Moorside Primary School

Inspection of Moorside Primary School Market Street, Droylsden, Manchester M43 7DA

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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

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Overall effectiveness Good

The principal of this school is Sam Ismail. This school is part of The Enquire Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Darren Holmes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Delyse Turrell. 18 and 19 June 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel safe and happy in school. They enjoy a warm welcome from staff each morning. Pupils know that they can talk to staff if they have any worries. This helps them to feel cared for and valued.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has created a positive learning environment where pupils behave well. They are polite and courteous to staff and to their peers. Pupils show respect for the differences that exist between people from different backgrounds and cultures.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations for pupils’ achievement, including pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils try hard to meet these aspirations. They display positive attitudes to learning. Pupils show perseverance and independence when completing classroom activities, even if they find this work challenging. They achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are keen to take part in the activities that are offered outside of lessons, such as the ‘105 Moorside Memories’. This includes experiences such as watching chicks hatch and taking a tram journey. Pupils also relish the opportunities that they have to take on responsibilities within the school, for example acting as reading champions, school councillors, anti-bullying ambassadors and eco-warriors.

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better?

The school has reviewed and improved its curriculum in recent times to ensure that it is suitably ambitious. The school has identified the important content that pupils should acquire from the early years to the end of Year 6. It has carefully broken down this key knowledge into small steps so that pupils can build their learning successfully over time.

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better?

The school, together with the trust, has devised a programme of training which supports teachers to implement the curriculum well. Teachers use their subject knowledge to design effective lessons which help pupils, including those with SEND, to learn the content of subject curriculums.

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better?

Some older pupils have gaps in their learning. This is due to the weaknesses in the previous curriculum, which were compounded by the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that in 2023, the proportion of Year 6 pupils who met the expected standard in mathematics was significantly below the national average. Pupils were not able to catch up quickly enough to achieve as well as they should in the national tests and assessments.

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better?

Typically, most pupils progress through the curriculum well. They are achieving well. However, some gaps in learning continue to linger. This makes it difficult for pupils to build on what they know when new learning is introduced. 18 and 19 June 2024

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The school has implemented a new approach to assessing pupils’ learning. In most subjects, teachers make careful checks to address pupils’ misconceptions effectively. However, in some subjects, assessment information is not used well enough to help pupils to secure the key knowledge that they need to know and remember in the longer term.

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The school prioritises reading. In the early years, children enjoy sharing books and stories. They are well prepared to begin learning the phonics curriculum from the start of the Reception Year. Staff deliver the well-ordered phonics programme well. They select books for pupils to read in school, and to take home, which are carefully matched to the sounds they have learned.

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The school ensures that the additional needs of pupils with SEND are identified quickly and accurately. Staff adapt their delivery of the curriculum well so that pupils with SEND learn successfully alongside their classmates.

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Most pupils understand and follow the well-established classroom routines. Typically, pupils are attentive during lessons. They rarely disturb the learning of their peers. The school places a high priority on attendance. It carefully analyses the attendance and punctuality of pupils. The school works closely with pupils and their families to support them with any attendance issues so that their absence rates reduce.

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The school’s programme to enhance pupils’ personal development is woven into the whole curriculum and the life of the school. It supports pupils well to become respectful and caring young people. For example, pupils learn about first aid and how to support their own and others’ mental health. The school prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.

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Trustees are well informed about the school. They ensure that the school’s work has a positive impact on pupils’ learning and personal development.

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Staff are highly positive about the support that they receive from the school. They appreciate that the school is mindful of their workload and well-being. They value the support that they are given to further develop the curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, the school does not use assessment information effectively enough to identify and address the gaps in pupils’ knowledge. This means that, on occasion, some pupils find it difficult to recall subject content from their earlier learning. The school should ensure that teachers are suitably equipped to use 18 and 19 June 2024

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assessment information successfully in these subjects so that pupils know and remember more over time.  In a small number of subjects, some older pupils have gaps in their knowledge due to the weaknesses in the previous curriculum. This makes it difficult for them to build their knowledge when new concepts are introduced. This hinders these pupils’ progress through the curriculum. The school should ensure that, in these subject curriculums, any gaps in pupils’ learning are rapidly addressed.

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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). 18 and 19 June 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 27 and 28 November 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 A new principal and vice-principal have been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school offers a breakfast club each morning.  The school does not make 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. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school. 18 and 19 June 2024

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 Inspectors held meetings with the principal, vice-principal and other senior leaders. Inspectors also held meetings with other staff, including those responsible for attendance and pupils’ behaviour, welfare and personal development.  The inspectors held meetings with the leaders responsible for SEND and the provision for children in the early years.  An inspector met with members of the academy improvement committee. She also met with the chair of trustees.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, science, history, and art and design. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke with teachers, spoke with some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The lead inspector listened to pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar

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adult.  Inspectors met with pupils to discuss their learning in some other subjects.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour as they arrived at school and during lessons and breaktimes. They also spoke with pupils about their views of school life.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online staff survey.  Inspectors met with parents and carers and reviewed the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  There were no responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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.

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Inspection team

Kathy Nichol, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Tom Johnson Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 June 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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