Manor Primary School

Manor Primary School 110 Ashhamstead Road, Reading, RG30 3LJ

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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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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Most pupils make good progress across the school and some pupils make outstanding progress, particularly in reading.  Attainment in the Key Stage 2 national tests has improved over the past three years, so that in 2012 Year 6 pupils left with average attainment in English and mathematics.  Most teaching is good and some is outstanding and enables pupils to make, at least, good progress.  Children enter Nursery with skills below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and personal, social and emotional development, and they are helped to achieve well over time.  Pupils from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds get on well together. They are keen to learn. Their good behaviour makes an especially strong contribution to their learning.  The school promotes pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development very well. Events such as the ‘Manorfest’ and ‘Sculpture

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

Park Trail’ ensure that parents and carers and the wider community are also involved in popular celebrations.  Senior leaders and the governing body work well together and have led the school’s improvement. They make sure that teaching and pupils’ achievement are good. Leaders rapidly identify any group or individual pupil who falls behind and make sure any gaps in performance are quickly closing.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There is not enough outstanding teaching to raise achievement further.  Leaders’ checks on teaching are not always closely directed to whole-school areas for improvement or to helping individual teachers improve their practice to outstanding.  Marking does not always tell pupils what their next steps in learning should be, so they are not always clear about how to improve.  Work in lessons is not always demanding enough and the pace of learning is not always brisk enough, for more-able pupils.

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Information about this inspection

 Observations of 24 lessons or part lessons across a range of subjects and years were carried out in the main school and in the specialist resource base for pupils with statements of special educational needs. All teachers present during the inspection were observed teaching. Some of the lesson observations were conducted jointly with senior leaders.  An assembly and a theatre company’s work with pupils were observed.  Meetings were held with senior and middle leaders, representatives of the governing body, a local authority representative and pupils.  Informal discussions were held with parents and carers. Inspectors also took account of 14 responses to the Parent View online survey.  Inspectors looked at pupils’ work in lessons and, separately, with the senior leaders. They heard pupils reading, and observed them in class and around the school.  The inspectors considered a wide range of school documentation, including the school website,

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Information about this inspection

current data on pupils’ progress, the school development plans, its self-evaluation, the governing body minutes, behaviour records, local authority evaluation of school performance and safeguarding information.  Questionnaires from 34 staff were also analysed.

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Inspection team

Najoud Ensaff, Lead inspector Additional inspector Derek Watts Additional inspector Rob Isaac Additional inspector

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Information about this school

 This is a larger-than-average primary school with mixed-age classes at Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2.  The school has a much higher-than-average proportion of minority ethnic pupils and of pupils for whom English is an additional language. Some enter Nursery at an early stage of learning English.  The proportion of pupils eligible for the pupil premium (those eligible for free school meals, in the care of the local authority or with a parent in the armed services) is higher than the national average.  The proportion of pupils who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is higher than the national average; the proportion supported through school action is broadly average.  There are places in a specialist resource unit for 10 pupils with statements of special educational needs relating to cognitive and learning difficulties.  There have been changes of staff and members of the governing body since the last

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Information about this school

inspection. Management has been restructured with newly appointed deputy headteachers.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which set the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.  Pupils are educated on-site. There is no alternative educational provision off-site.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise the quality of teaching to outstanding by making sure that:  teachers always give pupils guidance in marked work about how to improve, and make sure that pupils are given regular opportunities to respond to the advice given  work set for pupils in lessons is always demanding, particularly that given to more-able pupils  learning always moves at a brisk pace in lessons.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Make leaders’ checks on teaching more effective by:  focusing these on specific areas of whole-school improvement  setting individual teachers’ targets for improvement closely related to the findings from observations of their work in lessons  regularly reviewing teachers’ performance aganist the targets for improvement they are set.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children generally enter the school with skills below those typical for their age, particularly in communication and personal and social development. They make good progress in Nursery and Reception in these areas and in their physical development, entering Year 1 with skills that are much closer to those expected nationally.  Pupils make good progress across Key Stage 1, where their reading, in particular, improves. Reading skills by the end of Key Stage 1 are broadly in line with those expected nationally. Good progress is sustained across Key Stage 2 and, consequently, pupils leave Year 6 with reading standards at, and sometimes above, the national average.  Over the past three years, attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 has risen in all areas. It is now in line with the national average for both mathematics and English.  Across year groups, pupils’ progress in mathematics and writing is generally less strong

