Moggerhanger Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Moggerhanger Primary School Blunham Road, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK44 3RD

p.1

Outcome

There has been no change to this school’s overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might not be as high if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy and confident. They enjoy learning in a safe environment. Positive relationships exist between pupils and adults. Pupils recognise trusted adults in school who they can speak with if they have concerns. Staff look after pupils well.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils learn to ‘be safe, be respectful, and be ready’. They can articulate how these values support their behaviour and learning. Pupils are polite. Their behaviour and attitudes to learning are usually positive. However, pupils do not always show pride in, or take care with, their work.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy using the physical education facilities offered by their affiliated secondary school. Here, they can access the school’s sports amenities, such as the astro turf. There are many after-school clubs. Pupils enjoy participating in activities including choir, multisport, archery and football.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Children in pre-school learn to develop a love for books and stories. Throughout their school years, pupils enjoy reading and become fluent readers.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Some of the school’s curriculum is not planned or taught well enough to ensure that all pupils learn and retain knowledge over time. Sometimes, pupils find work too hard because they do not remember what they have learned before. As a result, pupils do not achieve as well as they should.

p.1

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

Significant disruptions in staffing have impacted negatively on the quality of education. In some subjects, the school has not identified precisely the essential knowledge that pupils should learn and how this builds over time. In some lessons, teachers do not always make 27 March 2024

p.1

2

clear what they want pupils to learn. The school has recently identified these weaknesses through leaders’ checks on teaching. The school has started to see some positive impact from the actions it is taking as a result of leaders’ checks. This is especially the case in reading.

p.2

2

The school has ensured that the reading curriculum is effectively structured and that phonics is taught consistently well. The school has set out clearly the sounds and words that pupils need to learn and by when. Adults plan activities that reinforce the sounds that pupils are learning. In pre-school, children begin forming letters with the sounds they know. By Reception, some are starting to write short sentences using their phonics knowledge. Pupils who struggle with reading get specific support. This helps them to catch up quickly. As a result, almost all pupils learn to read fluently.

p.2

2

In some other subjects, the curriculum is underdeveloped. The school’s curriculum planning lacks precision. As a result, teachers are not always clear about the essential knowledge or vocabulary that pupils should learn. Additionally, teachers set tasks that do not build on pupils’ prior learning. Often, teachers set tasks without considering what pupils can do. In writing, for example, teachers expect some pupils to write for specific purposes before they have mastered basic skills such as letter formation, capitalisation and punctuation. Therefore, some pupils do not develop the fundamental skills they need to achieve as well as they should.

p.2

2

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) get the support they need to meet their individual targets. However, because of weaknesses in teaching in some subjects, as is the case for other pupils, pupils with SEND are not achieving as well as they should.

p.2

2

Teachers do not establish sufficiently high expectations for pupils’ work, resulting in many instances of poor presentation across various subjects.

p.2

2

Most pupils typically exhibit positive behaviour during lessons. However, at times, when learning is too hard or too easy, some pupils disrupt the learning of others. Staff are skilled at helping those pupils who need support to manage their own behaviour. Pupils are kind to each other and mostly play together positively. Children in the early years quickly settle into routines and learn well.

p.2

2

Pupils understand the importance of good attendance. Most attend well. Leaders work with families to provide support to improve attendance for individual pupils.

p.2

2

Pupils learn about being a good citizen. They speak about similarities between different faiths and religions. This helps them to understand and respect the diverse cultures within British society. Pupils can speak about the impact of social media on their well-being and the risks of sharing information online. Many pupils take part in lunchtime and after- school activities. Pupils enjoy being part of the school council and raising money for charities. 27 March 2024

p.2

3

School leaders, including governors, know precisely what improvements need to happen and have clear plans to achieve them. Staff are positive about the leadership of the school and the training they receive.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school has not set out the precise knowledge that pupils need to learn. As a result, some teachers lack clarity on what knowledge pupils should learn and how to set precise learning objectives for sequences of lessons. The school must ensure that, in all subjects, the knowledge that pupils are expected to learn, including specific vocabulary, is identified precisely.  In some subjects, teachers do not plan and set activities that build effectively on pupils’ previous learning. Teachers do not identify precisely what pupils have learned and where pupils’ understanding is not secure. This means teachers do not always know when pupils are ready to move on to new learning. Teachers sometimes move pupils on to learning more complex knowledge before they have a secure understanding of the knowledge that underpins this. The school should ensure that all staff use checks on pupils’ prior learning effectively, so that they precisely know pupils’ next steps in

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

learning and plan for these accordingly.  Some teachers do not set high expectations for the quality of pupils’ written work. This does not help pupils to develop consistently positive attitudes to learning, as they do not take care with, or show pride in, their written work. The quality of pupils’ written work does not show the true depth of their understanding. The school must ensure that all teachers set high expectations so that pupils take pride in their work and demonstrate their capabilities effectively.

p.3

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.

p.3

Background

This is the second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2014. 27 March 2024

p.3

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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). 27 March 2024

p.4

School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

p.5

School details

Principal Karen Hayward, Executive principal

p.5

School details

Date of previous inspection 12 September 2018, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school federated with Sandy Secondary School as part of the Greensand Federation. The executive principal leads both schools. There is one governing body that serves both schools.  The school is a foundation school. It is funded by the local authority. The school is part of the Pinnacle Trust.

p.5

Information about this inspection

The inspector carried out this graded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

p.5

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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 27 March 2024

p.5

6

 The inspectors met with the headteacher, other senior leaders, members of the federation governing body and held a telephone meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, English and mathematics. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspectors also visited lessons and discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  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.  The inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including behaviour logs, bullying

p.6

6

records, records of governor meetings, school development plans and school policies.  The inspectors considered the views of parents through the responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire for parents, Ofsted Parent View.  The inspectors considered the views of staff and pupils through meetings and informal discussions, and through their responses to Ofsted’s online surveys.

p.6

Inspection team

Cindy Impey, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Lesley Stevens Ofsted Inspector 27 March 2024

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7