Carr Manor Community School

Carr Manor Community School Carr Manor Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS17 5DJ

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Good 2 This inspection: Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Outstanding 1 Leadership and management Outstanding 1

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school.  Children in the Reception Year and Year 1 make good progress and achieve well.  Students in the main body of the school, Key Stages 3 and 4, also achieve well.  Attainment at the end of Key Stage 4 is average and has risen rapidly and at a faster rate than nationally in recent years.  Students’ rate of progress has also accelerated. Most students make the progress expected of them and the proportion making more than expected progress in English and mathematics has grown rapidly.  Teaching is good, with some that is outstanding. Teachers have strong and respectful relationships with students in their classes. The work that they set for students is almost always interesting and stimulating.  The school prepares students well for future success and exceptionally well for life in a diverse society.  The school’s highly effective systems to support students’ personal development and safety result in an exceptionally harmonious

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

school community. Students feel safe, are well- mannered, polite and mature. Their behaviour in lessons, on corridors and on playgrounds is a credit to the school. They are eager learners.  Attendance has risen and is above average.  The headteacher’s leadership is outstanding. He is very ably supported by an exceptionally strong team of other leaders and managers, and a highly effective governing body. Together, they are ensuring that the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement are rising rapidly.  The headteacher knows exactly what is right for the school and its students. He leaves no stone unturned to convert his vision into reality.  The sixth form is good. Students make good progress and nearly all of them go on to employment, training or continue in education.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress overall is not yet outstanding. In some lessons, activities are not always set at the correct level to ensure that all make as much progress as possible.  Not enough teaching is outstanding. Questions do not always make students think and extend their learning. The marking of students’ work is not fully effective.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching and learning in 38 lessons or parts of lessons. Three of the observations were carried out jointly with two senior leaders. Inspectors looked closely at samples of students’ written work across a range of subjects. They also observed behaviour on corridors, on the playgrounds and in the dining hall.  Inspectors held meetings with: senior and middle leaders; a group of teachers; a group of learning support workers; four groups of students; the Chair of the Governing Body and a representative from the local authority.  Inspectors took account of a wide range of documentation including: self-evaluation and development plan summaries; data relating to students’ attainment and progress; analyses of attendance; documents and records relating to behaviour and safeguarding; records of the monitoring of teaching and learning and of performance management and minutes of meetings

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Information about this inspection

of the governing body.  Inspectors analysed 51 responses from parents to the on-line questionnaire (Parent View) and summaries from questionnaires sent out by the school and returned by parents. An inspector also spoke a group of four parents during a consultation meeting.

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Inspection team

Stephen Wall, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Janet Pruchniewicz Additional Inspector Judith Gooding Additional Inspector Graeme Clarke Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 Carr Manor is an all through, average-sized school for four to 18-year-olds.  The proportion of boys in comparison to girls is well above average.  The proportion of students supported through school action is well above the national average.  The proportion of students supported at school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is broadly average.  The proportion of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium is well above average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those students who are known to be eligible for free school meals, children from service families and those children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of students from minority ethnic backgrounds is well above average. The range of ethnicities is very wide and includes students from many parts of the world. Chiefly, however, they are of Asian and African heritage.

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Information about this school

 Similarly, the proportion of students who speak English as an additional language is high. Students speak approximately 51 different languages as their mother tongue.  About 25% of students are supported through school action – a high proportion in comparison to the national average.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards that set minimum expectations for students’ attainment and progress in English and mathematics at the end of Year 11.  Approximately 20 students attend Leeds City College for one day per week to study for vocational qualifications.  In recent years, many more students than is usual have joined the school, especially in Years 10 and 11. A high proportion of these students spoke little or no English and/or came from circumstances that made them vulnerable. The proportion of students joining the school at other than normal times is now declining.  Carr Manor became an all through school in September 2012 when children first joined

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Information about this school

