Manor Church of England Infant School

Manor Church of England Infant School Teachers Way, Holbury, Southampton, SO45 2QG

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected 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.  Pupils’ achievement in reading and writing is good. By the time they leave school in Year 2 the pupils’ attainment is above national average in literacy and in line in mathematics.  Teaching is generally good which enables pupils to achieve well and ensures they are effectively prepared for their next stage in education.  The behaviour of the pupils around school is good. They feel well looked after and cared for by all of the staff.  Children in Reception make good progress from their different starting points. Over half of them reach a good level of development by the end of the Early Years Foundation Stage.  The staff work very closely together and share a determination to improve pupil outcomes. The interim headteacher has provided good guidance and support to the staff and the governors. This has enabled the school to continue to move forwards in the period prior to the new headteacher taking over.

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 The school teaches pupils to be kind to others and plans good opportunities for social, moral, spiritual and cultural development .

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 The pupils’ attainment in mathematics is not as good as that in reading and writing.  Pupils do not get sufficient opportunities to use and apply their mathematical skills in everyday situations or in other areas of their learning.  Pupils’ skills are not sufficiently developed to work independently of adults or in small groups.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed seven lessons, five of which were observed jointly with the headteacher, and a whole school assembly.  Meetings were held with groups of pupils, the current and previous Chair of the Governing Body and senior and middle leaders. The inspector also held a meeting with a representative from the local authority.  The inspector listened to pupils read and scrutinised samples of pupils’ workbooks.  A wide range of documents were examined, including the school’s information on pupils’ recent progress, as well as planning and documentation about checks on teaching, and records relating to behaviour, attendance and safeguarding arrangements.  The inspector also took account of the 24 responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View) and the views of staff through the seven staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

David Hogg, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Manor Church of England Infant School is much smaller than an average primary school. It draws its pupils from the local housing estate. There are no pupils from minority ethnic groups.  The proportion of pupils known to be eligible for extra funding provided for looked after children, pupils eligible for free school meals and children of service families (pupil premium) is well below the national average. There are no pupils who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportions of disabled pupils and those with special educational needs who are supported through school action are broadly in line with the national average and those who are supported through school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs are slightly above average.  The school gained church status in September 2012 and opened as Manor Church of England Infant School.  Since September 2013 the school has been led by an interim headteacher from an outstanding

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Information about this school

school, working on a part-time basis alongside the assistant headteacher. A new full-time headteacher will take over in January 2014.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Raise achievement in mathematics, so that it matches those in reading and writing, by providing greater opportunities for pupils to develop their skills in applying their mathematical skills to real world practical tasks and in other subject areas.  Develop the pupils’ skills in learning through discussion activities and in group learning tasks so that they are better able to work independently of adults.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Pupils’ attainment by the end of Year 2 is above the expected level in reading and writing and at the expected level in mathematics. More able pupils’ attainment is above the expected level of success. Pupils make rapid progress in reading and mathematics, but progress in writing is not as fast.  Children enter the Reception class with skills that are generally below those for their age. They progress well so that, by the time they leave, over half of them reach a good level of development in personal, social and emotional development, physical development, and communication and language, and in the more specific areas of mathematics and literacy.  Pupils’ reading develops well and pupils have a good understanding of the sounds letters make (phonics) from the effective teaching in Reception. Pupils then go on to apply this knowledge later when reading unfamiliar words. This rapid development of reading skills is reflected in an

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The achievement of pupils is good

above expected level of success for Year 1 pupils in the most recent phonics screening check and in the fluent way in which some pupils read.  The number of pupils with disabilities or special educational needs is small but does include some pupils with very complex needs. Initial information from external Key Stage 1 assessments does show pupils with additional needs making slower progress than other pupils. The number of pupils in school who are eligible for additional support through funding from the pupil premium grant varies between year groups. The information the school holds from the assessments made in summer 2013 indicates that the school has, through small group work developing their literacy skills and numeracy skills, successfully closed the gaps between pupils receiving extra support and other pupils. Those pupils eligible are, overall, nearly half a term ahead in literacy and about half a term behind in mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 A close check is kept on the progress pupils make and this is reviewed in meetings between class teachers, subject leaders and the headteacher. This enables the school to quickly identify those pupils for whom progress may have slowed and enables additional support to be provided. The progress made by groups of pupils is also tracked and reviewed.  Attainment in mathematics is lower than in literacy-based subjects, but the progress pupils make is still above that expected. The school has recognised this already and is working to make sure that all pupils’ basic skills are better developed in order to raise attainment. Small group and one-to-one support sessions are used alongside better resourced activities in the classroom; however, the impact of these initiatives has yet to be seen fully in improved pupil outcomes.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has ensured pupils are well prepared for their next stage in education. Pupils’ literacy skills are well developed by the end of Year 2. Learning activities are at the right level for all pupils because teachers ensure tasks are not too easy or too difficult.  In-class support is generally good, with teaching assistants taking an active role in delivering activities at the right level. One-to-one work in class enables pupils with disabilities or special educational needs to make progress in lessons. The school has a good reputation, ensuring that all pupils have an equal opportunity to succeed no matter their starting points.  Independent work is encouraged by teachers. However, this is not always effectively structured for different groups. As a result, the progress made in group activities by more able pupils can be slower than would be expected. Lower ability pupils can find working together without adult

