New Moston Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have positive relationships with staff, which helps them to feel valued. Pupils know whom to speak to if they feel concerned or worried.

They are confident that trusted adults will keep them safe.

The school provides experiences to develop pupils' character. Opportunities include a journalism group, being pen pals with residents in a local care home and residential experiences.

These help pupils to develop confidence. Pupils have a voice in the clubs on offer. For example, they requested the school run a skateboarding club.

This helps the offer to be broad, interesting and fun for them.

The school aspires ...for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. In the early years, children receive a strong start to their learning and development.

However, the school's ambition for pupils is not fully realised across the rest of the school. Pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be.

Most pupils live up to the school's high expectations for their behaviour.

Pupils know the school rules. They show respect towards adults and one another. They learn and play together kindly.

The school provides sensitive and effective support for those pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour.

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

The school is going through a period of turbulence. Interim leaders have introduced strategies to improve standards at the school.

However, the improvements made are in the early stages and have yet to impact pupils' learning. Since the last inspection, the school has redesigned the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious for all pupils. Nevertheless, in some curriculum areas, it is not clear what the most important knowledge is that pupils need to learn and remember.

In some subjects, the order in which pupils are taught important knowledge does not support them in learning all they should.

Children in the Nursery and Reception Year flourish. They know the routines and learn how to share and take turns.

Adults provide children with experiences that build their knowledge over time. The environment is set up with exciting areas that enable awe and wonder. Children sustain interest in the opportunities to consolidate learning and be curious.

Many are suitably prepared for entry into Year 1.

The school has fostered a love of reading. Pupils enjoy taking the 'bag buddy' or 'bag bear' home to share a book with their family while having hot chocolate and biscuits.

They eagerly talk about the books they read independently and in class. Younger pupils benefit from a well-ordered phonics programme that staff typically deliver well. Pupils practise their reading with books that, for the most, are closely matched to the sounds they know.

Staff provide support to pupils who need to catch up with their peers. All the same, not enough pupils reach the expected standard for reading by the end of key stage 2. This is a similar picture in writing.

Pupils lack enough practice to build fluency and accuracy in reading and writing.

In some curriculum areas, such as phonics, teachers carefully check what pupils know. However, in other subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils have learned.

This means that often gaps in learning are not addressed and learning moves on before pupils have secured the knowledge they need.

The school includes pupils with SEND fully in all aspects of school life. Adults provide them with extra help where appropriate.

Individual learning plans are now better tailored to help close gaps for these pupils. However, some parents and carers feel the school does not communicate effectively with them about their children.

Pupils respond well to the expectations of their behaviour and show positive attitudes to their learning.

The school skilfully helps pupils understand how they feel and what they can do to put things right when they go wrong. The school is quick to identify barriers to pupils' attendance. It works with families to resolve them.

There has been a recent improvement in pupils' attendance.

Pupils enjoy a comprehensive personal development provision that carefully prepares them for life beyond the school gates. They learn about healthy relationships and have a secure understanding of aspects such as consent and privacy.

They learn how to maintain their physical and mental health and have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

Many staff recognise the need for change, but some have found it too fast. This means some staff feel the school does not consider their well-being when making decisions.

Many of the governors are new to their role. However, they have a clear vision for the future. Nevertheless, to date, they have not held the school to account for its quality of education.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Some subject leaders lack the expertise to develop and improve their subject curriculums. This means, in some subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what precisely should be taught and when.

As a result, pupils do not learn and achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that all subject leaders have the knowledge and expertise to lead their subjects effectively. ? The school does not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise basic skills in reading and writing.

This means pupils do not develop these skills as well as expected. The school should ensure that all teachers provide pupils with the opportunity to practise these basic skills regularly. ? In some subjects, the school does not routinely check what pupils have learned.

This means gaps in pupils' knowledge remain. The school should ensure teachers check pupils' understanding regularly and provide opportunities to revisit prior learning to support pupils' understanding and learning over time. ? Some parents do not feel well informed about the rationale for the school's decisions, particularly regarding SEND provision.

This means some parents do not feel they can work in partnership with the school. The school should consider more effective ways of communicating with parents to ensure they feel better informed about key decisions and priorities that affect their children's education. ? The school has implemented strategies to support staff well-being.

However, these are not yet fully effective. As a result, some staff have workload concerns. The school should support staff in managing their workload and improving their well-being.

• Governors do not routinely challenge the school about the quality of education. This limits their impact on school improvement. Governors should ensure that they access appropriate training and support to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively.