Moss Side Primary School

Moss Side Primary School Paradise Lane, Leyland, Lancashire, PR26 7ST

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Outstanding 1 This inspection: Outstanding 1 Achievement of pupils Outstanding 1 Quality of teaching Outstanding 1 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is an outstanding school.  This is a happy and caring school where pupils thrive in their personal and academic development.  Pupils make rapid progress from their starting points and reach standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are consistently well above average. They are not quite as high in writing.  Children in the Early Years Foundation Stage make an excellent start to school and are well prepared for Year 1.  Teaching is of a consistently high quality. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils who they know exceptionally well. Work is set at just the right level of difficulty to meet the needs and interests of all pupils.  Highly skilled teaching assistants are used very well to help individuals and groups of pupils make the best possible progress.  Pupils say they are proud of their school and really enjoy learning. This is reflected in their well above average attendance. Their

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

behaviour is excellent and they feel safe.  The curriculum provides many exciting and memorable learning experiences for the pupils. A wide range of clubs, visits, visitors and residential trips provide excellent support to the outstanding learning experiences on offer. The curriculum is particularly strong in its support for sport, music and the arts.  The inspirational headteacher has been highly effective in ensuring that the outstanding practice seen at the last inspection has been sustained. Her passionate desire to make sure that the needs of pupils are always at the heart of all the school does ensures that there is no complacency. All staff and governors share a commitment to make the school the very best it can be. The headteacher receives exceptional support from the very able assistant headteacher. The school has excellent relationships with parents and the wider community.  Governors provide highly effective support and

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

challenge in holding the school to account and in ensuring that outstanding teaching and learning is maintained.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a total of 14 lessons and observed pupils during break time and lunchtime.  Inspectors listened to pupils reading, talked with them in lessons about their work and also held meetings with groups of pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2.  Discussions took place with senior and subject leaders, members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. Inspectors also took account of 23 responses to the staff questionnaire.  A total of 52 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) were taken into account together with detailed surveys of parental opinion undertaken by the school.  Inspectors looked at a range of documents, including the school’s development plans, the school’s checks on how well it is doing, data on pupils’ current and past progress and information on how well the staff are performing. Inspectors also scrutinised records of pupils’ behaviour, child protection, safeguarding and attendance.

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Inspection team

Chris Maloney, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Frank Carruthers Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This school is an average sized primary school.  Almost all pupils are from White British backgrounds.  The proportion of pupils supported through school action is average.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  A below average proportion of pupils are eligible for the pupil premium, which provides additional funding for children who are looked after by the local authority, pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and those from service families. In this school, there are no children from service families.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Further raise standards in writing across the school, especially at the higher levels by:  providing pupils with a wide range of opportunities to practise particular aspects of punctuation and grammar  ensuring that all teachers consistently provide pupils with the best possible quality guidance through marking on how to improve.

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

 Almost all pupils make excellent progress throughout the school so that by the time they leave Year 6 their achievement is outstanding when measured from their starting points. Children join the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills that are generally in line with those typically expected for their age, but with increasing numbers below this particularly in their language and communication. As a result of outstanding teaching and a stimulating learning environment, by the end of the Reception Year children are catching up quickly on others of their age and are well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils continue to make excellent progress in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 so that they attain standards in reading, writing and mathematics that are consistently well above average and often high. Current Year 6 pupils reflect high standards in their work.  The records of pupils’ progress and the work seen in books clearly show that almost all pupils

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

throughout school are making the progress expected of them. The proportion of pupils who make more than the progress expected of them is high.  Pupils’ achievement in reading is particularly strong. The excellent teaching of phonics (letters and the sounds that they make) in the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 supports outstanding progress as reflected in the high numbers of pupils who achieved the expected standards in the Year 1 phonics check last year and again this year. Pupils’ love of reading and their comprehension skills are developed exceptionally well in Key Stage 2.  While standards in writing are above average in both Key Stages 1 and 2 they are not quite as high as they are in reading and mathematics. Pupils do not always have enough opportunities to practise particular features of grammar and punctuation.  Achievement in mathematics throughout school is of a high standard. There is an excellent focus

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

on developing pupils’ love of mathematics and the reinforcement of basic skills. The development of pupils’ problem-solving skills through applying mathematics to real-life situations is a strong feature throughout school.  Pupils have well developed information and communication technology (ICT) skills and use these skilfully across subjects.  In the 2012 end of Year 6 national tests, the standards in English reached by pupils who were eligible for the pupil premium funding was a school term behind the rest of the class, but two terms ahead of similar pupils nationally. In mathematics, they were just over a term behind others in the class but just nearly three terms ahead of similar pupils nationally. However, due to additional help from highly skilled staff and well matched interventions, there is now little difference in attainment in English and mathematics between those pupils eligible and those not

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The achievement of pupils is outstanding

eligible for the pupil premium.  Pupils who speak English as an additional language, disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make excellent progress. Their progress in reading, writing and mathematics is similar to and often better than similar pupils nationally. The excellent progress made by pupils confirms the effectiveness of the school’s commitment to providing equality of opportunity.

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

 The quality of teaching is excellent. Teachers have high expectations and use their excellent knowledge of individual pupils to motivate them and challenge their thinking throughout the lesson.  All staff believe in the right of every pupil to succeed and quickly identify any who are in danger of underachieving so that teaching can be modified to suit their particular needs. Teachers make excellent use of highly skilled teaching assistants to help improve pupils’ learning and accelerate their progress.  Teachers provide many opportunities for pupils to learn from and work with other pupils to solve problems and discuss their ideas. In an outstanding Year 6 Science lesson, pupils very excitedly worked in groups to conduct practical experiments to test out how the human digestive system works.  Teachers provide pupils with much excellent marking of their work that helps them to understand precisely what they need to do next to improve further. However, not all marking

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

mirrors the very highest quality in school, particularly in writing. Pupils enjoy reflecting on their work and that of others in class and suggesting ways of improving it.  The quality of teaching in the Early Years Foundation Stage is outstanding with just the right balance between activities led by adults and those children choose for themselves.  Teaching assistants and other adults provide precisely tailored support for pupils with special educational needs in class, on a one-to-one basis on in small groups nearby. This meets pupils’ particular needs very well and ensures they progress as well and sometimes better than others in the school.  High expectations and challenge were typical of many lessons seen. During an outstanding Year 3 English lesson, pupils made excellent progress in their use and understanding of how to use verbs such as ‘might’, ‘could’ and ‘ought’ to improve their writing. Pupils excitedly shared their

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The quality of teaching is outstanding

writing such as, ‘We ought to go by boat’ and ‘I would if I could.’

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Pupils’ attitudes to learning and behaviour are excellent and contribute very well to their outstanding achievement. Pupils are welcoming, polite and respectful. They enjoy learning and are eager to attend school. This is reflected in their attendance, which is well above average and rising.  Pupils are very proud of their school. A typical pupil comment is, ‘This is a great school because teachers help us with our work and make learning fun and exciting.’ Their pride is reflected in the excellent presentation and high quality of their work, especially in Year 6.  The excellent relationships pupils have with all the staff enables them to flourish in a highly supportive environment where they are always motivated to do their best. Pupils’ involvement in lessons is extremely high and they say that they love investigating, working with other pupils and doing work that stretches their abilities.  Pupils respond very positively to the whole-school focus on developing their all-round skills and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

abilities. They enjoy the many opportunities to attend the wide range of clubs on offer and to take on responsibilities, such as Eco councillors.  Pupils have an excellent understanding of bullying and the different forms it can take, such as cyber bullying and bullying as a result of prejudice. They say that bullying is rare and are confident that staff sort out any problems well.  Pupils say they feel safe and know how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations including using the internet. Parents are happy with behaviour at the school and confirm that pupils feel safe.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The headteacher provides highly motivational and purposeful leadership. Staff and governors share her very clear vision for excellence and the development of the all-round skills and abilities of every pupil in the school. Staff morale is high because all are valued and their professional development supported. The school demonstrates an excellent capacity to make further improvements because all the outstanding judgements at the last inspection have been sustained and senior staff and governors are unrelenting in their drive to make the school the best it can be.  Leaders at all levels know the school very well and make a skilled and determined contribution to its continuous improvement. Information gathered from rigorous checking is regularly shared with all staff and governors so that improvements can be made to the quality of teaching and the progress of individual pupils.  Teachers are provided with opportunities to work alongside each other to identify where

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The leadership and management are outstanding

improvements can be made in their teaching. Additional support and training is given on how to improve their performance and reflect the best of the government’s Teachers’ Standards.  The regular checks made on the quality of learning and the progress of individual pupils are exceptional. This information is regularly used to ensure that all pupils receive the help they need in order to make the best possible progress.  The outstanding curriculum provides pupils with many exciting and memorable learning experiences, such the ‘World of Work Week’, and when students from a local college helped the school stage the finding of the stolen football world cup trophy in the school grounds. The curriculum is enriched with visits, residential trips, the teaching of brass instruments and the involvement of all Year 6 pupils in clog dancing. The curriculum supports pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development exceptionally well.

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 There are excellent relationships with parents who are highly supportive of the school.  The school benefits from some excellent partnerships, including a local waste recovery site which has helped the pupils understand the importance of recycling and the world of work. The local authority has provided support that is fully appropriate to the school’s needs.  The governance of the school:  The governors are highly effective in providing outstanding support and challenge in order to ensure the continued excellent achievement of the pupils. They are well trained and know how the schools’ performance compares to other schools nationally. Governors ensure that rigorous checks are made on the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils. They ensure that teachers’ pay is clearly linked to the impact of their teaching on pupils’ progress. Governors play an integral part in reviewing the work of the school and planning for further

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The leadership and management are outstanding

improvements. They have precisely allocated pupil premium funding and closely monitor its impact on the pupils it is provided for. They are fully committed to promoting equality and tackling discrimination of any kind. Governors ensure pupils are safe and that safeguarding procedures meet legal requirements.

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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 119336 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 413230

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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 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 244 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Alan Fairey Headteacher Janis Burdin Date of previous school inspection 21 January 2009 Telephone number 01772 432048 Fax number 01772 452540 Email address bursar@moss-side.com 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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