Mossgate Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Mossgate Primary School Kingsway, Heysham, Morecambe, Lancashire LA3 2EE

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Outcome

Mossgate Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Everyone receives a warm welcome at Mossgate Primary School. Pupils thrive in the school’s calm and nurturing environment. They arrive each morning happy and eager to learn. Children in the early years enjoy trying new activities alongside their friends. They blossom in the inspiring surroundings that staff have created.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well mannered. They treat each other with kindness and respect. Pupils know that staff care about them. This helps pupils to feel safe in school. Pupils work hard in lessons. They strive to live up to the school’s high expectations for their academic achievement. Most pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils talked eagerly about the many opportunities that the school provides. Pupils particularly enjoy the opportunities to learn outside of the classroom during residential trips. Visits to the local university expand pupils’ horizons for the future. Older pupils proudly take on additional responsibilities, for example, as play leaders, organising games for younger pupils at lunchtimes. Pupils are excited about the imminent singing festival where they will be performing with other schools from the local area.

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

The curriculum has been carefully designed to enable pupils, including those with SEND, to become successful learners. In the vast majority of subjects, the most important knowledge that pupils need to learn is clearly defined. Subject content is ordered carefully 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?

The training that staff receive enables them to deliver the agreed curriculum well. In most subjects, staff use assessment information effectively to check what pupils know and remember and to identify gaps in pupils’ knowledge. Thoughtfully designed activities give pupils the opportunity to practise what they are learning. This helps pupils to build a secure body of knowledge over time. 19 and 20 March 2024

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In a few subjects, the knowledge that pupils should learn is less clear. From time to time, some pupils struggle to recall what they have been taught in these subjects because teachers are not sure what knowledge should be emphasised and recapped. This hinders pupils’ ability to apply what they know when they learn something new.

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A love of reading permeates the school. Pupils enjoy selecting books by their favourite authors from the well-resourced library. They also enjoy listening to the novels that their teachers read to them. In the early years, children quickly learn the sounds that letters represent. This helps them to read unfamiliar words. The phonics programme is taught consistently well from the Reception class through to the end of key stage 1. Reading books match the sounds that pupils are learning. Pupils become confident, fluent readers. They are well prepared for the key stage 2 curriculum. Pupils who find reading difficult receive the help that they need to help them keep up with their peers.

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The school ensures that they identify pupils’ additional needs early. Pupils with SEND are supported well by skilled staff. Resources are used effectively to enable pupils to learn the same curriculum as their classmates. Pupils with SEND achieve well. They access all that the school has to offer, including clubs and after-school activities.

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Pupils work hard and focus on their learning. This helps them to achieve their best. Pupils understand the importance of attending school each day. The school works closely with families whenever pupils need to improve their attendance and punctuality. Most pupils attend well.

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Pupils’ personal development is fostered well. Pupils learn about other faiths and cultures. They talked enthusiastically about the many sporting activities that are on offer. Pupils know what makes a good friend and how to use the internet safely. Pupils enjoy visits to art galleries and places of historical interest. They especially enjoy taking part in charity events organised by the school’s pupil parliament.

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Governors are proud to be part of this thriving school. They are well informed about the work of the school. Staff appreciate the consideration that the school gives to their workload when change is introduced.

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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, pupils sometimes struggle to recall their prior learning. This is because teachers are less sure of the key knowledge that they should emphasise and consolidate. The school should ensure that they identify the important knowledge that pupils should learn so that teachers help pupils to build on what they know and can do. 19 and 20 March 2024

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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 2019.

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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, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 19 and 20 March 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Nichola Buczynski

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School details

Date of previous inspection 22 January 2019, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision.

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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 since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in the evaluation of the school.  The inspector scrutinised the single central record as well as a range of safeguarding documentation. This was to evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding within the school. She spoke with staff to check how well they understood their responsibilities. The inspector considered the extent to which the school has created a culture around safeguarding that places pupils’ safety first.  During the inspection, the inspector spoke with representatives from the governing body. The inspector also spoke with the headteacher, members of the leadership team and staff. 19 and 20 March 2024

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 The inspector held a telephone conversation with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation relating to the curriculum. She carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and art and design. The inspector met with subject leaders, visited lessons and spoke to staff. She also spoke to pupils and reviewed some of their work.  The inspector spoke to pupils about their learning and their experiences of the school. She listened to pupils read. The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  The inspector spoke with parents and carers at the start of the school day to gather their views about the school. The inspector also considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspector gathered staff’s views about their well-being and workload and reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.

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Inspection team

Amanda Stringer, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 19 and 20 March 2024

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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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