Moons Moat First School

Overview

Moons Moat First School delivers an education that meets the "expected standard" in most areas, with leaders demonstrating a clear vision and strong governance. While pupils generally achieve well and feel safe, the report highlights specific inconsistencies in early years teaching and persistent issues with attendance that require focused improvement.

Strengths

• Pupils "typically achieve well," with performance in phonics and multiplication checks meeting or exceeding national averages.
• Inclusion is "at the forefront of the school's work," with effective support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities through the ‘Launch Pad’ provision.
• The curriculum is "sequenced well," enabling pupils to "secure the knowledge that they need to access future learning."
• Leaders have established "increasingly positive relations with the parent community" and maintain a clear understanding of school strengths and weaknesses.
• Pupils are "safe" and benefit from a "coherent and well-considered" personal development programme that teaches them how to keep themselves safe online and in the community.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure early years staff "consistently maximise learning opportunities" through purposeful activities, as current provision is "inconsistent" and some children do not gain necessary knowledge.
• Leaders need to ensure their attendance strategy is having the "intended impact," as attendance remains below the national average with "too many pupils persistently absent."
• Staff must adopt a "consistent approach" to managing behaviour to eliminate "pockets of poor pupil behaviour."

Safeguarding

The safeguarding standards are met, with leaders establishing "an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility" and concerns are actively identified and managed.