Moat Hall Primary Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone is made to feel welcome at Moat Hall Primary School.

There have been lots of changes, but everyone agrees that they are now a team who work together well. There is a strong sense of belonging. Pupils are kind and look after each other.

Parents and carers say: 'staff go above and beyond' and 'really put the children first'.

Staff, pupils and parents all say that the school has improved. Pupils love coming to the school.

They say this is because lessons are fun and exciting. Teachers now plan better lessons in reading, writing and mathematics. However, because of the many staff changes, some pupils need more help to catch up quickly.

...Behaviour is managed very well, so the school day runs smoothly. Staff have high expectations. Bullying is rare, and pupils know that adults will always help them with any problems.

Older pupils take their jobs seriously by helping the younger ones at lunchtime.

Lots of interesting things happen at Moat Hall Primary, such as visits to different places. Older pupils stay overnight in London and go to the theatre to see productions such as 'The Lion King'.

In school, there are lots of clubs, sports and musical events.

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

Leaders care deeply about pupils and want the best for them. However, in recent years, there have been many changes in staff.

This has made it difficult to make sure that pupils do as well as they should. There is now a permanent team, who are working together to achieve the best outcomes for pupils. However, some pupils have a lot of catching up to do.

Teachers' plans for reading, writing and mathematics ensure that learning builds on what pupils already know. Leaders are now working to make sure that other subjects are as well planned. They have introduced a new curriculum, using themes such as 'Dinosaur Planet'.

In geography, this has been successful. However, other subjects are not as well planned. New leaders have not yet had the opportunity to develop their subjects.

In mathematics, pupils, particularly those with special educational needs (SEND), do not have enough opportunities to practise reasoning and problem-solving, or to use practical equipment to help them in lessons.

Leaders have introduced a new teaching programme for English. From the start, staff teach phonics well because of high-quality training.

Leaders have bought new reading books which are well matched to pupils' abilities. As a result, most pupils now read confidently from an early age. However, the approach to teaching grammar, punctuation and spelling is inconsistent, and so pupils' writing is not of a high-enough standard.

Pupils do not get enough opportunity to write longer pieces of work. In key stage 1, some book corners and the library are tired and unappealing. This discourages some pupils from reading as much as they should.

Some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils and those with SEND, do not catch up quickly enough. They are given lots of help, but leaders have not checked in enough detail which support makes the most difference so that these pupils improve their reading and mathematical skills rapidly. As a result, they do not always achieve as well as they could.

Pupils' personal development is a strength. Pupils make an active contribution by caring for the well-being of others. They learn how to be healthy, by running a 'daily mile' and doing calming exercises.

There is an impressive range of clubs, and this helps develop pupils' confidence. Teaching assistants run nurture groups to support pupils who need extra help to be 'school ready' by checking their books and PE kits.

There have been many changes in the early years.

The school now manages the provision for children from the age of two upwards. The early years leader has worked hard to build a new team of staff. She has trained them to check what children know and can do.

However, not enough children are achieving a good level of development for their age, because staff still need more help to plan what children need to learn next.

The headteacher is highly respected by the school community. Staff say that leaders listen to them and make changes to help with workload.

Parents appreciate the support they get from staff.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is a strong culture of safeguarding.

Staff receive regular training and weekly updates so that they know what to do if they have a concern. They know pupils well. Staff work closely with families when they need help.

If a pupil does not turn up in the morning, staff check where they are. All the proper checks on staff and visitors are completed as they should be. The site is well maintained and secure.

Pupils feel safe and happy at the school. They learn how to keep themselves safe and they know what to do if they have any worries.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

There has been considerable turbulence in leadership and staffing.

Leaders have brought stability to the school. Subject leaders now need further support to ensure that they make rapid improvements across the curriculum. Senior leaders need to ensure that subject leaders have the opportunities to plan, implement and monitor their subjects effectively and that the curriculum is clearly planned and sequenced to build pupils' knowledge and skills over time in all subjects.

. The standards pupils achieve at the end of Year 2 are below where they should be. More work is needed to raise standards by the end of key stage 1, particularly for those pupils who are disadvantaged, to ensure that they are well prepared for the next stage in their education.

. Leaders have introduced a more rigorous approach to teaching reading. This means that more pupils across the school are now able to read with fluency, confidence and enjoyment.

However, leaders need to ensure that they take every opportunity to promote a culture of reading. . There is not a consistent approach to the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling.

As a result, pupils' writing is not yet of a good-enough standard. Leaders need to ensure that pupils have more opportunities to write at length and improve their writing skills. They need to introduce a consistent approach to the teaching of grammar, punctuation and spelling.

. Leaders have implemented a coherently planned curriculum for mathematics. However, teachers do not always plan opportunities for pupils, particularly those with SEND, to access reasoning and problem-solving.

Pupils do not always have the resources they need to enable them to succeed. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum and teaching are adapted to meet the needs of pupils with SEND more effectively. .

Some pupils with SEND and those who are disadvantaged do not achieve the best possible outcomes. This is because teachers have not ensured that activities are effectively matched to their needs so that they can learn and remember more over time. There is a wide range of interventions and support available for these groups of pupils.

However, interventions are not yet evaluated precisely enough in order to measure the impact. Leaders need to make sure that the right support is provided consistently for pupils so that they are successful learners. .

In the early years, not enough children achieve a good level of development. This is because staff do not use assessment information as effectively as they should to plan next steps. Leaders need to ensure that staff receive the support they need to use assessment information effectively to plan learning so that more children reach a good level of development.

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