Moulton School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Moulton School continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy to attend this school, where everyone feels valued for who they are. Pupils forge strong relationships with caring staff. This helps pupils to feel safe in school.

Pupils know that there are adults who they can go to for support and help if needed. Many parents and carers share pupils' positive views about the school.

Pupils treat each other with kindness and respect.

They are keen to praise their classmates when they do things well. Pupils show empathy when discussing topics with their peers who may have different viewpoints. They enjoy taking on additional respo...nsibilities in school, such as being a road safety officer or school councillor.

Teachers have high expectations for pupils' behaviour. Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well in lessons and around the school. Children in the early years settle into school quickly.

Pupils were confident that staff would sort out any rare incidents of bullying promptly.

Leaders expect pupils to achieve well. Pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum.

They take pride in their learning. Pupils persistently strive to receive awards in recognition of their achievements. Most pupils, and children in the early years, are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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

Leaders have ensured that pupils receive a suitably broad and ambitious curriculum. They have trained staff to be effective subject leaders. As a result, subject leaders have carefully designed their curriculums to consider the context of the school and pupils' needs.

Leaders have made sure that the knowledge children gain in the early years provides secure foundations for future learning. Subject leaders' well-ordered curriculums enable pupils to build on their prior learning from the early years to Year 6. This helps pupils to learn well over time.

Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use their expertise to help pupils to learn and remember important knowledge and vocabulary. Teachers explain new information clearly, including to children in the early years.

Teachers make careful checks of pupils' learning. This provides teachers with useful information to identify which pupils may need the delivery of the curriculum adapting. However, some teachers do not adapt the delivery of the curriculum well enough for a few pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

On occasions, some pupils with SEND do not learn as well as they should.

Leaders have made reading a priority throughout the school. They have ensured that there is a wide range of high-quality texts for pupils to enjoy.

Pupils said that they love visiting the school library.

The teaching of phonics begins as soon as children enter the early years. Children are exposed to a language-rich environment.

Staff have been trained to deliver the phonics curriculum well. Children and pupils remember the sounds that they have learned. They practise reading these sounds in closely matched books.

Staff support any pupils who find reading more difficult to catch up quickly.

Leaders and staff are quick to identify those pupils with SEND, including in the early years. They liaise with external agencies when necessary to ensure that pupils with SEND receive appropriate pastoral support.

Pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers.

Staff support children in the early years to develop positive learning behaviours. Pupils behave well in lessons.

When there is any low-level disruption, this is well-managed by staff and little learning time is lost. Pupils listen to their teachers and show respect towards each other. The school environment is calm and orderly.

Many pupils attend school every day. However, a small number of pupils do not attend school regularly enough. This means that some pupils develop gaps in their learning due to the curriculum input that they have missed.

Leaders have ensured that the wider personal development curriculum provides opportunities for pupils to learn how to stay safe in their local area. Pupils learn about healthy relationships. They also talked knowledgeably about different religions and cultures.

Pupils said that they can attend the Rainbow Club, which is a safe space where they can explore their identity.

Governors have an accurate view of the school. They successfully hold leaders to account to ensure that pupils are building their knowledge across the curriculum.

Staff enjoy working at this school. They appreciate the regular training opportunities that they receive. Leaders and governors are considerate of the well-being and workload of staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.Leaders have ensured that staff are well trained to recognise when pupils may be at risk of harm. There are clear systems and procedures in place for staff to report any concerns that they have about a pupil's welfare.

Staff carefully record all concerns, no matter how small, in a timely manner.

Leaders engage effectively with external agencies when the need arises. They are tenacious in securing the most appropriate support for potentially vulnerable pupils and their families.

Pupils talked knowledgeably about online safety, water safety, fire protection and stranger awareness.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Leaders have not ensured that all staff are adapting the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND. Consequently, a few pupils with SEND do not learn the curriculum as well as they should.

Leaders should check that staff are adapting the curriculum activities effectively and offer guidance for staff where necessary. This will ensure that all pupils with SEND achieve equally well. ? A small number of pupils are persistently absent.

These pupils miss important learning and wider opportunities. Leaders must ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need to improve their attendance.

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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in September 2013.