Moorside Infant School Ofsted Report

Full report

In accordance with section 13(4) of the Education Act 2005, Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector is of the opinion that the school no longer requires special measures.

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the effectiveness of leadership and management by: developing the skills of new middle leaders so that they check more effectively the impact of their actions to improve pupils’ learning and progress developing the wider curriculum further so that the progression of pupils’ knowledge and skills is more carefully planned.
• Improve the quality of teaching and learning and further raise pupils’ achievement by: ensuring that all staff have high expectations of what pupils can and should achieve from their different starting points challenging pupils, especially the most able, so that a higher proportion achieve a greater depth in their learning making sure that teachers plan activities that meet the needs and abilities of all pupils providing training for additional adults to enable them to question pupils more effectively further developing opportunities for pupils to use their writing and mathematical skills across the wider curriculum providing more opportunities for pupils to problem-solve and develop their reasoning skills in mathematics.
• Improve pupils’ behaviour by: continuing to reduce low-level disruption by ensuring that staff have high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and all staff consistently follow the school’s behaviour policy improving pupils’ attendance so that it is at least in line with the national average.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Requires improvement

• The acting headteacher has made rapid improvements around strengthening leadership, including holding middle leaders more to account. However, both the acting headteacher and governors are sometimes over generous in their evaluation of the school’s performance.
• Major changes in staffing, leadership and governance have taken place since the last inspection. Although teaching is improving, turbulence in staffing has contributed to variability in the quality of teaching and the progress of pupils.
• The acting headteacher has worked tirelessly to improve the quality of education since her appointment in February 2018. She is passionate about improving the quality of teaching and learning. Staff share her vision for improvement.
• In the last year, the acting headteacher has created a new senior leadership team. New senior leaders have quickly identified and actioned the main priorities for school improvement. However, some actions are in their infancy and, therefore, it is too early to evaluate whether leaders’ actions are having a positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress.
• The leader of special educational needs (SEN) and/or disabilities identifies pupils’ additional needs quickly and provides timely support. However, support plans for pupils do not always effectively identify next steps in their learning.
• Middle leaders’ action plans identify appropriate main priorities for improvement. Leaders understand that they need to focus more on the impact actions have on developing pupils’ learning and progress.
• Middle leaders ensure that teachers’ assessments of pupils’ work are growing in accuracy through moderation and work with other schools.
• The acting headteacher has conducted a full review of the curriculum. The curriculum is broad and balanced. Pupils develop wider experiences through a variety of trips and visits. However, leaders have not ensured that the wider curriculum develops progression in pupils’ subject-specific knowledge and understanding across a range of subjects such as history and geography.
• The school fosters pupils’ understanding of British values effectively. Leaders promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development well. This prepares pupils for life in modern Britain. For example, pupils talk positively about life in Kenya through participating in workshops with a Kenyan storyteller.
• Staff morale is high. Staff talk positively about the professional development that leaders provide. They enjoy a variety of training, including formal courses and visits to other schools to share ideas.
• The overwhelming majority of parents hold positive views about the school. One parent reflected the views of many stating: ‘I cannot praise the staff enough for how they look after the children every day.’
• Pupils’ attendance declined last academic year to below the national average. Although leaders check attendance, they do not check attendance sufficiently for particular groups of pupils or compare pupils’ attendance to national averages. Consequently, leaders and governors do not identify attendance trends over time.
• The local authority supports the school effectively. This has been helpful to leaders in addressing priorities to improve early years and aspects of teaching and learning, including working together to develop practice and checks with regard to assessment.

