Moor Hall Primary School

Moor Hall Primary School Inspection report

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103351 Unique Reference Number Birmingham Local Authority 323805 Inspection number 14–15 July 2009 Inspection dates Michael Merchant Reporting inspector

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This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The registered childcare, managed by the governing body, was inspected under section 49 of the Childcare Act 2006.

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Primary Type of school Community School category 5–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 210 School (total) 0 Government funded early education provision for children aged 3 to the end of the EYFS 0 Childcare provision for children aged 0 to 3 years The governing body Appropriate authority P Garrington Chair Andrew Steggall Headteacher 23 May 2006 Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous funded early education inspection Not previously inspected Date of previous childcare inspection Rowallan Road School address Sutton Coldfield B75 6RE 01216 753966 Telephone number 01216 754501 Fax number

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5–11 Age group 14–15 July 2009 Inspection dates 323805 Inspection number .

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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. 2 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

The school is similar in size to most other primary schools. Very few pupils are eligible for free school meals. The overwhelming majority of pupils are from White British backgrounds. The proportion of pupils identified as having learning difficulties and/or disabilities is very low. There is one Reception class in the Early Years Foundation Stage. The school provides a wide range of extended services, including a breakfast and after-school club. There is a privately managed childcare provision, which occupies premises on the school site.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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Grade: 2

Moor Hall is a good school. It is moving rapidly in the right direction under the highly effective leadership of its motivational headteacher. He inspires staff and pupils to get the best out of themselves and others so there is a very real sense of working together as a team. Pupils are right to be proud of their school and relish all it has to offer. They confirm that they are very happy and extremely well cared for, saying, 'It is one big family here.' The overwhelming majority of parents have great confidence in the school and its headteacher. The headteacher, with strong support from his talented senior team, provides outstanding leadership and this is at the heart of this effective school. He has put in place several highly effective measures that have sustained the school's very high standards, improved teaching and learning and raised achievement. Pupils make good progress because procedures are

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Grade: 2

securely in place to enable the headteacher, his senior team and subject leaders to monitor all areas of the school's work rigorously. A carefully planned and varied curriculum inspires pupils to work hard and gain a very wide range of skills. Consistently good and often outstanding teaching leads to many examples of excellent learning, as does the very wide range of clubs, visits and extra activities. Pupils take part in a good range of sports and they have an excellent understanding of how to adopt healthy lifestyles. When children start in the Early Years Foundation Stage, their skill levels are above average. They make good progress because there is a very strong focus on developing children's social skills and their ability to communicate with each other. This results in standards that are well above average at the end of the Reception year. By the end of Year 6, standards have risen considerably and are exceptionally high. This

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Grade: 2

represents good progress by all groups of pupils. Pupils' personal development is good, especially their spiritual, social and moral and development. Very good relationships and outstanding care, guidance and support result in happy learners. Pupils feel safe and report that there are many adults they can talk too should they have any concerns. Teachers mark books carefully and regularly. They have very good subject knowledge, give clear explanations and plan their lessons well. However, they do not always ensure that pupils are given sufficient time to work independently and to talk about their findings. Pupils play their full part too. They come to school ready to learn and are eager to contribute to lessons. Their exemplary behaviour means that lessons are rarely disrupted and can be conducted at a good pace and in a positive climate. The above average attendance rate reflects pupils' great enjoyment of school. Consequently,

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Grade: 2

pupils are well prepared for the next steps in their education and beyond. Although pupils from all backgrounds work and play together well, their awareness of different ways of life in the diverse society in which we live is not developed well enough. This is because the school has not fully evaluated how well it meets its requirements to promote community cohesion. Governors hold the school to account well for its work. The school uses its resources and accommodation imaginatively and efficiently and offers good value for money. The school monitors its work well and so knows exactly what to do further on its journey to excellence. This, together with rising standards and achievement, means the capacity to further improve is good.

