Morehall Primary School and Nursery

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Morehall Primary School and Nursery Chart Road, Folkestone, Kent CT19 4PN

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Outcome

Evidence gathered during this ungraded (section 8) inspection suggests that the school’s work may have improved significantly across all areas since the previous inspection. The school’s next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Am’e Moris. This school is part of the Turner Schools Academy 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), Seamus Murphy, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Michael Buchanan.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are inspired by the rich opportunities, interesting activities and examples of excellence that surround them every day. They try their hardest, whether weaving willow during outside learning, solving mathematics problems together or trying their hand at squash.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Expectations are extremely high throughout the school. Pupils are very well supported to meet them. They attain highly across the curriculum. In English and mathematics, this is reflected in published outcomes of national assessments. In other subjects, this can be seen, for example, in the particularly high quality of pupils’ artwork that adorns the corridors. Pupils remember these projects and what they have learned. They proudly explain the processes and the colour choices involved.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in classes and around the school is exemplary. Pupils are polite, considerate and engaging. They are strongly focused on their learning. They enjoy discussing ideas together and building on each others’ suggestions and ideas. It is common to hear even the youngest children in the early years encouraging or complimenting each other.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at school. Smiles abound, and relationships are warm and good 4 and 5 February 2025

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humoured. Pupils know that they are cared for and that staff will respond to any problems or worries they have.

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

The school has carefully designed an ambitious curriculum that ensures pupils build their knowledge well in each subject they study. A sharp focus on developing language starts in the early years. Staff expertly develop and extend children’s vocabulary. No opportunity to encourage talk is lost as children play and learn in the many thoughtfully developed spaces. Any pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have their needs quickly and accurately identified. This helps ensure that pupils with SEND have their needs met and successfully learn across the curriculum.

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

Teaching is confident, focused and highly skilled. Teachers provide work that enables pupils to move their learning on. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They routinely check what pupils know and remember and build on this very well. Additional opportunities such as trips to the coast or museum visits are chosen carefully to help pupils develop their understanding further. Pupils understand how their learning links across subjects. For example, they explained how their knowledge of electric circuits from last term was helping them in their current design projects.

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

Learning to read is rightly given priority. As soon as children come into school in the early years, they enjoy regularly hearing nursery rhymes and taking part in book-sharing sessions. These are very popular. Children are excited to find and share their favourites from the wide range of texts in the inviting book areas. Phonics is taught from the start in Reception. Any children who struggle or start to fall behind are quickly identified and given the help they need to catch up. Pupils learn to read quickly and well. Reading remains a priority as pupils move through the school. Older pupils are able to discuss the characters, plots and ideas in the books they are reading with maturity.

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

Pupils are confident and competent mathematicians. Last year, all pupils attained at least the expected standard in the end of key stage two national assessments. Children in early years start to develop a strong understanding of numbers. As pupils move through the school, they display both curiosity and focus in exploring patterns and mathematical ideas across the curriculum.

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

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They attend well. The school monitors pupils’ attendance and responds swiftly when any barriers to attendance are identified. Similar monitoring of pupils’ behaviour ensures that any rare issues are quickly spotted and addressed. The school is a harmonious, calm environment.

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

The school is proud to be ‘a school at the heart of our community’. Pupils visit care homes, pick litter and provide care packages. School events bring in businesses and community figures. Clubs and activities, such as skateboarding, reflect local facilities and opportunities. Parents highlight the wide range of enrichment activities that their children enjoy. This exemplary and extensive provision helps pupils understand and enjoy all their local area has to offer. 4 and 5 February 2025

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Staff are proud to work at the school. They say they are involved and consulted about any changes that impact their workload. The school and trust work well together to provide the training, support and challenge everyone welcomes. Morale is high. Everyone is committed to making sure ‘every minute matters’ and that all pupils flourish and thrive.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024 graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in October 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 4 and 5 February 2025

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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). 4 and 5 February 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 1 and 2 October 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Turner Schools Academy Trust.  The principal took up her post in April 2020.  The Nursery at the school opened in September 2021.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The school offers both before- and after-school care.

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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 began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  During the inspection, the inspector met with a range of school staff and held regular 4 and 5 February 2025

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update meetings with leaders. The inspector also met with some members of the trust and the CEO.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector 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 inspector reviewed responses to Ofsted’s parent, pupil and staff surveys.  The inspector talked to staff to gather their views about the school, including their workload and well-being. The inspector met with several groups of pupils, as well as speaking to pupils during lessons and at lunchtime.

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Inspection team

Deborah Perkins, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 4 and 5 February 2025

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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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