Moulsecoomb Primary School

Moulsecoomb Primary School The Highway, Brighton BN2 4PA

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is good school

 Pupils make good progress because they are taught well. By the end of Year 6, they reach broadly average standards in reading and mathematics.  Teaching is consistently good. Strong relationships exist between adults and pupils; this ensures they thrive in a stimulating environment benefiting from the exceptional care provided.  Children progress well in the Early Years Foundation Stage. As well as effective teaching skills, children are helped to think about what they are learning and to develop the skill of working by themselves.  Most pupils feel safe and behave well in lessons and around the school.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs do well because their needs are understood and they are extremely well supported.  Leaders use information on pupils’ progress well to identify those who need further support to accelerate their progress.  The headteacher and members of the governing body communicate a clear vision

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This is good school

and a strong commitment to school improvement, which is shared by all staff. Senior leaders check the school’s performance carefully and identify priority areas for further improvement accurately.  Parents and carers, staff and pupils are full of praise for the school.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Pupils do not make enough progress in writing.  Pupils’ use of punctuation and grammar across subjects is underdeveloped. This hinders the levels pupils reach.  Not all pupils make consistently rapid progress throughout the school. Sometimes, the few more-able pupils are not given hard enough work.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 18 lessons taught by 15 teachers, of which 15 were jointly seen with the headteacher or deputy headteacher. In addition, the inspection team made five shorter visits to lessons and provision for pupils learning outside the classroom to focus on specific aspects.  No lessons were observed on the final afternoon due to the closure of the school earlier than planned because of severe weather.  Inspectors listened to pupils read, and visited an assembly.  Meetings were held with a group of pupils, the headteacher, senior and subject leaders, learning mentors and members of the governing body. There was a meeting with a representative of the local authority to discuss the range and impact of support provided for the school.  There were no responses from the Parent View online questionnaire. Inspectors looked at the school’s recent parent survey, spoke to 27 parents and carers while they were bringing or

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Information about this inspection

collecting their children from school and one email from a parent. No staff questionnaires were returned.  The inspection team observed the school’s work, and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s information on pupils’ progress for the last three years and notes of visits made by the school improvement adviser. Inspectors looked at self-evaluation and school improvement documentation, planning, assessment information, documentation on the management of teachers’ performance, and school policies and records relating to behaviour, safety and attendance. The school’s safeguarding procedures were also evaluated.

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Inspection team

Wendy Forbes, Lead inspector Additional inspector Carolyn Steer Additional inspector Vanessa Tomlinson Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 Moulsecoomb is larger than the average-sized primary school.  The Early Years Foundation Stage includes a part-time Nursery and two Reception classes. The Nursery offers the flexibility of attending for three full days or five mornings a week.  An above-average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium.  Most pupils are White British. The proportions of pupils from minority ethnic groups and those whose who speak English as an additional language are below average.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs who are supported through school action, school action plus or have a statement of special educational needs is well above average.  The school meets the government’s floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics.  The school does not use any alternative provision. However, it works closely with the

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Information about this school

neighbouring Moulsecoomb Children’s Centre to ensure continuity for the children of the local community when they transfer to the school in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The governing body manages a breakfast club.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress and raise the attainment in writing by:  improving the teaching of basic literacy skills in order to strengthen pupils’ use and application of punctuation and grammar in their writing  providing more opportunities to develop writing skills across all subjects.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the proportion of outstanding teaching in order to quicken pupils’ progress, by ensuring that teachers provide more demanding activities for more-able pupils so that they take more responsibilities for their own learning.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 There has been an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils achieve well across the school. Attainment in reading and mathematics has risen considerably, particularly the increased proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels of attainment in reading in Key Stage 2, and is now broadly average.  These improvements are as a result of teachers’ consistent and detailed analysis of pupils’ abilities, the well-tailored support provided to drive improvement in reading and mathematics, and consistently good teaching.  Children join the school with skills and understanding well below that expected for their age. From this starting point, the progress made by pupils brings them to the level of attainment that is broadly average in reading and mathematics by the time they leave. This demonstrates that most children make good progress from their starting points.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children progress well in the three prime areas of

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The achievement of pupils is good

communication and language, physical development and personal, social and emotional development as a result of very effective teaching and well-resourced play areas.  Pupils are taught phonics (letters and the sounds they make) systematically throughout the school. Years 1 to 6 pupils build successfully on their early reading skills and make good progress in reading. They effectively use a range of skills, including sounding out letters to read unfamiliar words.  Continued investment in the school library has heightened the focus on reading. Pupils take advantage of a wide range of opportunities for guided and supported reading and have a good understanding of how stories are structured.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make equally good progress as a result of accurate identification of their needs and very effective support provided.  Although pupils’ achievement is good overall, progress in writing is not as fast as reading and

