Moorbrook School

Inspection of Moorbrook School Ainslie Road, Fulwood, Preston, Lancashire PR2 3DB

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Inspection dates: 25 and 26 February 2025

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Good 25 and 26 February 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are happy at this welcoming school. Kind and compassionate staff greet them warmly as they arrive at school each morning. Pupils who are new to the school settle in quickly. Staff support pupils well to help them to focus on their learning.

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What is it like to attend this school?

All pupils have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). They respond well to the high aspirations that the school has for their achievement and conduct. Most pupils achieve well. By the end of Year 11, many pupils gain qualifications that prepare them well for further study or the world of work.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ social and emotional development by supporting them to develop important skills, such as resilience and confidence. Pupils are ably supported to manage their emotions and make positive choices. As a result of this work, pupils develop well from their differing starting points. This helps them to follow the school’s rules.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a wide range of trips and visits beyond the academic curriculum. For example, pupils spoke excitedly about climbing, hill walking, visits to the beach and sports competitions, theatre trips and museum visits. These experiences enable pupils to develop exciting new interests and find undiscovered talents.

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

Pupils who come to this school have often experienced significant barriers to their learning in the past. The school successfully supports pupils to settle in quickly and to attend school regularly. As a result, pupils typically develop positive attitudes to learning and grow in confidence. Staff understand the social, emotional and mental health (SEMH) needs of pupils. They are trained to use effective strategies that promote positive behaviour. This helps pupils to learn to manage their feelings and emotions appropriately.

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

The school has worked successfully to secure improvements to the quality of the curriculum since the last inspection. The school has identified the key knowledge and subject-specific skills pupils should learn in each subject.

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

Mostly, teachers deliver the curriculum well. However, the curriculum is relatively new in a small number of subjects. Teachers are still familiarising themselves with the content of these new subject curriculums. Consequently, they are not as adept at checking pupils’ prior learning before introducing new information. This means, on occasion, the activities some pupils complete do not match their needs as well as they might. This hampers some pupils from learning as well as they could.

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

The school has identified the specific reading needs of each pupil. It has put in place the necessary support so pupils become confident and fluent readers. Many pupils with gaps in their phonics knowledge catch up quickly with their peers.

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

The school has established systems for checking and evaluating the delivery of the curriculum. However, in a small number of subjects, the school does not use these 25 and 26 February 2025

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systems as effectively as it could. Consequently, the school sometimes does not identify or address the most important issues with how some curriculum content is delivered. On occasions, the curriculum is not delivered as intended and pupils’ learning is hindered.

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All pupils have an education, health and care plan (EHC plan). The school accurately identifies the additional needs of pupils with SEND. It provides pupils with the specialist support they need so they can learn successfully alongside their peers.

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The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance. It works closely with parents and carers to overcome any barriers preventing pupils from attending school. For some pupils who do not attend school regularly, the school offers effective support to families to reduce absence levels.

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The school’s programme to promote pupils’ personal development prepares them well for adulthood. For example, pupils learn about healthy relationships and how to care for their physical and mental health. Through the outdoor learning opportunities that the school provides, pupils develop their teamwork and communication skills. Pupils benefit from independent careers advice and a well-considered package of careers education.

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Staff are proud to work at this school. The school is considerate of their workload and well-being. Governors support the school well. They have a range of skills that allow them to understand the school and support its development. Governors are well informed about the school’s curriculum.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Occasionally, staff do not identify or address gaps in some pupils’ knowledge before they introduce new learning. This means that the learning of these pupils is not as secure as it should be. The school should support staff in checking that pupils have successfully embedded prior knowledge before they introduce new curriculum content.  In a small number of subjects, the school is not effective at evaluating the delivery and impact of the curriculum. This means that some weaknesses are not identified and acted on in a timely manner. In turn, this hinders pupils’ achievement in these subjects. The school should ensure that it gathers and evaluates information about the curriculum effectively so that it can quickly address any shortcomings in subject curriculums.

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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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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). 25 and 26 February 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 October 2023, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 All pupils at the school have an EHC plan. All pupils have SEMH and a range of associated needs.  The school makes use of 13 unregistered alternative provisions.  The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. 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 25 and 26 February 2025

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provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and with other school leaders.  The lead inspector met with governors, including the chair of governors, and spoke with a representative of the local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, mathematics and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, 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 also observed some pupils from Years 7 to 11 read to a familiar adult.  Inspectors discussed the curriculum in some other subjects. They spoke with leaders and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors reviewed the single

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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.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at breaktimes.  Inspectors spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. They also considered the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  Inspectors reviewed a range of documents, including leaders’ evaluation of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement and documents relating to pupils’ behaviour and attendance.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  Inspectors spoke with staff about their workload and well-being. They also reviewed the responses to Ofsted’s online survey for staff.

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Inspection team

Victoria Burnside, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Lee Fazackerley Ofsted Inspector 25 and 26 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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T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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