Moat Community College

Inspection of a good school: Moat Community College Maidstone Road, Leicester, Leicestershire LE2 0TU

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Outcome

Moat Community College continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Moat Community College is a welcoming and vibrant community where pupils thrive. Positive, respectful relationships are at the heart of the school’s ethos, and staff take time to get to know pupils and their families well. Pupils are safe and supported at school. There is a culture of high aspiration.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders show high levels of determination to achieve their vision of ‘learning excellence’. They have high expectations of behaviour and learning. Pupils achieve well, especially the most disadvantaged and those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Parents and carers are overwhelmingly positive about the support pupils receive. Leaders and staff want the best for every pupil.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Bullying and discrimination of any kind are not tolerated. Leaders deal with any bullying swiftly and effectively. Pupils are confident that staff will take their concerns seriously.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish the many opportunities they have to develop their talents and interests, such as horse riding, rock climbing and trips to museums and the theatre. Pupils speak with enthusiasm about events, such as Cultural Day, where staff and pupils attend school in their cultural dress and learn about other cultures. The ‘Moat has talent’ show is a popular occasion.

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

Leaders have a clear and ambitious vision for the quality of education that pupils receive. School leaders have planned a curriculum which offers a broad range of subjects to give pupils a depth of understanding. They ensure that those who are in the early stages of learning to read or learning to speak English quickly receive the support they need. These pupils received appropriate support and intervention to improve their knowledge and skills in reading. This includes phonics teaching and work to improve comprehension. As a result, they quickly learn to read fluently and with understanding. Leaders have adapted the curriculum well for pupils with SEND. 7 and 8 March 2023

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Most subject leaders have identified the knowledge that pupils must learn and have thought carefully about the order in which teachers should teach this knowledge. This helps pupils to build their learning securely over time. However, in a very small number of subjects, leaders need to continue to refine the curriculum to ensure that curriculum plans clearly outline the precise knowledge they want pupils to know.

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Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They use assessment well to check pupils’ understanding and identify gaps in their learning. Pupils respond well to the feedback provided by their teachers. They use this to improve their knowledge and understanding. Pupils know the Moat ‘proof-reading’ code and use this to draft and develop their work in all subjects.

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Leaders are tenacious in identifying pupils with SEND. They have a secure understanding of these pupils’ needs. Leaders work well with partners and parents to develop precise plans to provide effective support to these pupils.

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Pupils show positive behaviour and attitudes towards each other and towards the staff. They feel safe and say they are treated equally and fairly. Pupils follow staff’s instructions when their behaviour falls short of the school’s expectations. They show respect for each other at social times. This creates a happy and harmonious community.

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Leaders have a clear vision for pupils’ personal development. Pupils learn about the importance of tolerance and citizenship. They undertake meaningful work experience. Leaders ensure that pupils encounter a wide range of employers and further education colleges.

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Leaders at all levels talk with enthusiasm and pride about the school. Staff speak favourably of the support they receive, and the sensitive workload management. They are happy and proud to work at the school. Leaders and governors have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths and weaknesses. The senior leadership team is particularly strong and, with the support of other school leaders, they have been instrumental in the development of the school’s strong community ethos.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders provide staff with high-quality safeguarding training. Staff know how to identify pupils who may be at risk of harm. Leaders’ systems for reporting concerns are appropriate. They put into place timely actions that help and support pupils and their families when required. Leaders work closely with external agencies to ensure that pupils receive the support that they need. Leaders ensure that employment checks on staff are robust.

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Safeguarding

Pupils learn how to keep safe outside school, including online. Pupils are confident that there is someone they can talk to if they have any concerns. 7 and 8 March 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few curriculum areas, leaders have not yet precisely identified the important component knowledge that pupils should learn. As a result, this contributes to some pupils not retaining subject knowledge or using subject-specific skills as well as they might. Leaders need to ensure that the curriculum identifies core substantive and disciplinary knowledge, so that it supports pupils to know more and remember important concepts and ideas over a longer period of time.

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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 an ungraded inspection and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in January 2014.

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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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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. 7 and 8 March 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10254961 Type of school Secondary

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1080

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 31 January 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders use three alternative providers.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 7 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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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 focused on the following deep dives: English, science, history, modern foreign languages and art.  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 also looked at other subjects to look at the curriculum and to check how they are taught. 7 and 8 March 2023

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 Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents. These included information about behaviour, attendance, the school’s curriculum and improvement planning. The school website was also checked.  In evaluating the school’s safeguarding culture, inspectors talked to staff and leaders about safeguarding arrangements. They examined how leaders make employment checks on staff and scrutinised further safeguarding records. They asked how incidents reported by pupils are recorded and analysed. Inspectors also met with pupils to discuss how they are taught to keep themselves safe.  Inspectors observed informal times of the day to evaluate safeguarding and pupils’ behaviour.  The lead inspector spoke with a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors held meetings with governors, the headteacher, senior leaders, subject leaders, teachers, including early careers teachers, and pupils. They also talked

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informally to pupils and staff to gather information about school life.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, and the free-text comments. Inspectors also considered responses to Ofsted’s staff survey and pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Anne Maingay, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Jane Burton Ofsted Inspector 7 and 8 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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