Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Moorthorpe Primary School With Inclusion Resource is a friendly and welcoming school.

The school has established high expectations focused on being ready, respectful and safe. Pupils behave with kindness and respect towards adults and each other. They enjoy the rewards that are on offer, for example sharing hot chocolate in the staffroom with the headteacher.

Working closely with the inclusion resource, adults help pupils to manage their own feelings and behaviour well. When pupils struggle to manage their behaviour, skilled adults help them to get back o...n track.

The school has implemented a curriculum that helps pupils to secure an increasingly deep knowledge of the subjects that they study.

For example, pupils use their knowledge of the techniques of artist, Peter Thorpe, to create their own pieces. Pupils' understanding of how to apply these techniques using mixed media is impressive.

The school provides lots of opportunities for pupils to explore their interests.

Pupils benefit from a range of clubs including a book club, netball and choir. Regular 'inspire' sessions bring parents and pupils together to share learning. For example, in one class, parents worked alongside their children to help develop pupils' writing skills.

These shared learning opportunities contribute to the welcoming and inclusive culture in the school.

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

The school has established an ambitious curriculum for all pupils. Adults have identified the most important things pupils need to learn and remember in all subjects.

For example, in art, pupils develop their understanding of techniques such as scoring and using a slip to create more-complex sculptures. In mathematics, pupils use sentence stems to help explain their thinking. This helps pupils to understand the steps involved in the mathematical processes that they study.

However, the school's ambition for the curriculum has not been fully realised in all subjects. In some subjects, the way knowledge is explained and demonstrated is not as precise as it could be. In these subjects, some pupils are less secure in their learning.

The school has recently reviewed the curriculum for mathematics. This curriculum is supporting pupils to become fluent mathematicians. However, the school's ambition for mathematics is not yet fully in place.

Sometimes, the way that new learning is explained and demonstrated for pupils lacks precision. Pupils are not secure enough in some aspects of their mathematics knowledge.

Reading is a priority in this school.

Leaders make sure that staff get the training that they need to help pupils to learn to read. In early years, adults help children to get off to a flying start by learning phonics and beginning to read simple words. Children enjoy receiving the 'book bear' to take home.

This is encouraging children to read more often. The books children read are matched to the sounds that they know. Leaders ensure all pupils practice reading every day.

When pupils struggle, skilled adults provide the right support to help them to catch up. Pupils enjoy the stories that adults read to them. Pupils talk about shutting their eyes and 'getting lost in the words'.

Pupil librarians help organise the school library. The wide choice of books inspires pupils to read at home. Interesting books are everywhere in this school.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) learn the same ambitious curriculum as their peers. If pupils have different starting points, the school makes sure that they learn a curriculum that is right for them. Pupils in the school's inclusion resource receive support that is tailored to their needs.

This is helping pupils to develop their language and communication skills.

In early years, adults help children develop their mathematical skills by giving them lots of opportunities to explore number. Children use sentence stems to compare numbers of objects.

This is helping children to share their impressive mathematical thinking. The school has prioritised the social and emotional development of children in early years. Children consistently cooperate well together.

For example, when creating a collaborative piece of art, children shared resources and supported each other to make different kinds of brush strokes.Pupils enjoy the many leadership opportunities available to them. Some work as head boys and girls, acting as role models for others.

Some contribute as prefects, helping to make sure that the school runs smoothly. These roles are helping pupils to become citi-zens of the future. The curriculum for personal, social and health education helps pupils to understand how to stay safe online.

Pupils talk with enthusiasm about the different scenarios that they discuss to explore moral issues. This is helping pupils to understand difference. One pupil summed this up saying, 'everyone is different in their own kind of way, so we should treat everyone equally'.

Those responsible for governance share leaders' ambitions for pupils. Staff workload and well-being are a high priority for leaders and governors. Staff are positive about the support and training that they receive.

They are proud to work at this inclusive 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 some subjects, including mathematics, the way knowledge is explained and demonstrated sometimes lacks precision.

This means that pupils are not secure enough in some aspects of their learning. The school should make sure that staff have the support that they need to help pupils to develop a secure understanding in these subjects.

Background

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

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 ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in December 2018.