Moat Hall Primary Academy

Inspection of Moat Hall Primary Academy John’s Lane, Great Wyrley, Walsall, West Midlands WS6 6BX

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Jane King. This school is part of the Future Generation 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), Jo Whitmore, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Fliss Dale. 15 and 16 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils flourish and are happy at Moat Hall because everyone is treated fairly and with kindness. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and nurturing. Pupils feel safe because they trust staff to deal with any worries. Pupils’ well-being is at the heart of this school. Pastoral support for pupils and their families is effective. This ensures pupils are ready and able to learn successfully.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is ambitious for pupils. Pupils strive to meet the school’s high expectations. They are eager to learn and achieve well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils understand and follow the school rules of ready, respectful and safe. They are well behaved and polite. Older pupils look after the younger children in their family group at lunchtime. Playtimes are friendly and harmonious.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils have many opportunities to widen their interests and develop talents through a broad range of clubs, including yoga, art and sports clubs. They participate in musical and sporting events and performances. Pupils develop responsibility and confidence through leadership roles, such as school council and digital leaders. Pupils feel listened to and are proud that they can make a difference in school. For example, they organise charity events and have created their own ‘MOAT’ awards that recognise and celebrate pupils’ achievements.

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

The school has designed a broad and ambitious curriculum. It has ordered logically what pupils learn and when. Teachers have strong subject knowledge. They check pupils’ understanding carefully to identify and address any misconceptions that pupils may have. However, at times the work that pupils are asked to complete is not adapted carefully to their starting points or to their needs. This means that pupils sometimes do not deepen their understanding enough. At times, this limits some pupils’ learning, understanding and recall.

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

In the early years the curriculum is delivered with skill, supported by well-chosen resources. Teachers present information clearly and are skilled at using discussion to develop children’s understanding and communication. Staff model being kind, sharing and cooperating. This helps children to understand and manage their behaviour from an early age.

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

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) thrive. This is because the school identifies their needs and ensures that every child receives effective support. Pupils with SEND participate fully in the life of the school. Pupils who learn in the Garden Room for part of the day receive a bespoke curriculum that enables them to meet their individual targets.

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

The school prioritises reading. Teachers and pupils enthusiastically join in with regular whole-class reading sessions, where pupils experience a diverse range of texts. Well- 15 and 16 July 2025

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trained staff teach phonics consistently and effectively. This ensures pupils learn and remember new sounds well. Staff provide extra support if they spot pupils who are at risk of falling behind. As a result, pupils become more confident, fluent and accurate readers. However, there is inconsistency in the school’s expectations of how handwriting and early letter formation are taught. As a result, some pupils do not learn to form letters correctly and they do not develop the skills needed to write cursively, legibly and to become fluent writers.

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Pupils agree that staff apply the behaviour rules fairly. This helps pupils to know how to behave. Staff teach important social skills so that pupils have the tools to reflect on and manage their emotions. Pupils also learn how others may be different from themselves. They demonstrate high levels of tolerance for others. Pupils agree that everyone is treated respectfully here.

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The school has successfully improved rates of attendance in recent years. Most pupils attend school regularly. Where this is not the case, the school is persistent in addressing causes for absence, including working with external agencies where necessary.

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Pupils benefit from a well-considered programme of personal development. They learn about healthy lifestyles, positive friendships and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils visit places like farms, zoos, museums and the seaside to bring their classroom learning to life. They also develop their resilience and confidence by taking part in adventurous outdoor activities on residential trips. Older pupils have the opportunity to visit Paris. However, pupils cannot talk with confidence about the key features of many important world religions. This means that they lack a full appreciation of the range of different cultures that make up modern Britain.

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Trustees know and understand their statutory duties well. They share leaders’ vision for every child to achieve their very best. Trustees and governors support leaders’ and staff’s well-being. Staff appreciate the support that the school offers. They feel valued and respected. Staff are proud to work at the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the curriculum is not adapted and delivered as effectively as it could be to meet some pupils’ needs. In these instances, pupils do not develop a consistent depth of knowledge and understanding as well as they could. The school should ensure it continues to develop staff’s expertise and knowledge so they can adapt learning effectively and ensure consistency of delivery across the curriculum. 15 and 16 July 2025

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 The school does not have a consistently applied approach or high enough expectations of pupils’ handwriting across the curriculum. This means some pupils do not learn to form letters correctly and mistakes become embedded. This hinders some pupils’ ability to become fluent writers. The school should ensure that expectations for teaching handwriting are clearly understood and that mistakes are consistently addressed so that pupils are able to express their ideas fluently in writing.  The school’s provision for developing pupils’ understanding of different faiths and cultures is not entirely effective. As a result, pupils do not gain a secure knowledge of the characteristics of different religions and cultures. The school should strengthen its provision for pupils’ spiritual and cultural development so that they can fully understand and experience first hand the things we share in common across cultural and religious

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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). 15 and 16 July 2025

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Moat Hall Primary Academy converted to become an academy in October 2022. When its predecessor school, Moat Hall Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to require improvement for overall effectiveness.  The school is one of seven schools in the Future Generation Trust.  The school does not make use of any alternative provision.  The school provides a before- and after-school club.

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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. 15 and 16 July 2025

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 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the headteacher, the assistant headteachers, curriculum leaders and the special educational needs coordinator.  The lead inspector met with the CEO of the trust, the chair of the board of trustees and representatives of the local governing body.  The inspectors carried out deep dives these subjects: reading, mathematics, history and computing. For each deep dive, inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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

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the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors reviewed a range of school documents, including leaders’ self-evaluation, improvement plans and records of governance.  The inspectors spoke with groups of staff and took account of views shared through the staff survey.  During the inspection, inspectors met with groups of pupils both formally and during less structured parts of the day.  The inspectors took account of responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View. Inspectors also spoke informally with parents on arrival to school.

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Inspection team

Corinne Biddell, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Michael Scott Ofsted Inspector 15 and 16 July 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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