Manor High School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve teaching and pupils’ progress by:
  • ensuring that boys make strong progress to match that made by girls
  • improving teachers’ skills in questioning and giving verbal feedback
  • ensuring that the work set for younger pupils in science provides greater challenge and creates more opportunities for them to explore and write about scientific concepts in depth.
• Improve the behaviour of the few younger pupils who find it hard to maintain concentration in lessons by:
  • helping them to develop better self-discipline
  • ensuring that all staff follow the school’s behaviour policy, even for minor breaches of the school rules.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• School leaders have created a highly ambitious culture. They expect pupils to make progress which is similar to the top 5% of pupils nationally. Many pupils are on target to attain well because they aspire to these high expectations.
• Leaders have a keen sense of moral purpose. The school’s core values are deeply embedded in everyday school life. Many staff strive to motivate pupils so that they aim for excellence.
• Governors and school leaders have managed the change of age range exceptionally well, taking the local community with them. They have a clear vision for the broad range of experiences they want to offer pupils.
• A high number of parents and carers highlighted the impact of the headteacher on developing the school and raising standards. Parents commented, too, on the respectful way the headteacher works with pupils to encourage them and develop their potential. This was clear during the inspection, when the headteacher welcomed each pupil individually by shaking their hand as they entered assembly.
• School leaders have developed a thoughtful and engaging curriculum. The key stage 4 curriculum is particularly demanding. Four out of five pupils study all the EBacc group of qualifications, more than twice the national average. As part of the school’s inclusive ethos, leaders make sure that many disadvantaged pupils also take the EBacc. Pupils can also take appropriate vocational courses, if these meet their needs. In Year 9, pupils take a wide range of subjects to ensure that they make informed choices about their GCSE options.
• School staff offer an exemplary range of extra-curricular activities for pupils. Pupils from all backgrounds get involved in these opportunities. The quality of these activities is high, so pupils want to stay involved. For example, a very high proportion of pupils who start the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award go on to complete it. There are many opportunities for pupils to develop their leadership skills, which pupils appreciate. The school’s wider curriculum makes a strong contribution to pupils’ personal development.
• The last inspection report noted that pupils made less progress in art, history and religious education. Leaders have made sure that pupils taking these subjects now do well. Senior leaders have put good systems in place to monitor and develop teaching. This has led to ongoing improvements in pupils’ learning. School leaders are aware that minor inconsistencies in the quality of teaching remain. They are using new appointments and high-quality training to improve teaching further. Recent leadership appointments in science and English, for example, are supporting senior staff to improve teaching. Middle leadership is strong.
• Leaders make sure that teachers are highly motivated. Senior leaders have considered the needs of staff carefully. Staff support the work of leaders to improve the school. Inspectors’ conversations with staff, and Ofsted’s online questionnaire, confirm that staff morale is high.
• Leaders and governors make effective use of additional funds to support pupils. School leaders use the extra literacy and numeracy catch-up funding they receive well. Pupils make strong progress in their number skills and good progress in literacy. Leaders have also used the pupil premium and funding for pupils with SEND well in order to help pupils reach their potential.
• Leaders prepare pupils very well for life in modern Britain. Staff make sure that pupils learn about the wide range of cultures and traditions which contribute to the school population and to British society. Pupils are respectful of each other’s backgrounds and mix well socially. Leaders ensure that opportunities for pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural (SMSC) development are deeply embedded in the school curriculum. A well-led and highly reflective assembly programme also contributes to the quality of pupils’ SMSC development.
• Leaders listen carefully to the views of parents. They respond to parents’ suggestions when this is appropriate. For example, leaders introduced a new system for managing pupils’ homework online in response to parents’ feedback.
• The multi-academy trust (MAT) supports the school well. Trust arrangements for safeguarding, secondary transition and the support of pupils with SEND are highly effective. Pupils transferring to the school settle in quickly. School leaders plan especially well for the needs of pupils with SEND when they join the school.

Governance of the school

• The local governing body and the trustees of the MAT work well together to support and challenge the school. They make sure that leaders use school resources well.
• Governors have a clear vision, which helps to focus the school’s strategic direction, including the development of the curriculum. They are determined that the school will be the secondary school of choice in the local community.
• School governors have a wide range of professional skills and talents which strengthen governance. They audit their skills carefully. Governors organise training and recruit new governors to address any gaps in skills they find.
• Governors contribute particularly well to safeguarding arrangements, the oversight of support for pupils with SEND and the use of the pupil premium. Dedicated link governors in these three areas help to oversee the work of the school.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for keeping pupils safe are effective. School leaders have created a culture where the safety of pupils is paramount. When recruiting staff and volunteers, leaders check carefully to make sure that those appointed are fit to work with children. These systems are carefully audited. The MAT makes spot checks to ensure that all staff follow safeguarding procedures.
• The school’s partnerships with other support services, and parents, are well developed. These relationships help to make sure that pupils experiencing difficulties get the help they need as quickly as possible.
• Leaders are aware of the risks young people in the local area face. They provide staff with regularly reviewed training to help protect pupils from the dangers of extremism. Pupils know about local risks and how to keep themselves safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers’ planning for pupils with SEND is effective. Teaching assistants are well trained and support pupils well. Inspectors saw examples of pupils with SEND achieving exceptionally well, including in music and food technology.
• Teachers prepare pupils well for examinations. Many pupils are skilled and confident in assessing their own work. They know how well they are doing and what to do next to improve.
• Inspectors saw particularly challenging teaching at key stage 4 and in Year 9. The impact of good teaching over time in a wide range of subjects, including history and computing, is evident in pupils’ books and in the confident manner they were able to talk to inspectors about their work.
• Teaching is consistently good in many subjects, including mathematics, business studies and modern foreign languages. In these subjects, teachers have strong subject knowledge which helps them to ask pupils challenging questions and give helpful verbal feedback. However, in some other subjects, questioning and verbal feedback are not as effective. Although staff share good practice through ‘open door’ weeks, leaders are not making the most of opportunities for teachers to learn from their colleagues.
• In science, the quality of teaching has varied over time. Pupils told inspectors that science teaching is improving. Inspectors saw some effective science teaching but inconsistencies remain. Younger pupils, for example, do not have enough opportunities to study and write about science topics in detail.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good. Pupils are proud of their school. They are happy and self-confident. Many pupils contribute well to lessons. Older pupils, in particular, are good at supporting each other’s learning.
• House managers and teachers nurture the physical and emotional well-being of pupils. This includes staff’s support of pupils’ good mental health through dedicated mental health days. The great majority of parents are very positive about the care that children receive. The school’s house system and well-thought-out tutoring arrangements support pupils’ welfare. The house system promotes healthy competition and develops pupils’ resilience. Pupils value the school’s mixed-aged tutor groups. Younger pupils benefit from the feeling of security that the arrangements provide.
• The school holds a gold standard anti-bullying award. Pupil leaders contribute well to preventing bullying. Most parents and pupils believe bullying is uncommon. The majority of parents and pupils believe staff deal well with bullying if it does occur. Pupils recognise when they are at risk from different types of bullying and know who to turn to for help. A few pupils and parents expressed individual concerns about bullying. Inspectors considered these concerns carefully before concluding that the school’s work to prevent bullying was effective.
• Pupils come to school prepared to learn. They dress smartly and take the right equipment to lessons. Pupils from Year 9 onwards have consistently positive attitudes to learning, which helps them to make good progress. A small number of younger pupils lose concentration too easily. These pupils needed repeated prompting to get on with their work.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils attend school and lessons punctually. The school has high expectations of pupils’ attendance. Staff act quickly to support any pupil whose attendance falls below average. Leaders reward pupils for good behaviour and attendance, and this encourages them to do their best. Attendance is high overall, and for almost all groups of pupils. Very small numbers of pupils are absent regularly. The behaviour and attendance of the small number of pupils in alternative provision are either good or improving.
• This is a highly inclusive school. Leaders exclude very small numbers of pupils. Staff seldom need to remove pupils from lessons because of poor behaviour.
• Ofsted’s Parent View questionnaire and pupil survey, and school surveys, show that most pupils and parents believe behaviour is good. Pupils’ behaviour improves the longer they attend the school. School behaviour records show that staff give extensive support to pupils with behavioural difficulties. Often, the behaviour of these pupils improves considerably.
• Pupils behave well throughout the day. Leaders have created a positive climate for learning. The school is a calm place. Pupils’ movement around school is orderly. They are courteous, friendly and welcoming to visitors. A high staff presence around the school contributes well to good order.
• The school has a clear behaviour policy that sets high standards for pupils’ conduct. This policy has a positive impact on pupils’ behaviour. A small number of younger pupils do not follow the school’s rules consistently and occasionally distract others. Some teachers are not consistent in applying the school’s behaviour policy for low-level rule-breaking.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• The first group of pupils at the school to take their GCSE examinations will do so this summer. Year 11 pupils are making strong progress. They also have the wider skills they need to take the next steps in their education and employment. Pupils in other year groups are also making good progress and are well equipped for life beyond school.
• Disadvantaged pupils make good progress. They benefit from good teaching and respond well to leaders’ high aspirations for them.
• A demanding, well-taught curriculum helps pupils of different abilities to make strong progress and attain well. Middle-ability pupils, and those who start secondary school with below-average attainment, are progressing well. The most able pupils are set challenging tasks. They make good progress, especially those in Year 9.
• Girls make strong progress in every year group. Boys make good progress but it is not as strong as that made by girls.
• English teachers promote reading well. Pupils read regularly. Recent teacher training on developing pupils’ reading skills across the curriculum is beginning to have an impact on pupils’ wider reading skills. Pupils’ progress in English is good overall.
• Pupils’ progress in mathematics has improved considerably. Pupils now achieve very well in mathematics. Pupils’ excellent numeracy skills support high achievement in other subjects, such as business studies and computing.
• Leaders have ensured that careers guidance is effective. They have put in place a comprehensive careers programme which meets all government requirements. Pupils get high-quality independent advice. They also benefit from work placements, interview experience and coaching and mentoring. Governors support this programme enthusiastically. The school aspires for the majority of its pupils to go on to highly ranked universities.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 137120 Leicestershire 10057638 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Secondary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Academy converter 11 to 16 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 791 Appropriate authority Board of trustees Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Ashif Manjothi Liam Powell 01162 714 941 www.manorhigh.leics.sch.uk admin@manorhigh.leics.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 8–9 May 2014