Governance of the school

• Governors are highly committed to improving the school further. They understand the main priorities for improvement. They challenge leaders effectively. Governors are keen to raise standards by holding teachers and leaders to account. However, minutes of governing body meetings do not always reflect the level of challenge that they provide.
• Governors have a wealth of knowledge and experience which they bring to the role. They have a good skills set. This enables them to provide additional support to the acting headteacher. For example, a governor with expertise in surveyance and building supports with health and safety matters.
• Governors ensure that leaders use additional funding effectively in order to support the development of physical education and sport. Pupils enjoy the weekly sports sessions delivered by a sports coach. Teachers’ skills and expertise in delivering physical education have also improved through working alongside this coach.
• Governors check the effect of additional funding that the school receives to support disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN/ and or disabilities. Governors now use assessment information more stringently to hold leaders to account for the progress that these groups and individual pupils make.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training. As a result, staff take their responsibilities to keep pupils safe seriously. They have a good understanding of the challenges that pupils may face.
• The school works effectively with external agencies to provide support for pupils and their families. The newly appointed parent support adviser acts effectively and in a timely manner to provide early help to pupils and families. Records of any safeguarding concerns are well organised and detailed.
• Leaders and governors follow all legal checks for the safe recruitment of staff.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Senior leaders place high importance on improving the quality of teaching and learning. As a result, the quality of teaching is beginning to improve. However, the staffing turbulence since the last inspection has hampered leaders’ desire to strengthen teaching more rapidly. Consequently, the quality of teaching remains too variable and requires improvement.
• Some teachers do not have high enough expectations of what pupils can and should achieve. These teachers do not match learning sufficiently to pupils’ needs and abilities. The most able pupils sometimes find their work too easy and finish it quickly, without further opportunities to deepen their learning. Lower-ability pupils sometimes do not understand the task and depend on the teacher heavily for support. As a result, some pupils become distracted and their behaviour disrupts the learning of others.
• Teachers have a secure subject knowledge, particularly in terms of pupils using the correct vocabulary for each subject. However, there is a gap in some teachers’ understanding of how to deepen pupils’ knowledge, understanding and skills across subjects. This includes the effectiveness of teachers’ use of questions to deepen and develop pupils’ learning.
• Support provided by additional adults does not always meet pupils’ needs. However, pupils who have an education, health and care plan make better progress because the support that they receive is well planned and of high quality. Additional adults make a strong contribution to the progress of these pupils.
• Where teaching is strongest, high expectations are evident. In these lessons, teachers encourage high standards of behaviour and create a positive learning environment. They address misconceptions well and ask questions that probe pupils’ understanding, allowing them to explain their thinking.
• The teaching of phonics is improving. Pupils benefit from having phonics taught earlier, in Nursery and Reception. The new system for tracking pupils’ development of phonics skills is enabling teachers to closely monitor progress and quickly intervene when pupils are struggling.
• Writing and mathematics have developed, as shown by improved outcomes for pupils. However, staff sometimes miss opportunities to reinforce learning further by developing pupils’ mathematical and writing skills across the wider curriculum.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Requires improvement

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Relationships between staff and pupils are positive. There is a strong sense of nurture, where pupils feel safe and secure.
• Leaders place high importance on ensuring that pupils are well cared for. Consequently, pupils feel supported and encouraged.
• Staff treat pupils with consideration and respect. Adults model respectful and caring behaviour in lessons and around school. Staff engage warmly with pupils. For example, in the Reception class each morning, staff greet children with a friendly welcome and a handshake.
• Through the school’s assembly programme and the wider curriculum, pupils learn about their local community. Pupils show respect and tolerance of different cultures and religions. Pupils raise funds for charities and learn about tolerance, democracy and the rule of law. This prepares pupils well for life in modern Britain.
• Through religious education, pupils gain an awareness of different religions. However, pupils have insufficient opportunities to explore religions in more depth.
• Pupils have a good understanding of what might constitute different forms of bullying. Pupils told inspectors that if any bullying happens, staff deal with it quickly and effectively. Pupils said that they feel safe in school and that they have someone to talk to if they have any issues or concerns. Pupils learn about keeping safe outside of school, for example through online safety workshops delivered by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, and through assemblies on sun awareness.
• The vast majority of pupils talk positively about their school. During discussion, they told the inspector that ‘it feels lovely being a part of this school’.
• Pupils have a range of opportunities to develop their teamwork and leadership skills. For example, during the inspection, pupils involved in the eco council were busy recycling and reminding staff and pupils to ‘switch off’ the lights and save electricity.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils requires improvement.
• Pupils’ attendance last year fell to below the national average. Over time, the proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school remains lower than the national average. However, last year this figure increased.
• Leaders have identified attendance as a main area for improvement. Although they are addressing issues of attendance, leaders do not check attendance trends over time and do not typically check pupils’ attendance against the national average.
• Pupils’ attitudes to learning are variable. Inspectors witnessed incidents of low-level disruption during the inspection. Some pupils are easily distracted and lose focus. This can interrupt other pupils’ learning and hamper their progress.
• Relationships between pupils and staff are positive. As a result, pupils generally conduct themselves well in school corridors and during breaktimes and lunchtimes.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• The proportions of pupils who achieved the expected standard in the phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 have remained below the national average for the last three years. Leaders have identified improving the teaching of phonics as a main priority. Pupils now benefit from having phonics taught earlier in Nursery and Reception. Consequently, although still lower than national averages, the proportion of pupils who passed the phonics screening check in 2018 has improved.
• In 2017, attainment in reading, writing and mathematics at the end of key stage 1 was well below average and in the lowest 10% of schools nationally.
• Teachers’ expectations are not high enough, particularly for the most able pupils. In 2017, no pupils attained the higher standard in reading, writing or mathematics by the end of Year 2. Provisional results for 2018 indicate that while some pupils attained the higher standard in reading, writing and mathematics, proportions remain below national averages seen historically.
• Outcomes for 2017 showed that achievement for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities was variable. However, teachers and additional adults now cater well for pupils with an education, health and care plan. Work in pupils’ books shows that these pupils are making better progress from their different starting points.
• Provisional results for 2018 indicate that pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics is improving but is still below the national average. Work in current pupils’ books shows that they are making better progress because teachers are now supporting learning more effectively.
• Leaders identified that the progress of boys in reading and writing was a main priority for improvement. Leaders have taken action to address this. For example, they have reviewed the curriculum to make it more engaging for boys and have provided more opportunities for reading. Consequently, 2018 provisional outcomes show that the attainment gap has narrowed between boys and girls in reading and writing. Attainment and progress for boys have also improved.

