Moulton Primary School

Inspection Report Moulton Primary School

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122102 Unique Reference Number Northamptonshire LEA 281168 Inspection number 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 Inspection dates Barbara Crane AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Church Hill School address Primary Type of school Northampton Foundation School category Northamptonshire NN3 7SW 4 to 11 Age range of pupils 01604 643061 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 01604 642328 Fax number 420 Number on roll Mr Peter Simons Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Peter Sturgess Headteacher 16 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 281168 7 February 2006 - 4 to 11 8 February 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a larger than average primary school. Attainment on entry to the school varies considerably from year to year, with the full range of ability evident, but is best described as broadly average. The school has an average number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. There are a small number of pupils learning English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 2

Moulton Primary School provides a good quality education and good value for money. Inspectors agree with the school that its overall effectiveness is good and that pupils achieve well. Pupils feel well looked after, enjoy learning and are keen to help in shaping their school’s future. Their behaviour is outstanding and relationships are excellent. Teaching is good and most groups of pupils make at least good progress. There is good provision for Reception children. By the time they start in Year 1, standards are broadly average but not all children learn to form letters correctly and problems persist into later years. This slows a few pupils’ progress in handwriting. Most pupils in Years 1 and 2 make good progress but a few more able pupils should be doing better in writing and mathematics. Teaching is not using assessments of these pupils’ work sufficiently accurately to pitch work at the right level for them.

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Grade: 2

Standards are above average in Year 6 and many pupils do very well from Years 3 to 6. Pupils know what their targets are and how to achieve them. Pupils’ achievement in mathematics was lower last year but now matches other areas because of more challenging work. Leadership and management are good and the headteacher is a driving force for improvement. Good self-evaluation provides a clear picture of where teaching and pupils’ achievement are not as good as they should be. As a result, improvement since the last inspection has been good and there is good capacity to further improve. There is still work to do to ensure that subject managers check how well different groups of pupils are progressing in Years 1 and 2.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Ensure that teaching in Years 1 and 2 is more effective in raising more able pupils’ achievement in writing and mathematics. • Improve pupils’ progress in handwriting by ensuring that difficulties with letter formation are dealt with at an early stage.

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Grade: 2

Achievement is good for nearly all groups of pupils and most pupils make very good progress over their time at the school. Standards are above average in Year 6. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and those with English as an additional language make rapid progress in all years because the work is well adapted to meet their needs. Reception children make a good start and there is particularly good progress in their personal, social and emotional development, knowledge and understanding of the world and mathematical development. They develop good attitudes to work. However a few children do not form letters correctly when they start in Year 1. This creates problems when pupils learn to join their letters and these problems persist into later years. Pupils show real pleasure in reading and progress is consistent for all abilities in all year groups. The school’s work on improving reading

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Grade: 2

for pupils in Years 1 and 2 has been particularly successful in boosting more able pupils’ achievement. However progress for a few of the more able pupils in Years 1 and 2 is 2 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 less consistent in writing and mathematics because in writing they do not always benefit from the high expectations evident in later years. Pupils’ progress in Years 3 to 6 is often very good. The challenging targets set for the oldest pupils are met. Standards are above average by the time pupils leave school, with the vast majority gaining the level expected for their age.

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Grade: 2

Pupils’ personal development and well-being are good, including their spiritual and cultural development. Their moral and social development is outstanding, resulting in excellent relationships and behaviour. The firm foundations laid in Reception, where children enjoy working and playing together, mean that older pupils show a high level of respect and consideration for others. They show a mature sense of responsibility as they perform their duties as monitors. Pupils are friendly, polite and willingly volunteer for responsibilities to help around the school. Year 6 pupils say that setting a good example for younger pupils is a priority and they do so very well. Pupils gain a good range of skills to set them up for future success and air their views confidently. They want to get involved and use their own ideas to make a difference in the school’s community. They do this very effectively through the school council and have improved

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Grade: 2

facilities for recreation areas as well as raising money for good causes through charity events. Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of healthy eating and regular activity and appreciate the healthy eating tuck shop. They know how to keep safe. Year 6 pupils have used what they have learned about microorganisms in a poster campaign to raise others’ awareness of how germs are spread. Attendance is average and is affected by the number of families taking holidays during term time.

