Morelands Primary School

Inspection Report Morelands Primary School

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116265 Unique Reference Number Hampshire Local Authority 290477 Inspection number 5 March 2007 Inspection date Peter Thrussell Reporting inspector

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

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Crookhorn Lane School address Primary Type of school Purbrook Community School category Waterlooville PO7 5QL 4 °11 Age range of pupils 02392 253770 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02392 241929 Fax number 259 Number on roll (school) Mrs Shirley Simpkins Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Mrs Elisabeth Bush Headteacher 24 June 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection date Age group 290477 5 March 2007 4 °11 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 an Additional Inspector.

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Description of the school

Morelands is a larger than average primary school with a falling roll. Pupils are from a variety of backgrounds, some of which are disadvantaged. The majority of pupils are from White British Heritage. There is a very high proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. Special provision is made in attached units for children requiring nurture and assessment and for others with language impairment.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007

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Grade: 1

Morelands provides an outstanding quality of education for its pupils. The headteacher, very ably assisted by her deputy and an extremely effective senior team, provides excellent leadership and management. This ensures that pupils make outstanding progress in both their personal development and academic learning. Excellent care, which draws on the very close links established with parents and other agencies, ensures that pupils, both in the main school and its attached units, are safe and extremely well supported. There is excellent provision for pupils with social, emotional or behavioural needs as well as for those with learning difficulties. This is extremely well led and managed by the special needs coordinator. One parent commented, 'I am sure my son would not have made the noticeable and significant progress he has without the patience and dedication of the teachers and teaching assistants'.

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Grade: 1

Excellent behaviour and very positive attitudes to learning contribute to pupils' success in school. They greatly enjoy everything about school, commenting that 'it's fun', and recalling the interesting trips they have been on. 'We like to work hard', said one pupil, with another replying, 'If you're stuck, teachers help you'. Pupils are very well aware that the different sporting activities help them to keep fit. They benefit from the playground equipment and well-designed outside play areas, largely instigated by the active school council. From the time they start school pupils are encouraged to drink water, or 'brain juice' as the Reception children call it. They recognise the importance of a healthy diet, encouraged by the nutritious meals served in school. Pupils are fully involved in their own learning. Lessons are planned with clear learning outcomes, which are discussed with pupils. These provide a measure against which

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Grade: 1

they can assess how well they are doing. Pupils understand that the targets which are set for them help them work even better. The excellent provision in Reception recognises the importance of carefully assessing and recording the small steps children make in their learning in order to plan the next steps. Excellent teaching throughout the school makes full use of regularly updated assessment information. This helps ensure that work is challenging and well matched to individual ability. Consequently, from a very low starting point in Reception, pupils, including those with learning difficulties and disabilities, make excellent progress. By Year 6 standards in English are average and have shown steady improvement in recent years. In mathematics and science they are above average. The school is extremely accurate in the evaluation of its performance and excellent progress has been made since the last inspection in all aspects of its work. Senior staff

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Grade: 1

analyse data very carefully and identify areas to work on. More time and opportunities for reading, with an improved library and wider range of books, and a greater scope for writing through topic work, are helping to raise standards in literacy and ensure that boys do as well as girls. Of necessity, the school has focused its work on developing literacy and numeracy skills. Creative links are being made between subjects to utilise these and other skills and to add more relevance and purpose to learning. However, the school recognises that more work has yet to be done on this. Given its record of 2 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007 success, the school has an excellent capacity to tackle this issue and make further improvements.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Raise standards, particularly in English and mathematics, by providing further opportunities for pupils to apply their skills in other contexts.

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Grade: 1

Standards are average and achievement is outstanding. Children enter the school with very low levels of skills, particularly in communication, language and literacy. They make excellent progress in Reception and many achieve the learning goals expected at this age. Throughout the rest of the school, progress overall is outstanding. By Year 2, with a very high proportion of pupils identified with particular learning difficulties, standards are below average. In Year 2, there has been an even greater focus on tracking pupils' progress and setting more challenging work, particularly for more able pupils. As a result, standards are starting to rise here. A focus on spoken language skills through more role play opportunities is helping pupils to develop their ideas and vocabulary for writing both in Reception and Years 1 and 2. By Year 6, achievement in English, mathematics and science is excellent. Pupils with learning difficulties and

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Grade: 1

disabilities also make excellent progress. This is due to the extremely high quality of support provided and, where appropriate, opportunities for pupils from the Language Impairment Unit to work in mainstream classes. In order to raise standards in mathematics further, the school is currently developing the support role of teaching assistants and providing workshops to encourage and enable parents to support children in their learning.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being, including the spiritual, moral, social and cultural aspects, is outstanding. Pupils are very confident and have high self-esteem, showing great pleasure in both what they and other pupils have achieved. Pupils thoroughly enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in the above average attendance. Where there are problems over attendance, the school is extremely vigilant and works hard to address them. Pupils have an excellent understanding of healthy lifestyles, recognised by the school's enhanced Healthy Schools Award and the Active Mark. Pupils agree that school is a very safe place and know that if they have any concerns these are quickly and fairly sorted out. Very clear guidance on behaviour, with the appropriate and consistent use of both praise and sanctions, has resulted in improved and currently outstanding behaviour. Pupils make an excellent contribution

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Grade: 1

to both the school and wider communities. They are keen to take on responsibilities in school and are proud to be on the school council. They are regularly involved in 3 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007 charitable fund raising. Average standards in literacy and numeracy and excellent personal skills, means pupils are well prepared for their later life and learning.

