respect, tolerance and understanding of different religions. There are opportunities to deepen this understanding in religious education lessons. However, the school does not teach the fundamental British values explicitly enough to ensure that all pupils fully understand them.

The school is developing several new middle leaders. Further support and training are needed to help staff to refine their skills. Leaders encourage all staff to develop their professional expertise.

Early career teachers are mentored in school and by the appropriate providers. Staff state that leaders are considerate of their workload. Members of the governing body are both supportive and hold leaders to account.

Governors use information from external reports to ensure they understand the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In the early years, children do not have sufficiently planned opportunities to develop their understanding or skills.

They do not practise or strengthen new learning in carefully sequenced independent activities. This means that they do not deepen their understanding. The school should ensure that children have planned opportunities to practise their new skills and commit this learning to their long-term memory.

• In some subjects, the school has not identified exactly what should be taught and when. In these subjects, teaching does not deepen pupils' understanding securely. The school should ensure that the curriculum in all subjects sets out the important knowledge and vocabulary that pupils should learn and the order in which this should be taught.