Moor First School

Inspection of Moor First School School Lane, Biddulph Moor, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire ST8 7HR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2022

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Overall effectiveness Requires improvement

The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Requires improvement Previous inspection grade Good 13 and 14 December 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be part of Moor First School. They are friendly and welcoming and make the school a happy place to learn. Pupils and staff get on well together. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and that they feel safe. They enjoy talking about and sharing their learning. Pupils do not worry about bullying. If it does happen, they trust adults to resolve it so that it does not happen again.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils study a broad range of subjects and are interested in what they are learning. However, leaders have not ensured that teachers’ delivery of the curriculum is as good as it could be. Some teachers do not know how well pupils have learned important parts of the curriculum. This means they cannot provide timely support to pupils who need it. This has an impact on pupils’ future learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils listen respectfully to staff and their peers in lessons. Pupils know about democracy and how to be tolerant of others. Pupils enjoy attending a range of lunchtime and after-school activities, including eco and gymnastics clubs. Pupils regularly take part in community events. They also support charities, including Children in Need, and lead an annual harvest festival.

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better?

Leaders have designed a well-structured and sequenced curriculum in all subject areas. For example, in mathematics, leaders have considered the important building blocks that pupils need to know and remember and the order in which they should learn them. In history and science, for example, pupils enjoy many trips and experiments that bring the curriculum to life. Such activities help them to deepen their understanding of these subjects.

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better?

However, staff do not implement the curriculum consistently well. In addition, leaders do not do enough to check on how well pupils are learning in lessons. Consequently, leaders do not offer timely support to staff because they do not know where and when staff need it. This restricts leaders’ work to address the shortcomings that exist.

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better?

Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics scheme. Staff are still getting used to this and it is not well embedded. Currently, some staff do not have the expertise to teach early reading effectively. This means the delivery of phonics is inconsistent , and not all pupils are being supported to read with confidence or accuracy. Those pupils who have learned to read are provided with appropriate reading materials. They read for pleasure, both at school and at home .

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better?

In the early years, leaders have not thought carefully enough about what children should learn. Staff do not develop children’s vocabulary and engage in constructive dialogue with the children often enough. As a result of this, some children are not sufficiently well prepared for the move into key stage 1. 13 and 14 December 2022

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Most pupils attend school well. Leaders make sure that families that need support to improve their children’s attendance get the help they need.

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Pupils want to do well and behave well in lessons. They show an interest in the topics covered and are keen to answer and ask relevant questions.

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Leaders provide pupils with a wide range of enrichment opportunities at lunchtime and after school. Many pupils attend clubs, including sporting, academic and creative clubs. Pupils can take on leadership roles in a range of areas, starting from the early years through to key stage 2. Pupils talk confidently about fundamental British values and understand their importance. They learn about different religions and take part in a ‘faith in focus’ week. The curriculum is enhanced by many trips that pupils enjoy and remember. Pupils regularly take part in a variety of community events. They also support national and local charities, including the local community food bank. They take on a range of additional responsibilities, such as becoming a school councillor or a playground pal.

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Staff identify pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders work well with staff and parents to put suitable plans in place to support pupils with SEND. They ensure that these pupils receive support that is well matched to their needs.

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Staff are proud to work at the school. Staff say that leaders support them well. They appreciate leaders’ actions to reduce their workload. Governors know the school well. They want pupils to succeed. They provide suitable challenge and support and acknowledge that there is more work to do to improve the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff ensure that pupils are well looked after and supported. Leaders provide staff with effective safeguarding training. This means that staff can readily identify pupils at risk of harm. They make sure that they complete all the required checks on adults before they start work at the school. Leaders ensure the school site is safe and that pupils are well supervised .

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Safeguarding

Pupils feel safe in school and can talk to an adult or a ‘well-being warrior’ if anything is worrying them. They have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe, both in the local area and when using the internet.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have not ensured that teachers and support staff teach phonics consistently well. As a result, pupils do not quickly gain the knowledge they need to become confident and fluent readers. Leaders should ensure that all staff 13 and 14 December 2022

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involved in teaching phonics know how to deliver the curriculum effectively and consistently. They should do this so that all pupils make the best possible progress with early reading.  Expectations of what children in the early years can do are too low. Leaders have focused on the activities that children do rather than what they should be learning. As a result, children are often engaged in activities that are not linked with the intended curriculum. Leaders should set out what pupils should learn in the early years and ensure that staff know and follow the intended curriculum.  Leaders have not ensured that assessment is used well enough to identify and address gaps in pupils’ knowledge. As a result, pupils do not achieve the best possible outcomes. Leaders should make improvements to assessment so that it is used effectively to inform pupils’ learning across the curriculum.  Leaders have not checked that the curriculum is being delivered as well as they

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intend. This has resulted in significant variability in how well staff teach it. Leaders should ensure staff have sufficient guidance and support to improve their delivery of the curriculum.

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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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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. 13 and 14 December 2022

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Victoria Chapman

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School details

Headteachers Susan Mayes and Victoria Atherton

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 June 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use any alternative provisions.

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Information about this inspection

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

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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 co-headteachers and other leaders.  Inspectors met with representatives from the governing body and the school’s improvement partner.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, history and science. Inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders and undertook joint visits to lessons. They also talked to pupils and teachers and looked at samples of pupils’ work. 13 and 14 December 2022

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 Inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to safeguarding arrangements, behaviour and attendance. Inspectors also reviewed leaders’ evaluation of the school’s performance and their school development plans.  Inspectors talked to staff about their role in keeping pupils safe.  Inspectors held informal and formal discussions with pupils and observed lunchtime.  Inspectors reviewed responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including additional free-text comments. They also took account of responses to Ofsted’s online staff and pupil surveys.

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Inspection team

Sarahjane Cuncannon-Edwards, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Adele Mills Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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