Moss Park Primary School

Moss Park Junior School Inspection report

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106323 Unique Reference Number Trafford Local Authority 324371 Inspection number 1–2 April 2009 Inspection dates Andree Keddle 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 7–11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 227 School (total) The governing body Appropriate authority Cllr N Hooley Chair Mrs K Stallman Headteacher 20 February 2006 Date of previous school inspection Moss Park Road School address Stretford Manchester M32 9HR 0161 8641710 Telephone number 0161 8641723 Fax number

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7–11 Age group 1–2 April 2009 Inspection dates 324371 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 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by two additional inspectors.

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Description of the school

This is a two-form entry school, where most pupils transfer from the infant school which shares the same building. There is a growing number of pupils from minority ethnic groups, currently approximately a third of the school's population. A small proportion of pupils speak English as an additional language, but very few are at an early stage of learning English. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities is above average, as is the percentage of pupils with a statement of special educational need. The school has earned several awards including Healthy Schools, Artsmark Silver, Activemark, Basic Skills Quality Award 2, Silver Study Support Award, Eco Schools Silver, Intermediate International Schools Award and the Geography Quality Mark.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009

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Grade: 1

Moss Park Junior School provides an outstanding education for its pupils. It is a highly inclusive school, where pupils develop excellent attitudes to learning. Pupils' enjoyment of learning is clearly evident in lessons through their smiles, enthusiasm to answer questions and eager participation. Parents and carers value greatly the high quality of care and the good teaching that support their children's outstanding personal development. A typical parental comment was 'My child is confident and happy at school because his contributions and achievements are valued.' In lessons, pupils show self confidence and a willingness to attempt challenging work as a result of the nurturing and encouraging environment created by the adults in school. From broadly average starting points, pupils make excellent progress and attain above average standards by the time that they leave the school, particularly in mathematics and science. The

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Grade: 1

specific needs of individual pupils are catered for very well and equality of opportunity is promoted effectively, ensuring that all groups of pupils make excellent progress. The combination of good teaching, an outstanding curriculum and highly effective academic tracking procedures underpins pupils' excellent progress. The curriculum is rich and stimulating and provides a wealth of activities to motivate pupils, resulting in their exemplary attitudes to learning. The school has a highly detailed and effective plan to promote excellence and enjoyment for pupils in each year group. Visits out of school and visitors into school are carefully planned and linked to the different topics studied by pupils. Pupils benefit from a range of experiences such as visiting a local art gallery to learn about print-making, working with an artist in school on willow weaving and examining African artefacts and masks. As a result, pupils attain high standards

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Grade: 1

in a range of subjects, such as history, geography and the arts, beyond the core of English, mathematics and science. Lessons are well-planned and pupils say that they enjoy them and find the activities interesting. The lessons seen during the inspection confirm the school's judgement that the quality of teaching and learning is good. Several of the lessons seen during the inspection were good, a significant proportion was outstanding and a very small number were satisfactory. In the most effective lessons, the work is challenging and well-matched to the pupils' learning needs and they are given clear strategies that they can use to complete their tasks. In the satisfactory lessons, pupils make less progress, because the work set does not take into account the learning needs of individual pupils as well as it does in the good and outstanding lessons. Teachers' feedback to pupils through their marking is good and gives praise for good work and effort.

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Grade: 1

However, it does not always give pupils enough information about what they need to do next to improve their work. The personal development and well-being of pupils is outstanding. Pupils' behaviour is outstanding and their attendance is above average. Pupils make healthy choices. They take on responsibilities, such as becoming playground leaders, and cooperate well in lessons and at playtimes and show mature, caring attitudes in their conversations with each other. The curriculum presents many opportunities for pupils to debate and discuss issues and, as a result, they develop extremely good interpersonal skills and an appreciation of other people's views. The school council represents the pupils well and a fitness trail, running track and outdoor stage, have all been purchased as the result of requests by the pupils. The leadership and management of the school are outstanding and there is a strong commitment

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Grade: 1

to continuous improvement based on accurate, highly effective self evaluation. Recent strategies 4 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009 to raise pupils' attainment in writing have been particularly effective and excellent procedures are in place to monitor the progress of pupils to ensure that standards are kept up. The rich, vibrant and exciting curriculum is extremely well-planned and contributes greatly to the outstanding progress made by pupils. Significant improvements have been made since the last inspection, such as involving pupils in evaluating their own learning and improving attendance. Governors are highly skilled in using the national test data to identify the school's strengths and areas for further development, and they support and challenge the school's leadership team very well. The school's capacity to improve is outstanding.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure that all teaching is good or outstanding.

