Moorlands View School, Burnley

What it's like to be a pupil at Moorlands View School

All pupils attending the school have special educational needs and/or disabilities. Some pupils have also experienced additional situations that put them at a disadvantage. Pupils benefit from an approach where their individual needs and previous experiences are carefully considered. They benefit from support to aid their personal and academic development. Pupils build trusting relationships with staff. This helps to make pupils feel safe and happy in school. Some pupils join the school having missed significant periods of their education. Pupils experience a well-designed curriculum and effective approaches to teaching that helps them to catch up with missed learning, including important knowledge in reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils make positive progress from their individual starting points. This includes gaining nationally-recognised qualifications such as GCSEs and BTEC Diplomas. Pupils are supported well to develop their independence and to be ready for their next stage of education. Prior to joining the school, some pupils had very low attendance at their previous settings. Pupils are successfully helped to re-engage with more regular school attendance. Across the school, many pupils maintain high levels of attendance over time. The school is typically calm and orderly. The pastoral support that pupils receive when they join the school helps them to settle quickly and get off to a positive start. Incidents of bullying are rare. When any concerns arise, they are dealt with quickly by leaders. Pupils benefit from a range of trips, many of which are linked to their learning. For example, pupils visit local historical mills as part of their history topic. Pupils have opportunities to develop their talents and interests. Enrichment afternoons provide the chance to take part in a range of activities such as boxing, music and beautician treatments. Overall, pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

What Ofsted says the school should do next

• Leaders and staff should rigorously monitor the progress of pupils to consistently ensure that any barriers to success are swiftly and effectively addressed. Where appropriate, this should be underpinned by well-analysed quantitative and qualitative data.
• Leaders should ensure that gaps in pupils' writing knowledge and skills are identified and addressed in a timely manner.
• Leaders should support pupils to consistently show self-discipline and high levels of dedication to their learning.

Moorlands View School excels at supporting pupils with complex needs and those who have missed significant education. Staff build strong, trusting relationships that help pupils feel happy and safe, while the carefully designed curriculum helps them catch up and gain real qualifications like GCSEs and BTEC Diplomas. The school's personalised approach to behaviour and attendance has proven highly effective at re-engaging pupils who previously had poor school attendance.

Safeguarding standards are met - leaders have established an open culture where safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and all legal requirements are fulfilled, resulting in pupils feeling safe.

History trips to local mills, enrichment afternoons including boxing, music, beautician treatments, school council, kindness ambassador roles, visits to care homes for senior citizens, food technology lessons, police visits on personal safety topics

Bus Stops