Manland Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the impact of leadership and management by ensuring that middle leaders implement their training to:
  • monitor the quality of teaching, learning and assessment precisely across the school
  • develop the provision and outcomes in their areas of responsibility.
• Improve teaching by making sure that all teachers routinely base the work they set on a secure understanding of what pupils already know and can do.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Leaders, including governors, are highly ambitious for the school. They recently instigated a period of significant change to build on the solid foundations which were already securing good outcomes for pupils. As a result, the progress that pupils make is on an upward trend and pupils are happy and safe.
• Leaders of provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities work closely with parents, teachers and teaching assistants to ensure that their needs are understood by all those who help them to learn and develop. Between them, the adults who work with these pupils develop strategies which enable them to access the curriculum well. Leaders and teachers monitor the impact of these strategies and adjust them accordingly. Their work is highly effective and provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is a strength of the school.
• Leaders ensure that the Manland values of manners, responsibility, honesty, respect, friendship, patience, positivity and care are well promoted through lessons. Inspectors witnessed an example of this as pupils in Year 6 considered others’ feelings and needs during a Year 6 personal, social and health education (PSHE) lesson. The school shares and celebrates pupils’ positive attitudes to learning and to others, for example in assemblies. Pupils treat each other with respect and consideration.
• Physical education (PE) and sport premium funding is used effectively. Leaders have increased the range of sports on offer to pupils and they work with other local schools to provide pupils with opportunities to compete. They have employed specialist staff to help develop teachers’ own skills in teaching physical education. Pupils’ participation in sports has increased considerably through 2018.
• Senior leaders secure the commitment of staff to their vision. They determine how they want pupils to be taught and define their expectations of middle leaders and teachers. They have a clear drive to instil consistency in how pupils learn and have trained leaders and teachers to ensure that they understand how to meet senior leaders’ expectations. Teachers and leaders respond positively to new initiatives.
• It is too early for the impact of the school’s new approaches to middle leadership to be evidenced. New ways of teaching mathematics, for example, are beginning to be seen in classrooms, but are not used consistently well. Leaders’ ambition to develop writing across the curriculum has not yet been translated into action. Leaders’ understanding of the quality of teaching, learning and assessment in other subjects is not as secure as it is in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because middle leaders have only recently been trained in new ways of working.

Governance of the school

• Governors are proud of the work of the school and ambitious for its pupils. They have confidence in the headteacher and value the information they receive to monitor the impact of leaders’ work. They particularly appreciate leaders’ openness to accept and respond to challenge from governors.
• Governors have effective strategies for checking the effectiveness of provision. For example, governors have chosen to monitor the effectiveness of safeguarding through regular visits. They use similar systems to review different subject areas. Notes from governors’ visits show improvements they have suggested, and meeting minutes show them asking meaningful, relevant questions. Governors understand the strengths of the school well and challenge leaders appropriately. They have a secure understanding of the next steps for the school and are well placed to help leaders to achieve them.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Leaders have established an open culture of safeguarding. They have a well-kept record of recruitment checks on staff and ensure that staff are well trained to keep pupils safe. They have clear systems for staff to report any concerns about pupils’ welfare and maintain effective records of these. They follow up concerns in a timely fashion and liaise with external agencies when appropriate to ensure that pupils are safe.
• Pupils told inspectors how they are taught to keep safe online. They have a good understanding of how the school keeps them safe. Pupils told inspectors that there is someone in school they can talk to if they are worried about something. They also explained the ‘worry boxes’ in classrooms, which give them another way of passing on concerns. Pupils who spoke with inspectors said they feel safe.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

• Teachers structure pupils’ learning well over time. The sequence in which pupils complete work ensures that what they do builds well on what they have already done. This ensures that pupils’ understanding grows as they move through the school.
• Teachers have highly positive relationships with pupils. Pupils respond well to this and behave well during lessons. They listen when adults speak and are confident to answer questions and share ideas.
• Across the school, teachers understand and meet the needs of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities well. Plans for pupils’ support are clear and contain well-defined strategies. These are used effectively by teachers and teaching assistants. Pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities are routinely well taught and have full access to the curriculum. They make good progress from their starting points.
• Teachers often set tasks which provide additional challenge for pupils. This means that those who find the work easy or complete it quickly can move on to develop a deeper understanding of what they are learning.
• In most classes, teachers carefully consider what different pupils already know and can do. When this happens, pupils complete work which precisely meets their needs. It helps them to move on quickly from their starting points.
• Some teachers do not consider pupils’ starting points carefully enough. Because of this, in a few classes, pupils with a more advanced understanding of the topic make less progress than they are capable of. This is most evident in foundation subjects.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils develop highly positive attitudes towards others. Those who spoke with inspectors made clear that they see everyone as equal. They recognise that some people need support and consider it important to help them. When they see that another pupil needs assistance, they willingly provide it.
• Pupils talked about how everyone ‘looks out’ for anyone who is unhappy. They care for each other and for one another’s well-being. Pupils approached one inspector, keen to explain that a ‘buddy bench’ the inspector was standing near worked well. Pupils demonstrate pride in the strength of community at the school and the quality of support they receive from each other and adults.
• The very rare instances of bullying are dealt with well by adults. All pupils who spoke with inspectors were confident that bullying does not happen very often but that, if it does, it is resolved by adults in the school. They find the school to be a caring, welcoming and safe place.
• Pupils learn about how to keep themselves safe, for example online. They also have an advanced understanding of how the school keeps them safe and their role in this. For instance, pupils understand the different coloured lanyards worn by adults and they know what to do if they see someone who is not wearing a lanyard.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good.
• Pupils are consistently polite to others. They listen quietly when teachers are talking and routinely hold doors open for adults.
• Around the school, pupils behave in a calm and sensible way. They play well together in their free time.
• Pupils’ attendance is consistently above the national average. Leaders have effective systems in place to ensure that this continues.
• Most pupils are quick to settle to their work and work hard to complete tasks well. Sometimes they are less focused. This happens when teachers do not match the work well to pupils’ abilities.
• Leaders’ systems for monitoring minor incidents of poor behaviour are not well developed. Therefore, while pupils do behave well, leaders do not have a strategic overview of what could be even better.

