Moor Row Community Primary School

Moor Row Community Primary School Moor Row, Cumbria, CA24 3JW

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Overall effectiveness

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

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

 Achievement is variable between year groups and across subjects.  Progress in reading and writing is not consistently good particularly for the most able and those supported by the pupil premium.  For the last two years, results of the Year 1 screening check in phonics (letters and their sounds) have been below average.  The quality of teaching requires improvement. Sometimes not enough is expected of pupils as they move from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1.  Pupils’ attainment in spelling, punctuation and grammar is lower than expected and marking does not always help pupils to improve these skills.  Marking in Years 1 and 2 does not consistently provide enough detail on how pupils can improve their work.  The new system for checking pupils’ progress is not yet being used to precisely plan activities to stretch pupils of all abilities.  Some subject leaders do not fully know how effectively literacy and numeracy skills are

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This is a school that requires improvement. It is not good because

being used across the curriculum.  Some governors are at an early stage in developing their areas of responsibility.

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The school has the following strengths

 This is an improving school. The dedicated headteacher, together with the governing body, is skilfully driving change and improvement. As a result, the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement is improving.  Children get off to a good start in the Early Years Foundation Stage and make good progress. Progress in Key Stage 2 is accelerating.  Pupils’ standards and achievement in mathematics are usually good.  Pupils’ behaviour is good and pupils feel safe in school. The older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities and acting as good role models to the younger pupils.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. The school is at the heart of the community.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching in nine lessons, one of which was a joint observation with the headteacher and the Chair of the Governing Body. In addition, the inspector made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; senior staff and leaders with responsibility for a specific subject; members of the governing body; a representative from the local authority.  The inspector observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour, and pupils’ work in their books.  There were not enough parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) to generate a report but the inspector talked to many parents. Thirteen responses to the inspection

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Information about this inspection

questionnaire for staff were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Moor Row is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is lower than that found nationally. The pupil premium is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children that are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of pupils supported at school action is well below that found nationally.  The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is below average.  The large majority of pupils are White British. Very few are from minority ethnic backgrounds.  Pupils are currently taught in four classes. Class 1 comprises pupils from the Early Years Foundation Stage. Class 2 comprises Years 1 and 2. Class 3 comprises Years 3 and 4. Years 5 and 6 are taught together in Class 4.  Since the previous inspection a new headteacher has been appointed. There has been

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Information about this school

unavoidable turbulence in staffing in Key Stage 1.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so that pupils’ achievement and the standards they reach in reading and writing are raised by:  improving the planning, teaching and evaluation of progress in phonics sessions  ensuring staff have consistently high expectations of what pupils can achieve as they move from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1  improving the quality of marking by ensuring that pupils in Key Stage 1 always know how to improve their work and have time to respond to marking and making certain that pupils in Key Stage 2 know how to improve their spellings, punctuation and grammar  providing more able pupils in both Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 with more challenging work so that more of them achieve the higher levels in reading and writing  making sure that pupils who made slow progress with their reading in Key Stage 1 quickly catch up now they are in Key Stage 2  making certain that those pupils who are supported by the pupil premium make better

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

progress in reading and writing including when they have tailored support so that they reach the same standards as other pupils in the school.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve leadership and management, including that of the governing body, by:  subject leaders checking regularly to ensure that pupils are provided with every possible opportunity across all subjects to use their numeracy and literacy skills  enabling teachers to use the new system for checking pupils’ progress to help them to plan activities which meet the needs of all abilities, particularly the most able  implementing the plans for governors to be linked to various areas of responsibility and thereby developing a deeper understanding of pupils’ experience of school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Results of the 2013 national tests for Year 6 pupils and the school’s pupil assessment data indicate that progress made by pupils is inconsistent across year groups and subjects.  In 2013, the standards reached by the end of Year 2 in reading and writing were below average. This is lower than in previous years and was due to pupils’ progress being disturbed by changes in staffing. Opportunities for pupils to practise their writing skills have been extended and pupils’ progress in writing is starting to accelerate but not as much has been done to boost these pupils’ reading skills now they are in Key Stage 2 and to help them catch up with where they should be.  Those pupils who left Year 6 in 2013 made the progress expected of them across Key Stage 2 attaining average standards in mathematics but below average standards in reading and writing.  Pupils’ achievement in spelling, punctuation and grammar tests were well below those expected.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

Decisive action has been taken and the school is focusing on improving this area of pupils’ work.  Since the introduction of the Year 1 phonics screening check, standards reached have been below expected in 2012 and well below in 2013. The headteacher has rightly invested in phonics training for staff and new resources. Pupils are now encouraged to read at home as well as at school. Those who read to the inspector demonstrated their capability in blending letters and their sounds to work out unfamiliar words. Current Year 1 pupils are now on track to do well in their phonics test this year.  Most pupils start school with skills and knowledge which are lower than those expected for their age. They make good progress in the Early Years Foundation Stage and are well prepared for Year 1.  Pupils make consistently good progress in mathematics resulting in standards at the end of Year 2 being broadly in line with national standards and above average by the time they leave school.

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

 Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in mathematics. As with their peers, their reading and writing are not as strong.  The pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium made similar progress to their peers in Key Stage 1 in 2013. However, in Key Stage 2 although numbers of these pupils are small they did not progress as well as other pupils in reading and writing. Pupils who were known to be eligible for free school meals usually reach similar standards of attainment in mathematics to their peers who are not eligible for free school meals but their standards by the end of Year 6 are lower in reading and writing. Leaders and managers have introduced tailored programmes of support for individuals using the additional funding available.  The most able pupils reach similar standards in mathematics to this group nationally but too few reach the higher levels in reading and writing. More opportunities for this group of pupils to find

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The achievement of pupils requires improvement

out things for themselves have been introduced through topic work, but they are not always set work that makes them think hard. Even though gaps in different groups of pupils’ achievement remain, the school is now fully committed to ensuring every pupil has an equal opportunity to achieve their potential.

