Moorside Primary School

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About Moorside Primary School


Name Moorside Primary School
Website http://www.moorside.newcastle.sch.uk
Inspections
Ofsted Inspections
Headteacher Ms Linda Hall
Address Beaconsfield Street, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, NE4 5AW
Phone Number 01912720239
Phase Primary
Type Foundation school
Age Range 2-11
Religious Character Does not apply
Gender Mixed
Number of Pupils 447
Local Authority Newcastle upon Tyne
Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Moorside Primary is a friendly and welcoming school.

The staff create a warm and secure environment in which children can thrive. The staff are attentive to children's needs. They are careful to maintain measures to minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission.

The school serves a very diverse community. Pupils speak over 30 different languages. The school is truly multicultural.

Pupils are very kind and considerate of one another. They are fully integrated and play together happily at social times. The staff who supervise them enjoy joining in their games.

Pupils are very polite and respectful of the staff.

Pupils feel safe. They say that the...re is little bullying.

If it happens, they know they should report it and they trust adults to sort it out. A great deal of work is done to support pupils who struggle to manage their behaviour. As a result, these pupils improve their behaviour over time.

The school is inclusive. Extensive efforts are made to identify and help pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and carers are very pleased with the support their children have received.

The youngest children make a good start in early years. Provision is well organised. Children quickly get into good routines.

Their language skills develop well because of the well-planned activities. The youngest children join the older pupils at lunchtime. This helps them to feel involved in the life of the school.

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

Over the last 18 months, senior leaders have reviewed the curriculum and put in place coherent and ambitious planning. They have identified what should be taught in each subject and have sequenced this knowledge carefully. Teachers, many of whom are new to the school this year, have begun to deliver the new curriculum plans.

In English, mathematics and science, teachers have the subject knowledge to implement these plans effectively. However, in other subjects, some teachers are not translating planning into effective sequences of lessons. In some cases, little of the planned curriculum has been taught.

At times, content taught is disconnected and is not leading towards clear end-points. Pupils' understanding in subjects such as art, geography, and design and technology is therefore too shallow.

Teachers face some considerable challenges.

Many pupils join the school or leave midway through the year. Too many pupils are persistently absent. Disruptions to learning caused by the pandemic and ongoing staff sickness absence are further factors.

As a result, teachers are still recapping knowledge that pupils should have secured last year. However, in some lessons, pupils have grasped the knowledge being recapped and are ready to move on.

The school's approach to teaching early reading is well established.

Leaders have resourced the programme well. There is an extensive range of books aligned tightly to the reading programme. Children are taught phonics from the start of Reception Year.

Some teachers have received only basic training in the programme and lack the expertise to deliver phonics teaching with expertise. Teachers carefully match reading books to the phonics pupils have been taught. Leaders know which pupils have fallen behind, but plans to give them extra help are being disrupted by staff sickness absence.

Several pupils in Year 3 are still not reading fluently.

Leaders have successfully improved provision in early years. New staffing is in place.

The learning environment has been improved. Curriculum planning has been refreshed. Teaching of national curriculum subjects extends down into the well-planned learning activities in the Reception classes.

Children have settled quickly and are flourishing. They learn together confidently, maintaining their concentration. Adults are successfully developing children's vocabulary and confidence with language.

Most pupils are keen to learn. They display very positive attitudes and relish the task when provided with challenges. They take pride in their handwriting.

Behaviour in lessons and at social times is good. Every effort is made to meet the emotional needs of pupils with more challenging behaviour. Senior leaders and experienced teaching assistants support less experienced teachers very effectively.

As a result, the school is calm and orderly across the day.

Senior leaders and governors are determined to provide a broad education that goes well beyond the academic. In personal, social and health education, a broad range of topics is covered.

Pupils have a good grasp of equalities and children's rights. They are taught about democracy and the rule of law. There are carefully planned opportunities for pupils to take on roles within the school community.

Pupils learn to debate issues and respect the opinions of others. They are articulate and confident to express their views.

Together, the governors and the senior team have recruited a staff team with real potential.

However, some aspects of leadership and management need refinement to ensure that this potential is realised. Currently, leaders do not have a well-planned programme of professional development for their staff. In addition, leaders are not systematically checking whether the planned curriculum is being implemented properly.

Senior leaders currently carry many responsibilities. This detracts from their focus on their core business of developing the quality of education. Leaders take care to manage teachers' workload and have fostered a strong team spirit.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

School leaders and the wider staff care deeply for pupils. They are constantly vigilant and aware of the needs of each child.

All members of staff get to know families well and go the extra mile to support those that are more vulnerable. Swift action is taken to protect any child at risk of harm. Leaders keep details records of the steps they take.

The curriculum teaches pupils about potential risks to their safety. For example, pupils have a well-developed understanding of the risks they may face when online. Members of staff supervise pupils attentively, ensuring that pupils are dismissed safely at the end of the day.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Teachers are implementing the planned curriculum successfully in English, mathematics and science. However, some teachers lack the subject knowledge to implement the curriculum as well in the wider curriculum. Leaders need to ensure that teachers get the ongoing professional development they need to strengthen their subject knowledge across the wider curriculum.

• The school has an established phonics programme. Aspects of the programme are working successfully. However, teachers and support staff who are newer to the school have not had the training they need to deliver phonics teaching with expertise.

Leaders should ensure that this training is provided and all relevant staff are supported to develop the necessary expertise to teach early reading. ? Senior leaders have done much to develop curriculum plans that are ambitious. However, they need to systematically monitor how well these plans are being implemented, so that weaknesses are identified and addressed more quickly.


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