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What the school should do to improve further

■ Ensure all teachers' marking is of a consistently high quality.

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Grade: 1

Overall, pupils enter the school with levels of attainment that are broadly in line with the national average, although for a significant minority writing is weaker. Pupils make excellent progress and, by the end of Key Stage 2, they attain standards in the national tests which are significantly above those expected for their age in mathematics and science. Attainment in English was significantly above the national average in 2007 and broadly in line in 2008. The school's own data show that pupils are currently on track to reach above average standards in English, mathematics and science in the 2009 national tests. Challenging targets have been set for all pupils, particularly in English. Staff analysed the 2008 unvalidated test results carefully and following this, introduced new teaching strategies for teaching writing. These have proved successful and many pupils have made better than expected progress in writing this academic

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Grade: 1

year. The school has excellent, effective, carefully monitored procedures in place to support pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities and for those who speak English as an additional language. These groups of pupils make outstanding progress and attain standards well above those of similar pupils nationally.

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Grade: 1

Pupils' personal development and well-being are outstanding. Pupils say that they enjoy coming to school and this is reflected in their excellent attitudes to learning and their outstanding behaviour. They are extremely polite, friendly and caring. Willingly and sensibly, pupils take on responsibilities such as becoming librarians and house captains and helping to look after the younger children in the adjoining infant school at lunchtimes. Pupils' spiritual, social, moral and cultural development is outstanding. During and after assemblies, pupils reflect thoughtfully on what they have heard and offer considered contributions to discussions. Cultural diversity is celebrated extremely well and this is reflected in the way in which pupils treat each other with sensitivity and respect. This contributes well to the very caring, harmonious atmosphere within the school. The school council and eco committee' are very involved in decision making and are proud of

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Grade: 1

the improvements made to the school grounds. They understand about equipment costs and ensuring value for money as they choose new equipment from catalogues and organize fundraising events. Pupils have an excellent awareness of the needs of others and have, for 5 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009 example, undertaken recycling activities to collect bottle tops to help to purchase wheelchairs for disabled children locally. Pupils have an excellent understanding of how to stay safe, fit and healthy. They make healthy lunch-time choices and enthusiastically participate in the many physical activities provided for them, both during and after the school day. Pupils have an excellent awareness of the local and wider community through events such as bulb planting in the local park and writing to pen pals in schools in Greece, India and South Africa. Pupils leave this school as articulate, confident

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Grade: 1

and mature individuals who are extremely well prepared for the future.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall. There is a significant proportion of teaching that is outstanding and a small proportion that is satisfactory. The best lessons are characterised by a brisk pace, high expectations and excellent planning, with activities closely matched to the full range of pupils' learning needs and excellent relationships between teachers and pupils and between pupils. As a result, pupils develop outstanding attitudes to learning and make excellent progress. In the satisfactory lessons, the pace of learning is slower and activities are not always as challenging and as closely matched to pupils' learning needs as they are in the good and outstanding lessons. Overall, teachers' marking of pupils' work is good; it is positive and gives a great deal of praise and confirmation of what pupils are doing well. However, there is some inconsistency in the quality of feedback in explaining what pupils need to do next to improve. Teaching assistants

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Grade: 2

are deployed well to support pupils' progress. Resources are used most effectively. For example, pupils were observed using an interactive whiteboard in a mathematics lesson to show percentages visually, as a proportion of a one hundred number square.

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Grade: 1

The outstanding curriculum meets statutory requirements and contributes much to pupils' excellent progress and personal development. Very good emphasis is placed on the basic skills of literacy and numeracy which are used extremely well to support learning across all subjects. Information and communication technology is developed through a wide range of activities across the curriculum and pupils demonstrate high levels of skill and competence. Visual and performing arts are a strength of the school and, together with a problem solving approach to learning across the curriculum, they make learning relevant and exciting for all pupils. Stimulating wall displays celebrate pupils' success extremely well and photographs record the wealth of experiences they have enjoyed, such as visits to the Manchester Museum and Quarry Bank Mill. The visits to local places of worship and art galleries have greatly enhanced

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Grade: 1

the pupils' cultural awareness and appreciation of the diverse world in which they live. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the opportunities to learn new skills and subjects, such as Spanish. Most pupils have the opportunity to learn to play a musical instrument and recent activities have included a Samba project and a Black History singing project. There is an extensive range of extra-curricular clubs which caters for a wide range of interests. It includes, for example, learning to play the recorder or oboe, judo, rounders, cross-country 6 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009 running, French, skittle-ball and cheer-leading. All the clubs are extremely well-attended and pupils talk about them with great enthusiasm. Holiday activities are also arranged for the pupils; last summer a group of pupils attended an ecology project and as a result, made excellent gains in their knowledge about conservation.

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Grade: 1

Provision for the care, guidance and support of pupils is outstanding. Pupils thrive on the exceptionally high levels of care and support they receive within the school's very stimulating learning environment. The vast majority of replies to the inspection questionnaire for parents and carers confirm this. Relationships are excellent; pupils feel very safe and valued and are confident that there is always someone to help them sort out any worries they might have. Instances of bullying are extremely rare and are quickly resolved by adults or the playground buddies. The school meets all current government requirements for safeguarding pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and/or disabilities, those for whom English is not their first language, and vulnerable pupils are exceptionally well supported by all adults. Further specialist help is provided as necessary by a wide range of outside agencies. This helps these pupils to

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Grade: 1

be fully included in all that the school offers and to make the same excellent progress as their peers. The progress of all pupils is meticulously tracked and this effectively identifies those pupils needing extra challenge or support. Pupils know their learning targets and are involved in assessing their own work. This contributes in great measure to the excellent progress they make in their learning.

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Grade: 1

Leadership and management are outstanding. The headteacher provides exceptional leadership, driven by her vision for the school, which encompasses a commitment to pupils achieving very well academically and developing an excellent awareness of citizenship and a strong appreciation of social diversity. The headteacher is supported very well by the deputy headteacher and staff. Leaders and managers at all levels work in harmony, underpinned by the shared vision, school ethos and aims. As a result, pupils attain above average standards and show maturity, exemplary behaviour and outstanding attitudes to learning. The headteacher has the trust and confidence of the school community, as shown by the highly positive responses to the inspection questionnaire. There is a clear strategy for school improvement which is based on a very good knowledge of each child and their needs. Well-established processes for self evaluation have led to the accurate identification of priorities

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Grade: 1

for improvement. Highly challenging targets are set for pupils' achievement and the school keeps a very close check on the progress made towards them. Intervention strategies are put into place immediately for any pupils not making expected progress and the impact of these strategies is evident in the tracking systems which show the progress that pupils make. Resources are used most effectively to achieve outstanding value for money. Equality of opportunity is excellent and, as a result, different groups of pupils attain above average standards when compared with similar pupils nationally. The school's actions to promote community cohesion are planned very well and there is evidence to show the great impact of these, such as the respect that pupils show for each other and for pupils in other schools both 7 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009 locally and in the wider world. Therefore, the school makes an outstanding contribution to

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Grade: 1

community cohesion. Governors give an excellent balance of support and challenge to the school. They are well-organised and work very effectively with staff. They have an in-depth understanding of the work of the school and use data extremely well to monitor and evaluate the school's work rigorously and set appropriate and challenging targets for further improvement. 8 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009 .

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Grade: 1

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 9 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 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? 1 The capacity to make any necessary improvements

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Achievement and standards

1 How well do learners achieve? 2 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/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. 10 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009

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learners?

1 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 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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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 1 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination eliminated 1 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? 11 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave the other inspector and me when we visited your school recently to see how well you are doing. Your views were very helpful to us. We were very impressed with you all and think that your school provides you with an outstanding education. You have very good attitudes to learning and your behaviour, relationships with staff and with each other are excellent. These are some of the things that we think are outstanding at your school.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You work hard and try to meet the targets that your teachers set for you.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

■ You develop a very good understanding of the world in which you live through your letters and emails to children in schools in India, Greece and South Africa. ■ You make good decisions about keeping safe and healthy as shown by your lunch-time choices and your enthusiasm for physical education (PE) and extra- curricular clubs. ■ You take responsibility for your own learning and cooperate together on learning activities extremely well. Your headteacher, staff and the governors want to make your school even better and I am sure that they will do so. I have asked that they concentrate on making all of the teaching good and outstanding. Also, I have asked them to check that all your teachers' marking helps you to understand what you have to do next to improve your work. Please accept my best wishes for the future and continue to work hard so that you can all achieve your targets. 12 of 12 Inspection Report: Moss Park Junior School, 1–2 April 2009

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