Mansfield Green E-ACT Academy Ofsted Report

Full report

What does the school need to do to improve further?

• Further develop the effectiveness of leadership and management by ensuring that leaders:
  • have a more strategic overview of behaviour incidents to identify patterns and trends more quickly
  • embed recently introduced systems to support pupils with SEN and/or disabilities and check that all staff use them consistently.
• Ensure that all pupils use correct letter formation in key stage 1 to improve their handwriting skills.

Inspection judgements

Effectiveness of leadership and management Outstanding

• The headteacher has a passion and determination to ensure that every pupil achieves their very best. This vision is shared by all staff. The headteacher knows the context of the school’s diverse community in great detail and has developed an ethos where pupils and staff feel valued and work together as one cohesive community.
• The headteacher has developed and strengthened the school’s leadership team extremely well. Through the use of ‘change teams’, middle leaders have been mentored and coached to develop their effectiveness in their roles. These leaders now contribute extremely well to the school’s improvement, including ensuring that pupils’ outcomes continue to rise. Leaders at all levels have contributed significantly to the school’s considerable improvement in recent years.
• Since the last inspection, the headteacher and the senior leadership team have been highly successful in developing the quality of teaching and learning. They monitor all aspects of teaching in great detail to enable them to spot quickly where further support is needed to improve teaching. Leaders also use ‘on the spot coaching’ to develop teaching skills immediately, showing teachers how they can improve their practice. This has led to significant improvements in the quality of teaching across the school, which is now at least good in every year group.
• Leaders have developed a rich and engaging curriculum, with a focus on raising pupils’ aspirations. All curriculum subjects are prioritised equally to ensure that pupils receive a well-rounded education. The curriculum is enriched with many additional, high-quality learning experiences. For example, a specialist art teacher works with pupils. Pupils participate enthusiastically in performances with a music specialist, and all pupils in Year 4 have the opportunity to learn the violin. In addition to this, pupils’ learning is further enhanced through a wide range of trips and visits, such as to different places of worship. Pupils say that the trips help them to learn more about their topics and make ‘learning real’.
• Teachers take every opportunity to develop pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural learning and their understanding of fundamental British values. Both of these aspects are considered throughout all subjects. Leaders have developed pupils’ understanding of tolerance and respect particularly well, further supporting the school’s inclusive ethos. As a result of this rich curriculum, pupils make strong progress in all subjects and are well prepared for life in modern Britain and beyond.
• Leaders use the pupil premium funding extremely well to support disadvantaged pupils. ‘Class plans’ identify carefully what the needs of these pupils are and teachers have a sharp focus on ensuring that pupils receive the right support to help them make progress. Leaders’ work to improve disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has been highly successful so pupils are not held back in their learning due to regular absences. Consequently, disadvantaged pupils make rapid progress and, in some year groups, achieve at least in line with, or above, age-related expectations.
• The physical education (PE) and sport premium for primary schools is used to great effect. As well as leaders identifying where improvements to sporting opportunities could be made, leaders also listen to the views of pupils to plan how to use the funding. For example, pupils asked for a ‘boxercise’ club to be provided, which is now in place. Leaders analyse participation rates in clubs and sporting activities and plan the timings of the clubs to meet pupils’ needs. This has led to much higher participation rates in all clubs. The most able pupils have the opportunity to act as sports leaders to further develop their skills and abilities. As a result of all the sporting initiatives, pupils engage more enthusiastically in sporting activities and the school’s achievements in local sports competitions has improved.
• Leaders plan and monitor the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities carefully. Leaders then use additional funding wisely to ensure that the right resources are in place to meet pupils’ needs. The support for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is highly effective and these pupils make rapid progress.
• Recently, leaders have provided teachers with training, support and guidance to help enhance their skills in supporting pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities. In addition to this, leaders have reviewed how targets for these pupils are set. These initiatives are further improving the provision for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities but are yet to be fully embedded across the school.

Governance of the school

• Members of the ‘raising achievement board’ meet regularly to review all aspects of the school’s performance. They review the information school leaders provide and challenge them to check that the school’s improvement journey is continuing. Board members identify where further support is needed and provide this support through the multi-academy trust ‘system leaders’. Their work contributes to the school improvement journey.
• Board members understand their statutory responsibilities, including their duty to safeguard pupils. They hold leaders to account for the school’s performance.
• The ‘Ambassadorial Advisory Group’ is made up of elected members, including parents, who focus on the wider aspects of the school’s working, such as links with the community. For example, they attend parents’ evenings to elicit the views of parents and carers, which are shared with leaders. They work closely with the regional board members and the school’s leadership team.

Safeguarding

• The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.
• The culture of safeguarding is deeply embedded across the school. Staff take their responsibility to protect pupils seriously and are constantly alert to the potential signs that a pupil may be suffering from harm. For example, staff were able to explain in detail how to spot when a pupil may be at risk or may have been the victim of female genital mutilation.
• Through the curriculum, pupils learn how to keep themselves safe. For example, the protective behaviours curriculum teaches pupils about what to do if someone is making them feel uncomfortable and how to report any inappropriate behaviour. All pupils know which leader is responsible for safeguarding in school, but pupils also say that they can talk to anyone if they have a problem. Leaders have a strong awareness of local issues, such as gun and knife crime. They adapt teaching and learning to help pupils learn how to keep themselves safe.
• Leaders go to great lengths to check that all staff and visitors to the school pose no risks to the pupils. Risk assessments identify and address any potential health and safety issues. Leaders work closely with a range of agencies to ensure that pupils receive additional support to keep them safe outside school.

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Outstanding

• Teaching is very effective across key stages 1 and 2. Teachers have high expectations of all pupils and plan carefully to ensure that they provide pupils with the right support and challenge to enable them to make rapid progress. Teachers skilfully adapt their teaching in response to pupils’ needs. They identify swiftly where pupils have not understood something or if they need more difficult work. They provide further support or challenge to ensure that any gaps in learning are addressed quickly or to move pupils’ learning forward at quick pace.
• Leaders’ focus on improving the quality of teaching in mathematics has led to particular improvements in mathematics teaching. Teachers insist on the use of correct mathematical terminology, ensure pupils’ basic arithmetic skills are developed well and provide pupils with regular opportunities to apply these skills in problem-solving and reasoning activities. As a result, pupils’ progress in mathematics has improved considerably and current pupils are making strong progress across the school.
• The teaching of phonics is also effective. Teachers use their assessments of pupils’ phonic knowledge well to plan for their next steps, ensuring that any gaps in learning are quickly identified and addressed. When pupils demonstrate a secure understanding of phonics, teachers then challenge them further with more complex grammar and punctuation work. This enables pupils to make strong progress in reading and writing.
• Teaching assistants provide excellent support to further develop pupils’ learning, especially pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities, disadvantaged pupils and pupils who speak English as an additional language. Their close communication with teachers, strong knowledge of pupils’ needs and effective teaching skills mean that pupils who need extra help or have gaps in their learning receive the support they need to make rapid progress.
• Teachers provide pupils with many opportunities to develop their writing skills. Pupils learn how to write in a range of different styles and regularly apply their writing skills in other subjects. For example, in science pupils write about how to carry out an investigation and in history pupils write biographies of historical figures. Teachers ensure that pupils’ writing skills are developed progressively. Pupils’ work shows clearly that they use increasingly complex grammar and punctuation in their writing. As a result, pupils across the school make at least good progress in writing.
• Pupils take great pride in their work. The vast majority of pupils in key stage 2 develop fluent and joined handwriting. However, a number of pupils in key stage 1 are not taught well enough to consistently form their letters correctly. Where this occurs, pupils’ work is not as well presented as it could be.

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

Personal development and welfare

• The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.
• Pupils show a true desire and eagerness to learn at Mansfield Green Academy. Leaders have re-developed the curriculum to meet the needs of all pupils. This has dramatically improved pupils’ interest in what they are learning. Pupils have high aspirations and strive to achieve as well as they can. As a result, a purposeful climate for learning permeates throughout the school.
• Leaders place a high priority on supporting pupils’ mental health. The school’s pastoral support and guidance are exceptionally strong, which means pupils are cared for very well. The pastoral support helps to develop pupils into confident and secure individuals who have the confidence to seek help when needed.
• Pupils are able to contribute to school improvement through the use of the ‘suggestion box’. Pupils say that leaders do respond to their suggestions. For example, pupils wanted breaktimes to be more fun. Leaders responded by providing a range of games and activities to make breaktime an engaging and exciting time. Pupils say they love breaktimes now.
• Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe in a range of different ways. Pupils say that no one is ‘nasty’ in their school and that bullying is very rare. Their understanding of what bullying is, including cyber bullying, is excellent. They are not afraid to report bullying to teachers if it does happen because they are confident it will be dealt with quickly.
• The breakfast club carries the same values and ethos as the whole school. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. This great start to the school day helps pupils to settle to their learning quickly and calmly.

Behaviour

• The behaviour of pupils is outstanding.
• Leaders track and monitor attendance closely, following up any poor attendance or punctuality quickly to prevent pupils missing too much school. Leaders have introduced a range of initiatives to promote the importance of high attendance, such as a trip to the cinema to reward 100% attendance. Leaders work with outside agencies to help them follow up individual attendance issues where needed. As a result of this work, attendance has risen and is now in line with the national average. Disadvantaged pupils’ attendance has risen significantly. The proportion of pupils who are regularly absent from school has reduced. These higher attendance rates contribute to the improved progress pupils now make in their learning.
• Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and during social times is exemplary and pupils have a strong sense of what is right and wrong. Pupils manage their own behaviours exceptionally well and rarely need to be reminded about following school rules. Staff encourage pupils to be independent, such as collecting their lunch and clearing up afterwards. Pupils listen to staff carefully and follow instructions willingly. Consequently, the whole school is a calm and orderly place where pupils can socialise and learn in an exceptionally positive environment.
• Leaders have recently introduced more detailed arrangements to track and analyse behaviour patterns and to identify and address any potential issues rapidly. While this tracking is identifying some trends, it is not yet fully developed or embedded in school practice.

Outcomes for pupils Outstanding

• In 2017, the proportions of pupils achieving the required standard in the Year 1 phonics check was in line with the national average. This represents a rise from the previous two years. The proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieving the required standard was above the national average.
• At the end of key stage 1 in 2017, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics was below the national average. The proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels of learning was also below the national average. No pupils achieved the higher levels of learning in writing in 2017. Due to their low starting points on entry to Year 1, this still represented at least adequate progress.
• The proportion of current pupils achieving the expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics in 2018 by the end of key stage 1 has risen by 10% in each of these subjects. In addition to this, the proportion of pupils achieving the higher levels of learning in reading, writing and mathematics has also risen.
• At the end of key stage 2 in 2017, pupils’ progress in reading and writing was broadly in line with the national average. The number of pupils achieving the expected standard was broadly in line with the national average in reading and writing. However, the number of pupils who achieved the higher levels of learning was below the national average in these subjects.
• While pupils’ progress at the end of key stage 2 in 2017 was broadly average, their attainment was below the national average, due to their low starting points on joining the key stage. This was especially so for disadvantaged pupils and pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities.
• This year, there has been further improvement in pupils’ progress, which continues to improve. Across the school, current pupils make strong and sustained progress in reading, writing and mathematics. Work in pupils’ books clearly demonstrates that teachers are helping pupils to build on their prior learning on almost a daily basis. Teachers use what they know about what pupils can do to plan work which is very closely matched to their learning needs. Teachers provide pupils of all ability groups with highly effective challenge and support. As a result, current pupils make outstanding progress.
• In all other subjects, such as history, geography, science and PE, pupils also now make exceptionally strong progress. Teachers carefully analyse what pupils already know, and then build on their skills, knowledge and different abilities in these subjects. As a result of this highly effective teaching and use of assessment information, pupils make excellent progress in all subjects.
• Leaders ensure that disadvantaged pupils receive high-quality support and guidance to help them make strong progress. Leaders check carefully that the support they receive is helping them to catch up. Consequently, current progress for disadvantaged pupils’ is rapid.
• The support leaders provide for pupils who have SEN and/or disabilities is also highly effective. Teachers and teaching assistants provide clear targets and support for these pupils. Teachers provide work which matches their specific learning needs well and which helps them make strong progress.

Early years provision Outstanding

• The early years leader’s passionate drive to improve provision and outcomes has led to significant improvements over the last two years. The leader knows precisely what the strengths and areas for development are and ensures that training and support for staff is matched carefully to individual needs. All staff are committed to ensuring that children receive the best start to school life and embrace these professional development opportunities to help them improve their practice. There is a close-knit early years team, which has a relentless drive on improving all aspects of the early years. As a result, the quality of provision continues to go from strength to strength.
• Children thrive, because the quality of teaching is exceptionally high. All staff know and understand children’s needs in great detail and plan highly engaging learning experiences which are matched precisely to these needs and to children’s interests. Staff use assessment systems very effectively to ensure that they build on children’s learning day by day. Consequently, children in the Nursery and Reception Years make rapid progress in all areas of the curriculum.
• Staff particularly excel at guiding and supporting children’s learning during play activities. Staff give children time to explore their own learning, but then intervene swiftly when children’s learning stalls or when children need further challenge. Not a moment for learning is wasted. Staff help children to become confident and happy learners, eager to ‘have a go’ at any challenge. This helps all children, including the most able, make excellent progress on a daily basis and prepares them well for the challenges of Year 1.
• Children start the early years with skills and abilities below those typical for their age, especially their communication skills. As a result of the outstanding provision across the early years, all children make exceptionally strong progress. Outcomes at the end of the Reception Year have risen each year for the last four years. In 2017, the proportion of children achieving a good level of development was just below the national average. This proportion is set to rise again in 2018.
• Children who have SEN and/or disabilities and disadvantaged children make particularly strong progress in the early years. Staff ensure that their additional needs are supported well, including seeking additional support and guidance from other agencies where needed. Staff skilfully adapt learning activities to ensure that these children are fully included in all aspects of learning, which helps them to make rapid progress.
• Staff’s expectations of children’s behaviour are very high. They encourage children to say, ‘please’ and ‘thank you’ and model good manners at every opportunity. Staff also help children to become independent. For example, they encourage children to dress themselves appropriately, such as putting on sunhats, and explain why this is important. Relationships between staff and children are very positive. Staff create a remarkably secure environment for learning and children respond to this by behaving exceptionally well.
• Staff ensure that children are well prepared to start in the early years. Home visits and close communication with parents ensure that staff know children’s needs prior to starting school. Staff provide parents with detailed information about how their children are taught in school and how they can further help their children at home. For example, staff run workshops on how phonics are taught so parents understand the different letter sounds used. This work with parents helps children to settle very quickly and confidently into school and further supports their learning at home.
• Safeguarding is effective and all early years welfare requirements are met.

School details

Unique reference number Local authority Inspection number 138998 Birmingham 10048294 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 Academy sponsor-led 2 to 11 Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 493 Appropriate authority Chair Headteacher Telephone number Website Board of trustees Michael Wemms Karen Horne 01214646590 http://mansfieldgreenacademy.e-act.org.uk/ Email address enquiryMGA@e-act.org.uk Date of previous inspection 8–9 March 2016

Information about this school

• Mansfield Green Academy is a larger-than-average-sized school.
• The school is part of E-Act multi-academy trust and is governed by the board of trustees.
• The proportion of disadvantaged pupils is above average.
• The proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups is above average.
• The proportion of pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities is below the national average. The proportion of pupils who have education, health and care plans is broadly in line with the national average.
• The Nursery is run by the school and has provision for two-year-olds.
• A breakfast club is run for the pupils.
• The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress in reading, writing and mathematics for pupils by the end of Year 6.

Information about this inspection

• Inspectors observed teaching and learning in all year groups. A number of the observations were carried out jointly with the headteacher.
• Inspectors met with pupils, heard a selection of pupils read and observed pupils at breaktimes and lunchtimes.
• Inspectors met with the headteacher and other senior leaders, the leader of provision for special educational needs, the early years leader, middle leaders and subject leaders. The lead inspector met with the regional director and deputy chief executive officer of the multi-academy trust. A telephone conversation was held with the chief executive officer. Inspectors also met with a representative of the Ambassadorial Advisory Group.
• A range of pupils’ books from all year groups and a range of subjects were looked at.
• A number of documents were reviewed, including the school’s self-evaluation and improvement plans. Inspectors also considered information about pupils’ progress, behaviour, attendance and safety.
• Inspectors took account of 27 responses to the Ofsted online questionnaire Parent View and spoke to a number of parents before school. Six free-text comments were also reviewed. Inspectors considered the 37 responses to the staff questionnaire and the five responses to the online pupil questionnaire.

Inspection team

Ann Pritchard, lead inspector Lindsay Nash Sue Cameron

Her Majesty’s Inspector Ofsted Inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector