Moss Hall Junior School

Inspection of Moss Hall Junior School 187 Nether Street, Finchley, Nether Street, London N3 1NR

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 5 and 6 July 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and safe. Leaders and governors are ambitious for the school. They expect pupils to be kind, work hard, and make a difference. Pupils regularly meet these expectations. Pupils said that they enjoy their lessons. They particularly like discussing important issues, such as the impact of urbanisation on the Amazon rainforest.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), typically achieve well. Pupils know that all adults expect them to behave respectfully. They are thoughtful and courteous. If pupils have any worries they speak to an adult or write them down to put in the ‘ask it basket’. Pupils understand which behaviours constitute bullying. If it does occur, pupils tell the adults at school, who resolve things swiftly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders provide a range of clubs, trips, and activities to support pupils’ broader learning. For example, they make sure that every pupil learns to play a musical instrument. Members of the school parliament promote positive character traits. They recently presented to their peers about the importance of resilience when finding things difficult in lessons.

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better?

Leaders have planned a new broad and ambitious curriculum. Each subject is led by a subject ‘champion’ who makes sure learning is sequenced logically. This ensures that pupils draw on prior knowledge to support current learning. For example, in mathematics, Year 5 pupils were able to use their knowledge of fractions to describe the amount of turn in an angle. In geography, leaders want pupils to develop a sense of place, scale, and space. For instance, pupils in Year 5 learn about the rivers in the United Kingdom before scaling up to the Amazon River. In a small number of subjects, pupils have gaps because they have not been taught the newly intended prior knowledge over time. Leaders are aware of this and are actively addressing any gaps in learning.

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better?

Teachers recap key knowledge and vocabulary regularly. For example, pupils in Year 4 music recalled their knowledge of crotchets and quavers to compose a melody in the 3/4 time signature. Pupils in Year 6 understand the reliability of historical sources. In a small number of cases, pupils’ recall of historical knowledge from previous academic years is less secure.

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better?

Reading is prioritised. In September 2021, leaders introduced a new phonics programme to align with the programme in the infant school. Leaders ensure that staff receive training to teach reading. Books match the sounds that pupils know. This is helping those new to reading to catch up with their peers quickly. 5 and 6 July 2022

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Pupils move calmly around school and at transition times. Staff create calm, purposeful learning environments where low-level disruption is not tolerated. As a result, behaviour in classrooms is positive and does not disrupt learning the curriculum. Teaching delivers the curriculum well.

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Leaders have adapted whole-school practices so that pupils with SEND are identified early and supported effectively. For example, each pupil with SEND has an individual learning plan. This is written in collaboration with pupil, teacher, parent or carer and leaders. Class teachers use the plans to anticipate where pupils with SEND may struggle. They scaffold learning, for instance, by pre-teaching key vocabulary prior to lessons. This helps pupils with SEND to access the same curriculum as their peers.

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Pupils respect differences. For example, pupils in Year 6 learn about tolerance and link this value to every person’s right to a fair trial. Pupils are taught to stay healthy with regular sessions of physical education each week that include swimming.

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Staff appreciate the way leaders help them with workload and well-being. They particularly value the coaching provided by senior leaders. Leaders invest time in developing middle leaders so that the curriculum continues to evolve.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff are alert to the signs pupils may display if they are at risk of harm. They understand how to refer concerns on. Leaders make sure everyone understands their wider safeguarding responsibilities. This includes promoting awareness of local risks that pupils might face.

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Safeguarding

Leaders fully engage with external agencies to secure specialist help for pupils when needed. Online safety has been a focus area of teaching. Leaders have made sure that the computing curriculum covers issues such as cyber-bullying.

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Safeguarding

Members of the governing body perform their statutory duties effectively. They use safer recruitment processes appropriately.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some foundation subjects, the curriculum planned is new and so does not consistently build on what pupils learned in previous years. This means that sometimes pupils do not have the necessary prior knowledge to learn the content in the new curriculum effectively. Leaders should continue to fill any gaps in pupils’ learning and to refine the newly revised curriculum to ensure that all pupils have the necessary prior knowledge to learn and understand the new curriculum. 5 and 6 July 2022

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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. 5 and 6 July 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10227416 Type of school Junior

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Headteacher Laura Wynne (Executive Headteacher)

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School details

Date of previous inspection 16 to 17 October 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Moss Hall Junior School federated with Moss Hall Infant School on 1 January 2020. Together they form the Moss Hall Schools Federation.  The executive headteacher took up post in January 2020.  The school does not use any alternative provision.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the executive headteacher, other senior leaders and subject champions and leaders.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, art and design, music, and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject champions and leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke 5 and 6 July 2022

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to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with leaders with responsibility for safeguarding, looked at records and scrutinised the school’s safeguarding practice.  Inspectors met with the special educational needs coordinator to find out how the school supports pupils with SEND to learn the curriculum. This involved reviewing documentation to see how pupils with SEND were being supported.  Inspectors met with the chair of the governing body and four members of the governing body.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour throughout the school day and spoke to staff about pupils’ personal development. They also held discussions with several groups of pupils about their views of their school and considered responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and staff through Ofsted’s online Ofsted Parent View and staff surveys.

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Inspection team

Alison Colenso, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Rutinderjit Mahil-Pooni Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Sarah Lack Ofsted Inspector 5 and 6 July 2022

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