Morland Church of England Primary School

Overview

The report describes a school where pupils “like their school very much” and feel safe due to teachers who “care passionately about pupils’ well-being.” Leaders have established a “broad and ambitious” curriculum with a strong focus on reading, resulting in a “rapid” pace of improvement that parents acknowledge. The school is judged to be in a “strong position moving forwards” with effective leadership and governance.

Strengths

• Teachers adopt a “consistent approach” to teaching reading, ensuring children learn to blend sounds early and receive “precise support” if they fall behind.
• Pupils demonstrate “positive values,” are respectful to others, and “welcome those who are different from them.”
• Leaders “carefully identify” pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities, working with agencies to ensure they access the full curriculum.
• Governors hold leaders “firmly to account,” and the multi-academy trust has provided “meaningful support” that staff appreciate.
• Older pupils exhibit “high levels of maturity,” settle disagreements independently, and are keen to take on responsibility.

Areas to improve

• Leaders must ensure all teachers organise more opportunities for pupils to practise previously learned knowledge, as some do not remember important information as well as they might in certain curriculum areas.
• Leaders must ensure all teachers systematically identify and address errors and gaps in knowledge, as some pupils continue to make the same mistakes.

Safeguarding

The report states that “the arrangements for safeguarding are effective” and there is a “highly vigilant culture of safeguarding in the school.”