Early years provision Requires improvement

• Most children join the early years with skills and knowledge typical for their age. In 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was well below the national average. Historically, teachers prepared too few children for the demands of the key stage 1 curriculum. Leaders have started to strengthen early years. The improvements in provision, including the heightened attention on developing phonics, writing and number, are beginning to have a positive effect on learning.
• Provisional outcomes for 2018 indicate that 71% of children achieved a good level of development by the end of Reception. This is a significant improvement on previous years and is in line with the national average.
• Teachers’ initial assessments are accurate. Teachers complete these promptly. Accurate assessments enable teachers to develop a good understanding of children’s initial needs as they enter the Nursery class. However, teachers do not always share this information well with additional adults. As a result, additional adults are not always prepared and able to support children effectively, particularly the most able. For example, staff missed opportunities to develop vocabulary for children playing in the sand pit.
• Teaching remains too variable. Some teachers’ systems for assessing progress on a day-to-day basis or within a lesson are not precise enough to match individual children’s needs. Planning does not always ensure that effective learning opportunities or resources are available to sufficiently challenge the most able children, allowing them to develop new interests and acquire new knowledge and skills.
• At times, additional adults allow children to drift from activity to activity without a clear focus. Additional adults’ questions are not typically precise and, as a result, they miss opportunities to extend children’s play and develop new skills. Consequently, children do not make consistently good progress.
• Since her appointment, the early years leader has already made a positive contribution to strengthening the provision. The early years leader is clear about the main areas for improvement. As a result, the quality of teaching is improving. The recent work on promoting speaking and listening skills is successfully helping teachers to develop children’s vocabulary.
• The school’s current assessment information indicates that the teaching of phonics in the early years is improving. Children use letters and sounds to read and write simple words effectively in preparation for their transition to Year 1.
• Children settle in to Nursery quickly due to the calm and orderly environment. Well-established routines mean that children feel safe, well cared for and secure.
• Staff are good role models for children. They form strong relationships with children and parents alike. As a result, children behave well, show confidence and will attempt to overcome challenges that they face within their play.
• The school’s systems to keep children safe are effective. Leaders ensure that welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number 121426 Local authority North Yorkshire Inspection number 10054500 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Infant School category Maintained Age range of pupils 3 to 7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 101 Appropriate authority Local authority Chair Mary Kelly Acting headteacher Claire Rowett Telephone number 01765 604 208 Website www.moorsideschools.org.uk Email address admin@moorside-inf.n-yorks.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8 9 March 2016

Information about this school

• Since the previous inspection, there have been significant changes in staffing. The appointments of nearly all teachers and a new senior leadership team have taken place since the last inspection.
• In February 2018, governors appointed the deputy headteacher of Moorside Junior School to the post of acting headteacher. She is also acting headteacher of Moorside Junior School.
• In September 2017, a new governing body was established. The same governors are on both the governing bodies for Moorside Junior School and Moorside Infant school, but they are two separate boards. Both schools share the same site.
• The senior leadership team and middle leaders are shared between Moorside Infant and Moorside Junior schools.
• A consultation to amalgamate Moorside Infant and Moorside Junior School is currently underway.
• When the school was judged to require special measures in March 2016, the school received an academy order. However, no academy sponsor was found.
• The school is smaller than average.
• The vast majority of pupils are from White British families.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan is above the national average.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors visited lessons in all year groups. A number of lesson visits occurred jointly with the acting headteacher.
• Inspectors looked at a wide variety of pupils’ work from all year groups and across a range of subjects, and listened to pupils from Years 1 and 2 read. They also met formally with a group of pupils to discuss their learning, behaviour and safety.
• Meetings were held with the acting headteacher, governors, middle leaders and other members of staff.
• Inspectors took account of the 20 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, including the five free-text responses. Inspectors also talked to parents to get their views of the school at the start of the school day.
• Fourteen responses to the Ofsted online staff questionnaire were also considered.
• Inspectors scrutinised a range of documentation, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school improvement plan, subject improvement plans, minutes of governing body meetings, the school’s assessment information and documentation related to safeguarding, behaviour and attendance.

Inspection team

Alison Stephenson, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector Michele Costello Her Majesty’s Inspector