Manor Primary School Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Improve the quality of leadership and management, including governance, by:

• ensuring that all governors have a precise understanding of exactly how well pupils are performing, including those pupils who are disadvantaged
• making sure that teachers consistently apply the school’s assessment and feedback policy to ensure that pupils know exactly what they need to do to improve their learning.
• Improve the quality of teaching, and in so doing raise standards across the school, in reading, writing and mathematics by:
  • making sure that pupils, including the most able, are challenged to achieve to the absolute best of their abilities
  • developing pupils’ confidence, resilience and ability to learn from their mistakes and share their ideas
  • improving pupils’ problem-solving skills.
• Further enhance work with families and the community to reinforce the importance of good attendance and how this links to pupils’ good achievement.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

• Outcomes for pupils declined in 2015 and 2016. This was due to turbulence in the senior leadership team, including governance. In addition, teaching was not good enough. However, the school has turned a corner and is well on its way to becoming good.
• The headteacher is determined to make a difference to the lives of pupils. The headteacher’s strong partnership with the deputy headteacher has enabled her to halt the decline in standards since the previous inspection and spearhead school improvements. Governors both challenge and support senior leaders in their endeavours.
• In Manor Primary School, there is a sense of urgency. Staff morale is high, relationships with parents are good, and pupils behave well and want to learn, all of which are helping to ensure that the trajectory of the school is heading in the right direction.
• Systems to manage the performance of teachers are effective. Teachers are set challenging targets. These are closely linked to outcomes for different groups of pupils and are supporting teachers in improving their teaching practice. All teachers who spoke with the inspector, including those new to the profession, indicated that training in areas such as effective phonics teaching and developing pupils’ reading skills is helping to improve standards.
• The headteacher is primarily responsible for observing the quality of teaching. Monitoring files contain precise information, and good advice to teachers, on how they can improve their effectiveness. All teachers are accountable for the progress of pupils in their classes. They attend regular meetings to discuss how well pupils are performing. This enables teachers to identify any pupils in danger of falling behind and provide additional support where it is needed.
• Much of pupils’ work is cross-curricular. This enables them to explore a range of themes in different subjects through their topic work. Pupils’ books reveal many examples of mathematics used in subjects such as science. Pupils write for a range of different purposes in history and religious education. This approach is helping to accelerate pupils’ progress in in reading, writing and mathematics across the school.
• Senior leaders make sure that additional funding for disadvantaged pupils is used effectively. Additional funding is helping to raise standards for eligible pupils across both key stages 1 and 2. Evidence in pupils’ books shows that they are working at the standards expected of their age. Differences between disadvantaged pupils and other pupils nationally are diminishing.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are looked after well by caring staff. The additional funding that the school receives for these pupils is used well and improving their achievement and personal development. Art therapy helps some pupils overcome emotional and social barriers to learning, while personalised teaching programmes help to improve pupils’ progress and confidence in areas such as reading.
• Senior leaders work to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good, as is their work to enhance pupils understanding of British values. Pupils have visited various places of Christian and Muslim worship in Liverpool. They learn about world religions and are increasingly aware of the cultural diversity that extends beyond their immediate community. Pupils appreciate and celebrate various festival and holy days and enjoy visiting museums and the theatre and exploring the local places of interest, such New Brighton beach.
• Pupils enjoy art, sports and music. They frequently raise funds for various charities and care about those less fortunate than themselves. Pupils enjoy putting democratic principles into practice. This they did recently when they discussed the implications of a second referendum on Scotland’s independence and developed their own political parties and devised manifestos to encourage membership.
• Leaders are making effective use of additional sports funding to employ specialist coaches who are helping to develop the confidence of staff in teaching various sports. Pupils enjoy taekwondo, football and swimming. They engage in many sports activities during lunchtimes. Funding helps to develop pupils’ fitness and well-being and increases their participation, across the school, in sporting activities.
• Parents are highly positive about the school and especially complimentary about the headteacher. Typical comments from parents were: ‘The school can’t do enough for us’ and ‘Everyone is so approachable.’ Parents are appreciative of opportunities to get involved in the school through coffee mornings and workshops and on issues such as e-safety. Without reservation, they all say that their children are happy, safe and progressing well. Parents are well informed about school events through the school newsletter and regular meetings with the chair of governors and headteacher.
• Because of the decline in standards over the last two years, especially at the end of key stage 2 in 2016, the school has received a lot of support from the local authority. This has included a full review of the quality of teaching and learning. Quite rightly, local authority support is levelling off, given senior leaders’ good capacity to move the school forward. Improvements this year are seen in teaching and outcomes for pupils.
• The school’s website is up to date and easy to access. It contains all necessary statutory information, including current safeguarding, behaviour and complaints policies.

Governance of the school

• Governors are fully involved in the life of the school and are determined to improve the quality of teaching and learning. They have a good understanding of what the school needs to do before all aspects of provision are good.
• Governors know that standards in 2015 and 2016 were not good enough. They are eager to put the school’s past performance behind them and move the school forward. This they have the capacity to do. Governors are asking the right questions and want to know the impact of the various initiatives taken by senior leaders which aim to drive the school forward.
• Governors are trained well. They keep abreast with development in education and ensure that they are fully conversant with the latest government safeguarding guidance.
• Governors know that the quality of teaching is rapidly improving. They have first-hand experience of teaching and learning and know that additional teaching aimed at improving outcomes for disadvantaged pupils is helping to boost performance this year. Governors are prepared to reward teachers for their work, but first, teachers have to reach their targets.
• Though the governing body is committed and effective, some governors are still developing in their role. Their understanding of performance data is not as precise as it should be. The chair of governors is aware of this and has highlighted data analysis as a central part of governors’ training and development.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• Staff, senior leaders and governors leave nothing to chance when it comes to ensuring that pupils are safe and free from harm.
• The headteacher spends considerable time working with a wide range of professionals from social welfare, local authority and police services. This ensures that the school has a comprehensive view of the issues and challenges facing some children and families in the local community.
• All staff are trained well and have a thorough understanding of the government’s latest guidance on keeping children safe in education. All who spoke with the inspector demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the procedures they should follow if a pupil presents an issue or concern to them.
• Stringent checks are made on the suitability of staff to work with children. The school’s single central record is up to date and contains all necessary statutory information.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Requires improvement

