Moorlands Junior School

Inspection of Moorlands Junior School Chantry Mead Road, Bath, Somerset BA2 2DE

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Inspection dates: 28 February and 1 March 2023

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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 Good 28 February and 1 March 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Moorlands Junior School is a warm, welcoming and inclusive school. Pastoral care is strong. Staff forge positive, caring relationships with pupils and families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s rich curriculum reflects its vision: ‘Space to grow for any tomorrow’. Leaders plan exciting activities to enhance pupils’ personal development. For example, pupils learn to build fires and cook pizza outdoors. Pupils develop their talents and interests through the clubs that the school offers, such as choir and street dance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and enjoy learning. They learn the importance of ‘filling each other’s buckets’ with kindness. Pupils understand adults’ high expectations and respectfully follow school routines. They are proud to be praised. Staff ensure that pupils understand and appreciate diversity and equal rights. Pupils confidently explain and value the fact that ‘We are all different’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and feel safe at school. They say behaviour is usually good and that bullying is rare. They confirm that adults are good at sorting out any problems. Most pupils attend regularly. However, some pupils need help to improve their attendance.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The vast majority of parents are happy with the school. Typical comments include ‘This is a fantastic school’ and ‘my child is thriving’.

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better?

Since the previous inspection, the trust and governors have stabilised leadership. This has had a demonstrable impact. Leaders are highly effective. They provide staff with well-targeted professional development. This is improving their subject knowledge and their understanding of how to deliver the curriculum effectively. Staff morale is high because they feel well supported.

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better?

The school’s curriculum is interesting and broad. In most subjects, the order of what pupils learn is well planned. As a result, pupils build the knowledge and skills they need. However, in some subjects, pupils do not securely learn the core curriculum content they need to prepare them for what comes next.

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better?

In subjects where teachers’ use of assessment is stronger, leaders identify where pupils need to secure and deepen their knowledge. For example, in mathematics, teachers adapt learning so that pupils develop a better understanding of number. This work has a positive impact. However, in some subjects, assessment does not identify precisely whether pupils have learned what they need to know. This leads to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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Leaders work in partnership with pupils, parents and specialists to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Leaders and staff plan effective support to help pupils secure new knowledge. This ensures that pupils with SEND follow the curriculum successfully and are fully included in school life.

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Leaders prioritise pupils learning to read. The curriculum is ambitious and is supported by high-quality texts. Pupils therefore develop their reading skills well. Pupils love reading. They become absorbed when adults read to them. Pupils enjoy a variety of modern and classic stories. Staff provide support for pupils who have fallen behind in reading. This helps them to catch up and become fluent, confident readers.

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Staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour. As a result, pupils maintain positive attitudes, and low-level disruption is rare. Leaders help families to improve their children’s attendance. However, some pupils still do not attend regularly.

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Staff sensitively support pupils who have difficulty managing their emotions. For example, pupils have art therapy and mentoring sessions. Pupils value opportunities to go to the ‘Rainbow Room’. Pupils say that talking about their feelings helps them to become calm.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make the necessary checks to ensure staff are safe to work with children. They record this information on the school’s single central register. Leaders provide safeguarding training for all staff. Staff understand how to identify pupils who may be at risk and know how to refer concerns.

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Safeguarding

Leaders seek the help of specialist agencies when necessary. They regularly review their actions to check that they are making a difference.

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Safeguarding

Pupils know how to stay safe. For example, they learn about healthy relationships and how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, improvements to the curriculum are in the early stages of development. As a result, pupils do not securely learn the essential concepts they need. Leaders must ensure that the curriculum is fully established so that pupils develop the knowledge and skills necessary for their future learning. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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 In some subjects, assessment lacks the precision to gauge how successfully pupils follow the curriculum. This leads to pupils developing gaps in their knowledge. Teachers should sharpen their use of assessment so that teaching supports pupils to know and remember more over time.  Despite improvements to attendance, some pupils, including disadvantaged pupils, do not attend school regularly. As a result, they are missing out on important aspects of their education. Leaders must continue to work closely with families to emphasise the importance of regular attendance so that pupils benefit from all that the school offers.

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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. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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School details

Local authority Bath and North East Somerset Council

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School details

Inspection number 10256620 Type of school Junior

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School details

Date of previous inspection 14 and 15 January 2020, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school federated with Moorlands Infant school in 2017 and joined The Partnership Trust.  The school has had several headteachers since the previous inspection. The executive headteacher was appointed in September 2021.  The school provides before- and after-school care for pupils.  The school does not use any alternative providers.

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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. 28 February and 1 March 2023

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 Inspectors held several meetings with the executive headteacher, deputy headteacher and special educational needs coordinator. They also held meetings with the assistant headteacher.  The lead inspector held a meeting with the CEO of the trust, a trustee and a group of governors.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics, physical education and religious education. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s safeguarding records and checked the school’s single central record. They discussed safeguarding arrangements with the designated safeguarding leader. Inspectors also spoke to pupils and adults about safety.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at various times of the day, including

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breaktime, lunchtime and during breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views. They reviewed responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with free-text comments. Inspectors also took account of the responses to the staff survey and the pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Dhillon Ofsted Inspector 28 February and 1 March 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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