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Grade: 2

Good teaching and learning mean that most pupils achieve well. The excellent relationships between adults and pupils and the interesting lessons mean that pupils are keen to get started and they work hard. Teaching assistants give very good support to pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities and work is carefully adapted to suit their needs. As a result these pupils make rapid progress towards their targets. Teaching in Reception does not recognise and quickly deal with the problems that a few children have in forming letters. In Years 3 to 6 the information from assessments is used well to provide more able pupils with challenging tasks and activities and so many achieve very well. However, in Years 1 and 2, assessment information is sometimes less well used, and a few more able pupils are occasionally given activities in writing and mathematics that are too easy for them. A small number of more able pupils then find

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Grade: 2

that the work lacks challenge. As a result these pupils’ achievement is only satisfactory. 3 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Grade: 2

The good curriculum enables pupils to study a broad and interesting range of subjects. Pupils enjoy the weeks that are devoted to particular subjects such as geography and science, where the emphasis is on practical activities. A good balance is achieved in the Reception classes between activities chosen by children and those directed by adults and there is plenty to capture children’s enthusiasm in learning. The curriculum is particularly well adapted for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, with carefully planned support that ensures that pupils’ individual targets are met. Planning for more able pupils in Years 1 and 2 is not meeting their needs as well as those in Years 3 to 6. Many pupils join in the good range of activities outside normal lessons in sport and music. The curriculum makes a good contribution to pupils’ safe and healthy lifestyles and pupils put what they learn into practice.

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Grade: 2

Good care, guidance and support mean that the school is a happy place in which the pupils flourish as individuals. Pupils value the school’s friendly atmosphere. Their excellent relationships with adults help pupils to feel valued and secure. The staff know pupils well and listen to their concerns. Pupils are confident that problems will be sorted out and this contributes well to their enjoyment of school. All child protection, health, safety and risk assessments are robust and are reviewed regularly. Very good personal support and guidance are provided for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. There are mainly good procedures in place to check on pupils’ progress and the older pupils’ targets are closely followed up.

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Grade: 2

Leadership and management are good and have ensured that the school has made good progress since the last inspection. The headteacher gives a very good lead in providing a clear sense of direction and the right priorities have been identified through good self-evaluation. Pupils’ and parents’ views are frequently sought and taken into account in planning for the future. Pupils appreciate the headteacher’s frequent presence about the school and his interest in them. The staff and governors work well as a team. Well planned professional development means that skills in checking and evaluating how well pupils and the school are doing are being successfully extended among key staff. This has led to improvements in provision for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, older pupils’ achievement in mathematics, and in reading in Years 1 and 2. Not everyone has yet fully developed their skills to ensure consistency

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Grade: 2

of provision for pupils. Too few checks have been made, for example, in ensuring continuous progress for pupils’ handwriting or thoroughly checking provision for all of the more able pupils. Governors provide good support because they visit the school to find out what is happening and get good quality information about the school’s 4 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 performance. Consequently, they have a firm understanding of the school’s strengths and why it is working on particular priorities. The commitment and hard work of staff and governors ensures that the school has good capacity to improve. 5 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Moulton Primary School, 7 February 2006 to 8 February 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 2 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 2 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 1 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 1 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 2 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills NA Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Dear Pupils Thank you for the warm welcome and help that you gave us when we visited your school. We enjoyed talking and listening to you about what you do. We found that you are a credit to your school. You behave very well and everyone gets on together to make school a happy place for you. You told us that adults listen to you and look after you so that you feel safe. We are glad that you feel that your school is such a friendly place and that you can take part in lots of activities. You are very good at using your ideas to make your school even better. We are pleased that you are learning about how to lead healthy lives and keep fit. The grown ups in charge do a good job and make sure that teaching helps nearly all of you do well in your work. We have asked people to help to sort out the problems that some of you have with handwriting. We have also asked people to make sure that some of you in Years 1 and 2 get

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

work that is a bit harder for you. We wish you all the very best in the future. Yours sincerely Barbara Crane Lead inspector Alexandra House 33 Kingsway London WC2B 6SE T 0207 421 6800 F 0207 421 6707 www.ofsted.gov.uk

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