Moor First School

Moor First School is a welcoming, ambitious maintained first school for pupils aged 3 to 9, including nursery provision. This graded inspection found the school good in each judged area, following a previous inspection that required improvement, and no overall effectiveness grade was awarded. Pupils are polite, well cared for and proud of their 'Moor First Family'; relationships are strong and safeguarding is effective. The curriculum is well sequenced for mixed-age classes, reading and phonics are prioritised, pupils with SEND are identified early and supported well, and early years children get a positive start. Personal development, attendance and staff support are also strengths. Leaders know the school well and governors provide support and challenge. However, the school's shared teaching approach, including 'I do, we do, you do', is not used consistently in some subjects, so the quality of work and how well pupils learn the intended knowledge vary. Writing is less strong than reading: handwriting and letter formation are not taught consistently, which affects some pupils' accuracy and fluency. These are the main areas for improvement; overall the school is performing well and is well placed to address them.

Strengths

• Welcoming, caring ethos built on respect and honesty, with pupils who are polite and supportive of each other
• Strong relationships between pupils and staff, creating a safe 'Moor First Family' feel
• Ambitious, well-sequenced curriculum designed for mixed-age classes
• Secure teacher subject knowledge and systems to check pupils' understanding
• Effective early reading and phonics, with books matched to pupils' sounds and swift support for gaps
• Early and accurate identification of SEND, with adapted teaching so pupils learn alongside peers
• Strong early years provision that develops routines, language and learning behaviours
• Positive pupil attitudes, harmonious social times and effective attendance focus
• Broad personal development covering equality, healthy relationships, online safety, diversity and British values
• Supportive staff culture and governors who provide appropriate support and challenge
• Effective safeguarding arrangements

Areas for Improvement

• Curriculum delivery, including the 'I do, we do, you do' approach, is inconsistent across subjects, leading to variation in work quality and learning
• Handwriting and letter formation are not taught consistently, affecting some pupils' accuracy and fluency in recording their learning

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Moor First School attended 96.2% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 3.3% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 0.0% of pupils at Moor First School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Moor First School had 11.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 0.0% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 13.8% of pupils at Moor First School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 1.7% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2025–26 Moor First School received £9,396 and spent £11,664 for each of its 58 pupils. It ended the year with a deficit of £356,000 (-£6,131 per pupil).

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24).

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Stoke-On-Trent · Stoke-on-Trent local authority: places and applications

Moor First School is part of Biddulph Schools Partnership Trust, which runs 2 schools. The nearest others:

• Squirrel Hayes First School Stoke-On-Trent

What is Moor First School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Moor First School is Good, from an inspection in September 2025.

When was Moor First School last inspected by Ofsted?

Moor First School was last inspected in September 2025.

How many pupils does Moor First School have?

Moor First School has 58 pupils on roll.

What age range does Moor First School cover?

Moor First School for pupils aged 2 to 9.

Where is Moor First School?

Moor First School is at School Lane, Biddulph Moor, Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, ST8 7HR.