Reception. Currently, there are two classes, Reception Year and Year 1, in Key Stages 1 and 2.  The school has a small sixth form of approximately 29 students. In Year 12, the school provides an individually tailored range of chiefly vocational courses and qualifications for approximately 12 students who, at the end of Year 11, were identified as being at risk of not going on to employment, education or training. There are approximately 17 students in the current Year 13 who study for qualifications in sports as part of the school’s alliance with a local football club. The current Year 13 provision is expected to cease at the end of this academic year.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Increase the proportion of teaching that is outstanding to raise achievement further by ensuring that:  teachers always challenge students with tasks set at the correct level to drive learning and increase progress  the questions teachers ask consistently make students think hard and give extended answers to justify their reasoning  marking is always of a high quality in showing students what they need to do to improve  students routinely reflect on their teachers’ written comments and act upon them to improve their work.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Children join the Reception Year with skills that are broadly in line with those typical for their age. Good teaching and a wide range of learning activities enable children to make good progress. Their social skills are enhanced through many opportunities to interact with others and they learn to share and help others. Many are starting to work at a level above that expected for their age. Good progress is sustained in Year 1. Letters and sounds are taught well and pupils apply their skills to tackle new words when reading. As yet no historic data are available for the attainment for the younger pupils, but they are well-prepared for future learning, especially in their basic skills.  Students join Year 7 with levels of attainment that are generally low. In recent years, the influx of students into Years 10 and 11 has lowered further the attainment profile in the Key Stage 4 cohorts. A large proportion of these students arrived in school speaking little or no English. A

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The achievement of pupils is good

significant proportion had personal circumstances that made them vulnerable.  Attainment has risen securely in recent years, especially in the proportion of students attaining five or more GCSE grades at A* to C including English and mathematics. The significant proportion of students who join the school during Years 10 and 11 depresses artificially the overall picture of attainment. School analyses show that the attainment of students who have spent the full two years in Years 10 and 11 is in line with the national average.  There is a similar picture for progress in English and mathematics. Overall progress is good with almost all students making at least the progress expected of them from their individual starting points and the majority making good progress.  Inspection evidence from analyses of school data, lesson observations, analysis of students’ work and discussions with students show that the upward trend in achievement is set to

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The achievement of pupils is good

continue and is gathering pace.  Leaders have sharpened the focus on developing students’ literacy and numeracy skills in recent years with significant success. Most of the teaching across all subjects pays close attention to developing these skills through, for example, explaining key words as part and parcel of every lesson and in developing questioning techniques to give students more confidence and competence in speaking.  Coaching time in small groups also has a sharp and effective focus on developing literacy and speaking skills. The application of mathematical skills is a feature of teaching in many subjects, especially in science and design and technology, to further develop numeracy skills. Rising attainment levels in English and mathematics show the success of the strategies.  Year 7 catch-up funding is used very effectively to develop reading and numeracy skills of students who join Year 7 with low levels of attainment. Teaching and support are of a high

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The achievement of pupils is good

quality. School data show that the vast majority of students make significant gains in their reading ages and in their ability to apply basic number skills to solving problems.  Although there are more boys than girls, there is no significant difference in their progress or attainment.  Almost all of the relatively small number of most able students achieve as well as expected from their starting points. The proportion making good progress in 2013 was below the national figure. In some lessons, these students are not always set work that is hard enough and this slows their progress. However, this has been a priority for teachers and, although not yet fully secure, inspection evidence shows that these students now make good progress, which is accelerating rapidly.  The gap between the achievement of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium and others in the school is narrowing rapidly because of the high level of effective

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The achievement of pupils is good

support provided for these students. In 2013, the attainment of students known to be eligible for support through the pupil premium, including those known to be eligible for free school meals, was approximately one GCSE grade lower overall in English and in mathematics in comparison to other students in the school. However, school data show that the significant proportion of students known to be eligible for support through pupil premium funding who joined the school during Key Stage 4 served to widen the gap artificially. Current school data, confirmed by inspection evidence, show that the gap is narrowing rapidly and securely as the number of newcomers declines.  Students who speak English as an additional language, including those who join the school at other than normal times, make good progress from their starting points. This is because the school has a highly effective and highly trained team of support workers who are skilled in

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The achievement of pupils is good

developing these students’ language skills at a fast pace.  Similarly, students whose circumstances make them vulnerable or who are disabled or with a statement of special educational needs make good progress because of the very skilled support, care and guidance that they receive.  The school enters a small number of students early for GCSE examinations in English and mathematics. This is used to identify specific weaknesses in what they know and can do. This forms the basis for focused support to improve their grades further. Early entry does not hold students back; quite the opposite, in fact.  Students who attend vocational courses for one day a week at Leeds City College achieve well. Their progress and attendance are monitored rigorously, as are arrangements for their safeguarding.  Students in the sixth form make good progress from their generally low starting points, because of the outstanding care, guidance and support that they receive. The courses planned for them

