Moulton School and Science College

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a welcoming school where pupils work hard to live up to the ASPIRE ethos. Pupils are polite and friendly and engage with adults well.

Leaders develop pupils' character and prepare them well for the next stage of their education. Pupils feel safe here. They have adults who are always there to help them.

Governors and senior staff set clear and high ambitions for all pupils and students in the sixth form. These expectations help pupils to achieve well overall. This includes those pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders set high expectations for how well pupils should behave. Pupils behave well in most lessons. When inci...dents of low-level disruption occur, they are usually dealt with quickly.

When bullying occurs, pupils know that staff deal with it appropriately. Pupils are eager to learn. They are typically considerate and enjoy themselves at social times.

Extra-curricular clubs are important to many pupils. They can choose from a wide range, including the LGBT group, the student council, numerous sports clubs and the Duke of Edinburgh's Award scheme.

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

Leaders think carefully about the curriculum they provide for pupils.

They make sure that pupils can study a broad and ambitious range of subjects, including in the sixth form. The curriculum prepares pupils well for further study at post-16 and beyond.

Leaders have organised the curriculum in each subject well.

Much of this has been recently developed and it includes the essential knowledge that pupils need to learn. In this new curriculum, leaders have thought carefully about the order in which pupils learn this important knowledge. This is to make sure that pupils' knowledge builds securely on what they already know.

Teachers, including those in the sixth form, have strong subject knowledge. They select activities that help pupils understand new learning readily. Teachers adapt the delivery of the curriculum to make sure that pupils with SEND also learn well.

Most teachers recognise and address any misconceptions or shortfalls in pupils' knowledge. However, some teachers do not check frequently enough what pupils know and understand, before introducing new learning.

Relationships between pupils and staff are positive.

Most pupils behave well in their lessons and around school. Staff provide well-tailored support for pupils who need to modify their behaviour, including through the 'hub'. Leaders' strategies to improve pupils' attendance have reduced the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent.

However, overall attendance needs to improve further.

Pupils who do not yet read with confidence and fluency receive effective support. They benefit from a variety of reading interventions and activities that are coherently planned.

These are designed to improve their basic literacy skills. All pupils are encouraged to develop a love of reading including during tutor time sessions and library lessons.

Newly appointed leaders identify pupils with SEND accurately.

They work effectively with parents and carers, and with other professionals, to secure help for these pupils if they need it. This helps pupils with SEND to participate fully in school life.

Leaders promote pupils' personal development well, including in the sixth form.

This helps pupils to develop their confidence and character. The life skills curriculum prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. They learn to understand and value how they can make a positive difference in the lives of others.

Pupils are taught about how to keep safe, as well as treating others with respect. They learn to recognise their rights and responsibilities, and those of others. Leaders provide frequent leadership opportunities, for example joining the school council and becoming a lead ambassador in the sixth form.

Careers guidance is well planned. Pupils receive plentiful information on the options open to them in the future. They appreciate the information they are given.

As a consequence, some pupils are now considering an apprenticeship route as their next step.

Governors know the school well. They visit the school regularly to keep themselves well informed.

They hold leaders to account closely. Staff are proud to work at the school and appreciate that leaders take their workload into account.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Leaders are vigilant in keeping pupils safe. They have established an effective system for recording and monitoring the safety of pupils.

They act speedily when a pupil is at risk of potential harm. Leaders work well with external organisations and escalate concerns when a pupil is not getting the support they need.

Staff receive up-to-date safeguarding training regularly.

They know how to identify when a pupil is at risk of potential harm.

Leaders ensure that appropriate background checks are carried out on all adults who work at the school.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, teachers do not check pupils' understanding and knowledge thoroughly enough before moving on to more complex concepts.

When this happens, some pupils struggle to make links in their learning. This leaves them with gaps in their knowledge. Leaders need to ensure that all teachers check pupils' prior knowledge consistently so that they know what to teach next.

• Some pupils do not attend school often enough. These pupils miss out on essential learning and wider opportunities. Leaders should ensure that strategies to improve attendance are implemented consistently so that pupils' attendance increases and persistent absence reduces.

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