Moorside Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Moorside Primary School Bowerham Road, Newlands, Lancaster, Lancashire LA1 4HT

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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Outcome

Moorside Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at Moorside Primary School. The school’s values underpin the positive way that pupils relate to one another. Pupils are kind and polite. They pride themselves on making everyone feel welcome in their school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ learning. This includes pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try their best. They typically achieve well. Year 6 pupils are well prepared for their secondary education.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. They follow the school rules. Pupils appreciate the positive praise and rewards that they receive for making the right choices.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and clubs beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils spoke excitedly about mountain climbing, sailing and caving, as well as residential trips and theatre visits. These experiences enable pupils to develop exciting new interests and find undiscovered talents.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish in their various roles and responsibilities. These include acting as school councillors and eco-warriors. Pupils of all ages welcome being involved in projects in the local community, such as litter picking, gardening and donating food to the local food bank. This contributes to pupils' increasing understanding of what it means to be a positive citizen in modern Britain.

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

The school promotes a love of reading. Pupils benefit from reading a wide range of interesting books. Staff deliver the new early reading curriculum effectively. As a result, most children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 gain a secure knowledge of phonics. However, the support that a small number of pupils who find learning to read more difficult receive is not effective enough. This hinders how quickly these pupils become fluent readers. 13 and 14 December 2023

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The school has developed an ambitious and well-thought-out curriculum in nearly all subjects across key stages 1 and 2. In these subjects, the school has considered carefully what it wants pupils to know and the order in which this content will be taught. This is similar in the early years where the curriculum is also well designed and delivered. Most pupils progress well through the curriculum, so that they are well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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In a small number of subjects, the school is still refining its work to ensure that teachers are clear about what it wants pupils to learn. This means that on occasions, teachers find it difficult to design learning that helps pupils to gain important knowledge. This sometimes leads to gaps in pupils’ learning that stop them from building on what they know.

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In the main, teachers explain new learning clearly and take appropriate steps to address any misconceptions that arise. Typically, they use assessment strategies well. They regularly check to see if pupils have learned what was intended.

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There are effective systems in place to identify the additional needs of pupils with SEND. These pupils benefit from the support that they receive. This ensures that they can access the same curriculum as their peers. Staff are well informed about the best ways to help pupils with SEND thrive in all aspects of their development.

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Pupils behave sensibly in lessons. Low-level disruption is rare. Most pupils, including children in the early years, have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils are keen to learn, and they work well together.

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Pupils excel in the array of high-quality enrichment activities that the school offers. For example, pupils are keen to attend clubs such as musical theatre and martial arts. The school is careful to ensure that all pupils, including those with SEND, benefit from attending clubs. Pupils know how to keep themselves safe online and how to keep themselves physically and mentally healthy.

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Governors use their expertise to provide the school with effective support and challenge. They are committed to the success of every pupil and rigorously check on the school’s work to achieve this ambition. Most staff appreciate the steps that the school takes to support their well-being and workload. They value the collaborative approach and time given to develop the curriculum. Most staff feel valued and enjoy working at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 13 and 14 December 2023

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a small number of subjects, the school has not decided what pupils must learn and when this should happen. Occasionally, this prevents teachers from designing learning that helps pupils to build on what they know. The school should finalise its curriculum thinking, so that teachers know what knowledge pupils must learn and when this should be taught.  A small number of pupils at an early stage of learning to read are not supported effectively to catch up in phonics. This hinders how well some of these pupils develop reading fluency. The school should ensure that pupils who have gaps in their reading knowledge are supported effectively to catch up with their peers as quickly as possible.

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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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in April 2018.

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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' is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school's pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, 13 and 14 December 2023

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looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 13 and 14 December 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Elizabeth Cookson

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 18 and 19 April 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school operates a breakfast club.  The school roll has expanded since the last inspection. It now has three classes in each year group from the Reception Year to Year 6.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders. The lead inspector also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors. 13 and 14 December 2023

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 Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector also observed some pupils read to a familiar adult.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single central record, took account of the views of leaders, staff, and pupils, and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  There were no responses to the Ofsted survey for pupils. Inspectors spoke with pupils in meetings and around the school at lunchtimes and breaktimes.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s

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strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses. Inspectors also spoke with some parents during the inspection.  Inspectors reviewed responses to the online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Inspection team

Cleo Cunningham Ofsted Inspector 13 and 14 December 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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