Thank you to all of you who responded to this year’s annual survey. It came at a difficult time for many of us (the height of lockdown), so we’re really grateful to all of the 66 parents / carers who took the time to tell us their thoughts.
We made the survey a little shorter this year, and some of the statements we used are a bit different – this was to match new statements that Ofsted use.
We’re proud to say that the feedback continues to be really positive. 97% or more of parents/carers who expressed an opinion agreed with the following statements:
- My child is happy at Moortown Primary School.
- My child feels safe at Moortown Primary School.
- The school makes sure its pupils are well-behaved.
- My child does well at Moortown Primary School.
- There is a good range of subjects available to my child at this school.
- My child can take part in clubs and activities at this school.
- My child has SEND, and the school gives them the support they need to succeed. (This statement only applied to a small number, and of that number, 100% agreed.)
A few other statements also gained a very positive response -94% or more agreed with them:
- The school makes me aware of what my child will learn during the year.
- When I have raised concerns with the school they have been dealt with properly.
- The school lets me know how my child is doing.
- The school supports my child’s wider personal development.
- I would recommend this school to another parent.
90% of those who expressed an opinion agreed with ‘The school has high expectations for my child.’ This is a high number but we’d like it to be higher. We do believe we have high expectations and the 2020 end of Key Stage 2 assessments show this: almost three times as many Moortown pupils reach ‘greater depth’ level in Reading, Writing and Maths combined, for example. We’ll keep working on how to best provide opportunities for challenge.
Another statement related to bullying: ‘My child has been bullied and the school dealt with the bullying quickly and effectively’. The vast majority of you reported that your child has not been bullied. Of those who raised a concern, most reported that it had been dealt with quickly and effectively. At Moortown Primary, we take bullying behaviour very seriously. We have two messages: the definition (Several Times On Purpose) and the solution (Start Telling Other People). If you feel there’s a problem with bullying in our school, please do talk with us about it.
At the end of the survey, we invited comments. We received 22, almost all of which were entirely positive – thank you. Here’s a few representative comments:
- ‘An all-round lovely, caring, hardworking school. Both staff and pupils make it what it is.’
- ‘Great learning environment and inspirational teachers.’
- ‘An absolutely great small school with hard-working, committed and approachable staff and some very talented teachers. Thanks for all the hard work and care.’
A few people also singled out our efforts during the school closure:
- ‘Particularly impressed with the material and advice for home schooling at the moment. The material provided has allowed us to manage all our commitments. It has given my daughter structure with enough resources and flexibility to enjoyably complete her task.’
- ‘It’s been a difficult [year] but all staff seem to have dealt with the changing situation really well, and in particular the communication has been great.’
We’re very grateful for the suggestions for areas to work on, too. Here are four we’re definitely working on:
- Languages: ‘Would be useful in preparation for secondary school for languages to be taught earlier and more frequently.’ / ‘Would be good to see more language lessons from an earlier stage.’ – We agree. In fact, we’ve put plans in place for this to happen straight away in September, when all children from Year 1 to Year 6 will have Spanish lessons. (This goes beyond the National Curriculum requirements to teach a foreign language from Year 3.)
- Cleaning: ‘Whenever I come to pick my child at home time or after the clubs I can see that the toilets are extremely filthy.’ – We’re sorry you’ve experienced this and it’s not good enough. Alongside temporarily increasing cleaning during the current pandemic, we’ve addressed this particular issue longer-term by increasing cleaning hours so this can take place during the school day, every day.
- Communicating home: ‘It would be helpful to be told more about what the children are learning each week – especially for the younger years. The photos on class news are great but more ‘real time’ information, perhaps even ahead of time so we can discuss at home would be appreciated.’ – Thanks for this. We know this sort of suggestion comes from a genuine desire to support your child’s learning at home. Our teachers work hard and we need to strike a good balance between communicating home and teachers’ workload. In 2019-20, we’ve produced some long-term plans and curriculum expectations. These should help to illustrate what children are learning and when. (A word of caution, though: we’ve had to tweak them in readiness for Autumn for All, when all pupils return to school.)
- School dinners: ‘My child feels the portion size is not enough and he is always very hungry after school. Is it possible that we give something to top up with something rather than completely giving him a packed lunch?’ – We’re assured by our catering service that portions are appropriate to the age of the child. We’ll raise the concern with our provider. In the meantime, please speak with Mrs Weekes about this.
Moortown Primary continues to be a happy and healthy place to learn. Parents and carers are an important part of our close and supportive community. Thank you, again, if you responded to the survey.
