Moorgate Primary School

Inspection of an outstanding school: Moorgate Primary School Entwistle Street, Bolton, Lancashire BL2 2RH

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Outcome

Moorgate Primary School continues to be an outstanding school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Moorgate Primary school is a place where pupils, and children in the early years, flourish. Staff have pupils’ best interests at heart. To this end, they have fostered mutually supportive relationships with families.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Staff know pupils and their families well. Pupils told the inspector that this helps them to feel very happy and safe in school. Pupils feel that they are well cared for by their teachers.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s motto is ‘aspire, achieve, sparkle’, and this is embodied in the high expectations for both the academic and social skills that pupils develop at the school. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) and those who are disadvantaged, achieve exceptionally well across the curriculum. This is reflected in how well pupils are prepared for the next stage in their education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those pupils who attend the specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND (specially resourced provision), behave well and they are thoughtful of others. Any incidents of unacceptable behaviour are dealt with effectively and sensitively by leaders. This includes any rare occurrences of bullying. Classrooms, including in the early years, are hives of learning activity. Pupils enjoy learning and they contribute enthusiastically during lessons.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about a range of important issues through the wider curriculum. Leaders ensure that pupils benefit from a broad range of opportunities to enrich their learning. For example, pupils relish learning alongside members of the wider community in the intergenerational gardening club, the community library and through the school’s citizenship award. 19 and 20 April 2023

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

Leaders, including governors, have shown relentless determination to create a school where pupils thrive. As such, when pupils leave the school at the end of Year 6, they achieve well and they are suitably equipped for life at a secondary school in modern Britain.

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

Through the curriculum, leaders have found the right balance between academic success and developing pupils to be confident and resilient to setbacks. As a result, pupils, including those who attend the specially resourced provision, readily display a can-do attitude and they are not afraid to have a go.

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

Leaders have carefully considered pupils’ needs and developed an aspirational, ambitious and challenging curriculum. All subjects are meticulously organised, so that pupils’ learning builds logically over time. Leaders have identified the important knowledge and vocabulary that they want pupils to know and remember in each subject from the early years to Year 6.

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

Teachers order learning logically and make links between different subjects and earlier learning clear to pupils. This helps pupils to apply what they know already when they are learning something new. In lessons, teaching staff check routinely that pupils understand new learning and how it links to what they know already. Staff use this information effectively to design what pupils should learn next.

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

Leaders have placed a high priority on the development of the reading curriculum. This starts as soon as children join the school as two year olds. Staff deliver the school’s phonics programme with confidence. Pupils enjoy reading books that are matched accurately to the sounds that they know. Those pupils that need extra help are identified and supported by staff to keep up with their peers.

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

Older pupils are keen readers. They talk enthusiastically about their favourite authors. They benefit from being regular visitors to the community library and the ‘special shelves’ that help to foster their love of reading. When children begin in the Nursery Year, staff find out what makes each child unique and use this to design activities that support children’s language development. This helps to cultivate children’s love of reading and develop enquiring minds.

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

Pupils with SEND take part in all aspects of school life. Leaders ensure that staff are equipped well to identify and provide support for these pupils. Teachers have an accurate knowledge of pupils’ needs. Staff make sure that pupils with SEND access the same curriculum as their peers by adapting how they deliver the curriculum. Those pupils with more complex needs receive tailored support from skilled adults.

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

Pupils behave consistently well in lessons. They work sensibly with their friends. Learning is seldom disrupted by poor behaviour. At social times, pupils enjoy the range of activities on offer to them in the playground. Older pupils in the school are excellent role models for younger pupils in the school. 19 and 20 April 2023

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Leaders have designed an array of extensive opportunities to promote pupils’ personal development. These are fully interwoven and embedded into the school’s curriculum. Pupils learn about the importance of democracy, equality and tolerance. They understand the value of looking after their mental and physical health. This prepares pupils well for growing up in modern Britain. Pupils enjoy a range of activities and clubs on offer, including drumming, dance and art club. In the early years, children experience a wide range of activities that help to foster their curiosity about the wider world.

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Leaders and governors have a strong shared vision for the school. Staff are proud to be part of the team. They call it a family. They appreciate the ways in which leaders support them to manage their workload effectively.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders know their school community well. They are highly alert to the local and contextual risks that pupils may face. They make sure that staff understand their safeguarding responsibilities.

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Safeguarding

Staff receive regular safeguarding training and know what to do if they have any concerns about a pupil’s welfare. Leaders follow up any concerns diligently. They are adept at working with a wide range of external agencies, including representatives of health, social care and the police, to ensure that support is in place for vulnerable pupils and their families.

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Safeguarding

Leaders ensure that pupils know how to talk about their feelings. Pupils know who they can speak to if they are feeling worried or anxious. Pupils learn about ways in which they can keep themselves safe, including when working and playing online.

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Background

When we have judged a school to be outstanding, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains outstanding. 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 first inspection since we judged the school to be outstanding in January 2016. 19 and 20 April 2023

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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. 19 and 20 April 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Date of previous inspection 19 and 20 January 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Leaders do not use any alternative provision for pupils at the school.  The school has provision for two-year-old children.  The school has a specially resourced provision for pupils with SEND funded by the local authority for pupils who have specific learning difficulties. The enhanced resource provision is for pupils aged four to eleven with autism spectrum disorder. The specially resourced provision can cater for up to eight pupils. At the time of the inspection, there were nine pupils on roll. All pupils who attend the specially resourced provision have an education, health and care plan.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, other senior leaders, subject leaders and other members of staff. She also spoke with members of the governing body and a representative of the local authority. 19 and 20 April 2023

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 The inspector spoke to pupils about their experience of school and their views on behaviour and bullying. She also observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  The inspector reviewed a wide range of evidence, including leaders’ self-evaluation documents, improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings and records of pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  The inspector checked the school’s safeguarding policies and procedures and the single central record. She met with leaders, staff and pupils to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding.  The inspector carried out deep dives in early reading, mathematics and geography. For each deep dive, she discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers and some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View and the responses to

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Inspection team

Kate Bowker, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector 19 and 20 April 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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