Moor Park High School

Moor Park High School and Sixth Form

Address: Moor Park Avenue, Preston, Lancashire, PR1 6DT Unique reference number (URN): 119773

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Leaders have prioritised improving pupils' behaviour and attendance. All staff play a vital part in upholding leaders' expectations and making the school a welcoming and safe place. Leaders have established rigorous systems to track and monitor trends in pupils' attendance and behaviour. Swift and effective action is taken when barriers arise. This has been highly impactful.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Pupils' attendance is high and continues to improve. In addition, the proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is well below the national average. This is also the case for pupils who are disadvantaged or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Pupils enjoy school. They want to attend.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Classrooms are havens of calm where pupils are eager and ready to learn. Students in the sixth form are particularly positive role models for younger pupils. Leaders have established an environment characterised by respect where pupils know that bullying or harassment will not be tolerated.

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Attendance and behaviour Strong standard

Any pupils who struggle to manage their own behaviour benefit from thoughtful support to develop their self-esteem and manage their emotions. Over time, these pupils become peer mentors, using their experiences to help others to make better choices.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Pupils, including the above-average proportion of pupils who are disadvantaged and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities, feel a clear sense of belonging to this nurturing school community. This reflects leaders' determination to place inclusion at the forefront of their work. Pupils are understood as individuals and this helps them to feel valued.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have appropriate systems in place to identify and assess any additional needs that pupils may have. This information, together with input from external professionals, informs the support that pupils receive. Recently, leaders have focused their work on reducing barriers to disadvantaged pupils' attendance. Leaders have used pupil premium funding well to help them to do this. Their work to use this funding effectively in order to increase pupils' attainment is at an earlier stage. Some variability remains in the quality of the support for those pupils who need additional help to access the curriculum.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders make thoughtful use of alternative provision, for example to help pupils to re- engage with their education. Leaders maintain very close oversight of the effectiveness of this provision to ensure that it meets pupils' needs well.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have established a culture which promotes diversity and difference. Pupils understand the importance of being tolerant of others and this is reflected in how they interact with their peers. The harmonious atmosphere in the school reflects leaders' work to promote cooperation and understanding.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders have taken thoughtful actions to ensure that pupils, including the large proportion who are disadvantaged, engage in activities that enable them to explore new interests. For instance, as part of the curriculum, pupils learn kickboxing and table tennis. Similarly, leaders reduce any barriers to pupils participating in additional enrichment opportunities. For example, all pupils visit the theatre and all pupils have the chance to learn a musical instrument. Many pupils value these opportunities to nurture new talents and interests.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders provide a suitable curriculum for personal, social, health and economic education. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe, both online and in the local area. They learn about healthy relationships and the fundamental British values. Pupils' learning about democracy is brought to life when they participate in mock elections. In the main, pupils develop an age-appropriate understanding of this important information, in readiness for life in modern Britain.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders ensure that pupils are well informed about the education, employment and training opportunities that are available to them when they leave school. Pupils are inspired by visits from former pupils, who talk about their own experiences of higher education and the world of work. This encourages pupils to see themselves in a wide range of careers and professions. Leaders carefully identify more vulnerable pupils and provide additional guidance when needed. As a result, most pupils, and students in the sixth form, successfully progress to further education, employment or training when they leave school.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Leaders provide suitable study programmes for the small number of Year 13 students who attend the school's sixth form. These are carefully tailored to students' individual needs. Teachers know students and their starting points well. Learning activities are carefully designed, taking account of what students already know. Teachers are quick to uncover and address any gaps in students' knowledge. Typically, students learn well. This is broadly reflected in their achievement in national examinations.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students embrace the enrichment opportunities that leaders provide. These include peer mentoring and a range of trips. Students are encouraged to take the lead in fundraising activities, from selecting a charity to organising events and managing finances. These experiences enable students to develop a range of skills, such as budgeting, that stand them in good stead for their lives beyond school.

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Post 16 provision Expected standard

Students receive comprehensive information about the possibilities that are available in education, employment or training when they leave school. This is coupled with work place experiences that are carefully tailored to students' needs and aspirations. Students are well equipped to make informed and ambitious decisions regarding their next steps.

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Achievement Needs attention

Over time, pupils' attainment in national tests at the end of key stage 4 has been low. Although pupils' progress from their starting points is closer to the national average, including for disadvantaged pupils, there is not a trend of improvement over time in most subjects. Most pupils successfully secure places in education, employment or training when they leave school. However, many pupils, including some high prior-attaining pupils, do not achieve as well as they should.

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Achievement Needs attention

Pupils currently in the school make uneven progress through the curriculum. Inconsistencies in the quality of teaching mean that some pupils do not learn as well as they should.

