Moorside Community Primary Academy School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Moorside Community Primary Academy School Back Lane, Holland Moor, Skelmersdale, Lancashire WN8 9EA

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Outcome

Moorside Community Primary Academy School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Richard Davis. This school is part of the Moorside Community Primary Academy School, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is a single-academy trust overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Damien Farrelly.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils feel a strong sense of belonging at this friendly school. Each day, staff greet pupils with a warm smile and a friendly wave. Pupils know that they are valued members of the ‘Moorside family’.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy their learning and are happy and safe at school. Children in the early years play together happily in a purposeful and engaging learning environment. Older pupils enjoy spending time outdoors, playing traditional playground games, as well as quietly reflecting in the school’s peaceful area or chatting to their friends.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), meet the school’s high expectations of their work and behaviour. Pupils show positive attitudes to their learning. They treat each other with kindness. Overall, pupils achieve well, particularly in reading, writing and mathematics.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a variety of opportunities to learn other skills and foster their talents. For example, pupils look forward to their weekly ukulele lessons. They also enjoy attending a varied range of after-school clubs and activities. For instance, pupils enjoy representing their school at different sporting events. Through activities such as these, they learn the importance of teamwork and that taking part is even more important than winning. 18 and 19 March 2025

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

Since the previous inspection, the number of pupils with SEND who have complex additional needs has increased. The school has managed these changes very well. The needs of pupils with SEND are quickly and accurately identified. Well-trained staff tailor pupils’ learning support plans to meet their individual needs very effectively. Most pupils with SEND learn well alongside their peers.

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

The school has successfully implemented a new early reading programme. This starts in the early years, where children enjoy spending time in the outdoor reading shed, sharing books with each other and with staff.

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

Pupils use their growing phonics knowledge to read unknown words accurately. However, some of the one-to-one support for early readers is not as effective as it could be. In addition, despite the school’s concerted efforts to improve the persistent absence of some early readers, some still do not attend school as often as they should. This means they miss out on vital learning. By the end of key stage 2, most pupils read fluently and with understanding.

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

Staff appreciate the training they have received to support them in delivering the curriculum well. As a result, in the main, teachers show secure subject knowledge. They explain new content well. Typically, staff check that pupils are not developing misconceptions effectively and address any errors quickly, particularly in English and mathematics. As a result, most pupils achieve well in a range of subjects.

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

In other subjects, pupils show they are developing knowledge over time. However, this learning is sometimes uneven and not as deep as it could be. This is because the school has not identified clearly enough the most important content that pupils, including those with SEND, must master to be able to build on new learning as well as they can. In addition, some of the checks teachers make in these subjects do not sufficiently ensure pupils understand and remember key content in the longer term.

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

Pupils make a tangible contribution to the life of their school. Pupils value their leadership roles working as librarians, subject ambassadors, peacekeepers, sports and school councillors. Pupils show a strong understanding of fundamental British values. For example, they develop their understanding of democracy by taking part in various class elections. Pupils are very respectful of a range of cultures and people from various backgrounds. They also understand there are different ways to be part of a family group.

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

Most pupils follow the school rules well. This starts in the early years, where the two-year- old children quickly learn the school’s behaviour routines. Pupils are polite and well mannered towards adults and each other. Pupils who sometimes struggle to manage their emotions enjoy visiting the ‘sunshine’ room, where the school’s pastoral team provides them with helpful support. The school works resolutely with pupils and their parents and carers to improve attendance rates. As a result, the overall attendance rates of most pupils are now in line with the national average. 18 and 19 March 2025

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Trustees and members of the local governing body are highly committed to their roles. They have a secure understanding of many aspects of the school’s work. Staff are very proud to be part of the school. They appreciate the steps that the school takes to reduce their workload. Parents are extremely positive about the school. They feel a very valued part of the school community.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some of the targeted support for early readers is not as effective as it could be. Additionally, some of these pupils do not attend school as often as they should. As a result, some pupils are not well prepared for the demands of the key stage 2 reading curriculum. The school should develop the quality and frequency of support for early readers. It should also continue to work with parents so these pupils’ rates of attendance rapidly improve.  In some subjects, the school has not determined clearly enough the most important content that staff should emphasise and revisit over time. In addition, some of the checks that staff make on pupils’ learning do not ensure pupils have understood and remembered a connected body of knowledge over time. The school should ensure pupils are building more effectively on their prior learning so they develop a secure understanding of key concepts in the longer term.

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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, 18 and 19 March 2025

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behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good for overall effectiveness in March 2020.

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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). 18 and 19 March 2025

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 3 and 4 March 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision.  The school runs a breakfast club and an after-school club.  The school has provision for two-year-olds.

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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.  The inspector spoke with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers and other leaders. She spoke with a representative of the local authority and the school improvement partner. She also spoke to members of the local governing body, including the chair of governors.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning 18 and 19 March 2025

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and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector spoke to parents and considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments. The inspector spoke to pupils and staff to gather their views. She also took into account the responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for staff. There were no responses to the online surveys for pupils.  The inspector reviewed a range of documents, including those related to the governance of the school.  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 discussed the school’s approach to behaviour and attendance. She spoke with pupils about behaviour and observed them when moving around the school and

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Inspection team

Louise McArdle, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 18 and 19 March 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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