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

 The quality of teaching is not consistently good across the school. This was evident from pupils’ learning during the inspection and from the school’s records of learning over time.  Expectations of what the pupils can achieve as they move from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1 are not always high enough. The progress made previously is not always used precisely to plan activities in both Key Stage 1 and 2 which accelerate pupils’ learning and challenge the most-able pupils, particularly in reading and writing.  For example, pupils in Year 1/2 worked in groups to match the names of plants to the pictures. Although some pupils were encouraged to use their phonics skills to work out unfamiliar words, other pupils completed this task very quickly and were not provided with any further work to challenge them until the other pupils caught up.  Occasionally, in phonics sessions, the resources are not adapted well enough to challenge the

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

range of abilities in the group. For example, when learning about the ‘ue’ sound one pupil found the word ‘cue’ very easy to work out but was not then challenged to blend the letters and sounds of a harder word and so the progress of this pupil slowed.  In Key Stage 2, pupils were eagerly discussing their views on war in relation to a book they were reading. Moral dilemmas alongside social and cultural differences were discussed animatedly and this helped to develop pupils’ opinions in their writing and has accelerated their progress.  There is a systematic approach to the teaching of mathematics across current year groups and pupils’ skills in mental calculations and problem solving are rapidly increasing.  Effective teamwork by teachers and skilled teaching assistants ensures a high level of support for all groups of pupils. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, staff encourage children to explore

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The quality of teaching requires improvement

their outdoor environment which helps to stimulate their learning.  Pupils’ work is marked regularly, but there is an inconsistency in the quality of written advice given to pupils on how to improve their work, particularly in Key Stage 1. The older pupils are regularly given time to correct and edit their work although marking does not always have sufficient impact on the accuracy of their spelling, punctuation and grammar.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Inspection evidence, school records and discussions with staff and pupils show that this is usual. Disruptions to lessons are most unusual. However, a few pupils can become a little distracted when the activities are too easy for them. All parents who spoke to the inspector believe that behaviour is extremely well managed and feel that their children are well cared for and safe at school.  From an early age, pupils learn to respect each other, the adults around them and their school environment. Each morning in the Early Years Foundation Stage, the children register their attendance. The Nursery and Reception children find their name on the interactive whiteboard and carefully move their name to above the line to show that they are in school. This is closely monitored by the teaching assistant who provides help when needed.  Older pupils enjoy taking on responsibilities. For example, they have a rota system so that they

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

can take it in turns to encourage play among the younger pupils during breaks from lessons.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils’ understanding of different types of bullying is evident. They are confident that bullying is not tolerated at their school. Pupils feel safe in school because they know that staff care about them and they are taught how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations.  For example, through first-hand experience Years 5 and 6 learn about keeping safe beyond their village environment. There is the opportunity to embark on a residential visit to York one year and Newcastle the next. Years 3 and 4 annually enjoy a residential trip to Ennerdale to develop teamwork through outdoor pursuits. Not only does this broaden pupils’ horizons but they develop an awareness of taking measured risks and trying new experiences.  Pupils contribute well to the local community. The inspector observed a senior resident of the

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

village teaching pupils the Boston Two Step and Foxtrot in preparation for a Tea Dance which the school will host for older members of the community.  Pupils’ attendance is average and the vast majority arrive to school on time.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 Leadership and management, including governance, require improvement because the school has not been able to maintain good progress across year groups since the previous inspection when the school was judged to be good.  The headteacher and governors have developed a thorough understanding of school priorities and actions to address these have been quickly put into place. New policies and procedures have been drawn up. A new system that clearly identifies the progress that pupils are making has been introduced but this is in its infancy and this information is not yet used by all teachers to set work at the right level for all pupils.  The role of some subject leaders is not yet fully developed in checking on how well numeracy and literacy is being applied in other subjects across the curriculum.  The headteacher monitors the quality of teaching which directly links with training and the support needs of staff. Meeting targets is successfully used in deciding on whether or not an

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The leadership and management requires improvement

increase in pay is appropriate for individual members of staff.  Through the curriculum the school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. Pupils take part in many after-school activities and the range of trips enriches their experiences.  The additional sports funding is being used to purchase new equipment and fund sports coaches to work with pupils and staff at the school. Working with a local school, there are plans to implement cheerleading to the curriculum in order to increase the engagement of pupils in activities to stay healthy.  Support from the local authority has helped the headteacher to respond to the challenges of her new role. She has secured the support of the local authority in her drive to increase the amount of good teaching and learning and they have helped her to improve the skills of staff.  Safeguarding arrangements meet statutory requirements.

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The leadership and management requires improvement

 The governance of the school:  The Chair of Governors and several other governors are relatively new to their roles but are highly committed to the school. They have yet to fully develop their individual areas of responsibility. They manage the budget well and have successfully appointed the new headteacher. Governors agree on how the pupil premium grant is used and they are aware of the use of the additional sports funding. They are kept informed about the quality of teaching and link teachers’ salary progression to pupils’ progress. Governors review information about standards at the end of key stages but are less well informed regarding progress that pupils make from year to year, in different subjects. As a result, they have not held school leaders sufficiently to account for the academic performance of the school. The governors and the headteacher have, however, been accurate in evaluating the overall effectiveness of the

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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 112161 Local authority Cumbria Inspection number 440810

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School details

This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act.

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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 95 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Simon Parr Headteacher Paula Skelly Date of previous school inspection 9 February 2011 Telephone number 01946 810620 Fax number 01946 814615 Email address headteacher@moor-row.cumbria.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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