Moons Moat First School

Moons Moat First School Cleeve Close, Church Hill, Redditch, B98 9HR

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Inspection dates 31 January 2013–1 February 2013

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Pupils achieve well and leave school with average standards in mathematics and writing. Progress in writing is accelerating.  Pupils make rapid progress in reading and leave with above average standards.  Teaching is good; some is outstanding, especially in reading.  Teachers have high expectations of what pupils can achieve, especially in reading and writing.  Highly skilled teaching assistants provide outstanding support for those pupils who have fallen behind in their learning.  Pupils work hard, behave well and feel safe in school.  The school’s leaders check the quality of teaching well and have an accurate view of its strengths and weaknesses. They provide excellent training to improve teaching and raise achievement, especially in reading and writing.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teachers have not been trained to improve pupils’ progress in mathematics in the same way as they are doing in reading and writing.  Pupils do not have as many opportunities to practise their mathematical skills in other subjects as they do their writing.  Teachers do not always plan tasks that are well matched to pupils’ abilities in mathematics or give them harder work in lessons when it is needed.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors observed 23 lessons. In addition, the inspectors listened to pupils reading and analysed the work in their books.  Meetings were held with pupils, members of the governing body, a representative of the local authority and staff.  The inspector took account of the 15 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View). The inspectors also met parents informally.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a number of documents, including the school’s own data on pupils’ current progress, records relating to behaviour and bullying, and documents relating to safeguarding.

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Inspection team

David Driscoll, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Nina Matharu Additional Inspector Marian Driver Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is larger than most other primary schools.  All pupils are taught on site. The school does not use alternative provision to support any of its pupils.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs supported through school action is above average. A high proportion of pupils have a statement of special educational needs or are supported through school action plus. Most of these pupils have difficulties with speech and language.  The proportion of pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals or belong to other groups for whom the school receives additional income (the pupil premium) is above average.  The great majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds and speak English as their first language.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Accelerate pupils’ progress in mathematics to match the progress they make in reading by:  consistently planning activities that are well matched to pupils’ abilities  checking pupils’ progress more often in lessons and giving individuals more difficult tasks as soon as they are ready  providing pupils with more opportunities to use their mathematical skills in other subjects  using similar approaches to training staff that have proved so successful in improving the teaching of reading and writing.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Nursery with skills that are well below those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception, but still start Year 1 with standards that are below average. Teachers assess children carefully and provide a wide range of activities that build well upon what they have already learnt.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Progress in reading is outstanding. Standards are already above average by the end of Year 2, and remain so by the end of Year 4. The school’s leaders have invested heavily in training staff and in new reading books. Pupils find the books interesting and stimulating; they make them want to read. Pupils’ reading diaries show that they read several books each week, and they are keen to get on to the next book in a series.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Good progress continues in Years 1 to 4 in mathematics and writing, so pupils leave school with average standards in these subjects. This year, the school’s leaders have trained staff intensively in how best to teach pupils to write. The training is proving very effective and pupils’ progress in writing is accelerating, so standards are rising quickly.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A relatively high proportion of pupils find learning to read hard because of their speech and language difficulties. The school provides them, and others with special educational needs, with intensive support from highly trained teaching assistants in small groups so that they make outstanding progress in their reading and writing. One teaching assistant worked with three such pupils from Year 1, for example, for 30 minutes, introducing them to the letter J. By the end of the lesson, they were reading words such as ‘jog’ and ‘jam’, and writing the letter accurately.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Other pupils who fall behind in their work, especially those eligible for free school meals, benefit from the same approach of short, intensive extra lessons. By the end of Year 2, they have made up the ground they previously lost and leave school with standards that are similar to other pupils.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Although progress in mathematics is good, it is not as good as that in reading and writing. Teachers have not been trained to teach mathematics in the same way as they have in the other subjects. Pupils do not have as many opportunities to practise their mathematical skills in other subjects, such as science or design and technology, as they do to practise their reading and writing skills.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teachers have high expectations of what pupils will achieve. They usually set pupils demanding work that makes them think hard. In Year 2, for example, pupils were given the task of writing a letter of apology from a character in a Chinese story. They not only learned how to write a letter, but also about the values of forgiveness, contrition and loyalty, and the differences between this and other countries. Teachers explain tasks well by giving pupils clear examples of what they have to do.

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The quality of teaching is good

 As the lesson continues, teachers usually check on how well pupils are getting on and give them more difficult work when they need it. Teachers question pupils well to check their understanding. They do not always choose those with their hands up but ask others to answer questions to make sure that all understand. Pupils are given time to think about their answers, before being given hints.  Teaching assistants are adept at questioning pupils who find learning more difficult. They make them work things out for themselves, rather than giving them too much help or giving them clues too quickly.

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The quality of teaching is good

 All staff have been exceptionally well trained in teaching pupils the sounds that letters make and how to combine them to make words. They make sure that pupils are totally secure in a sound before moving on to the next one. Teachers always move quickly from recognising the letter and sound, using it in a word, writing it, and then using the word in a sentence so pupils make rapid progress in a short period of time.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Marking is up to date and thorough. Pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work, but teachers do not always check that this has been followed.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching in mathematics is not as effective as that in reading or improving as quickly as that in writing. The tasks planned are not always as well matched to pupils’ abilities and teachers do not check their progress in lessons as often. Pupils sometimes spend too long on a task, when they have already grasped the concept and could be doing more difficult work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have good attitudes to learning. They want to do well and usually work hard and try their best. The exception is when they spend too long on the same task, when their attention wanders and they start to talk to their friends rather than concentrating on their work.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Teachers consistently ensure good discipline. Behaviour is good in and out of lessons. Pupils are polite and respectful towards adults. They are friendly and welcoming to visitors, and keen to show them their work. Pupils trust their teachers to keep them safe and want to do their best for them.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 There are few instances of poor behaviour; there has been only one short exclusion in the past three years. Bullying and discriminatory behaviour, such as using racist language, are almost unknown. Any misbehaviour is dealt with quickly and firmly by staff, and any recurrence is very rare.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe. The school has taught them well to recognise the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse and how they should be avoided as they grow up.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Attendance is now slightly above average. This is a dramatic improvement on the low level at the time of the previous inspection, when it was a major weakness in the school’s performance. The school’s leaders have taken a much tougher line with parents who do not send their children to school, and have used the extra funds available through the pupil premium most effectively to support particular families.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school has improved considerably since it was last inspected. Standards are higher, teaching is better and pupils are making faster progress.

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The leadership and management are good

 The keys to the school’s success are teamwork and strong leadership. The headteacher and her deputy work well together and their skills complement one another. Staff are all keen to improve their performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 Data on pupils’ progress for each class are used well to check on the quality of teaching to find out exactly what works well and what needs improving. Pupils with special educational needs, for example, did not make as much progress as others in the past. Leaders arranged specific training for teaching assistants and now such pupils do as well as others. All staff receive outstanding detailed feedback on their performance.

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The leadership and management are good

 The school’s leaders, including governors, are always successful when they draw up and implement plans to improve the school’s performance. Attendance and reading have been the main areas of focus, and have shown most improvement. Writing is the current priority and is improving rapidly as teachers put into practice that which they have learnt from the high-quality training they have received. Mathematics lags behind as this has not been a priority.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils go on lots of trips to make their topics more relevant and learn more about the world around them. They stay away in outdoor education centres, for example, meet elderly residents to hear about their experiences and have ties with a school in Croydon where the pupils come from backgrounds different from their own.

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The leadership and management are good

 The local authority has provided the school with good support in order to help it improve.

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The leadership and management are good

 The governance of the school:  Governors have a good understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. They meet frequently with the headteacher to check what she is doing to improve the school, and make sure that things are moving in the right direction. Governors have a good understanding of what the data on pupils’ progress are telling them, so they do not have to rely on what they are told, but instead can check for themselves. They keep a close eye on finance and have made sure that the funds available through the pupil premium have been used well to improve eligible pupils’ attendance and achievement. Governors are well trained and meet all statutory requirements, including those 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 116765 Local authority Worcestershire Inspection number 401620

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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 First School category Community Age range of pupils 3–9 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 279 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair David Gee Headteacher Sara Fisher Date of previous school inspection 14 December 2009 Telephone number 01527 61498 Fax number 01527 585295 Email address office@moonsmoat.worcs.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

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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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