Moat House Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and thereby raise achievement across the school for all groups by ensuring that teachers:
  • set work at the right level for pupils of different abilities

raise their expectations of what pupils can achieve and challenging pupils so that more can reach a good level of development improve pupils’ phonic decoding and blending skills and enunciate letters and sounds correctly

improve pupils’ use and application of grammar, punctuation and spelling in writing

• develop pupils’ reasoning skills in mathematics.
• Improve leadership and management by:
  • making sure that the pupil premium funding is used effectively across the school to raise achievement of disadvantaged pupils.
  • ensuring that support and intervention programmes for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are evaluated in terms of impact
  • summarising and evaluating assessment information for all groups, including in early years, so that governors have a clear understanding of pupil progress
  • using assessment information collected on entry to the early years more effectively in order to build on children’s abilities and accelerate their progress. An external review of governance and the pupil premium funding should be undertaken in order to assess how this aspect of leadership and management may be improved.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management

Requires improvement

• Leaders’ evaluation of teaching and its impact on outcomes is overly generous. Leaders have not improved teaching sufficiently since the previous inspection to ensure that pupils make consistently good progress as they move through the school. This is evident in pupils’ books, samples of teaching observed and published data.
• Leaders and governors have not used the large sum of pupil premium received well enough to improve outcomes for disadvantaged pupils. The funding is used primarily to employ additional staff to support eligible pupils in their reading, writing and mathematics. However, the impact of this support is not evaluated carefully enough to determine where it is most successful and where it needs adjusting. As a result, the differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are not diminishing rapidly enough.
• Funding received for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not used as effectively as it could be to enable these pupils to achieve well. Intervention programmes are not tracked carefully to determine how much progress pupils make and whether the support provided has been successful. The new leader has identified where improvements are needed and is beginning to address gaps in provision.
• Leaders collect school assessment information each half term and track pupils’ progress. A review of the new assessment system introduced resulted in changes being made and criteria for measuring progress revised. However, this system is still evolving and leaders do not summarise or analyse information collected well enough, including from workbooks, to have a clear and accurate view of progress. As a result, governors and staff are unclear about which groups are achieving well and which are not.
• The headteacher and senior leadership team are committed and determined to improve the education and life chances of pupils at Moat House. New systems have been introduced and new initiatives implemented to improve pupils’ reading, writing and mathematical skills. While there are positive early signs of improvement, especially in reading, it is too early to judge the impact of some of these initiatives.
• With support from the local authority, leaders have devised more robust action plans. For example, an action plan to improve the quality of teaching has been well led and monitored by the deputy headteacher. Subject leaders generate termly plans with precise, measurable criteria. These are reviewed and evaluated regularly. Leaders have a different focus each term, for example, adults’ questioning skills. Checks are made and records completed to show whether training and coaching provided are implemented and proving to be effective. This good practice is helping to sharpen leaders’ view of the quality of teaching and learning.
• Good support and feedback are provided to teachers, including those who are new to the profession or not yet qualified. Training and mentoring is provided to help improve their practice.
• A topic-based approach is used to develop the wider curriculum. Exciting topics are used to develop pupils’ science, history and geography knowledge. However, pupils’ limited grammar, punctuation and spelling skills reduce the quality of writing produced in these subjects. Pupils enjoy a wide range of art, music and sports opportunities. For example, Year 5 participated in a music workshop with other local schools during the inspection. The curriculum is well enriched with lots of visits, visitors and clubs. Pupils talked with enthusiasm about their recent residential visit to Wales which helped develop their personal and social skills. Such opportunities add to pupils’ enjoyment of school.
• The sports premium is used well. Funds received allow pupils to participate in a wide range of clubs and activities and attend an increasing number of local tournaments. There is a very high take-up of clubs and a waiting list for places due to their popularity. Sports coaches run clubs at lunchtime. This has been successful in reducing the number of behaviour incidents at lunchtime. Leaders place a strong emphasis on pupils’ health and well-being. Pupils complete the ‘golden mile’ twice a week to combat potential obesity.
• Leaders strongly promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The school has a very diverse community, with a high number of pupils from other cultures and backgrounds. This, in itself, prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain. Pupils are highly respectful and tolerant of each other’s ethnicity and different religious beliefs. Pupils have a good understanding of different cultures and faiths. Discrimination of any sort is not tolerated. Pupils have a developing knowledge of British values. They understand the importance of democracy and are aware of recent negotiations regarding ‘Brexit’.
• The local authority has provided good support. The adviser knows the school well and has helped leaders focus on action planning and aspects of teaching to help improve the overall quality. Termly visits take place and reports and recommendations are provided to the school and governors. Leaders appreciate this external perspective.