Outcomes for pupils Good

• Over time, the progress that pupils make shows an upward trend in reading, writing and mathematics. Provisional key stage 2 outcomes in the 2018 national tests indicate that Year 6 pupils made the same good progress in reading as they did in 2017, while their progress in writing and mathematics was stronger than previously. Pupils currently in the school continue to make good progress.
• At key stage 1, pupils also make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. By the end of Year 2 their attainment is typically above the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who achieve the expected standard in the Year 1 phonics screening check is consistently above the national average.
• Pupils across the school who have SEN and/or disabilities achieve in line with others in the school because they are well taught and given appropriate, well-considered, extra support. They are given good access to the curriculum and make good progress from their starting points.
• The progress pupils make varies in different classes because some teachers do not consistently match the work that pupils complete closely to their starting points.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The quality of education provided in the early years is consistently good and often outstanding.
• Leaders make sure that children learn in a thoroughly organised, welcoming and stimulating environment. They ensure that staff are well trained and highly skilled. Leaders involve children exceptionally well when planning learning that enthuses them and ignites their curiosity. As a result, the work that children do is closely tailored to their interests and ensures that they make consistently strong progress year on year.
• All adults in the early years contribute strongly to the provision. All adults make full use of assessment information together with their secure knowledge of individual children. Adults ensure that learning activities provided are securely based on what children already know and can do. Adults consider children’s needs and interests carefully and precisely and support them skilfully to ensure that what children do accelerates their learning. Highly effective questioning moves children on while deepening their thinking.
• There are plentiful opportunities for children to develop their early reading, writing and number work. Adults are adept at promoting all the aspects of learning in the early years. Adults guide children extremely well so that children make independent choices for learning activities that are purposeful. The support provided for the small number of children who have SEN and/or disabilities is highly effective in ensuring their impressive progress over time.
• Children make very strong progress from their starting points. Children’s achievement has been above national averages consistently for a number of years. This is reflected in their learning journals and in the work children are doing now. They are exceptionally well prepared for Year 1, where the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in the phonics screening check is consistently high.
• Children are highly motivated and eager to join in at school. They are very interested in the work they do. They are confident around others, for example playing football with older pupils in the school, and they behave in a very sensible manner. Children seek out adults if they need to ask things. They are kept safe by leaders’ robust approach to safeguarding, the levels of staff training and by children’s willingness to follow routines well.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 117103 Hertfordshire 10053035 This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Type of school Primary School category Age range of pupils Gender of pupils Community 4 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 233 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Email address Mrs Clare Turner Mrs Claire Wicks 01582 713452 http://www.manland.herts.sch.uk head@manland.herts.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 6–7 November 2013

Information about this school

• Manland Primary School is an average-sized primary school serving the area of Harpenden.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is below the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, and the proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan to support their needs is lower than the national average.
• The proportion of pupils who speak English as an additional language is broadly in line with the national average.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors met with the headteacher, deputy headteacher and other leaders. They met with members of the governing body and spoke with a representative from the local authority.
• Inspectors visited all classes, sometimes accompanied by leaders, reviewed the work of pupils in their books and listened to pupils read.
• Inspectors reviewed a range of documentation including leaders’ evaluation of the school, improvement plans and policies. They also looked at safeguarding records, training records, notes from governor visits and governing body minutes of meetings. Inspectors considered the school’s information on pupils’ progress, attendance and behaviour.
• Inspectors considered the 143 responses to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, and the 71 responses by parents to the free-text option. Inspectors considered the 24 responses to the staff survey. There were no responses to Ofsted’s survey of pupils’ views. Inspectors spoke with parents before the start of the school day and with pupils and staff during the inspection.

Inspection team

Andrew Hemmings, lead inspector Rod Warsap Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector