Mowbray Primary School

Inspection of Mowbray Primary School Stakeford Lane, Guide Post, Choppington, Northumberland NE62 5HQ

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 28–29 January 2020

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and parents love this nurturing, inclusive school. There is excellent support for pupils, who know staff want them to achieve their very best. Pupils are enthusiastic about their lessons. Leaders provide a broad range of subjects and extra-curricular clubs for them to enjoy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s curriculum is designed to encourage curiosity, develop aspirations and promote life-skills. Leaders are also keen for pupils to build resilience, perseverance, self-esteem, self-awareness and self-belief. These values underpin all aspects of school life.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is calm and orderly. Pupils are polite and behave well. They play together cooperatively in the playground and say they feel safe. They know bullying can happen, but say it is rare. Pupils know adults are there to help them if they need support.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the opportunities they get to learn outside at ‘forest school’. They work well together to explore and investigate their natural surroundings. Visitors to school and well-planned visits all help to extend pupils’ interests and their understanding of the wider world.

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better?

Leaders have carefully designed and sequenced the curriculum. It is rich and is greatly enhanced by learning outside the classroom. Staff check on pupils’ learning to identify any misconceptions they may have. The indoor and outdoor learning environments are engaging and safe. They allow pupils to take reasonable risks confidently.

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better?

There are particular strengths in reading and phonics teaching. Pupils’ outcomes have improved over time. Staff have high expectations. Reading has a very high priority across the school. The new library is well resourced and is popular with pupils. Staff are generally well trained in teaching reading. Yet, some significant staff absence has led to the planned curriculum not being implemented consistently in some year groups. Leaders are aware of this and are providing effective support.

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better?

For pupils at the end of key stage 2, mathematics attainment has improved over the last three years. Yet, their progress has not been as strong as it should be. Leaders have put additional specialist teaching in place to address the gaps in pupils’ learning. They are also ensuring that staff are teaching and revisiting key mathematical concepts on a daily basis. Pupils now feel more confident in their mathematics knowledge. They are able to explain their understanding well.

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better?

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are well supported. Leaders quickly identify their needs and appropriate support plans are put in place. 28–29 January 2020

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Teaching assistants are well trained. They work effectively with teachers to plan activities that are well matched to the needs of pupils. As a result, pupils with SEND make good progress and play an active part in school life.

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Subject leaders are working effectively together in teams to plan all areas of the curriculum. Staff training is generally well planned. This ensures that staff have the appropriate subject knowledge to teach each subject area. Yet, recent staff absence has meant subject leaders have not had opportunities to check on teaching. This has resulted in some pupils not consistently learning the planned curriculum.

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The curriculum for pupils’ personal development is strong. Leaders prioritise pupils’ character development. Relationships between staff and pupils are incredibly strong and form the basis of all aspects of school life. Supporting pupils’ social and emotional development is the cornerstone of Mowbray Primary School.

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Pupils talked extremely positively about learning outside the classroom. Teachers make links between topic areas to support pupils’ learning across subjects well. For example, pupils studying the Second World War in history were excited as they designed and created an Anderson shelter. In this one activity, they used their knowledge from history, mathematics and design technology.

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Governors are effective in holding leaders to account. They have supported the school to develop the vision and ethos.

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Children enter Nursery with knowledge and skills generally below those of other children their age nationally. Leaders have designed the curriculum to focus on developing children’s vocabulary, phonics skills and their love of books. Yet, adults do not consistently design activities which are demanding enough. This means that too many children, particularly boys and disadvantaged children, are not ready for Year 1. Leaders are aware of this and have plans in place to improve the early years.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders are proactive when working with other agencies to ensure that safeguarding is effective. Staff receive regular training which helps them to be alert to possible signs of concern. They fully understand that safeguarding is everyone’s responsibility. They know how to report any concerns they might have about a pupil’s welfare.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are taught about the risks they might face. They understand the basics of online safety. For example, they know not to share personal information online. They explained that they would tell an adult if they had any worries. 28–29 January 2020

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Due to recent staff absence, subject leaders have not had the opportunity to monitor their subject. This has resulted in the school’s planned curriculum not being consistently implemented in all subjects. Therefore, pupils’ knowledge is not as secure as it should be in all subjects. Subject leaders need opportunities to monitor their subject, to ensure that the planned curriculum is being delivered effectively.  In the early years, activities are often not demanding enough. As a result, some children, including boys and disadvantaged children, are not making the progress they should through the curriculum. This is resulting in these children not being ready for Year 1. Early years staff need to have high expectations for all children. They must provide appropriate learning opportunities to ensure that all children learn the planned curriculum.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 28–29 January 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110688 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.mowbrayprimary.northumberland.s ch.uk Date of previous inspection 24–25 November 2015, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Mowbray Primary School is an average-sized primary school.  The number on roll has been declining over the last three years.  The proportion of pupils in receipt of pupil premium funding is above the national average.  The vast majority of pupils are White British.  The proportion of pupils with SEND, including pupils with an education, health and care plan, is below the national average.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspection focused deeply on reading, mathematics, history and art. We met with subject leaders and teachers. We looked at curriculum plans, visited lessons and spoke to pupils about their learning. We also reviewed samples of pupils’ work and listened to pupils read. 28–29 January 2020

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 We held discussions with the headteacher and other members of the senior leadership team. We met with members of the governing body and representatives from the local authority.  We checked that the school carries out appropriate background investigations before staff are appointed. We held discussions with leaders who have responsibility for safeguarding. We reviewed documentation related to safeguarding pupils’ welfare. We spoke to staff and considered the staff survey.  We met formally with groups of pupils. We spoke to pupils informally throughout the inspection, including during visits to classrooms, in the playground and at the breakfast club. We considered the pupils’ views as well as records of pupils’ attendance, behaviour and incidents of bullying.  We spoke to parents informally before the start of the school day. The 22 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s survey for parents, were considered.

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Inspection team

Lucie Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Andrew James Ofsted Inspector 28–29 January 2020

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regulates and inspects to 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 and Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, further education and skills, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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