Moreton School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This school has a real sense of purpose. All staff go out of their way to ensure that pupils are kept safe, feel cared for and achieve their best.

Leaders have created an ethos of high levels of care, while at the same time raising pupils' academic aspirations. The positive relationships between staff and pupils are a joy to observe. The headteacher summarised this when she said, 'We care for every one of our pupils, but we do not love them into poverty; they will achieve as well.'



Pupils are happy and safe. They enjoy coming to school and want to learn. Pupils' behaviour in lessons and around school is good.

They get on well with each other. Pupil...s do not worry about bullying because they are confident that all staff will deal with any that occurs swiftly.

Senior leaders understand the community the school serves.

They know their pupils and families well. Leaders recognise that some pupils have limited opportunities to take part in additional experiences or activities for various reasons. Leaders make sure that pupils receive a wide range of exciting trips and visits to complement their personal and educational development.

Pupils strive at this school.

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

Leaders have high expectations of pupils. All staff want pupils to succeed.

They now do. Senior leaders, together with teachers, have worked collaboratively to plan a curriculum that is ambitious and tailored to pupils' needs. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Teachers map out what pupils should learn over time in each subject. Leaders want all pupils to have a broad academic education. Plans for the future include modern foreign language (MFL) lessons at key stage 4 for almost all pupils.

Subject plans take pupils' prior knowledge into account and ensure that pupils deepen their learning further. This is successful in the vast majority of subject areas, including English, science, mathematics and history. Pupils' work is generally of good quality and they learn well.

However, in MFL, there remains some work to be done. This is because of historic staffing issues. The MFL department is now fully staffed with expert teachers and leaders who have begun to put a new, more challenging curriculum in place.

Teachers know their pupils well. They receive specific training about how to support all pupils' needs. Teachers regularly adapt their lessons so that pupils with SEND receive the support they need to be successful.

Additional adults support pupils in lessons effectively. Pupils with SEND do well and make good progress.

Leaders have high expectations of pupils' behaviour.

Pupils know what these are and the consequences if they fall short of leaders' expectations. Consequently, pupils behave very well in lessons and at breaktimes and lunchtimes. Lessons are generally free from disruption and staff create a purposeful learning environment.

A very small number of pupils need extra help to show positive attitudes. These pupils repeatedly spend time in the school's isolation room. Here, their learning is not of the same high quality as in lessons.

These pupils miss chunks of their learning.

Students who attend the Amethyst Sixth Form enjoy their studies. An increasing number of students now choose to stay on to continue their studies in the sixth form.

Leaders have built a well-sequenced and ambitious curriculum for students. Subject plans build on students' prior learning and deepen it further. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and share their enthusiasm with students.

Students achieve well. They enjoy many trips to universities, colleges and visits from apprenticeship providers. Students are well prepared for their next stage in life.

Almost all of them move on to further studies, training or employment.

Pupils' personal development is enhanced effectively beyond the school's well-planned curriculum. Pupils enjoy strong pastoral care, learning about how to manage money effectively.

Many have opportunities to learn outside of the classroom. Pupils speak very highly about the numerous things they do beyond lessons.

Staff are highly supportive of senior leaders.

They value the support they get, specifically from the headteacher. Teachers have told us that all decisions at the school are made with pupils' and staff's well-being in mind. All staff we have spoken to have commented on the many improvements made at the school in recent times.

Staff morale is high.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Staff receive the training they need to spot any signs that a child may need help.

All staff know who to refer any issues on to. They know about potential risks that exist within their local and regional community. Staff refer any concerns on and the safeguarding team deal with them quickly.

Leaders work well with outside agencies. Staff seek help and advice to ensure that pupils are safe. Safeguarding staff give extra help to families when they need it.

Leaders complete the required employment checks and keep accurate records. There is a strong safeguarding culture at the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The current curriculum in MFL is not as well planned or ambitious as it needs to be for pupils to be successful.

Senior leaders, together with colleagues from the MFL team across the trust, have begun to plan the new MFL curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that the subject plans in MFL are sequenced so that pupils can build up their knowledge and skills over time. .

For a very small minority of pupils at the school, the behaviour management system is not fully effective. These pupils repeatedly spend time in the school's isolation unit where the pace of their learning slows. Leaders need to ensure that the strategies they use to manage these pupils' behaviour are effective so that pupils do not miss valuable learning time.

Also at this postcode