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The achievement of pupils is good

mathematics. This is because, until recently, there has not been enough emphasis on providing opportunities for pupils to develop their writing skills across the different subjects or developing key literacy skills of punctuation and grammar. As a result, writing attainment remains below average but is improving steadily.  Occasionally, a few more-able pupils do not make as much progress as they might when the work set is not hard enough for them.  The pupil premium funding is used well to develop literacy, numeracy and communication skills. Interventions provided have raised confidence levels and aspirations, helping to improve the achievement of these pupils, and close the gap with all pupils nationally.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching is consistently good, with some that is even better.  Teachers have high expectations of pupils and know their needs very well. Extremely positive relationships contribute to a stimulating atmosphere for learning. As one pupil said, ‘You can trust the teachers to help you learn well.’ A view equally shared by parents and carers.  Pupils enjoy learning because it is fun and most is challenging. Regular spoken and written feedback from teachers and other staff helps them understand how well they are doing and how to improve. This two-way process ensures teachers have a good understanding of how well pupils are doing and what makes them want to learn.  Special attention is given to enhancing classrooms by providing stimulating displays, low-level lighting, background music, and interactive resources and activities designed to take account of pupils’ wide range of learning styles.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers plan thoroughly to ensure that there is ongoing development of pupils’ relevant skills. They use resources creatively to target pupils’ individual needs, including teaching assistants, learning mentors and specialist staff to ensure pupils make good progress in their learning.  On a few occasions, teaching does not provide enough opportunities for more-able pupils to work by themselves and take responsibility for their learning. This means that the progress of these few is slower than it might otherwise be.  Pupils’ awareness of spiritual, moral, social and cultural issues, and respect for people from different backgrounds, are promoted extremely well. Pupils are enthusiastic about opportunities to bring history alive by planting crops around the replica Iron Age Roundhouse built on the school field, looking after the school chickens and celebrating global diversity by learning to sing

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The quality of teaching is good

about ‘One World’ in assembly.  Inspection findings support the positive view of parents and carers who responded that their children are well taught.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils’ behaviour and attitudes towards their learning, and each other, are very positive. In lessons, they talk happily about their work, listening sensibly to each other’s opinions, and show respect for adults.  A strong feature of the school is the family spirit and the exceptional pastoral care provided for pupils. Adults are very effectively deployed to look after all pupils and to ensure they feel safe and well protected. Pupils indicate that they are ‘known and treated as individuals’. They feel confident in the adults around them and that there is always an adult they can go to if they are worried about anything.  Pupils with challenging behaviour receive very effective support so that they learn self-control. Adults show good understanding of the needs and use well-planned intervention to support pupils displaying behavioural or sometimes emotional difficulties.  The school successfully promotes equality of opportunity and ensures that there is no

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

discrimination. Pupils from different backgrounds play together happily and support each other well in lessons.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe. They are well aware of the different forms of bullying such as name-calling and internet bullying, and say that bullying is not tolerated by the school and any is always dealt with effectively by staff.  The school council plays an active role in the school. For example, it helps to improve pupils’ experiences at school, such as working with staff to develop ways in which their work is marked and improving playtimes. Playground buddies support younger pupils well, for example in teaching them how to play games and making sure there is always someone to play with.  Pupils are proud of their school. They enjoy learning and this is reflected in their good progress. Most attend regularly. However, a very small number of pupils do not attend school as regularly

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

as they should and their progress is slower than it might otherwise be.

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The leadership and management are good

 The headteacher’s drive, energy and vision for improvement is shared by all staff. He is well supported by a very effective leadership team and governing body. This has ensured that initiatives such as the school’s focus on ‘active learning’ have continued to drive up attainment and improve progress.  Key issues from the previous inspection have been addressed well. The school has a good understanding of what needs to be improved further.  Leaders work collaboratively with staff and pupils to secure the best experiences for everyone who attends the school. All these factors show that the school has strong capacity to continue to improve at its present good pace.  The performance of staff is managed well. Leaders regularly visit lessons and meet with teachers individually to discuss and increase the progress being made in classrooms. They regularly check the quality of teaching, providing clear targets for teachers to improve their skills and pupils’

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The leadership and management are good

progress. Records show that judgements on teachers’ performance and how well teachers are paid are appropriately linked to pupils’ progress.  Staff benefit from regular training which enables them to develop aspects of their teaching, which in turn improves pupils’ achievement.  The well-planned curriculum provides such memorable experiences as ‘Forest School’, and strengths in personal, social and health education enthuse pupils. Additionally, museum visits, theatre groups and workshops make learning exciting and enhance pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.  Equal opportunities are embedded in every aspect of school life. Pupils achieve well and all staff are supported to perform at their best. Discrimination in this diverse school is not apparent.  The pupil premium is allocated carefully so it focuses on developing pupils’ key literacy and numeracy skills and personal development and well-being. Intervention programmes and

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The leadership and management are good

targeted support from teaching assistants, learning mentors and an on-site social worker have all had a positive effect on pupils’ attainment and attitudes. As a result, these pupils make good progress.  Proportionate support provided by the local authority for monitoring, consultancy and advice has helped to improve pupils’ achievement and continued to strengthen teaching and learning.  The governance of the school:  The governing body provides good, effective support and challenge for the school and has a clear view of what it needs to do to improve further. Governors take part in appropriate training to continue to strengthen their knowledge and understanding such as how to track and analyse pupils’ performance. This ensures they have a good understanding of how well pupils are performing compared to similar types of schools nationally. Governors have a detailed understanding of how the pupil premium funding is spent and how it improves the

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The leadership and management are good

progress of this group. They talk confidently and accurately about the quality of teaching. They ensure that systems to check the performance of teachers are robust and they understand the link between performance and teachers’ salary progression. Safeguarding is given high priority by governors. They ensure that the school complies with all requirements for safeguarding.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 1323028 Local authority Brighton and Hove Inspection number 402531

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 307 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Anne Meadows Headteacher Charles Davies Date of previous school inspection 27−28 April 2010 Telephone number 01273 605700 Fax number 01273 690595 Email address office@moulsecoomb.brighton-hove.sch.uk guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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