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The achievement of pupils is good

than in reading, although, over time, progress in both is good.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress as a result of well-focused support from teaching assistants and effectively used practical resources.  The few pupils in the specialist resource base with learning difficulties make good progress. The specialist help they get from staff enables them to gain the confidence to tackle the work provided and achieve well.  Pupils eligible for pupil premium funding often make better progress than other pupils. Their gains in attainment (in terms of average point scores) are at least good and often outstanding. The well-targeted help they receive in school enables them to overcome any difficulties that limit their learning and they are regularly able to attain standards in line with those of all pupils nationally.  All pupils achieve well, irrespective of their ethnic heritages. The pupils who are learning

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The achievement of pupils is good

English as an additional language achieve well. They quickly gain confidence to practise English in classrooms and informally, so that they are able to follow the full range of subjects taught.  The few more-able pupils at the school generally make expected progress. Last year, a number of Year 6 pupils gained the highest levels in the end of Key Stage 2 tests, particularly in mathematics. However, more-able pupils are not always given work that demands a lot of them, and their learning slows.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching over time ensures that pupils make good progress. All lessons have clear learning focuses so that pupils understand what it is they are aiming to learn and how they may succeed.  Teachers give pupils good opportunities to consolidate and further their learning by sharing ideas in pairs and small groups, and, sometimes, by making suggestions to help improve a partner’s work.  In the Early Years Foundation Stage, teachers plan particularly well to guide children in their communication skills and personal, social and emotional development. This ensures that children make good and sometimes outstanding gains in these areas. Guidance provided to children in some lessons for number work is not always as apparent.  Work is well organised in lessons so that lower- and middle-ability pupils are especially well guided in their learning. However, the pace of learning is not always brisk enough, especially for more-able pupils, and their learning slows too much.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The help in class given to disabled pupils and those with special educational needs is a strength. It enables these pupils to make consistently good progress and achieve well. Several parents and carers praised the way in which the school has supported their children’s learning.  Teachers make clear to pupils how lessons will proceed and give them encouragement in lessons. However, work is not always demanding enough for the more-able pupils. In these situations, their progress slows and they are not pushed to reach the higher standards they should.  In some lessons, work is particularly well matched to pupils’ abilities and teachers reshape tasks during the lesson to maintain the pace of learning. For example, in a Year 2 English lesson where pupils were creating a plan for a story, more-able pupils were provided with an additional challenge to use direct speech punctuated with speech marks. The teacher

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The quality of teaching is good

also communicated to pupils how much time they would have for each section of work and this increased the pace of learning. Similarly, in a Year 6 numeracy lesson on percentages, pupils were grouped by ability and were moved between groups, when necessary, to ensure they made good progress.  The best teaching is skilful in stimulating pupils’ interest and imagination. For example, in a Year 6 writing lesson, ideas were fully and imaginatively explained by the teacher. Here, real-life examples were provided to help pupils explore and apply descriptive language. Similarly, in the Early Years Foundation Stage, teachers made effective use of the ‘Phizzpod’ in Nursery and sensory resources in the Reception classroom to stimulate children’s curiosity and enjoyment in learning. The children learnt actively, taking on roles as Santa Claus or touching, smelling and describing objects, so that their creative and emotional

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The quality of teaching is good

development and their knowledge of the world were very well promoted.  Teachers promote pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural skills particularly well. For example, in a lesson focused on friendships, pupils discussed ways to be kind and then created a display based on statements that they could make to show kindness.  Teaching in the specialist resource base is good and ensures that pupils with particular learning needs are well supported in their learning.  Although teaching is good over time, the marking of pupils’ work does not always provide pupils with a clear idea of how to improve. Where teachers do provide guidance, pupils are not often given opportunities to act on comments made by teachers so that their progress over time is not yet outstanding.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Almost all pupils behave well so that there is very little disruption to their learning. Pupils’ good behaviour in lessons makes a particularly strong contribution to their learning. Behaviour records indicate that this behaviour in lessons towards learning is typical.  Behaviour around the school is especially good. Pupils from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds interact harmoniously together at break and lunchtimes, although a very few report that petty squabbles over playground equipment sometimes occur.  Pupils say that they feel safe at school and enjoy attending. Evidence from the school’s documentation indicates that behaviour is typically good over time.  Almost all parents and carers agree that behaviour is good in the school and most report that bullying is effectively dealt with. The very few concerns raised by individual parents and carers during the inspection were investigated and suitable answers were found.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Most parents and carers believe that their children are well looked after with many parents and carers indicating that the school takes great care over their children. Inspectors found the school site to be safe and secure.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep safe. They know about different forms of bullying, such as verbal, physical and cyber-bullying. They report that they get on well together. Pupils are effectively encouraged to treat each other with respect and kindness, and they demonstrate these actions in their good behaviour.  Attendance has improved. Most pupils enjoy school and attend regularly.

