Moreton Christ Church CofE Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, and their parents and carers, are proud to be part of this very inclusive school. Pupils are happy in the school.

They said that it is a place which welcomes people of all faiths and no faith and which encourages all pupils to become their very best. Pupils feel safe because they trust adults to resolve any problems they may have. Staff deal with any occasional acts of unkindness or bullying swiftly.

Leaders have high expectations of behaviour and pupils behave well. Pupils said that teachers are friendly but can be strict when necessary. Pupils are polite to staff and to each other.

At lunchtime, they enjoy playing on the spacious artificially grasse...d area. Pupils of all ages mix happily together.

Leaders aim to give all their pupils the best start in life, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged.

Pupils enjoy lessons. Staff expect them to work hard and achieve well and they rise to these expectations. Most pupils achieve well.

Pupils appreciate the great breadth of opportunities they have to enrich their learning through extra-curricular activities. Older pupils help lead some of the activities alongside staff. Leaders go to great lengths to ensure that all pupils, including those with disabilities or medical conditions, participate in sports, visits to places of local interest and school residential trips.

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

Leaders and governors have developed a broad and ambitious curriculum, which is well established. They review it regularly to ensure that it meets the needs of their pupils. Pupils, including those with SEND, study a broad range of subjects.

Leaders have thought carefully about how they sequence the key knowledge of each subject.

Leaders and teachers have a secure understanding of what children in the early years need to know so that they are well prepared for the curriculum at key stage 1.

Across the school, teachers implement the curriculum effectively.

They have strong subject knowledge. They know their pupils well and use a variety of ways to capture their interest. Children in the Nursery and Reception Years benefit from well-considered approaches to developing their speech, vocabulary and understanding of numbers.

Teachers check regularly to make sure that pupils understand what they have taught in each lesson. Pupils follow their teachers' advice and conscientiously improve their work. However, in a few foundation subjects, leaders and teachers do not have as strong an overview of how well pupils are developing their subject knowledge across a series of lessons.

They do not check if all pupils fully understand key ideas which are crucial for the next steps in their learning. As a result, in these foundation subjects, teachers are not sufficiently clear about how well pupils are achieving over time or if they need to adapt future teaching to address any gaps in learning.

Reading is a priority across the school.

Most pupils said that they enjoy reading and read frequently. Teachers have thought carefully about the books that they want pupils to read, including a wide range of interesting fiction and non-fiction texts. They encourage pupils to read poetry.

Recently, leaders made significant changes to the early reading curriculum. All staff have received training in the new, clearly structured phonics programme. This has helped them to teach their pupils essential phonic knowledge effectively.

These changes mean that pupils, including those with SEND and those who are disadvantaged, are becoming more confident and fluent readers. Teachers identify at an early stage any pupils who are in danger of falling behind. Staff provide effective additional support for these pupils.

Leaders accurately identify the needs of pupils with SEND. They provide staff with the information that they require to enable them to help these pupils. Staff know all pupils with SEND well and use appropriate strategies to help them to succeed.

Children in the Nursery and Reception Years settle quickly, and learn to follow the routines and rules of the school day. They play and socialise well with each other and with adults in the well-resourced classrooms and well-equipped outside area. Vulnerable pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum and safe environment in a nurture class.

This provision helps to ease their transition to key stage 1.

Across the school, pupils behave well. They know the rewards and sanctions system very well and enjoy winning 'green points' for positive behaviour.

Leaders have identified the underlying reasons why a few pupils do not behave or socialise well. They use this information to help these pupils to learn to work and play alongside their peers.

Leaders take every opportunity to provide very enriching opportunities which enable pupils to develop as well-rounded young people and to become responsible citizens.

They do this through a personal development programme which is exceptionally well designed. Through the programme, pupils learn how to reflect maturely on difficult moral issues and to speak about them with insight and understanding. They enjoy celebrating cultures, societies and lifestyles which are different from their own.

They embrace the diverse nature of modern Britain. They talk confidently and with understanding about healthy and safe relationships.

Governors have a strong understanding of the strengths and areas for development in the school.

They think strategically to ensure its long-term development. They use their different areas of expertise to support and challenge leaders.

Leaders take staff's workload and well-being into account when making decisions.

Staff appreciate the professional development opportunities which leaders offer them. They like the way that leaders listen to them and find solutions for problems that they may face.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure that staff undertake regular training so that they remain alert to signs that might indicate that a pupil is at risk of harm. Staff follow clear procedures to report any concerns. Leaders follow these up promptly.

The safeguarding team works well with outside agencies to obtain support for vulnerable pupils and their families.

Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, their personal development lessons inform them about water and fire safety and how to keep safe online.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In a few subjects, checks on how well pupils build subject knowledge and understanding of key concepts over time do not give leaders or teachers enough information about pupils' learning. This means that teachers and leaders are not always clear about how well pupils are achieving in these subjects over time. Leaders should ensure that they identify gaps in pupils' learning over time so that staff can adapt future teaching to ensure that pupils achieve well.