Moreton Say CofE Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs R Williams Acting Executive Headteacher Moreton Say CofE Primary School Moreton Say Market Drayton Shropshire TF9 3RS

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 1 February 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in June 2013.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

In January 2015, the school federated with Adderley CofE Primary school to form the Addmore Federation. The previous headteacher left the school in 2016 and you are currently leading three local schools as an executive headteacher.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

You and your staff have effectively managed a period of change at Moreton Say. The school has experienced several changes in leadership in recent years. You are leading the school through a period of transition before a new substantive headteacher takes up post next term. Teachers and parents are very grateful for the stability and enthusiasm you have brought to the school. You have worked well with the deputy headteacher to quickly address any weaknesses, and have plans in place to build upon improvements further. The character and culture of the school is impressive. You are proud of your Christian ethos, and pupils report that they feel safe and cared for. Staff also report that they feel valued and respected.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

Outcomes have improved year on year across the school. By the time pupils leave in Year 6, rates of progress in every subject area are well above those found nationally. These strong outcomes are replicated in key stage 1 and children make at least typical rates of progress from their different starting points in the Reception year. At the last inspection, the school was asked to increase the proportion of outstanding teaching by sharing good practice and making better use of targets. The school has successfully addressed this area for improvement. Your monitoring records, and the consistently strong progress evidenced through assessment information and work in pupils’ books, is testimony to the improvements in teaching. Teachers have had opportunities to share their practice across the federation. Targets are evident in books, and pupils talk confidently about what they need to do next to improve their work. However, despite the improvements in

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

teaching, we concluded that there remains scope for an even greater degree of challenge. During the inspection, some pupils finished activities quickly and teachers did not always pose sufficiently challenging questions.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

The early years foundation stage has developed following staff training, support from the local authority and improvements to the learning environment. However, some of these improvements are not yet fully embedded or resulting in more rapid rates of progress for all children. Though gaps between the attainment of boys and girls are being addressed, you acknowledge that work must continue to diminish any difference.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

The leadership team has ensured that safeguarding arrangement are fit for purpose. Staff know pupils exceptionally well and are alert to their needs. The teachers and support staff that I spoke to demonstrated a very good understanding of the school’s procedures and risk factors associated with different forms of abuse.

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Short inspection of Moreton Say CofE Primary School

The local authority also judge safeguarding to be effective and are supporting the school to review and audit records and processes following the changes in leadership.

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Inspection findings

 The early years foundation stage is improving. The proportion of children who achieve the early learning goal is variable from year to year though this is in part due to the size and context of different cohorts. For example, in 2016 there were 10 boys in the Reception year. This last cohort were effectively supported by changes to the learning environment and a specific focus on developing literacy skills. Children also benefit from a strong transition programme with the adjoining private nursery. Children are not always sufficiently challenged in their learning. The quality of teachers’ questioning and improvements to the outdoor learning environment require further monitoring and support.  Disadvantaged pupils are well supported through a range of intervention programmes and additional adult support. The progress of this group is carefully tracked and any underachievement is quickly acted upon. Pupils’ books evidence

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Inspection findings

strong rates of progress. Pupils that I spoke to have a thorough understanding of what they need to do next to improve their work. Governors scrutinise the progress of disadvantaged pupils and ensure that leaders are challenged about the use of the pupil premium. However, in this academic year, leaders and governors have not yet formalised their expenditure plans into a published document for the school’s website.  The governing body has been reconstituted following the federation with Adderley CE Primary. This has strengthened the school’s capacity for improvement. Governors have a range of skills and abilities and a clear view of the school’s strengths and areas for development. Governors have adapted minutes from their meetings to help strengthen the extent to which they challenge and support leaders. These actions demonstrate their desire to secure further improvement and hold leaders to account. Governors are aware that due

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Inspection findings

to changes in leadership, some aspects of the school’s website do not fully meet the Department for Education’s guidance on what schools must publish online. They have plans to rectify this under the new leadership of the acting executive headteacher. Governors are also making arrangements to make a new appointment following the resignation of the chair of the governing body due to relocation.  The local authority know the school well and judge its effectiveness accurately. Advisers visit the school at least termly, and have provided a programme of support to develop the teaching of literacy and provision within the early years. Leaders have attended training sessions with local authority advisers to hone their self-evaluation skills. As a result of the training, leaders’ self-evaluation of the school is thorough and frank. Leaders are clear about the school’s strengths and what actions need to be taken to improve further.

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Inspection findings

 The teaching of reading is highly effective. Pupils read with fluency and confidence. Reading diaries evidence regular opportunities for pupils to read to an adult at home and in school. In Year 2, the pupils that I heard read are building well upon their phonics skills. They talk with confidence about their books and their understanding of the text. Pupils are also able to successfully decode many complex words.  The majority of parents are happy with the school and its strong sense of community. Comments from parents included, ‘Moreton Say has provided my three children with an excellent education and an extremely good grounding for secondary school.’ Parents also identify how pleased they are with the range of activities available, including the ‘forest school’. During the inspection, some parents raised concerns about communication and the changes in leadership in recent years. These views were fed back to leaders and governors who are

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Inspection findings

aware of the difficulties that changes in staffing have brought to the school. Governors have made interim arrangements to stabilise the school and have appointed a new headteacher to start next term. Leaders are aware of the need to also develop lines of communication.  Attendance is in line with national levels but is low for some groups of children. This variation is as a result of the size of different groups and the specific needs of individual pupils. In a small school, one or two children can have a significant impact on percentages. The school tracks attendance carefully and uses other agencies to support their work should the need arise.  Staff that I met with during the inspection, and those that responded to Ofsted’s survey, are overwhelmingly positive about the leadership of the school and the support that they receive. All staff feel that they are motivated and respected. One member of staff described Moreton Say as, ‘a wonderful nurturing school’.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:  improvements in the early years, including the promotion of literacy skills, are built upon further so that any differences between the attainment of boys and girls continues to diminish  teachers’ planning and questioning offers pupils an even greater level of challenge  the Department for Education’s guidance on what schools must publish online are fully met.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the director of education for the Diocese of Lichfield, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Shropshire. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, your deputy headteacher and the federation’s special educational needs co-ordinator to discuss the school’s self-evaluation and school development plan. We devised the following key lines of enquiry to examine the effectiveness of the school: the extent to which leaders have created a culture of safeguarding; how the school has responded to the variation in outcomes for different groups in the early years; how effectively pupil premium expenditure is used to support disadvantaged pupils; and the accuracy and rigour of leaders and governors in self- evaluating the school and securing improvements.

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Information about the inspection

I observed teaching in the early years and in key stages 1 and 2. I heard two pupils read from Year 2.

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Information about the inspection

I met with four members of the school’s governing body. I met with a group of staff to discuss professional development and safeguarding. I held a meeting with the local authority school improvement adviser.

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Information about the inspection

I spoke to pupils throughout the day and met with parents at the school gate. I reviewed the 22 parental responses to Ofsted’s free text service and 23 responses to Parent View. I took account of the eight responses to the staff questionnaire and five responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Information about the inspection

I scrutinised a range of documents, including: the single central record, personnel files, child protection records, governing body minutes, assessment information, information relating to pupil premium expenditure, the local authority’s running record, risk assessments, attendance analysis and training records.

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