Information about this school

• The school is smaller than the average-sized secondary school.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below average.
• The proportion of pupils with SEND is below the national average.
• The proportion of boys is well above average.
• The school is ethnically diverse. Over half of the pupils are from Asian or Asian British Indian backgrounds. The proportion of pupils from White British backgrounds is well below the national average.
• Since the previous inspection, the school has changed the age range of its intake. Previously, the school educated pupils aged 10 to 14. In September 2017, the school’s age range changed and is now 11 to 16.
• In April 2018, Manor High School became a founding member of the Oak Multi-Academy Trust. The trust provides a range of support for the school. The trustees of the Oak Multi-Academy Trust delegate some functions to the local governing body. Local governors make checks on the day-to-day running of the school, especially teaching, learning and assessment and pupils’ progress.
• The school uses Learning South Leicestershire Behaviour Partnership and Autism Outreach (Intensive Support) the Bungalow for alternative provision.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning throughout the school and in a range of subjects. Some lessons were observed jointly with school leaders. Inspectors also made a number of short visits to lessons to evaluate pupils’ progress and behaviour in a range of classrooms.
• Inspectors scrutinised pupils’ work in books, during lessons and at other times during the inspection.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher, other leaders and members of the local governing body and the MAT.
• Inspectors considered a range of documents, including the school’s self-evaluation, the school’s improvement plan, the school complaints file, minutes of the local governing body meetings and safeguarding records.
• Inspectors looked at the 134 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and 133 free-text responses from parents.
• The inspection team listened to the views of pupils in key stage 3 and key stage 4 during meetings, in classrooms and around the school. They also considered 52 pupil survey responses.
• Inspectors considered 61 staff responses to Ofsted’s survey and talked with teachers after lessons to seek their views.

Inspection team

Ellenor Beighton, lead inspector Jane Burton Annabel Bolt Jason Brooks

Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector Ofsted Inspector