Matthew Moss High School “requires improvement” after latest Ofsted inspection

Matthew Moss High School

Matthew Moss High School has been told to improve after its latest Ofsted inspection.

The school, in Marland, was rated as “requires improvement” overall and for the achievement of pupils, quality of teaching, behaviour and safety of pupils, and leadership and management. Under the new Ofsted protocols introduced in September 2013, it has dropped from its previous “good” rating in 2010.

Inspectors found that students do not make consistently good progress in all subjects and that although teaching is good in many subjects, work is not always pitched at the right level.

Students do not consistently receive the support they need to develop their reading, writing and number skills in subjects other than English and Mathematics and those supported by the pupil premium achieve less well than other students.

Fixed-term exclusions have been too high in the past but the new behaviour policy is already making a difference.

The report goes on to say that the school has a number of strengths, including above average numbers achieving the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc: English, Maths, Science, Foreign Language and Humanities).

They also judged that the proportion of students who achieve five GCSE passes at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics, is good and were clear that the new headteacher has made a good start.

The report added that the school’s creative approaches to teaching are recognised both nationally and internationally.

Headteacher Mark Moorhouse said, “Ofsted report that at Matthew Moss achievement in the most important academic measures of five GCSE passes at grades A* to C, including English and mathematics and the English Baccalaureate (Ebacc) is good. They also note that many students studying three sciences to GCSE achieve top grades. Furthermore, they are clear that across the school students are polite, friendly and welcoming.

"It seems odd, then, to be awarded “Requires Improvement”: there isn’t a school in England which couldn’t improve further and the grading is further evidence of an increasing narrowness, nationally, in how these judgements are made.

"However, I was pleased that the inspectors felt that I had made a strong start to the headship and the school would return to at least good within a year.”