New Moston Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. Inspectors are recommending the next inspection to be a graded inspection.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy being part of a caring learning community at New Moston Primary School. Pupils greet their friends with a cheerful smile each day. They are happy to be in school.

Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and welcoming. Pupils know that staff are there to support them in their learning and w...ith any worries that they may have. This helps them to feel safe.

Leaders' expectations for pupils' achievement and behaviour have increased. Pupils are responding more fully to the expectations set out by leaders. This is beginning to have an impact on how well pupils achieve throughout the curriculum.

However, pupils' achievement is not where it should be. Pupils have gaps in their knowledge, skills and understanding across some subjects.

Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well in lessons.

Teachers ensure that lessons are not interrupted by any poor behaviour. This means that pupils learn without any distractions.

Pupils love their playtimes.

They use the different equipment outside sensibly. Pupils do not worry about bullying because they know leaders will sort it out.

Pupils are given many opportunities to develop their leadership skills.

They talked enthusiastically about the school's junior leadership team. Pupils feel proud of their contribution to making some school policies easier to understand for their fellow classmates.

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

From the early years to Year 6, leaders have now set out an ambitious curriculum, including for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

More recently, leaders have thought about the order in which pupils must learn new content. They have identified the important topics and concepts that they wish pupils to know and understand. However, some of these curriculums are new and they have not had the time to have the desired impact on some pupils' learning.

Most teachers select appropriate activities to deliver the curriculum as set out by leaders. Teachers check every day in lessons that pupils do not have misunderstandings. However, the lack of clarity in some of the learning statements means that some teachers are not always as clear as they could be on what they need to teach to pupils.

Furthermore, it means that some teachers cannot establish precisely what pupils have remembered from the topics that they have studied.

Leaders identify and assess pupils with SEND in a timely and effective way. They have robust identification procedures in place to ensure that staff can respond to the diverse needs of some pupils with SEND.

Teachers make careful changes to lessons to ensure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers. This is helping pupils with SEND to learn increasingly well.

Leaders are ensuring that children in the early years learn to read at the earliest opportunity.

Children in the Nursery class enjoy learning different rhymes and songs. Leaders have also introduced a new phonics programme. However, some staff do not deliver the phonics programme consistently well.

While the books that pupils read often contain sounds that they know, some pupils are not becoming fluent readers as they are not as secure in their phonics knowledge as they should be.

Pupils conduct themselves well around the school. Children in the early years settle in well.

They know how they should behave and they follow the school routines. Pupils walk sensibly in the corridors. Staff model high expectations for behaviour and positively reinforce these for pupils.

Pupils respond well by concentrating on their learning. However, pupils explained that a minority of their peers use inappropriate and derogatory words outside of lessons. Pupils report this to staff who deal quickly with any issues.

However, pupils reported that they would like this to stop.

Leaders set out a well-developed curriculum to support pupils' wider personal development. For example, pupils learn a great deal about different religions.

They enjoy visiting different museums and places of worship to support their learning. Pupils understand how to keep themselves physically healthy through their understanding of exercise and diet.

Pupils know about different British values.

They know that all people should be treated equally regardless of any differences between them. Pupils' understanding of the diversity of British society is deepened through well-planned external visitors to the school. For example, pupils' understanding of gender equality was improved by learning about the suffragettes.

Governors and leaders are taking steps to improve pupils' achievement. They have an accurate view of what is working well and where further improvements should be made to the quality of education that pupils receive. Leaders and governors put staff's workload and well-being at the centre of the decisions that they make.

Parents and carers are happy with the direction of travel that leaders are taking to improve the school. They can see evidence of impact in the improvements that have been made more recently.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and staff know their pupils and the wider community well. Staff are well trained to be vigilant to any signs which indicate that pupils may be at risk of harm, such as changes in behaviour. Staff report any concerns in a timely way.

Leaders take decisive action to ensure that pupils are kept safe. The school's safeguarding team works successfully with many external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive the extra support and help that they need.

Leaders ensure that pupils learn how to keep themselves safe.

Pupils understand the potential dangers they may find online and around water.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, including in the early years, some of the learning statements are not as precise as they could be. This means, at times, teachers are not as clear as they could be around what they need to teach.

Leaders should finalise their curriculum thinking in these final few subjects. ? Some of the curriculums introduced by leaders are new. This means that some pupils are not able to recall their previous learning as well as they should do.

Leaders should ensure that the new curriculums are embedded well within school so that pupils know more and remember more. ? Some staff are not implementing the new phonics programme consistently well. As a result, some pupils are not reading as fluently as they need to because they are behind with their phonics knowledge.

Leaders should ensure that staff are fully trained to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. This is so that all pupils are helped to become confident, fluent readers. ? A minority of pupils use derogatory language outside of lessons, which is not appropriate.

Pupils do not like hearing the unkind words that they use. Leaders should take effective action to ensure that these pupils do not use inappropriate language in unstructured times.

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 March 2013.