Moreland Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Moreland Primary School Moreland Street, London EC1V 8BB

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Outcome

Moreland Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils look forward to coming to school every day because they enjoy learning. Leaders are ambitious for them to do well. Teachers help each pupil to achieve their very best.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told me that they feel safe at school and that bullying is never tolerated. If an incident of bullying does happen, pupils know where to go for support. Pupils’ behaviour is good in lessons and at playtimes. Pupils appreciate the calm atmosphere in lessons because they can concentrate on their work. They get on well with each other and help younger pupils with their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a wide range of carefully planned visits, clubs and activities. Leaders ensure that exciting opportunities are available for everyone. They make the very best use of the creative partnerships and resources of the City of London on their doorstep. Pupils’ talents are celebrated and nurtured in displays of artwork and in music concerts in the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about their rights and responsibilities and what it means to be a good citizen in the modern world. Leaders encourage them to be aspirational and resilient in their daily lives. They leave the school well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

School leaders are ambitious for all pupils. They ensure that pupils study a broad range of subjects. Leaders have recently reviewed and developed their subject planning. These new plans are not fully embedded in all subjects.

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What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders’ plans set out how subjects are taught so that lessons link together logically. Teachers enable pupils to recall what they have learned in previous lessons before deepening their understanding in a wide variety of topics. In science, Year 1 pupils were learning about carnivores and herbivores. In geography, older pupils were studying locations in the British Isles and deserts in America. In music, Year 2 pupils learned about Baroque music and how to conduct music by the composer Handel. Pupils sing to a high 10–11 March 2020

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standard and learn to read music from an early age. Early mathematics is well planned. In the Nursery and Reception Years, staff teach children about small numbers and addition while they play. Resources are well set out indoors and outdoors to help children count and learn about shapes and measures.

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However, because the plans for some subjects have not been in place for long, there are gaps in pupils’ learning from previous years. Sometimes, pupils lack confidence in using complex vocabulary when leaders’ plans do not identify the key words that pupils need to learn and remember in some subjects.

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Pupils have positive attitudes in lessons and want to do well. They are rarely distracted from their work. Teachers ensure that pupils settle quickly in lessons.

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Reading is taught daily throughout the school. The early years is a language-rich environment where children practise their speaking and writing skills, and they develop their independence. Children quickly learn to recognise sounds and letters, and they enjoy nursery rhymes and songs.

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Children are well prepared to build on their reading skills in Year 1. Staff use a range of strategies to help pupils remember sounds and use them in their early reading. Books are well matched to pupils’ abilities. Pupils use their phonics skills to sound out and then read unfamiliar words so that they become confident readers.

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Pupils who struggle with reading are given extra time and support to help them catch up. In all classes, stories are read to pupils every day. Pupils develop a love of reading. Older pupils read high-quality texts. Year 6 pupils run a well-stocked library every day for younger pupils to choose books.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the help they need to achieve well. Teachers check pupils’ support plans to ensure that the curriculum is well adapted to meet their specific needs. For example, in science, music and geography, pupils with SEND are given well-adapted activities and opportunities so that they take part fully in lessons.

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Leaders provide an exciting range of trips and visits that enrich pupils’ learning and personal development. Partnerships are fruitful with the Museum of London, the London Symphony Orchestra, and a wide range of local businesses and enterprises in the City of London.

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Governors are experienced and well informed. They know their local community very well. They support and challenge the headteacher and the school leadership team effectively. They make sure that all issues, including the expansion of the school, take account of the needs of the pupils in their care.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10–11 March 2020

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The school has a strong culture of safeguarding. Everyone is aware of the importance of keeping pupils safe. Leaders and governors make sure that appropriate checks are made when appointing staff. Staff are well trained to spot any signs of potential harm.

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Leaders act promptly on concerns brought to their attention. Pupils at risk are identified and supported well. Leaders take good care of all pupils. Leaders know the school’s local context well and are aware of risks to pupils when they are outside school.

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Pupils benefit from a range of opportunities to learn about keeping safe, including when online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 All areas of the curriculum are planned well. In science and geography, leaders’ plans indicate clearly how the content and sequence of the curriculum develop pupils’ knowledge and skills over time. However, there are gaps in pupils’ learning in some subjects because the plans are not fully embedded. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum in science and geography is fully implemented over time.  Leaders’ plans in some subjects do not specify the key vocabulary that pupils should learn. This means that pupils use of technical terms is limited and their speaking skills need further development. Leaders need to ensure that curriculum plans include the subject-specific vocabulary that pupils should understand and remember. Leaders need to check that their plans are being implemented so that teachers develop pupils’ vocabulary and speaking and listening skills.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be good we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or non-exempt outstanding school. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find some evidence that the school could now be better than good or that standards may be declining, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will convert the section 8 inspection to a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 15–16 March 2016.

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information 10–11 March 2020

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when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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

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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. 10–11 March 2020

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School details

Inspection number 10110481 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 15–16 March 2016, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of a federation with St Luke’s Primary School. Both schools have the same executive headteacher.  The school has provision for two-year-old children as part of its early years department.  The school is expanding and will have two forms of entry within the next four years.

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Information about this inspection

 During this inspection, I met with the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, a group of teaching staff, and three governors, including the chair of the governing body. I held a discussion with a representative from the local authority.  I did deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, geography, science and music. I looked at early mathematics in the Nursery and Reception Years. I held discussions with subject leaders about how the curriculum was designed and how it is being implemented. I visited lessons and spoke with teachers. We talked with pupils about their learning and looked at their work. I heard pupils read from across the school, particularly in the Reception Year and in Years 1, 2 and 6. I spoke with pupils of all 10–11 March 2020

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ages about the books they are reading. I also looked at mathematics provision in the early years.  I scrutinised a wide range of records and documentation concerning safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour and welfare. I looked in detail at the school’s single central record of staff checks. I also considered opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development.

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Inspection team

Sean Flood, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10–11 March 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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