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Grade: 1

Teaching and learning are outstanding. Excellent relationships help encourage pupils, and they are eager to learn. In Reception, where children are new to the school, these warm relationships ensure that children quickly develop personal skills and the confidence to choose from a wide range of very well-organised activities. Lessons are extremely well planned, taking good account of pupils' previous learning. The pace of lessons is brisk, allowing time for pupils to work at activities and meet teachers' high expectations. Throughout the school, teachers and teaching assistants work very well together and with a keen sense of enthusiasm. They encourage pupils in their learning and use a range of techniques to make lessons enjoyable. For instance, interactive whiteboards are used to good effect. Marking is thorough and regular. It lets pupils know how well they have done and where improvements could be made. Homework

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Grade: 1

is used extremely well to reinforce classroom learning.

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Grade: 1

The curriculum is outstanding. Work is very well planned for pupils of different abilities. The school identifies gifted and talented pupils and, with other local schools, is developing the provision for them. The school is starting to look at ways of adding further interest, relevance and enjoyment to the curriculum through combining subjects in a more topic- based approach to learning. There is good provision for information and communication technology and pupils have many opportunities to use these skills to support their learning. French is being introduced across the school. A very wide range of visits, including residential ones, visitors, and a good number of additional activities, greatly enrich the curriculum. They provide, for example, insight into different cultures, first hand learning experiences, and opportunities to develop physical fitness. Work in the Reception year is extremely well planned to provide a good balance

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Grade: 1

between structured sessions and activities chosen by children. The school's comprehensive programme of personal and social development includes very useful life skills that help pupils to become healthy, safe and responsible people.

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Grade: 1

The care, guidance and support of pupils are outstanding. The school has a very strong commitment to caring, which is reflected in the very good arrangements for safeguarding the welfare of pupils. This starts with the very good arrangements for children starting school. They and their parents become acquainted with the staff and 4 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007 surroundings by spending time in school. Children are therefore keen to start, and settle very quickly. Procedures for safe recruitment and for child protection are very clear, well known, and rigorously applied. Both within the school and its attached units, there is excellent support for pupils with social, emotional or behavioural needs and for those with learning difficulties. This enables them to be fully included in the life of the school and to achieve as well as others. Pupils' progress is assessed and tracked very well. Through knowing what they need to achieve in lessons, through

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Grade: 1

the many opportunities to talk about their work with teachers and through their individual targets, pupils are guided very well in their learning.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The school very carefully monitors its work and accurately evaluates it. This process effectively identifies appropriate areas for action. Excellent improvement has been made since the last inspection, particularly in relation to assessment and planning, monitoring pupils' progress and the involvement of pupils in their own learning. Regular classroom observations provide teachers with areas for improvement. Very good performance management procedures encourage staff to improve their performance in line with the actions the school is taking. Governors are very supportive of the work of the school. They have a good understanding of the school's main strengths and developments and are involved in self-evaluation. Their understanding of the details relating to achievement and standards is less clear. The school has very good links with parents who are given every

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Grade: 1

encouragement to be involved in their children's learning. Extremely good community links have provided well-targeted support for pupils' reading through the active involvement of Rotary Club volunteers. 5 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007 .

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Grade: 1

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 1 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 1 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I am writing to let you know what I found when I visited your school. Thank you for taking part in the inspection. I spoke to some of you during my visit and you were interesting to talk to, extremely polite and helpful. You spoke very enthusiastically about enjoying school and all of the things you take part in. Moreland Primary School is an outstanding school. I liked these things the most. • You work very hard and make excellent progress in your learning. • Children get a wonderful start to school in Reception. The 'brain juice' really must help you to learn. • You behave extremely well and enjoy your lessons and playtimes. • The school is extremely caring; pupils who need extra help are really well supported both in the units and main school. • The school provides you with very many interesting things to do. • You understand the importance of eating the right things and taking plenty of exercise. I

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

really enjoyed sharing a delicious school meal, and talking to the school council. • The school listens to you when you suggest how things could get even better. The markings on the playground are very colourful and impressive and you must be very proud of them. • Your parents are keen to help you and give very good support to all that the school does. • Your head teacher does an excellent job and is extremely well supported by the staff and governors. I have asked the school to work on this now. • Provide you with further interesting and enjoyable opportunities to use and develop your reading, writing, mathematics, ICT and other skills. Thank you again. Yours sincerely, Peter Thrussell Lead Inspector 9 Inspection Report: Morelands Primary School, 5 March 2007

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