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The quality of teaching is good

supervision difficult especially if they are given very general instructions to follow.  Teachers use information and communication technology (ICT) resources well to interest and engage pupils, for example images of a storm were successfully used as an exciting illustration of an unusual story setting for pupils in Year 2. A mathematics site on the internet was used to help pupils in Year 1 with simple addition and subtraction. The pupils’ enjoyment in the task was such that it caused some to squeak with delight as they worked out the correct answer to number bond calculations. Using mathematics in real world situations in this way promoted pupil engagement; however, this way of working was not always evident in pupils’ books. Mathematics is not used very much in other subject areas so does not let pupils practise their skills in other subjects.  Pupils’ work is well marked, with teachers providing good guidance to pupils, especially the older

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The quality of teaching is good

ones, on how to improve their work. Pupils commented that the ‘two stars and a wish’ feedback was helpful. The school is now working on ways for pupils to respond to the comments.  Teachers have worked to improve the quality and effectiveness of their teaching through whole school training and visits to other schools. Staff have recently moved to different year groups to widen their experience and this has involved them working closely to plan learning activities around whole school learning topics.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 Pupils feel very safe at school and say they are well looked after. They have high praise for their teachers and support workers and are appreciative of the efforts that the staff put in to help them learn.  Pupils get along with each other very well, although they do highlight that some pupils can still fall out with each other. Incidents of unkindness are rare though and the pupils do not feel bullying takes place in school. The feedback from parents on Parent View indicates they are happy with the behaviour of pupils at school. This is echoed in the school’s own parental surveys.  The school has extensive grounds and pupils of all ages play well together at break and lunch times. The school provides play equipment for them to use and the pupils have the opportunity to use an adventure climbing frame. The pupils are well supervised by adults.  The caring ethos in the school ensures that those pupils with disabilities are very well integrated

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

in lessons and at playtime.  In lessons, pupils can work well together but can require quite a lot of adult supervision to ensure they use the learning effectively. Skills in discussion and collaborative working are not as developed as they could be and this can slow the progress some groups of pupils make.  The school has had to work hard to secure good attendance in its first year. High levels of illness during the winter and absences by pupils with medical needs have impacted on the overall attendance of the pupils which is broadly in line with national averages.  Pupils are involved with the local community through fundraising events and green activities such as improving the school’s bedding plant displays. Visitors are welcomed into school and have provided enriching and memorable activities such as puppet shows and circus skills. The school has also taken the pupils out to provide opportunities to participate in sports activities

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

and to enjoy drama productions put on by secondary students.

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The leadership and management are good

 The interim headteacher has enabled the school to continue to move forward and improve. Her clear leadership has provided guidance to staff, who all have responsibilities within the school, and has given the governing body a clearer framework in which to operate. The assistant headteacher is new to the role but has been active in checking pupil progress information and leading the school when the headteacher is not there. The staff work well together as a team.  The local authority has provided effective support to the governing body in securing the appointment of a full time headteacher who is due to join the school in January 2014. The governors are very confident in their appointment and this view is supported by the local authority and the current leadership team in the school.  The quality of teaching has been checked through lesson observations and the scrutiny of pupils’ work. This has fed into the performance management systems of the school. There is a clear link

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The leadership and management are good

between the salary progression of staff and the outcomes for the pupils. This is understood by the staff, who also identify a clear link in the training and development opportunities they receive and the school improvement targets.  The curriculum is engaging and interests the pupils. The learning opportunities are delivered through whole school topic based work, and careful planning ensures that the different year groups do not repeat work. Links with the local church have grown since the school gained church status and this has further added to the good social, moral, spiritual and cultural development of the pupils.  The school has drawn up plans to use the additional resources that are available through the primary school sports funding to utilise expertise provided by a local secondary school. The main goals are to improve the skills of staff to deliver high quality physical education lessons,

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The leadership and management are good

especially in gymnastics, and to be able to provide sports and activity-linked clubs after school for the pupils. The improvements in the quality of teaching and learning and the increases in pupil participation in sport will then be assessed by the provider school and shared with school leaders including the governing body.  The links with parents are generally good with parents actively helping the school in fundraising activities. The school has made efforts to reach out to those parents who may be reluctant to become involved through family support sessions. All the parents who responded to Parent View would recommend the school to someone else.  The child protection and safeguarding arrangements are securely in place and are reviewed and these ensure the pupils are well looked after at school.  The governance of the school:  The governing body is relatively new and is moving from being mainly supportive to be more

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The leadership and management are good

active in holding the school to greater account for the work it does and for the outcomes of particular groups of pupils. The governors review the progress information the school holds and is now in a better position to, for example, review the impact of the additional support provided by the pupil premium grant against the outcomes for pupils. The governors visit the school regularly and this helps them gain a good sense of what is happening in the school. They monitor the quality of teaching indirectly through the observations made by the headteacher. They are clear about the way systems to ensure performance management outcomes for teacher are themselves closely linked to the outcomes for pupils. Training has been accessed by governors to raise their level of understanding of the role and the previous Chair of the Governing Body acts as a mentor for the newly appointed one to ensure support is available as he settles into the role. The governing body monitors the financial position of

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The leadership and management are good

the school very closely and reviews the safeguarding and child protection procedures annually to ensure a high level of pupil care.

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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 138242 Local authority Hampshire Inspection number 428933

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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 Infant School category Voluntary aided Age range of pupils 4–7 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 61 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Daniel Reeve Headteacher Julia Pillon Telephone number 023 8089 7549 Fax number 023 8089 0710 Email address adminoffice@manor.hants.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, 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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