Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School

Inspection of Moreton Church of England Voluntary Aided Primary School Moreton, Ongar, Essex CM5 0JD

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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 Good Previous inspection grade Good 2 and 3 February 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy. Most pupils love their school. They say it is a ‘community where everyone is heard’. They know their teachers expect them to behave and learn well. They are safe. There is always an adult to turn to if they ever have a concern. They know that teachers constantly check on their well-being.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are enthusiastic about learning. They know that their teachers help them to learn as well as they can. Pupils are calm. They take turns and support each other in class. Bullying is very rare because pupils learn to treat others with respect. Should bullying occur, teachers deal with it swiftly and it stops.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy a range of different clubs and activities. They hone their sporting skills and compete regionally. Pupils sing, dance and perform nationally. They learn martial arts and learn other languages. Pupils are open minded and embrace difference. They ‘accept all cultures’. They read books from a diverse range of authors and learn about life in other countries.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most parents are very pleased with the education their children receive. A minority of parents are less aware of how well the school provides for their children. Leaders know this.

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better?

Leaders have constructed an ambitious curriculum. Leaders have carefully chosen the knowledge they want pupils to learn. Knowledge links to what pupils have learned before. Teachers regularly revisit important knowledge. As a result of this, pupils remember things better and understand more complex ideas. Pupils apply their knowledge independently. They research new knowledge and carry out investigations. Teachers’ questions identify what pupils know and what they do not. Teachers prompt pupils to refine their understanding. They provide support when pupils make mistakes. This helps pupils to improve. Last year, pupils in Year 6 did not achieve as well as others nationally in mathematics. Leaders wasted no time and identified the weaknesses in pupils’ knowledge. They refined the curriculum to equip pupils with the mathematical understanding they need to thrive.

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better?

Leaders have made the teaching of reading a priority. Teachers have strong subject knowledge because of the training they receive. This ensures they teach reading consistently. Pupils read books which contain much familiar language. This provides opportunities for pupils to practise sounds they have already learned. As a result of this, pupils learn to read well. Reception-age children acquire new sounds quickly. They accurately read familiar words and short sentences. Children in Year 1 become confident, fluent readers. They tell stories in their own words. Pupils say they enjoy reading. Older pupils apply their reading skills to make sense of longer, sophisticated 2 and 3 February 2023

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texts. Leaders provide very precise support for pupils who fall behind with reading. As a result of this, they catch up quickly.

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The knowledge that Reception-age children learn builds a foundation for their future learning. Teachers provide activities which enable children to practise what they learn. This helps them to gain the language to describe and explain the world around them. Teachers establish clear routines which ensure children behave well and interact positively with each other.

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Leaders understand how best to adapt the curriculum for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders communicate precise strategies to staff so that they can help pupils with SEND learn well. Leaders regularly review how well pupils with SEND are learning. A minority of pupils with SEND and some pupils in receipt of pupil premium do not attend school as consistently as they should. As a result of this, their learning slows. Leaders are aware of this.

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Pupils are kind and respectful to others. Leaders have instilled positive attitudes in pupils, which prepares them well for life in a global world. Pupils welcome people who are different from them. Pupils will not accept any prejudice. The personal, social and health education curriculum ensures that pupils learn how to develop healthy relationships. They understand how their behaviour may influence how others feel. Leaders ensure that pupils build important life skills. Pupils have opportunities to represent their friends in the school parliament. As a result of this, they develop an understanding of democracy. Pupils lead. They organise sporting activities and charity events. Older pupils help younger pupils to read and raise awareness of healthy eating. The forest school activities help pupils to nurture resilience and to understand the importance of teamwork.

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Leaders, governors, the local authority and the diocese understand precisely how well areas of school life are performing. The local authority has supported the school effectively in the realms of safeguarding and the curriculum. Governors challenge leaders’ actions. As a result of this, they make sure that leaders’ decisions are in the pupils’ best interests. Staff feel supported by leaders. The strengths of leaders and governors ensure that the school is well placed to improve further in the future.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders’ vigilance ensures a robust safeguarding ethos in the school. Leaders provide regular training so that staff accurately identify signs that a child’s safety may be at risk. Staff report their concerns promptly. Leaders act quickly and make sure pupils receive the help they need. They use a range of outside agencies to provide pupils with the right support.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to keep safe outside of school and when on the internet. 2 and 3 February 2023

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Leaders carry out stringent checks on those staff who join the school. This ensures that all staff are safe to work with children.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A minority of pupils with SEND and some pupils in receipt of pupil premium have higher levels of absence than other pupils. As a result of this, they do not access the curriculum as well as they could. Leaders must work with parents to ensure that pupils attend school more consistently so that they learn better over time.

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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. 2 and 3 February 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10255093 Type of school Primary

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School details

Website www.moretonceprimaryschool.co.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 30 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is a member of the Diocese of Chelmsford.  The school does not currently use alternative provision.

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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 met with the chair of governors, other governors, representatives from the diocese and the local authority, the headteacher, senior leaders, teachers and support staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics, science and physical education. These included discussions with subject leaders, visits to lessons, 2 and 3 February 2023

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meetings with staff and pupils, scrutiny of pupils’ work and a review of any curriculum documentation. They also scrutinised other curriculum plans.  Inspectors scrutinised the school’s single central record and met with the designated safeguarding lead. They scrutinised safeguarding records and spoke with pupils and staff.  Inspectors considered the views of pupils, staff and parents. There were 15 responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and 31 responses to the Ofsted pupil survey. Inspectors also spoke to parents at the school gate. There were 50 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors considered 49 free- text comments from parents.

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Inspection team

Adam Cooke, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Jonathan Rockey His Majesty’s Inspector 2 and 3 February 2023

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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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