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Grade: 2

Children love coming to school and parents are very appreciative of the good start that their children receive in the Reception class. They particularly commend the way their children are 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009 helped to settle into school. Children are eager to participate in all that is provided for them. Good provision for the Reception class enables children to achieve well and develop good independence. The development of children's personal and social skills is outstanding. Children gain confidence to learn school routines quickly. Relationships between adults and children are excellent. Children's outstanding behaviour is a result of the high expectations and the welcoming, calm environment. The highly practical curriculum links learning and promotes all aspects of children's development well. This, together with good teaching, is the reason why

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Grade: 2

children make good progress in the Reception class. There is a good balance between children working independently and being directed by the teacher. Staff interact well with the children but do not always take the opportunity to ask open-ended questions to present the children with the chance to express their ideas more fully. The Reception team plan together well and ensure all the required areas of learning are covered. There is a strong focus on promoting healthy lifestyles. Even the youngest children learn about healthy foods and engage in making choices about healthy and less healthy foods. Pupils enjoy the outdoor environment, especially the climbing activities. Leadership and management of the Early Years Foundation Stage is good; the phase leader is fully aware of the strengths and areas to develop. She has a very secure understanding of the curriculum and constantly reviews her practice to ensure that all

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Grade: 2

children receive very high quality care and support.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Provide greater opportunities for pupils to develop their understanding and awareness of people from other backgrounds. ■ Ensure pupils become more involved in lessons, to learn independently and to talk about what they have found out.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well and attain very high standards. Results in the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2008 were exceptionally high. This was a rise over the previous year, when they had been above average. The 2008 results returned the school to the exceptionally high standards seen in the previous three years. Pupils' current work, classroom observations and provisional results of this year's national tests confirm that current standards are exceptionally high overall. Given pupils' starting points when they join the school, they make good progress through Years 1 and 2. As a result of consistently good and often outstanding teaching, careful tracking of progress and a strong emphasis on literacy and numeracy, this good progress continues in Years 3 to 6. There is very little difference in the progress made by the various groups of pupils in the school. This is because the school works very effectively to support

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Grade: 2

pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and those who enter the school with particularly low levels of attainment.

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Grade: 2

Pupils greatly enjoy school and are excited by all that it has to offer. This is reflected in their huge enjoyment of learning, excellent attendance, and their keen involvement in a wide range of activities. Spiritual, moral and social development is excellent so that by Year 6, pupils are mature, considerate, self-assured and responsible young people. Pupils work and play together well. Their contribution to and involvement in the life of their wider community, however, is 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009 more limited and many pupils have too little awareness of the multicultural society in which we live. Pupils report an absence of bullying and racism and relish their involvement in many musical and cultural activities. The focus on social skills starts very well in the Reception class, where children learn how to concentrate, listen, explore new things and cooperate successfully

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Grade: 2

with others. Pupils' good progress in basic skills and very well-developed social skills means they are well prepared for their future lives and careers. The very well-run and popular breakfast and after-school clubs contribute well to pupils' personal development and well-being by helping pupils become independent and also to cooperate with their class-mates.

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Grade: 2

Teaching and learning are good. Lessons are characterised by excellent relationships underpinned by mutual respect, humour and warmth. In most lessons, pupils experience a range of approaches and this helps to sustain their interest, so that they quickly acquire new knowledge and skills. Sustained challenge and high expectations enable pupils to achieve well over time. Teaching assistants are very effective in their work. Pupils are very clear about subject targets and teachers support pupils well to reach their goals, and this is an important reason why such high standards are being sustained. As one pupil said, 'We all know exactly where we are and how we are doing.' The best marking is carried out diligently and teachers provide helpful, supportive written or verbal comments. In a small minority of lessons teachers sometimes talk too much, which limits the time pupils are actively and independently learning. This results in slower

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Grade: 2

progress and less time to articulate what they have learnt.

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Grade: 2

The carefully planned curriculum contributes strongly to pupils' learning. The school ensures that learning is meaningful because it carefully plans themes with strong links between subjects. There is a strong focus on English and much discussion work is linked to helping pupils with their writing. Provision for information and communication technology across subjects is good and makes a strong contribution to pupils' high achievements. The curriculum positively supports pupils' personal development through effective personal, social, and health education, and imaginative and thought-provoking assemblies. There is an excellent focus on using visits to widen pupils' life experiences. The school provides pupils with a wide variety of sporting activities as part of the school day. Pupils particularly enjoy and appreciate the breakfast and after-school clubs. These, together with well-supported creative and educational activities outside the

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Grade: 2

normal school day, make a valuable contribution to pupils' learning, their levels of enjoyment and their personal development. However, there are few planned opportunities for pupils to develop their business and financial understanding.

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Grade: 1

The value placed on each pupil, and the attention paid to meeting each one's individual needs, underpins the school's success in supporting and developing pupils' personal and academic achievements. This success ranges from the security, cleanliness and attractiveness of the whole learning environment, to the valuable help and guidance given to pupils to ensure they improve 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009 their work. Child protection procedures are secure and sensitive. Behaviour management systems are seen by pupils as fair and applied consistently. Staff know the pupils very well and make effective use of assessment information to track and check pupils' progress, so that extra support can be provided if pupils need it. As a result, pupils are very clear about what they need to do to improve their work. Pupils are set clear learning targets, which they confirm are

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Grade: 2

Good leadership and management are at the heart of the school's success. Many members of the school community speak with delight and admiration of how the school continues to improve under the outstanding leadership of the headteacher. He works tenaciously to improve pupils' educational opportunities and communicates his high expectations persuasively to staff. Consequently, all have a shared sense of direction and feel part of a successful team. The headteacher and other members of the senior team check the school's performance rigorously. They are quick to recognise and praise the good work of staff and pupils and are alert to situations where people need more advice and guidance. Because staff benefit from supportive feedback, a climate has been created where everyone is trying hard to make the school even better. Consequently, teamwork is strong, staff morale is high, very high standards are being

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Grade: 2

maintained and pupils' progress accelerating. Subject leaders manage their areas very well and their careful, rigorous monitoring is contributing highly to the good and improving teaching and so to pupils' very high standards. Governors know the school well and ask challenging questions about what goes on because they are keen for all pupils to do as well as possible. The extended provision is well managed by the governing body, who ensure pupils benefit from a safe and stimulating environment before and after school. The school improvement plan is comprehensive and shows clearly how improving the effectiveness of leadership and of teaching and learning is at the heart of all it does. The school has an accurate view of its work. However, because of the limited extent to which pupils are encouraged to become involved in the wider community and with others from different ethnic groups and cultures, community cohesion is

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Grade: 2

not well enough developed and is no more than satisfactory. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009 .

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Grade: 2

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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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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needs of learners?

Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well being? 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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EYFS?

2 How well do children in the EYFS achieve? How good are the overall personal development and well-being of the children in the EYFS? 2 How effectively are children in the EYFS helped to learn and develop? 1 How effectively is the welfare of children in the EYFS promoted? 2 How effectively is provision in the EYFS led and managed?

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 1 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and/or disabilities make progress

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Achievement and standards

1 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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learners?

2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development 1 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles 1 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices 1 The extent to which learners enjoy their education 2 The attendance of learners 1 The behaviour of learners 3 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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learners' needs?

How well do the curriculum and other activities meet the range of needs and interests of learners? 1 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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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 1 How effectively leaders and managers use challenging targets to raise standards 1 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 3 How well does the school contribute to community cohesion? 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

16 July 2009 Dear Pupils Inspection of Moor Hall Primary School, Sutton Coldfield B75 6RE I should like to thank all of you very much for the kindness and consideration you showed to my colleague and me when we came to visit your school recently. We really enjoyed ourselves. Moor Hall Primary is a good school. You told us many interesting things about your school, which was very helpful. I would like to say a special thank you to the school council and those of you from Years 5 and 6 who gave up part of your lunchtime in order to meet us. Here are some of the good things about your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your behaviour is excellent and you get on very well with your fellow pupils. Moor Hall is a well-ordered school and you look after each other. ■ Teaching is good and sometimes excellent and your teachers are very concerned to make sure that you do as well as you can. ■ By the time you are in Year 6, you reach standards that are much higher than those of other pupils in other schools and you make good progress in your lessons. ■ You learn lots about keeping yourselves safe and leading a healthy lifestyle.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Your headteacher and other senior staff are excellent leaders and know exactly how to make Moor Hall Primary School even better.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ What we have asked your school to do now.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ Give you more chances to learn more about the beliefs and ways of life of people who come from different backgrounds from yourselves. ■ Make sure that you are able to learn more things on your own and then be able to talk about what you have found out. I hope that you all continue to work hard and do well at Moor Hall Primary School. Yours faithfully Michael Merchant Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Moor Hall Primary School, 14–15 July 2009

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