• Teachers do not consistently apply the school’s policies and procedures for giving pupils feedback on their work. For example, while the most teachers routinely indicate the aspects of pupils’ work that are good, opportunities are sometimes missed to advise pupils how to take the next steps in their learning. Due to this, too few pupils can say what they need to do to improve their reading, writing and mathematics work.
• Work in pupils’ mathematics and topic books shows that pupils are sometimes doing the same work. This limits the progress of some groups, including the most able, and slows down the process of eradicating the gaps that many pupils have in their learning.
• It is apparent, from talking to pupils and observing their learning, that pupils’ confidence, resilience and willingness to engage in problem-solving activities is improving. This is because senior leaders have made this a priority for development. However, pupils are sometimes over-reliant on teachers’ and teaching assistants’ help because they are not yet as confident as they could be in sharing their ideas and learning from their mistakes.
• Manor Primary School has made significant strides this year in improving teaching, most of which is improving rapidly. Teachers have good subject knowledge and employ increasingly effective strategies to engage pupils. In addition, teachers’ expectations of pupils are high.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are well supported in the classroom and through various tailored small-group activities, described by the school as ‘keep up’ and ‘catch up’ interventions. Such activities are effective in supporting pupils in developing their calculation, reading and writing skills.
• Learning is most effective when teachers and teaching assistants challenge pupils of all abilities to achieve to their very best. This was exemplified in an upper key stage 2 class where pupils were learning about different types of angles. Pupils enjoyed moving around the classroom, and the area outside, to find and tackle different challenges. Those less secure in their understanding of angles used protractors, while other pupils were given limited information to work out how many degrees were in ‘missing angles’. Pupils said that they ‘loved this kind of maths’, which was effective in developing and consolidating their understanding of angles.
• Teachers provide pupils with regular homework, which supports their progress well. Pupils enjoy taking their pick from the extensive ‘takeaway’ homework menu. For example, the recent menu for Year 3/4 pupils gave them a wide choice of activities. These ranged from writing an article on the Apollo 11 mission to the moon to writing a diary about a trip to the moon. This approach is effective in developing pupils’ writing skills and is in line with the school’s homework policy.
• Written and mathematical work in books shows that those pupils who did not attain a good level of development at the end of Reception Year in 2015 and 2016 are making good progress this year. In addition, effective teaching is consolidating their phonic skills. This was shown in a key stage 1 class. After reinforcing pupils’ skills in extending words, for example from ‘hot’ to ‘hotter’ and ‘tall’ to ‘taller’, pupils were asked to distinguish between real and ‘fake’ words. Pupils demonstrated their good understanding by putting real words, such as ‘quicker’ and ‘fuller’, in treasure chests, and assigning words such as ‘quiper’ and ‘pirper’ to the dustbin.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.
• Senior leaders prioritise pupils’ personal development and welfare, ensuring that pupils are safe at all times and developing well socially and emotionally. The effective work of staff, including the art therapist, ensures that pupils are well cared for within the nurturing environment of the school. Pupils say that they always feel safe and confident to talk to any member of staff if they have any concerns.
• Pupils have positive attitudes to learning and enjoy finding out new things with their friends. Pupils are enthusiastic, well-motivated and strive to do their best for their teachers and themselves.
• Pupils can define bullying well. This is because it is explored through the curriculum and addressed during assemblies. Pupils say that bullying within the school is rare and always dealt with. They have a good understanding of racism, which they say is ‘when you skit someone’s skin, language, religion or country’. When asked about racism in school, pupils replied in unison, ‘There’s no racism here.’ Pupils’ understanding of homophobic bullying is less well developed.
• Most pupils have a thorough knowledge of cyber bullying. Reminders of how to stay safe while online are in every classroom and corridor. In addition, the school offers workshops to parents on several themes, including internet safety. Pupils know that to stay safe when on the internet, they should never post personal details in chat rooms, meet anyone from the ‘virtual world’ and ‘never post photographs that show your school badge’.
• Pupils enjoy the various responsibilities they are given. Year 5/6 pupils regularly help in the early years, serving snacks to children in the Nursery and Reception classes. Key stage 1 and 2 pupils regularly interact with younger pupils and act as good, caring role models. Year 5/6 pupils are effective monitors, who take on their responsibilities in earnest when they help the midday assistants clear up after lunch.
• Teachers’ work to build pupils’ resilience to learn from their mistakes and find out things for themselves is developing, especially in mathematics. Here many pupils push themselves and enjoy helping their classmates out in their ‘expert’ and ‘legend’ roles.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is good. Pupils at Manor Primary School are well-mannered and courteous. Every pupil made the inspector feel welcomed. All demonstrated very positive attitudes to their peers, adults and school life generally.
• Pupils are of the view that behaviour is good most of the time. Staff, governors and all parents who spoke with the inspector and sent in letters and text messages during the inspection are of this view too.
• Pupils behave sensibly and safely during play and breaktimes and when moving around the school. Pupils respect school property, ensure that the school environment is kept clean and tidy, and behave well during lunchtimes. Pupils wear their school uniform with pride, and most take care with the presentation of their work.
• The school keeps detailed records of pupils’ behaviour, as well as all discussions and conversations with parents. These comprehensive logs indicate that behaviour is typically good over time.
• Various incentives are available to encourage good behaviour. For example, pupils who work hard and try their best can earn ‘Manor Money’. Money is totalled regularly and different rewards are given, depending on the amount of money accumulated. In addition, golden tickets are on offer. Tickets are available which allow pupils access to golden time, where they can play games and pursue their personal interests.
• The school has put in place several measures to improve attendance. These include a traffic light system, indicating each pupils’ attendance record, a termly letter to parents, detailing their child’s attendance and punctuality, and incentives, such as prize draws, for attendance over 98%. In addition, and if necessary, senior leaders make home visits to collect pupils for school.
• Despite the school’s best efforts, attendance remains well below average for a small core of families. Senior leaders are fully aware of the importance of continued vigilance in this area and continue to work with parents, partners and the community to impress upon parents the important relationship between regular attendance and good achievement.

Outcomes for pupils Requires improvement

• National data must be treated with caution, especially for key stage 2, where there were only 10 pupils at the end of Year 6 in 2016. However, pupils’ achievement has declined since the previous inspection and has only recently started to improve.
• Pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics was well below average at the end of key stage 2 in 2016. This included for disadvantaged pupils. In addition, attainment was poor, especially in mathematics.
• The proportion of pupils who met the expected standards at the end of Year 2 in 2016 was above average in reading, average in writing and below average in mathematics. In both key stages, very few pupils attained greater depth in their understanding, or the higher levels, in any subject.
• At the end of Year 6 in 2016, a below-average proportion of pupils met the expected standard in grammar and punctuation. An average proportion met the expected standard in spelling.
• The proportion of pupils that met the expected standard in science was below average at the end of key stage 2 and above average at the end of key stage 1.
• This year, the stronger senior leadership team, and improved governing body, are rapidly moving the school forward. The headteacher is determined to secure good teaching and good outcomes across the school. She is well on her way to realising her ambitions. All indications are that teaching and learning are on their way to becoming good, as they currently are in the early years.
• The proportion of pupils that met the expected standard in the national phonics screening check at the end of Year 1 in 2016 was well below average, and below average at the end of Year 2. However, phonics teaching has rapidly improved this year and is boosting pupils’ progress.
• Pupils who read to the inspector were enthusiastic readers who could summarise their books well. Year 6 pupils could name several different authors and said that they enjoyed reading books written in different styles. All pupils read books appropriate to their age and ability. Those who found reading difficult used their phonic skills well to sound out and read unfamiliar words.
• Pupils enjoy mathematics. Work in pupils’ books, from the Reception class to Year 5/6, shows that pupils’ skills in problem-solving are improving. For example, in the Year 3/4 class, pupils recently planned a journey. They had to carefully work out the cost of fuel, food and accommodation, to ensure that they had enough money for their excursion. Senior leaders know that there is more work to be done in this area, to fully consolidate pupils’ problem-solving skills.
• Pupils are making accelerated progress in writing. Writing was the strongest subject at the end of key stage 2 in 2015 and 2016. Pupils’ work in science, history and religious education shows many examples of pupils writing for different purposes. Pupils’ writing is of a high standard and is mostly well presented.
• At the end of Year 6 in 2016, the performance of disadvantaged pupils was below that of other pupils nationally in all subjects, including reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils’ books show that significant gains have been made this year. In addition, pupils demonstrate good reading skills and an eagerness to learn. The progress of all pupils is closely monitored on a regular basis. The latest ‘check point’ information shows that the vast majority of disadvantaged pupils have reached age-related expectations in all subjects, and some are exceeding them.
• Pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities are progressing well this year, as the quality of teaching has improved. Such pupils enjoy their learning and are becoming increasingly confident in sharing their ideas. Teachers and teaching assistants are trained well. They have good relationships with parents and effective partnerships with specialist services, all of which are playing their part in raising standards.
• In 2016, very few pupils attained higher levels in reading, writing or mathematics at the end of key stage 2. Due to significant gaps in their learning, many pupils are still catching up with their peers nationally. In the mixed-age classes in key stage 2, there is a vast range of abilities. Though teachers are setting more-challenging work for the most able pupils, such pupils should be, and need to be, challenged even more for them to achieve highly and make up for the learning they have missed.

Early years provision Good

• All aspects of the leadership and management of the early years provision, including teaching, work with parents and children’s safety, are good. Children learn in a stimulating environment which captures their interests. The early years teacher and teaching assistants are very caring and have secure bonds with children. They have high expectations of children and provide a wide range of learning experiences which help children to be imaginative and creative. As a result, children make good progress in all areas of learning.
• Children are assessed on entry to the Nursery class. Assessments indicate that children’s skills and abilities, in all areas of learning, are weaker that those typically expected for their age. Nonetheless, children in both the Nursery and Reception classes get off to a flying start and make good progress in all areas of learning.
• The proportion of children attaining a good level of development has increased every year for the last three years. In 2016 an average proportion attained a good level of development by the end of their Reception Year and were well prepared for their learning in Year 1.
• Learning journeys (workbooks) illustrate children’s progress through photographs and written notes and show that children are developing well. Parents regularly discuss with staff their children’s learning and development at home. This enables staff to develop a complete picture of how well children are performing.
• Additional funding is used very well and has been successful in diminishing differences between disadvantaged children and other children nationally. Similarly, leaders’ work to improve the writing skills of boys has been highly effective. Their high-quality writing was seen during the inspection.
• This year, children have got off to a brilliant start. Children are highly cooperative and curious. They are excited about their learning and proud of their achievements. Quite rightly, staff focus on developing children’s language and communication skills. For example, children are encouraged to look at each other and adults when they engage in conversation. A full-sized mirror with pictures of lips, ears and eyes provides good opportunities for children to practise looking at themselves and engaging in role-play conversations.
• Teaching in the Nursery class is good. Staff provide interesting activities which engage children well. For example, children were very engaged in a circle-time phonics activity using a teddy bear. Whenever the bear stopped on its journey around the circle of children, a word was sounded out and reinforced with clapping. Children thoroughly enjoyed the activity and enthusiastically clapped out letters, such as ‘b’, ‘u’ and ‘n’ to make the word ‘bun’, for which they were highly praised.
• Children learn in imaginative and stimulating classrooms, which celebrate their art, writing, mathematics and craft work. Many opportunities are available for children to follow their own interests and explore the world around them. Resources are closely linked to the different areas of learning. Children are encouraged to read and engage in role-play. They are skilled at using computers and enjoy construction and exploring the properties and textures of different materials.
• Staff take all opportunities to develop children’s skills. This was demonstrated during snack-time, where the teacher used effective questioning to get children to recount the facts they had learned about planets and space. Children demonstrated an excellent knowledge of the solar system. Typical comments from children were: ‘Saturn has rings of ice and dust’ and ‘Gravity is invisible, it holds us down.’ The teacher skilfully encouraged more discussion around the topic of whether there were animals on the moon. Children were then encouraged to pursue their own interests, which included using magnets and measuring moon rocks.
• Children’s behaviour is good. They play sensibly and safely at all times, follow instructions closely and listen carefully. This was evident in both the Nursery and Reception classes during formal teaching activities and snack-time.
• All parents who spoke with the inspector were highly complimentary about the early years provision. They indicated that they were happy with their children’s learning, educational development and safety.
• Outdoor provision is good and has improved since the previous inspection. Staff are exploring ways to make provision even more stimulating, to match the quality of indoor learning and playing areas.
• Staff are exceptionally vigilant when it comes to safeguarding. The same stringent procedures for keeping children safe in key stages 1 and 2 are fully adhered to in the early years.

School details

Unique reference number 105041 Local authority Wirral Inspection number 10024279 This inspection was carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. The inspection was also deemed a section 5 inspection under the same Act. Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 3 to 11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 141 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Kelly Barker Headteacher Nicola Lightwing Telephone number 0151 677 3152 Website www.manorprimaryschool.co.uk Email address schooloffice@manor.wirral.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 5–6 June 2013

Information about this school

• The school meets requirements on the publication of specified information on its website.
• The school is a much smaller than the average-sized primary school. More than half of all pupils are disadvantaged and in receipt of support paid for by the pupil premium funding.
• Almost all pupils are of White British heritage. Very few speak English as an additional language.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is above average. The proportion of pupils who have an education, health and care plan or a statement of special educational needs is average.
• Children in the early years are taught on a part-time basis in the Nursery class. Children are taught full time in the Reception class.
• The school experiences high levels of mobility, with pupils entering and leaving the school at times other than at the beginning or end of the school year. In key stage 2, pupils are taught in two classes: a Year 3/4 class and a Year 5/6 class.
• Since the previous inspection, several appointments have been made, including a new headteacher, three teachers and three teaching assistants. The governing body has been reorganised to include a new chair of the governing body and two parent governors.
• The government’s floor standards do not apply to this school because of the small number of pupils that were assessed at the end of key stage 2 in 2016. Because of the small cohort size, data for Year 6 pupils must be treated with caution.

Information about this inspection

• The inspector observed learning in all year groups, as well as that of small groups of pupils and sessions aimed at helping pupils learn to read. Two observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• The inspector listened to pupils read and held discussions with pupils from across the school. Pupils’ work in books was scrutinised in class and separately.
• The inspector read five text responses and three letters submitted by parents during the inspection. He also met with parents informally at the beginning of the school day. There were too few responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View, to consider. Responses to the inspection questionnaire completed by three members of staff were also considered.
• A meeting was held with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. Meetings were held with senior leaders, including those responsible for English, mathematics and the early years provision. Meetings were also held with the headteacher, who is responsible for assessing pupils’ learning and progress, and managing provision for pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities.
• A meeting was held with two representatives from the local authority.
• Inspectors examined a range of documents. These included the school’s checks on the quality of teaching and reviews of its own performance, development plans, various records of pupils’ attendance and behaviour, information about pupils’ progress and safeguarding documentation.

Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector