Morgans Primary School & Nursery

Inspection of Morgans Primary School & Nursery Morgans Road, Hertford, Hertfordshire SG13 8DR

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Inspection dates: 13 and 14 December 2023

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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 13 and 14 December 2023

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to attend their school. They are confident and happy individuals. Pupils understand and try to live up to the school’s ‘learning powers’. These qualities help pupils build resilience, improve their learning and acquire other key qualities that develop strength of character. Pupils strive to do their best with their learning in response to teachers’ expectations.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils usually respond well to staff’s high expectations for behaviour. They follow the school rules and are considerate of each other and staff. This creates an environment where all pupils are safe. Pupils, generally, have good manners. They show visitors kindness, for example by asking if they are having a good day and holding doors open.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn about and understand differences. They learn how to understand and celebrate other religions and cultures. As a result, pupils show a great deal of respect for others in their actions and words. Pupils learn about healthy relationships. They also have considerable knowledge about how to stay physically healthy.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have opportunities to take on extra responsibilities. They like to improve the school and help others. For instance, the eco-club members ensure that the school has recycling bins as pupils are keen to protect the environment.

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better?

Subject plans are well ordered and develop logically. The plans begin in the early years. This ensures that pupils are well prepared for learning in key stages 1 and 2. Some curriculum plans are further developed than others. In many subjects, teachers have detailed information about what to teach. They also know how and when to make links to what pupils have previously studied. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They explain the learning clearly to pupils, who confidently carry out the well-planned activities. Consequently, in these subjects, pupils remember and retain the knowledge that the school intends and achieve well.

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better?

In a few foundation subjects, the school’s curriculum plans are not as well developed. They lack detail and clarity. Due to this, teachers do not know precisely what to teach and when to make links to prior learning. Pupils are learning new knowledge, but they are not able to remember and use it as confidently.

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better?

In the early years, children learn to express themselves competently. Well-devised activities help them to develop their language skills. This provides the building blocks that enable pupils to learn to read and write when they are older.

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better?

Pupils learn an effective phonics programme. This starts in Nursery, where children learn to recognise and recall letter sounds. In Reception, children learn to blend 13 and 14 December 2023

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sounds together to enable them to read words. Teachers regularly check pupils’ phonics knowledge. Pupils who have gaps in their knowledge, or pupils who are not reading fluently, receive precise support to help them catch up. Pupils read books that match the sounds they know. As a result, pupils become proficient and confident readers.

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In the past, pupils have not achieved as well as they should have in writing. The school has swiftly improved pupils’ writing, particularly with regard to language choice. This benefits the quality of their work in other subjects. However, some teachers do not check for and address pupils’ misconceptions during some writing tasks. As a result, pupils carry on making these errors. This negatively impacts the quality of pupils’ written work.

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The school accurately identifies the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Skilled staff support pupils with SEND in the classroom with adaptations that precisely meet each pupil’s needs. As a result, pupils with SEND successfully access the same curriculum as their classmates and achieve well.

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Pupils behave well, especially during lessons. This means all pupils can listen to staff and each other without distraction. They can complete learning activities in calm classrooms. Children in the early years learn to manage themselves. They understand how their actions can affect others. Pupils get on well with each other. On the whole, pupils are considerate to others. When some pupils need additional help with their behaviour, adults give them clear guidance.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered personal development programme. They also enjoy a range of extra-curricular clubs. The personal, social and health education (PSHE) curriculum teaches pupils how to develop into well-rounded, confident and independent individuals. It helps them to be well prepared for the next stage in their learning.

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Governors perform checks to ensure that leaders carry out their duties effectively. For instance, governors ensure the school has a robust safeguarding culture. Staff value the support provided by senior leaders and are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In a few subjects, staff do not have the guidance they need to know the exact knowledge they must teach and how this links to past learning. This means that pupils do not learn all the knowledge that leaders intend. The school should ensure that teachers have the necessary guidance to enable them to plan 13 and 14 December 2023

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activities and sequences of lessons that precisely identify the knowledge that pupils need to learn.  Staff do not always identify and address pupils’ misconceptions effectively. As a result, pupils remain uncertain about key aspects of the curriculum, such as writing conventions. This means that pupils persist in using misconceptions and cannot express their learning with clarity in some subjects. The school must ensure that staff identify and address misconceptions effectively in all subjects.

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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’ 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, 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

Date of previous inspection 20 March 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has a registered provider running the school’s wraparound care.  At the time of the inspection, the school was not making use of any 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

 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 of the school.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, computing, science and history. They scrutinised work, visited lessons, looked at workbooks and spoke to pupils. The inspectors also gathered evidence on PSHE, 13 and 14 December 2023

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geography and writing by meeting with leaders, looking at workbooks and talking to pupils. The lead inspector listened to several pupils read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors held meetings with the headteacher and senior leaders. The lead inspector also met with some members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspectors examined a range of documents provided by the school, including development plans and the school’s self-evaluation form.  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, including attendance, that puts pupils’ interests first.  The inspectors considered the 143 responses and the 88 free-text responses made by parents to the Ofsted Parent View survey. One inspector met with

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parents before the start of the school day. The inspectors also considered the 31 responses to Ofsted’s online staff questionnaire and the 227 responses to the pupil questionnaire.

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Inspection team

Jessie Linsley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Karen Stanton 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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