Moorside High School

Inspection of a good school: Moorside High School 57 Deans Road, Swinton, Manchester M27 0AP

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Outcome

Moorside High School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Moorside High School is a caring community. Leaders have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and learning. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff build strong relationships with pupils. Pupils also enjoy positive relationships with each other. Pupils feel safe and are happy at school. They are confident to report any concerns about bullying. Staff resolve any bullying issues quickly and effectively. Pupils reported that staff do not tolerate derogatory language or poor behaviour.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are friendly, welcoming and polite. They respect and celebrate differences between people. Pupils, generally, learn well in a calm environment with few interruptions. They behave well around the school, including at breaktimes and lunchtimes.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders make sure that all pupils and students can take part in a wide range of clubs and activities that inspire and interest them. For example, pupils perform in drama productions. They enjoy taking part in the lacrosse and mythology clubs.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are very positive about the work of leaders and staff. They appreciate the support that their children receive.

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

Leaders have taken positive steps to review and refresh the curriculum. They have put the English Baccalaureate suite of subjects at the heart of the curriculum offer in key stage 4. The key stage 3 curriculum has also been strengthened, especially the curriculum for modern foreign languages. Pupils study a broad range of subjects. This is setting them up well for the next stage of their learning. 9 and 10 March 2022

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Most subject leaders have thought carefully about the knowledge that pupils should learn and in which order it should be taught. These curriculums are well organised. They include opportunities for pupils to remember, practise and build on what they already know. Teachers ensure that pupils revisit their learning regularly. Pupils achieve well in these subjects.

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In a small number of other subjects, leaders’ curriculum thinking is less clear. In these subjects, leaders have not ensured that teachers know the key knowledge that pupils should learn. This hinders teachers from designing learning that helps pupils to gain a rich body of knowledge. It slows pupils’ progress through the curriculum.

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Most teachers use assessment strategies well to find out what pupils know and can do. However, in some subjects, some teachers do not use assessment information well enough to identify pupils’ misconceptions. Teachers do not know when pupils have missing knowledge or if they have remembered their learning. This leads to gaps in pupils’ understanding of key concepts.

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Leaders identify the needs of pupils with SEND quickly. Teachers adapt how pupils access learning, so that these pupils can learn the same ambitious curriculum as others in the school.

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Leaders have a clear focus on developing pupils’ reading and vocabulary knowledge. Pupils read regularly and fluently. Pupils who are at the earliest stages of learning to read benefit from an effective programme to support them to catch up. This helps these pupils to access the wider curriculum. Teachers support pupils well to develop subject-specific vocabulary.

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Pupils behave well in lessons. They show positive attitudes towards their learning. Pupils are resilient to setbacks and they are proud of their work.

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The personal development curriculum helps pupils to become responsible citizens. Pupils make a valuable contribution to the life of the school. This is particularly evident in the work of the school council. Pupils have an age-appropriate understanding of healthy relationships, including consent. They learn about different faiths and cultures. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Pupils benefit from a well-designed careers programme. A high proportion of pupils, including those with SEND, continue into education, employment or training.

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Trustees and local governors have worked closely with leaders to improve many aspects of the school. They know the school well and provide leaders with effective support and challenge. Staff value the efforts made by leaders to support their well-being. Staff are proud to work at Moorside High School. 9 and 10 March 2022

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have created a strong culture of safeguarding. Leaders ensure that teachers receive appropriate safeguarding training, which includes issues such as peer-on-peer abuse. Staff are alert and vigilant to safeguarding concerns. They know how to spot the signs of potential abuse and they know how to report any concerns. Leaders work well with other agencies. They ensure that pupils and their families get the help that they need.

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Safeguarding

Pupils are clear about how they can get support when needed. They learn how to keep safe from risks, including knife crime. Pupils also learn about online safety.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, leaders have not clearly identified the knowledge that they want pupils to learn and the order in which it should be taught. This means that pupils do not build on their prior learning as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the remaining subject areas are well designed and sequenced, so that pupils can learn effectively.  In some subjects, teachers do not use assessment information well enough to identify misconceptions or gaps in pupils’ understanding. This slows pupils’ progress through the curriculum. Leaders should ensure that teachers have the necessary skills and expertise to check pupils’ learning accurately and adapt the curriculum to help them overcome any gaps in their understanding.

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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 outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, 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 deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor, Moorside High School, to be good in June 2014. 9 and 10 March 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

find out what other parents and carers think. We use information from Ofsted Parent View 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. 9 and 10 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10212346 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1016

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Moorside High School converted to become an academy school in April 2018. When its predecessor school, Moorside High School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be good overall.  A new headteacher was appointed in March 2020.  A small number of pupils attend alternative provision at five local providers.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors held meetings with the chief executive officer of Consillium Academies Trust and the deputy chief executive officer. Inspectors also met with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and staff.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences of school and their views of behaviour and bullying. Inspectors also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes. 9 and 10 March 2022

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 Inspectors reviewed a wide range of documentary evidence, including leaders’ self- evaluation and improvement plans. They also looked at the minutes of trustee and local governing body meetings.  An inspector looked at safeguarding policies and reviewed leaders’ records of checks on the suitability of staff and governors. The inspector met with the leaders who have overall responsibility for safeguarding. Inspectors spoke with staff and pupils about leaders’ work to keep pupils safe.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View. This included some free-text responses.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in English, mathematics and modern foreign languages. Inspectors met with staff to discuss curriculums, visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work spoke with them about their learning.

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 Inspectors also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects.

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Inspection team

David Hampson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Long Ofsted Inspector 9 and 10 March 2022

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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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