New Moston Primary School

Inspection of New Moston Primary School Moston Lane East, New Moston, Manchester M40 3QJ

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Inspection dates: 26 and 27 November 2024

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The quality of education Requires improvement Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Requires improvement Early years provision Good Previous inspection grade Good 26 and 27 November 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They have positive relationships with staff, which helps them to feel valued. Pupils know whom to speak to if they feel concerned or worried. They are confident that trusted adults will keep them safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school provides experiences to develop pupils’ character. Opportunities include a journalism group, being pen pals with residents in a local care home and residential experiences. These help pupils to develop confidence. Pupils have a voice in the clubs on offer. For example, they requested the school run a skateboarding club. This helps the offer to be broad, interesting and fun for them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school aspires for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), to achieve well. In the early years, children receive a strong start to their learning and development. However, the school’s ambition for pupils is not fully realised across the rest of the school. Pupils are not as well prepared for the next stage of their education as they should be.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils live up to the school’s high expectations for their behaviour. Pupils know the school rules. They show respect towards adults and one another. They learn and play together kindly. The school provides sensitive and effective support for those pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour.

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

The school is going through a period of turbulence. Interim leaders have introduced strategies to improve standards at the school. However, the improvements made are in the early stages and have yet to impact pupils’ learning. Since the last inspection, the school has redesigned the curriculum to ensure it is ambitious for all pupils. Nevertheless, in some curriculum areas, it is not clear what the most important knowledge is that pupils need to learn and remember. In some subjects, the order in which pupils are taught important knowledge does not support them in learning all they should.

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

Children in the Nursery and Reception Year flourish. They know the routines and learn how to share and take turns. Adults provide children with experiences that build their knowledge over time. The environment is set up with exciting areas that enable awe and wonder. Children sustain interest in the opportunities to consolidate learning and be curious. Many are suitably prepared for entry into Year 1.

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

The school has fostered a love of reading. Pupils enjoy taking the ‘bag buddy’ or ‘bag bear’ home to share a book with their family while having hot chocolate and biscuits. They eagerly talk about the books they read independently and in class. Younger pupils benefit from a well-ordered phonics programme that staff typically deliver well. Pupils practise their reading with books that, for the most, are closely matched to the sounds they know. Staff provide support to pupils who need to catch up with their peers. All the same, not enough pupils reach the expected standard for reading by the end of key stage 26 and 27 November 2024

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2. This is a similar picture in writing. Pupils lack enough practice to build fluency and accuracy in reading and writing.

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In some curriculum areas, such as phonics, teachers carefully check what pupils know. However, in other subjects, teachers do not routinely check what pupils have learned. This means that often gaps in learning are not addressed and learning moves on before pupils have secured the knowledge they need.

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The school includes pupils with SEND fully in all aspects of school life. Adults provide them with extra help where appropriate. Individual learning plans are now better tailored to help close gaps for these pupils. However, some parents and carers feel the school does not communicate effectively with them about their children.

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Pupils respond well to the expectations of their behaviour and show positive attitudes to their learning. The school skilfully helps pupils understand how they feel and what they can do to put things right when they go wrong. The school is quick to identify barriers to pupils’ attendance. It works with families to resolve them. There has been a recent improvement in pupils’ attendance.

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Pupils enjoy a comprehensive personal development provision that carefully prepares them for life beyond the school gates. They learn about healthy relationships and have a secure understanding of aspects such as consent and privacy. They learn how to maintain their physical and mental health and have a strong understanding of how to keep themselves safe.

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Many staff recognise the need for change, but some have found it too fast. This means some staff feel the school does not consider their well-being when making decisions. Many of the governors are new to their role. However, they have a clear vision for the future. Nevertheless, to date, they have not held the school to account for its quality of education.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some subject leaders lack the expertise to develop and improve their subject curriculums. This means, in some subjects, there is a lack of clarity about what precisely should be taught and when. As a result, pupils do not learn and achieve as well as they should. The school should ensure that all subject leaders have the knowledge and expertise to lead their subjects effectively.  The school does not always provide enough opportunities for pupils to practise basic skills in reading and writing. This means pupils do not develop these skills as well as 26 and 27 November 2024

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expected. The school should ensure that all teachers provide pupils with the opportunity to practise these basic skills regularly.  In some subjects, the school does not routinely check what pupils have learned. This means gaps in pupils’ knowledge remain. The school should ensure teachers check pupils’ understanding regularly and provide opportunities to revisit prior learning to support pupils’ understanding and learning over time.  Some parents do not feel well informed about the rationale for the school’s decisions, particularly regarding SEND provision. This means some parents do not feel they can work in partnership with the school. The school should consider more effective ways of communicating with parents to ensure they feel better informed about key decisions and priorities that affect their children’s education.  The school has implemented strategies to support staff well-being. However, these are

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not yet fully effective. As a result, some staff have workload concerns. The school should support staff in managing their workload and improving their well-being.  Governors do not routinely challenge the school about the quality of education. This limits their impact on school improvement. Governors should ensure that they access appropriate training and support to enable them to hold leaders to account effectively.

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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). 26 and 27 November 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 8 and 9 February 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 Since September 2024, there has been an acting headteacher and acting deputy headteacher. A substantive headteacher has been appointed for January 2025.  The school does not use any alternative provision for its pupils.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We deemed the inspection a graded (section 5) inspection under the same Act. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic 26 and 27 November 2024

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began. The 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: English, including early reading, mathematics, physical education and history. They met with subject leaders and with teachers. Inspectors visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work and talked with groups of pupils about their learning.  The lead inspector observed pupils from Years 1 to 3 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors considered the curriculum in other subjects. They met with leaders, spoke with pupils and reviewed pupils’ work in these 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

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safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  The lead inspector spoke with members of the governing body. They also spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.  Inspectors met with leaders who are responsible for attendance, behaviour and pupils’ personal development.  Inspectors looked at a range of policies and documentation relating to pupils’ welfare and education. They observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and around school.  Inspectors met with parents at the start of the school day. They considered the responses to the online parent survey, Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They took account of the responses to Ofsted’s online pupil survey.

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Inspection team

Helen Friend, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle Ofsted Inspector 26 and 27 November 2024

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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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