Governance of the school

• While governors have a general overview of the strengths and weaknesses in the school, the assessment information provided is not summarised or analysed clearly enough. As a result, not all governors have a good understanding of how well some groups are achieving, for example boys, girls or disadvantaged children in the early years.
• Governors receive a wide body of information and do ask challenging questions in meetings. However, some accept, too readily, that most children are lower ability on entry to the school. They do not probe sufficiently what impact the pupil premium is having on disadvantaged pupils to enable them to catch up with other pupils nationally.
• Governors monitor the performance of the headteacher well and keep a close check on pay awards made to staff in relation to targets set. They attend safer recruitment and safeguarding training to make sure that they fulfil their statutory duties and keep staff and pupils safe.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The headteacher and deputy safeguarding leader have provided a strong safeguarding culture within the school. All staff have received the appropriate training and adults know what steps to take if they have any concerns about pupils. Advice is sought and swift referrals made to external agencies where leaders have significant concerns. Records are stored securely and safeguarding processes are robust. Meticulous checks are made prior to staff appointments to ensure that they are fit to work with children.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teaching is inconsistent across the school and does not lead to enough pupils making good progress.
• Some teachers do not set activities at the right level for pupils of different abilities. For example, workbooks showed evidence of some able Year 2 pupils completing number bonds to 20. This did not challenge or extend their mathematical ability. Conversely, lower-ability pupils and those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities complete the same skills tests as others in their year groups. Some of these tests cover a wide range of mathematical concepts including fractions, division and shape, despite pupils’ work showing that they are not secure with simple addition up to 10.
• Teachers’ expectations are not consistently high enough. Some teachers accept work which is not presented well or accurate. For example, after fronted adverbials were introduced, pupils used these in their own sentences. However, the sentences produced did not make sense and were not grammatically correct. This was not picked up or addressed. Pupils are not systematically challenged or encouraged to use higher-order skills. This limits the number of pupils who are able to exceed the levels expected.
• Leaders are focusing intently on developing pupils’ reading skills. A new scheme has been introduced and daily phonics sessions are taught in the early years and key stage 1. However, some adults do not enunciate the sounds correctly for children in the early years and this hinders their ability to break down and blend sounds accurately. Additional support is provided for less-able readers so that they read daily and a stunning library has been created to attract and encourage older pupils to read for pleasure. Some reading books are not such good quality in key stage 1 as they are worn and unappealing. Additionally, some reading books do not challenge the most able readers.
• Pupils’ use of grammar, punctuation and spelling are weak across the school. This directly affects the quality of written work produced. While pupils are encouraged to write neatly and regularly practise their handwriting skills, some joins taught are not appropriate, for example, w and g.
• Teachers are introducing more problem-solving activities in mathematics to develop pupils’ application of the four number operations. However, pupils’ use of reasoning skills in mathematics is underdeveloped. Pupils have too few opportunities to explain their answers either verbally or in written format to demonstrate their levels of understanding.
• Adult to pupil ratios are good across the school. This provides greater levels of support for pupils as they work in smaller groups. Pupils demonstrate high levels of engagement in lessons and try hard. Teachers plan well together and make good use of additional resources and equipment, for example, sound mats and number lines. Adults question pupils well following some training in the autumn term.
• Relationships are good in all classes and teachers manage pupils’ behaviour well. Disruptions to learning are minimised as a result. The learning environment supports and promotes aspects of literacy and numeracy with suitable displays and prompts for pupils.
• The introduction of an online mathematics programme has increased the number of pupils completing homework and is helping to raise standards. Pupils can access computers at lunchtime if they do not have a computer at home. This demonstrates leaders’ commitment to equality of opportunity.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Pupils enjoy school and feel safe. They have a good understanding of e-safety and the dangers of adding personal information to online sites. Pupils feel confident to talk to an adult if they have a problem. Pupils who bring mobile telephones to school know that they have to hand these in at the office for safety reasons.
• Pupils know what bullying is and the different forms it can take. They are aware of verbal and cyber bullying. They have reported inappropriate messages sent between pupils via the internet to leaders who have taken action to resolve this.
• Pupils have a good understanding of the importance of healthy living. They know that a healthy diet and regular exercise contribute to their health and well-being. Pupils particularly enjoy the sports clubs offered and healthy cooking class. Outdoor learning is also promoted through ‘forest schools’.
• Pupils readily take on additional roles and responsibilities such as house captains and setting out the sports equipment at lunchtimes. They carry out these duties sensibly and maturely. They are also supportive of newly arrived pupils and include them in their friendship circles to ensure that they feel welcome at the school. Older pupils help the younger pupils to sort out any problems.
• Breakfast club offers pupils a healthy breakfast which equips them well for the day ahead. A good range of activities are provided for pupils to choose from. Good behaviour is rewarded by staff with merits. This reinforces the school’s behaviour code. Disadvantaged pupils access breakfast club free of charge. This helps support their personal and physical well-being as well as improving their attendance at school.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and want to do well.
• Leaders have focused intently on improving pupils’ behaviour. This has been successful. As a result, pupils behave well in lessons and at playtimes. Most are polite and respectful to adults. Pupils demonstrate good manners by holding doors open for others. They move around school sensibly and safely.