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The achievement of pupils is good

are relevant to their needs and interests. This enables the vast majority of them to enter employment or training or to carry on in education when they leave.  The fact that achievement for all groups of students is rising rapidly and securely is testament to the leaders’ intense and successful focus on promoting equality of opportunity for all, regardless of ability or background, the fostering of good relationships and the highly effective tackling of discrimination of any kind.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Teaching is good in the Reception Year and Year 1. It provides a good range of stimulating activities that capture pupils’ imagination and stimulates their learning.  In Key Stages 3 and 4, teaching is good, with some that is outstanding.  Students say that the quality of teaching has improved and that teachers ‘do a lot to make sure that lessons are interesting’. This was certainly the case in the majority of lessons observed during the inspection. Teachers keep the pace of learning just right, being fast enough for those who can work at speed and with support for others. This ensures that all students can succeed and they sustain hard work and concentration throughout the lesson. Students are keen to give of their best.  Students of all abilities enjoy rising to challenge. However, sometimes the tasks set for students in lessons are too easy for some of them, especially the most able. This slows the progress of

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The quality of teaching is good

some students.  Teachers in nearly all lessons keep a close eye on developing students’ literacy skills. Teaching provides students with regular opportunities to read quietly. Small-group sessions with their coaches encourage students’ speaking skills through discussion of a wide range of topics.  Teachers often use questions expertly to encourage students to give reasoned answers and deepen their understanding. In a Year 11 geography lesson, for example, the teacher framed his questions to make students think deeply about their answers. He prompted them to give reasons for what they were asserting. Students responded maturely and at length, enabling them to show the outstanding progress that they were making. This was also seen in a Year 10 science lesson where, having introduced the key scientific words for the lesson, questioning encouraged the students to use them actively to deepen their understanding. This reinforced the new

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The quality of teaching is good

learning and enabled students, again, to make outstanding progress.  However, skilful questioning is not evident in all classes and in some lessons teachers are too quick to settle for simple answers and, on occasions, teachers merely repeat what the student has said without probing further. This fails not only to develop students’ speaking skills but also to deepen their understanding and speed up their progress.  The school employs a large team of learning support workers. It provides them with highly effective training that enables them to provide support of very high quality to both teachers and students. As a consequence of this, students who speak English as an additional language and students who find learning difficult or whose circumstances make them vulnerable make good progress and enjoy their learning.  Teachers mark students’ written work regularly. However, the quality of their comments in

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The quality of teaching is good

showing students what they need to do to improve their work is inconsistent. There are few examples in students’ books of students responding to, or acting on, their teachers’ comments. This reduces the impact of marking on the progress that students make.  Good teaching in the sixth form enables students to achieve well in their learning and progress.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 The behaviour of students is outstanding.  Students say that behaviour has improved a lot in recent years because of the introduction of restorative practice and the use of small-group coaching. ‘It encourages us to be responsible for our own behaviour and to think about the consequences for other people if we behave badly’, was the astute observation of one student.  School data show that the number of fixed-term exclusions has reduced rapidly to virtually nil and that instances of bullying are very rare. Students say that bullying of any kind, including homophobic bullying, is extremely rare and that ‘we and our teachers would be very upset if it happened. It simply does not belong here.’  In lessons, students are keen to learn and work hard. They are respectful to each other and to the adults who work with them. Strong, respectful relationships between adults and students are the cornerstone on which the school’s success is built.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

 Around the school, students are equally respectful. Opening doors for others and ‘please’, ‘thank you’ and ‘you’re welcome’ are the norm. Students are proud of their school. Inside and outside, the school is kept spotlessly clean.  Over the last three years, levels of persistent absence have fallen significantly and attendance levels have risen to above average. When asked why this was, one student said astutely, ’It’s because lessons are much more interesting and there’s no more messing about.’  The vast majority of parents have no concerns about behaviour or safety.  The school’s work to keep students safe and secure is outstanding. It is shared with other schools in the local authority as an example of best practice.  Students, especially those who are most vulnerable, are given outstanding levels of care, guidance and support. This helps them deal with potentially worrying or dangerous situations. All

