Mosspits Lane Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Mosspits Lane Primary is a warm and welcoming school where pupils, and children in the early years, flourish.

Pupils are proud to attend this school. They said that staff care for them well. Pupils are confident that staff will listen to them if they have any concerns or worries.

This helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

Pupils rise to leaders' high expectations of their behaviour. They behave well and treat each other with respect.

If bullying should happen, leaders and teachers sort it out swiftly.

Leaders expect pupils to succeed academically. Pupils benefit from a well-designed curriculum across the school.

This helps them to ac...hieve well. Children in the early years learn to be curious and independent. They are ready for the demands of key stage 1.

Older pupils are well prepared for secondary school.

Pupils enjoy a vast array of opportunities to develop their character and interests. For example, pupils learn about the importance of treating people equally, irrespective of their differences.

Pupils' conduct embodies the school's values.

Pupils excel in sporting activities. They appreciate the importance of being active and physically healthy.

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

Leaders have carefully designed a broad and balanced curriculum from the early years through to Year 6.

Leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that pupils should learn in each subject. They have organised the curriculum well so that pupils can build their knowledge successfully over time.

Teachers use their expert subject knowledge to deliver the curriculum effectively. Pupils secure a rich body of knowledge across the curriculum.

Teachers routinely check how well pupils have learned the curriculum.

They use assessment information expertly to identify and address pupils' misconceptions quickly. As a result, most pupils learn without gaps in their understanding.

Children in the early years benefit from a curriculum that is highly ambitious for all, including those children with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Children enjoy listening and responding to familiar stories, rhymes and songs. They learn well across the curriculum. Teachers are adept at communicating with children.

They maximise opportunities to develop children's vocabulary and language skills in readiness for Year 1.

Leaders have ensured that staff are suitably trained to deliver the phonics programme consistently well. The books that pupils read are matched to the sounds that they know.

Staff provide effective support for pupils who have gaps in their phonic knowledge so that these pupils can catch up quickly.

Leaders prioritise reading across the school. Staff select high-quality texts to enhance pupils' learning across the wider curriculum.

Staff regularly share stories with their classes. Pupils enjoy listening to their teachers read. However, some older pupils do not read as fluently as they should.

This is because these pupils do not read regularly enough. At times, these pupils struggle to access the wider curriculum.

Leaders have strengthened the systems for identifying the additional needs of pupils with SEND.

They have furnished teachers with appropriate information to support these pupils to learn well. However, some teachers do not have the confidence to adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND effectively. On occasion, some pupils with SEND do not access the curriculum as well as they should.

Pupils, including children in the early years, behave well. Learning time is rarely disrupted. Pupils listen well and join in enthusiastically in lessons.

They attend school regularly and on time.

Leaders prioritise pupils' physical and mental health. Pupils enjoy the responsibilities and leadership roles afforded to them, such as acting as reading ambassadors, sports leaders and prefects.

Year 5 pupils spoke excitedly about recently planting wildflowers in the local community. The comprehensive personal, social and health education programme supports pupils to develop an understanding of the wider world and prepares them sufficiently well for life in modern Britain.

Leaders have taken positive steps to eliminate unnecessary workload for staff.

Staff appreciate leaders' support for their well-being. Governors understand their statutory duties and exercise these well. They support and challenge leaders in equal measure to uphold the high aspirations for pupils' success.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders ensure a strong culture of safeguarding. Staff are well trained to spot the signs that a pupil might be at risk of harm.

They are vigilant and report any concerns that they have about a pupil's welfare quickly.

Leaders work well with external agencies to ensure that pupils and their families receive timely and appropriate support.

Pupils learn to keep themselves safe, both on and offline, including learning about healthy relationships and consent.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, some teachers do not adapt the delivery of the curriculum for pupils with SEND well enough. This prevents some pupils with SEND from learning as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers across the curriculum are well equipped to support pupils with SEND to know and remember all that they should.

• Some older pupils do not read as fluently and accurately as they should. This hinders how well these pupils access the wider curriculum. Leaders should ensure that staff support these pupils to gain the knowledge that they need to read confidently and fluently.