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Achievement Needs attention

Leaders ensure that pupils with gaps in their reading, writing or number knowledge receive suitable support. This is working particularly well for those who struggle with reading and mathematical knowledge. Leaders' work to support pupils to develop their handwriting is at an earlier stage.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have ensured that the curriculum is appropriately ambitious and well organised in each subject. However, teaching is not of a consistently high quality. Leaders have identified this but their actions to develop teachers' expertise have not had sufficient impact, particularly in key stages 3 and 4.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Teachers have sound knowledge of the subjects that they teach. They use this well to explain new concepts to pupils. Teachers routinely check whether pupils know and understand important information. However, some teachers do not use the information from these checks appropriately to inform their teaching. Too often, pupils develop gaps in their knowledge that are not swiftly addressed.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Typically, teachers design suitable learning activities. These usually incorporate strategies that help vulnerable pupils to access their learning. However, when pupils need additional support, at times teachers do not provide this effectively. In addition, at key stage 3, some teachers do not provide sufficient opportunities for pupils to apply and deepen their knowledge. This prevents pupils, including some high prior-attaining pupils, from achieving as highly as they could.

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Curriculum and teaching Needs attention

Leaders have appropriate processes to identify any gaps in pupils' reading, writing or number knowledge. In the main, these pupils benefit from suitable support to address these gaps.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Very recently, there have been some changes in the school's senior leadership. Leaders understand what needs to improve. They are beginning to strengthen their systems for monitoring and evaluating the quality of teaching to ensure that their actions are informed by accurate information. Leaders also have plans to use the professional learning programme more effectively to ensure that teaching is consistently high quality. However, these changes are in the very early stages. It is too soon to see the impact of leaders' work.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Currently, the quality of the school's provision is variable. In some areas, leaders have taken clear action to improve. In particular, they have prioritised increasing pupils' attendance and improving their behaviour. This has been successful. However, many pupils do not learn or achieve as well as they should. They are hindered by inconsistencies in the quality of teaching, which have not been addressed sufficiently well.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Leaders at all levels want the best for pupils, particularly those who are disadvantaged, have special educational needs and/or disabilities or who have other barriers to their learning. Leaders and governors are rightly proud of the pastoral care and inclusive nature of the school. Nevertheless, they have been slow to address pupils' underperformance in national tests. Systems for checking the effectiveness of the curriculum and teaching are not thorough enough. As a result, governors and leaders have been too positive when evaluating the quality of education that the school provides.

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Leadership and governance Needs attention

Staff are proud to work at the school. They appreciate the consideration that leaders give to ensuring that their workload is manageable.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

An atmosphere of mutual respect fills this school. Pupils get along well with each other. They feel able to be themselves, secure in the knowledge that bullying is rare and swiftly resolved. Pupils take great pride in behaving in accordance with the 'Moor Park Way'. They are extremely quick to do the right thing and rarely need reminding to follow the school's well-established routines.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are well known and well cared for by staff. This includes the school's higher-than- average proportion of disadvantaged pupils. Typically, leaders take effective action to reduce any barriers to learning that these pupils may have. This is particularly evident in the highly positive way in which disadvantaged pupils engage with school and learning. The school's nurturing ethos helps all pupils to feel at ease. The majority of pupils attend school regularly. They are happy to be here.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Most pupils enjoy their learning. They make reasonable progress from their starting points. However, weaknesses in the quality of teaching mean that, in a range of subjects, they do not learn as well as they should. This is reflected in pupils' attainment in national examinations at the end of key stage 4. Students in the sixth form do better. In lessons, staff check what students know more consistently. This means they have a better understanding of what they know and what they can do. In the main, students in the sixth form achieve well.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils relish the wide range of opportunities that are available beyond the classroom. For example, some pupils recently performed in the school's 'winter showcase' and others completed expeditions for the Duke of Edinburgh's Award. Older pupils, and students in the sixth form, take on leadership roles which enable them to contribute positively to the school community. These experiences help to develop pupils' confidence and resilience.

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Next steps

Leaders should ensure that highly effective teaching is embedded across the school so that all groups of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and high prior-attaining pupils, learn and achieve well. Leaders should ensure that teachers use assessment information effectively in order to address any gaps in pupils' knowledge. Leaders, including governors, should continue the work that has just begun to strengthen their systems for evaluating the implementation and impact of the curriculum, so that they can more accurately and precisely identify areas for development and drive improvement.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Daniel Pattinson.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other senior leaders, including the designated safeguarding lead, during the inspection. Inspectors also spoke with a representative of the local authority and a group of governors, including the chair.

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About this inspection

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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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school makes use of six alternative provisions, including five that are unregistered.

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About this inspection

The current headteacher has been in post since January 2026.

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About this inspection

The school's post-16 provision is due to close at the end of the 2025/2026 academic year. Currently, the sixth form only caters for a small number of Year 13 students.

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Team inspectors:

Stephen Cox, Ofsted Inspector Derek Yarwood, Ofsted Inspector David Marchant, Ofsted Inspector

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Facts and figures used on inspection

The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.19 -0.03 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.28 -0.03 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 25.0% 25.8% Close to average

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(provisional)

2022/23 (final) 17.3% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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(provisional)

2023/24 (final) 32.2 34.6 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.83 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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A-level average point score

The average points that students achieved per A-level entry.

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A-level value added

A score showing students’ progress between the end of key stage 4 and the end of their academic qualification studies.

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 7.4% 8.1% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 9.8% 8.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 9.6% 9.0% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 25.3% 25.6% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 23.6% 26.5% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

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