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

staff are exceptionally aware and vigilant in these cases. The regular training that they receive enables them to respond and act appropriately.  In discussion, students show impressive knowledge of what constitutes unsafe situations and how to deal with them. They talk maturely about the dangers inherent in using social networking sites. ‘It doesn’t stop us going on sites outside school, but the school makes sure that we are aware when we are getting into dangerous territory and when to stop’, was one student’s summation of the situation.  School case files for the significant number of students whose circumstances make them vulnerable or who are in the care of the local authority show that the school does all it can to support them. The fact that so many of these students attend regularly and go on to achieve well in the face of adversity demonstrates the excellence of the school’s care, guidance and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are outstanding

support.  Students’ pride in their school, their deep understanding of right and wrong and their respect for those who are different show the excellence of their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. As one student so pointedly said, ‘It doesn’t matter what colour you are, what your religion is or where you come from, we are all part of the same family.’

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The leadership and management are outstanding

 The leadership of the headteacher is outstanding. It engenders strong teamwork in the pursuit of improvement. Other leaders and managers at all levels, including subject managers, are highly effective in driving improvement and translating this vision of a high-performing and harmonious school community into action. The high priority and extremely effective approaches to improving behaviour and attendance have created an effective platform for further success. The introduction of restorative practices has been so successful in improving behaviour that it is now truly outstanding. The school is well placed to improve further.  Since the previous inspection, leaders have managed the introduction of more newcomers to the school outstandingly well. They have a sharp focus on identifying these students’ needs and have spared no effort in employing and training many new staff specifically for this purpose. As

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The leadership and management are outstanding

the provision for younger pupils expands, it is organised very well and these pupils make good progress.  Targeted training and increased delegation of responsibilities has resulted in an outstanding team of subject leaders and other middle leaders who have an extremely clear view of what the school does well and where it could do better. They use this most effectively to plan and put in place strategies that are sharply focused on priorities. For example, the innovative approach to the pastoral care of students by putting in place coaching in small groups of mixed-age students delivered by all staff in the school has been pivotal in raising students’ aspirations and ensuring positive attitudes to learning. This has also given students a much more accurate understanding of their targets and how to achieve them.  A rigorous programme of checking the quality of teaching identifies any areas to improve and

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The leadership and management are outstanding

only a few remain to be resolved. Individualised professional development for staff is effective in improving their individual skills as well as meeting the school’s priorities.  The programme for managing the performance of staff is highly effective in linking performance to the progress that students make. There is a clear and effective link between performance management and salary progression.  The curriculum is tailored finely to meet students’ needs throughout the school. This is seen most impressively in Year 12 where individualised courses and qualifications are closely matched to students’ needs to provide them with opportunities for success that, largely through personal circumstance, eluded them in Key Stage 4.  The wide and varied programme of enrichment activities in sports, the arts and travel are popular and pivotal in strengthening students’ personal development and welfare.  The school has forged strong relationships with parents. Parents are strongly supportive of the

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The leadership and management are outstanding

school. The overwhelming majority would recommend the school to other parents.  Safeguarding meets requirements. All policies and procedures are in place and are reviewed regularly.  The school’s plans to use the extra sport funding for primary-aged children are thorough and appropriate. Given that there are, as yet, so few pupils the impact on extending sports provision is in its infancy.  The local authority provides ‘light touch’ but appropriate support for this good and improving school. It has guided the school effectively on its journey to provide for pupils of all ages.  The governance of the school:  The governing body provides strong support and challenge to senior leaders. Governors are knowledgeable about the quality of teaching and keep a close eye on the impact of strategies to improve it further. They fully understand the processes for managing the performance of staff and are rigorous in linking it to salary progression. Through participating in regular

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The leadership and management are outstanding

training on data and high quality reports from the headteacher, the governing body knows how well the school is performing in comparison to other schools locally and nationally. The governing body has a firm grasp on the school’s finances and insists on detailed reports to inform them about the impact of spending on improvement .They check that the pupil premium is used to benefit the students eligible for this support and that overall decisions about the budget ensure value for money.

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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 108059 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 434600

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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 All through School category Community Age range of pupils 4–18 Gender of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils in the sixth form Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 960 Of which, number on roll in sixth form 30 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Andrew Tidswell Headteacher Simon Flowers Date of previous school inspection 19 October 2011 Telephone number 0113 336 8400 Fax number 0113 288 8265 Email address info@carrmanor.org.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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