Mansel Park Primary & Nursery School - Part of the Learning Federation Partnership of Schools

Mansel Park Primary School Culver Close, Millbrook, Southampton, SO16 9HZ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Satisfactory 3 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2

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This is a good school

 Effective leadership by the headteacher, other senior leaders and the governing body has ensured improvement in the quality of teaching and in pupil achievement.  Attainment is rising; progress rates have improved and are above those expected nationally.  Teaching is typically good with examples of outstanding teaching. Pupils have good opportunities to assess their own work and the literacy displays around the school reflect their understanding of how to improve their writing.  Pupils have positive attitudes to their learning and behave well. They show respect to adults and to each other and have high levels of pride in their work.  Systems for monitoring the school’s work are well established and this leads to accurate self- evaluation and sharply focused development priorities being set.  Information about pupils’ progress is very efficiently organised and is well used to identify pupils who require further support.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 In a small minority of lessons, the pace of learning, the use of questioning and the quality of planning is not as effective as in the best. The quality of marking is also not always consistently of high quality.  Some leaders and managers of subjects other than English and mathematics lack a full awareness of achievement in their subject areas; their subject action plans do not always link clearly enough to whole-school priorities.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed 17 lessons.  They listened to a sample of pupils read in Years 1, 2 and 3.  The team considered the six responses to the online Parent View questionnaire and examined the most recent school parental questionnaire analysis.  Inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at attainment and progress data. The school’s development plan, curriculum plans, governing body documentation and school policies and procedures, particularly those relating to health and safety and safeguarding of pupils, were scrutinised.  Discussions were held with school staff, governors, a representative of the local authority, and pupils.

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Inspection team

Michael Pye, Lead inspector Additional inspector Anne Wesley Additional inspector Anthony Byrne Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 The school is of broadly average size.  The proportion of pupils known to be entitled to free school meals and supported under pupil premium funding is well above the national average.  The majority of pupils come from a White British background. The next largest ethnic group is made up of pupils who are of Any Other White heritage.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs supported at school action is below average. The proportion supported at school action plus, or with a statement of special educational needs, is above average. The main needs of these pupils relate to moderate learning difficulties.  The school is now part of a soft federation with other local schools.  A nurture group and a breakfast club, managed by the governors, operate daily.  An independent nursery operates from the school site. This is subject to a separate inspection.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching so all is at the level of the best by ensuring that all teachers: – maintain a good pace of learning during lessons and match work accurately to the pupils’ individual ability levels – use questioning skills effectively to consistently challenge pupils – make clear in their marking what the pupils have to do to improve their work – log, in more detail, pupils’ reading to adults – support parents and carers in becoming more involved in sharing their child’s reading.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Maximise the impact of leaders and managers in subjects other than English and mathematics through:  developing a clearer understanding of pupils’ achievement in their subject areas  developing action plans that more clearly show how the subject supports the whole-school development priorities.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Attainment levels over the past three years at the end of Year 6 have improved. Overall, attainment is above average for the 2012 cohort. Attainment is well above average in mathematics and is broadly average in reading and writing.  The number of pupils attaining at the higher levels in the national tests at the end of Year 6 has risen and in mathematics over half of pupils attained at these levels in 2012. In English the proportions reaching the higher levels are growing but are not yet as high as in mathematics.  Entry levels into Reception are consistently below those expected for children of that age. There are particular weaknesses in aspects of literacy and in personal development. The children make good progress and leave the Early Years Foundation Stage with skills and knowledge at broadly the expected levels.  Progress rates show marked improvement from the previous inspection. Year 6 pupils leave

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The achievement of pupils is good

having made good progress across the school. This includes those pupils known to be eligible for funding through the pupil premium. Girls do better than boys in English but the gap is reducing.  Lesson observations and work scrutiny confirm the good progress of current pupils, including those few from minority ethnic backgrounds.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make similar good progress to their peers as a consequence of close tracking of their work and some good small group and one- to-one work with learning support assistants.  Regular opportunities to read in school are presented to pupils, but the tracking in reading logs of when adults listen to pupils reading, particularly at home, is inconsistent.  From Reception onwards, phonics (letters and the sounds they make) is well delivered. Pupils, including those of lower ability, attempt successfully to segment difficult words into

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The achievement of pupils is good

sounds and then blend them to pronounce the word correctly. Checks on how well younger pupils can use phonics to read individual words show them attaining at above the national average.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The overall quality of teaching is good and pupils make good progress as a result of teachers’ secure subject knowledge. Relationships throughout the school are very positive and consequently pupils are prepared to take an active role in their learning. For example, in one nurture group session, pupils demonstrated their trust of adults when discussing what feelings they might find difficult to manage.  In the best lessons, pace is well maintained and pupils maintain a strong interest in their work. They are presented with appropriately challenging tasks and teachers use sophisticated questioning to test pupils’ depth of knowledge. In a Year 6 outstanding lesson effective use of the pupils’ prior knowledge and skilful questioning led to deep exploration of vocabulary such as ‘perspiration’.  In a minority of lessons, work is not always well matched to pupils’ ability levels and questioning is less effective; consequently, pupils become restless and progress slows.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The school’s focus on mathematics has had a very positive impact. Teachers’ subject knowledge is secure and professional development has ensured that the teaching of calculation is now more consistently effective.  Support for literacy and numeracy is very effective and goes beyond key vocabulary. For example, a mathematics lesson for older pupils promoted speaking and listening well as pupils discussed how to solve a crime using basic numeracy skills. In Reception, learning support assistants adeptly encourage the children to talk, for example about a picture they have drawn.  Learning support assistants contribute well to pupils’ progress. For example, in Reception, some good timely interventions take place, and more generally through the use of appropriately challenging and open questioning.  Teachers have high expectations of work and behaviour. Year 2 pupils have already produced numerous examples of extended writing from their lesson work, for example

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The quality of teaching is good

developing the story of the Pied Piper.  Some effective use of resources benefits pupils’ learning. In a Year 5 literacy lesson, pupils used prompt cards extremely well, with one pupil consequently able to say, ‘I am trying to write a drop-in clause to help me write about the Amazon.’  Although there is some good practice in marking and assessment, the quality of written feedback varies and pupils are not always sure about the steps they need to take to improve their work. However, pupils get good opportunities to evaluate their own work and their comments on written work show their secure skills in identifying how they can improve.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils demonstrate good attitudes to learning. They listen carefully in lessons to adults and their peers, and this includes those children in Reception. They show respect for others. For example, in a Year 3 lesson there was instantaneous applause for the work of one pupil in contributing to a podcast based around their research of the Titanic disaster.  Pupils say they enjoy school and this is reflected in the above average attendance.  Pupils have a good understanding about what constitutes bullying. They understand why internet safety rules are important. When informed of incidents, the school acts quickly and effectively.  Behaviour logs show that behaviour over time is typically good.  All parents and carers who completed the school questionnaire and all who gave their opinions on the Parent View site, agree that their child is safe at school. Pupils attending the nurture group feel safe and secure.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The caring and nurturing atmosphere in the school is very evident. The pupils in the breakfast club benefit from good levels of care together with an appropriate level of humour which gives them a good, secure foundation on which to build their school day.  Pupils agree that they learn a lot in school. ‘Zoolab’ lessons are provided for all classes in the school and contribute extremely well to the spiritual and social development of pupils, with the presence of a tarantula being seen as truly awe inspiring. The session promotes well pupils’ questioning skills.  Behaviour and safety are not yet outstanding because some low-level disruption is occasionally evident where the quality of teaching dips and the pace slows. Pupils say that behaviour has improved over recent years and that it is good. Most parents and carers completing the school questionnaires agree.

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The leadership and management are good

 Since the last inspection there have been improvements to achievement, teaching, behaviour and attendance and this strong track record shows that there is a clear capacity to sustain improvement.  The headteacher has very effectively identified school priorities. The rigorous monitoring of teaching through a wide range of strategies has resulted in improvement. Teachers benefit from good feedback including the coaching work of the teaching and learning mentor.  The senior leadership team has been very well developed. Literacy and numeracy coordinators, along with other senior leaders, have conducted in-service training for staff, which has had a positive impact on pupil outcomes. In English, for example, this has resulted in the successful introduction of guided reading.  Monitoring is well embedded at whole-school and core subject level. This leads to effective development planning. The school is very open to external verification of the quality of its

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The leadership and management are good

work, and effectively makes use of the federation cluster to aid its evaluation.  Subject leaders in areas other than English and mathematics do not have a thorough knowledge of attainment and progress in their areas and plans do not consistently show how these subjects contribute to whole-school development priorities.  Performance management of staff is closely linked to whole-school priorities, pupils’ progress and staff’s professional development needs. A policy that results from the introduction of the Teaching Standards now exists and is ensuring a seamless transition to the new appraisal arrangements.  The curriculum is broad and balanced and meets pupils’ needs. It is enriched well and the two residential trips undoubtedly contribute well to pupils’ social and cultural development; there is a good range of visitors as well as visits to, for example, the Titanic exhibition. Opportunities are missed, however, to heighten pupils’ multicultural awareness.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils benefit from good partnerships in areas such as music and sport, both through the federation and through coaching from university students. Local authority support is of a light touch, recognising the collective momentum for improvement among staff that now exists.  Family learning workshops encourage links with parents and carers. Curriculum information is sent home regularly. The use of reading log books to help guide parents and carers to support their child read at home is underutilised.  The school welcomes pupils from all backgrounds and values them equally. The effective tracking of pupils’ progress helps ensure equality of opportunity. The pupil premium budget has been allocated well and published on the website for parents and carers. There is an appropriate focus on the provision of personnel to support these pupils.  The governance of the school:  contributes well to the monitoring of the school’s work and fully supports the successful drive

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The leadership and management are good

for improvement  challenges as well as supports the school  uses a good range of strategies to monitor the school’s work. Visits on ‘Governor days’ ensure they talk to pupils and staff, attend lessons and experience the daily life of the school. Their knowledge of the school is extended well by receiving focused written reports from the headteacher and some subject coordinators  uses the performance management process for staff well to help the school to improve  rigorously carries out statutory roles, especially in the areas of health and safety and special educational needs  ensures that safeguarding arrangements are in place  ensures that the pupil premium contributes to pupils’ progress and recognises the need to carefully track the impact of this expenditure.

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Grade Judgement Description

Grade 1 Outstanding An outstanding school is highly effective in delivering outcomes that provide exceptionally well for all its pupils’ needs. This ensures that pupils are very well equipped for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 2 Good A good school is effective in delivering outcomes that provide well for all its pupils’ needs. Pupils are well prepared for the next stage of their education, training or employment. Grade 3 Requires improvement A school that requires improvement is not yet a good school, but it is not inadequate. This school will receive a full inspection within 24 months from the date of this inspection. Grade 4 Inadequate A school that has serious weaknesses is inadequate overall and requires significant improvement but leadership and management are judged to be Grade 3 or better. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors. A school that requires special measures is one where the school is

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Grade Judgement Description

failing to give its pupils an acceptable standard of education and the school’s leaders, managers or governors have not demonstrated that they have the capacity to secure the necessary improvement in the school. This school will receive regular monitoring by Ofsted inspectors.

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School details

Unique reference number 131272 Local authority Southampton Inspection number 406425

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School details

This inspection of the school was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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School details

Type of school Primary School category Community Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 284 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Marion James Headteacher Neil Parker Date of previous school inspection 20–21 January 2011 Telephone number 0238 0776162 Fax number 0238 0776163 Email address head@manselpark.net guidance ‘raising concerns and making complaints about Ofsted', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk . If you would like Ofsted to send you a copy of the guidance, please telephone 0300 123 4234 , or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

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School details

You can use Parent View to give Ofsted your opinion on your child’s school. Ofsted will use the information parents and carers provide when deciding which schools to inspect and when and as part of the inspection.

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School details

You can also use Parent View to find out what other parents and carers think about schools in England. You can visit www.parentview.ofsted.gov.uk , or look for the link on the main Ofsted website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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School details

achieve excellence in the care of children and young people, and in education and skills for learners of all ages. It regulates and inspects childcare and children's social care, and inspects the Children and Family Court Advisory Support Service (Cafcass), schools, colleges, initial teacher training, work- based learning and skills training, adult and community learning, and education and training in prisons and other secure establishments. It assesses council children’s services, and inspects services for looked after children, safeguarding and child protection. Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please

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School details

telephone 0300 123 4234, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may copy all or parts of this document for non-commercial educational purposes, as long as you give details of the source and date of publication and do not alter the information in any way. To receive regular email alerts about new publications, including survey reports and school inspection reports, please visit our website and go to ‘Subscribe’.

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School details

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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