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The leadership and management are good

 Senior leaders and the governing body are ambitious for the school’s further improvement. Together, they have gained the full support of the staff to improve teaching and learning and raised pupils’ achievement to good.  The management of the school has undergone a restructuring. Two recently promoted deputy headteachers and new members of the governing body have helped the headteacher to bring renewed vigour to the school’s drive for improvement. The impact of these changes in leadership can be seen in the impressive progress made last year by some middle-ability pupils and some pupils with special educational needs.  Leaders and managers have worked effectively with the local authority to support teachers’ professional development. Training in the use of sounds and letters (phonics) for teaching reading, and training in teaching writing in Key Stage 1, have been effective in helping pupils achieve well in these skills. Consequently, pupils’ end of Key Stage 1 assessments in

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The leadership and management are good

reading and writing showed marked improvement in 2012.  Promoting equality of opportunity and tackling discrimination lie at the heart of the school’s work. It is an inclusive school where pupils of wide-ranging ethnic backgrounds and abilities get on well together. The leadership and management of the specialist resource base is also good.  Senior leaders check the quality of teaching and planning of learning in lessons on a regular basis. They hold formal meetings with teachers every term to review pupils’ progress. This good practice, alongside close analysis of pupils’ progress data, is helping the school to identify any gaps that appear in performance between different groups of pupils and to take rigorous action to tackle any underachievement.  While reviews of progress are formally managed, the findings from leaders’ checks on teaching are less formally managed and vary too much in the practice adopted. For

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The leadership and management are good

example, the regular programme of checking on teaching and learning which all senior leaders undertake does not focus enough on whole-school areas for improvement or specific areas for improvement in individual teachers’ practice. Generally, teachers are not set specific targets to aim for, as a result of lesson observations, and those that are set are not consistently reviewed. Consequently, although teaching is already good, practice is not yet outstanding.  The range of subjects and topics taught at the school is varied and encourages learning. The school provides pupils with exciting opportunities to develop their spiritual and cultural skills through educational visits and celebration days.  The school makes very good use of pupil premium funding directed to assist those pupils who are eligible for it. For example, specialist staff support reading for those pupils who struggle with this skill and offer one-to-one tuition and personal support to boost

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The leadership and management are good

confidence and learning. This has ensured that these pupils make at least good and, often, much better progress than similar pupils nationally.  The governance of the school:  Through participation in training, the governing body has improved its skills since the last inspection. It makes very good use of the skills of new members of the governing body to support the school’s further improvement. Governors actively inform themselves about the school’s day-to-day work. They use data on pupils’ progress and attainment to assess how well the school is doing, in comparison to others nationally, and set demanding targets for its future performance. Governors oversee staff training and management closely, ensuring that promotion and pay for staff are linked effectively to the successful achievement of pupils. Governors know what the quality of teaching and the curriculum is, and how these have improved. Oversight of

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The leadership and management are good

the school’s finances is rigorous and the school plans for contingencies. Governors know how the pupil premium funding is spent and the difference this makes – as shown in the good progress these pupils make. Governors ensure that safeguarding and child protection policies meet requirements and that staff and pupils work within a safe environment.

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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 pupil’s 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 pupil’s 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

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Grade Judgement Description

is 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 109944 Local authority Reading Inspection number 401091 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 3−11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 332 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Stephen Innes Headteacher Fiona Swain Date of previous school inspection 10−11 June 2010 Telephone number 0118 9375494 Fax number 0118 9375496 Email address admin@manor.reading.sch.uk 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,

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School details

please 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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