• Leaders carefully record any incidents of inappropriate behaviour and analyse these for patterns or trends. Suitable sanctions are applied in accordance with the school’s behaviour policy, including fixed-term exclusions. As a result of higher expectations in terms of behaviour, the number of serious incidents are reducing and behaviour is improving. This was confirmed by pupils, parents, staff and governors. Pupils show pride in their school and all pupils now wear school uniform.
• Pupils enjoy the rewards for good behaviour. These include sitting at the ‘top table’ at lunchtime and choosing to have indoor activity time with toys.
• Leaders have focused heavily on raising attendance. In 2016, it was average but the proportion of persistently absent pupils was above the national average. Leaders have taken a firm stance on attendance and have, in association with the local authority, issued penalty notices and fines to parents who do not bring their children to school regularly. Leaders have also appointed a learning mentor who tracks and analyses attendance figures and liaises closely with families. Weekly figures are published regularly through the school’s newsletter. Classes win money for the best attendance to spend on something they choose, or save for a bigger prize. These incentives are helping to increase the numbers of pupils who attend regularly.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• Too few pupils make good progress from their different starting points. Despite rising slowly, attainment has been below the national average since the previous inspection at the end of early years, key stage 1 and key stage 2.
• Current information provided by the school, together with work checked in pupils’ books demonstrates that pupils are making steady progress. However, progress is not rapid enough to help them catch up with other pupils nationally and close gaps in their learning.
• The number of pupils achieving the expected level in the Year 1 phonics check is below average. Adults do not consistently model phonics accurately or pick up and address aspects which pupils find difficult, for example letter formation or blending of sounds. The recently introduced phonic scheme is providing opportunities for more systematic teaching and improving consistency in approach. There are early signs of increased numbers of pupils reaching the level required in Year 1.
• School’s own information and pupils’ books shows that disadvantaged pupils do not achieve as well as they should. Additional support provided is not monitored or evaluated to check for impact. Pupils make similar progress to their peers but less progress than other pupils nationally. Consequently, the differences in their attainment and others is not diminishing quickly enough.
• The progress of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is not good enough. While interventions and additional support are put in place, leaders do not track or measure the gains made to determine where support is effective and where it is not. Work set for some pupils with special educational needs is sometimes too difficult and gaps in their knowledge and skills go unaddressed.
• Lack of challenge by some teachers prevents the most able pupils making the progress they are capable of. Most pupils reach the levels expected but too few exceed these and reach greater depth.
• There are no significant differences between the progress of White British pupils and pupils from other ethnic backgrounds. Progress requires improvement for most of these groups. However, pupils who speak English as an additional language make good progress. They quickly acquire the language skills needed and work hard to master the skills needed to reach the levels expected.
• Weaknesses in pupils’ basic skills in literacy and numeracy impacts and restricts the progress pupils make in other subjects, such as science, history and geography.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Leaders’ and teachers’ assessments of children’s starting points, both in Nursery and Reception are sometimes too cautious. Early evidence seen in children’s books show that some children have the skills and understanding appropriate to their age. These assessments do not match those recorded in teacher records or noted by adults in children’s learning journals.
• The majority of children join the early years with skills and knowledge which are below those expected for their age. However, teachers do not challenge children sufficiently or build on their capabilities quickly enough to accelerate their progress and allow them to catch up with others. As a result, attainment at the end of Reception is below the national average and some children are not fully prepared for Year 1. Current targets set by leaders are not sufficiently challenging and do not aspire to be in line with national figures this year.
• Disadvantaged children do not make enough progress to close the gaps in their knowledge and skills because the early years pupil premium funding is not targeted well enough to the needs of eligible children. Only a quarter of disadvantaged children reached a good level of development in 2016. Leaders do not analyse assessment information of different groups so do not have a clear overview of the achievement of eligible children compared to other children.
• Too few children who have special educational needs and/or disabilities make good progress. Although identified early and given additional support, including from outside agencies, support is not monitored to determine where it is effective and where it needs adjusting.
• Leaders have recognised that outcomes need to improve and secured the support of an external consultant. Advice and recommendations provided have begun to be implemented and as a result, progress is beginning to accelerate and attainment is rising.
• Good support and high levels of care and nurture are provided by adults, including changing some of the younger nursery children. Adults question children well and check their levels of understanding and communication. Speech therapy is provided for children with language delays.
• Teachers make good use of both the indoor and the outdoor learning environment. Exciting activities help children develop early skills, such as painting, balancing and counting. Tasks are planned well to promote children’s discovery and imagination skills. For example, children showed high levels of concentration and imagination when building birds’ nests using real straw and were fascinated by the push and pull forces of the large magnets in the classroom.
• Children behave well in the early years and quickly learn routines. They show respect for each other and cooperate well during activities. Children gain good levels of independence and become increasingly confident and communicative. Children who are new to the country communicate in their own language initially but quickly acquire English and join in happily with activities.
• Adults ensure that children are safe and provide good supervision, care and support. Safeguarding is effective and welfare requirements are met.
• Parents say their children are happy and safe in school and that teachers are approachable.

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School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 133474 Coventry 10025292 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 3 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 419 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Sandra Horton Alasdair Black 024 7661 2073 www.moathouse.coventry.sch.uk office@moathouse.coventry.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 12–13 March 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is larger than the average-sized primary school. Numbers on roll have increased since the previous inspection due to the school becoming two-form entry. There are more than 100 additional pupils on roll.
• The proportion of pupils from ethnic minority backgrounds is above average. Less than half of the pupils are from White British heritage. The remaining proportion are from a range of different ethnic backgrounds.
• Although only two thirds of the pupils speak English as their home language, most pupils converse well in English.
• The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average.
• The early years provision comprises a nursery and two Reception classes. Children attend nursery part time, either morning or afternoon, and Reception full time.
• A breakfast club operates before school and is managed by the governing body.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress in reading, writing and mathematics by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• The inspectors observed teaching and learning in all classes. They saw 25 parts of lessons, 11 of which were jointly observed with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.
• The inspectors met with pupils and heard a selection of pupils read. They looked at examples of pupils’ work in their books and spoke to pupils about their learning.
• Meetings were held with the headteacher and other members of the leadership team. While there were only three responses to the Ofsted online staff questionnaire, inspectors spoke to several staff members and gathered their views.
• The inspectors met with two members of the governing body and spoke to a further member by telephone. A meeting was also held with a representative of the local authority.
• There were too few responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire, to take account of, but account was also taken of the school’s own survey of parents’ views and comments made by parents when bringing or collecting pupils from school.
• Various school documents were scrutinised, including the school’s self-evaluation, development plans and information about managing teachers’ performance. Minutes of meetings of the governing body and information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety were also analysed.

Inspection team

Heather Simpson, lead inspector Deb Jenkins Jeremy Bird Tracy O’Keeffe-Pullan Mary Maybank

Her Majesty’s Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector