Clayton-le-Woods Manor Road Primary School

Clayton-le-Woods Manor Road Primary School Manor Road, Clayton-le-Woods, Chorley, Lancashire, PR6 7JR

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Requires improvement 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.  This very caring school is highly valued by pupils, parents and the local community.  Pupils’ achievement has improved to good since the previous inspection and attainment is rising. Whatever their starting points, most pupils make good progress throughout their time at school.  By the time they leave school, pupils reach higher than national average standards in reading, writing and mathematics. They are well prepared for the next stage in their education.  The quality of teaching is consistently good or better throughout the school. Pupils enjoy learning because activities are well planned to meet the varying needs of all pupils.  Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school is good. They show a great deal of respect towards each other and the adults around them.  The school works extremely well with families and external agencies to support pupils whose circumstances might put them at risk. As a

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

result pupils say they feel very safe.  All staff work well as a team and feel valued. They are dedicated in ensuring pupils’ personal development as well as their academic achievement is good.  The dedicated headteacher and school leaders, including governors, have taken firm steps to improve the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 There are missed opportunities to relate numeracy work to real-life situations to make learning relevant for pupils and accelerate progress.  Pupils sometimes use incorrect grammar when speaking and this is reflected in their writing.  Occasionally, pupils do not correct their work once it has been marked, so opportunities are missed for them to learn from their mistakes.  Reading records do not always show how well pupils are reading both in school and at home, which slows progress for a minority.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed teaching in 17 lessons, two of which were observed jointly with the headteacher. In addition, the inspectors made a number of short visits to lessons and listened to pupils read.  Discussions were held with: school staff; groups of pupils; senior staff and leaders with responsibility for a specific subject; governors; parents; and a representative from the local authority.  The inspectors observed the school’s work and looked at a wide range of documentation including safeguarding documents, the school’s procedures for gaining an accurate view of its own performance, its development plans, records of pupils’ standards and progress, documents relating to attendance and behaviour, and pupils’ work in their books.  There were 59 parental responses to the online questionnaire (Parent View), which the inspectors took into account alongside the responses to the school’s own parental survey. A

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Information about this inspection

letter from a parent and 23 responses to the inspection questionnaire for staff were taken into account.

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Inspection team

Naomi Taylor, Lead inspector Additional Inspector Kathleen McArthur Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 This is an average-sized primary school.  The proportion of pupils for whom the school receives the pupil premium is much lower than that found nationally. (This is additional government funding for pupils known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.)  The proportion of pupils who are disabled or who have special educational needs supported at school action is lower than that found nationally.  The proportion supported by school action plus or with a statement of special educational needs is lower than the national average.  Most pupils are White British.  The school meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ attainment and progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching further so that it is outstanding in order to raise pupils’ attainment and progress by:  increasing the opportunities for pupils to use their numeracy skills in situations they would come across in day-to-day life to make learning relevant  encouraging pupils to use correct grammar when they are speaking, to help them improve their grammar when they are writing  improving the use of pupils’ reading records so that pupils, parents and staff are better informed of the progress being made at home and school  ensuring pupils have sufficient time to respond to teachers’ marking and learn from their mistakes.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Since the previous inspection, pupils’ standards and their rate of progress across the school have risen.  Links between school and home are extremely strong and this helps children settle quickly into school routines in the Early Years Foundation Stage. Usually, most children start school with skills that are similar to those typical for their age. The Early Years Foundation Stage prepares children very well for learning in Key Stage 1 and this was also the view shared by parents who spoke to the inspectors.  In the 2013 Year 1 reading screening check, the proportion of pupils achieving the expected level was higher than the national average. This is because teachers and teaching assistants are highly skilled in the teaching of phonics (matching letters to the sounds that they make). Those pupils who struggle to read are given one-to-one support leading, in most cases, to rapid improvements.  In 2012, standards at the end of Key Stage 2 were higher than average across reading, writing

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The achievement of pupils is good

and mathematics showing a significant improvement on the previous year. Standards reached in 2013 were broadly average, which nevertheless reflected good progress given children’s starting points in the Early Years Foundation Stage.  As a result of mainly consistently good teaching and better teaching, standards at the end of Key Stage 2 have risen to above the national average in reading, writing and mathematics. The proportion of pupils reaching the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics is well above the national average. This represents progress across Years 3 to 6 which is well above the national average.  Pupils in Year 5 did not make the same good progress as other year groups when they were in Year 4, particularly in mathematics and writing. The school has taken swift action to address this and these pupils are now receiving good-quality teaching and their progress is accelerating.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 Those reaching the higher levels of attainment in spelling, punctuation and grammar were above the national average in national tests in 2013.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs make at least good progress, and some do better because their different needs are quickly identified. Excellent support from teachers, teaching assistants and external agencies helps each of them to make at least good progress in reaching their challenging targets.  The school provides very good support for the few pupils who are eligible for support by the pupil premium funding so that they make better progress than their peers overall and compared to this group nationally. Although those eligible for free school meals were about a term behind in writing compared to other pupils in school in 2013, they reached higher standards in writing than the average for this group nationally.  The most able pupils are challenged to aim high. About a third are working at levels higher than

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The achievement of pupils is good

is typical for their age in reading and mathematics. They have regular input form local secondary school teachers. This demonstrates the school’s commitment to equal opportunities.

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The quality of teaching is good

 Only good or better teaching is the norm at this school. This has ensured that pupils’ progress has improved and continues to improve across all year groups.  Staff encourage pupils from an early age to develop a desire to find out things for themselves. A noticeable feature of the teaching is the calm working atmosphere that is created in all of the classes, which allows all pupils to concentrate well.  A whole-school approach to teaching mathematics is now in place. Pupils are encouraged to develop their numeracy skills in a practical way and this was seen in Year 6 when a scenario was painted of Robin Hood stealing from the rich. He planned to keep a proportion of the money for expenses before giving the rest to Maid Marian. This activity was adapted to challenge the full range of abilities in the class and pupils were clearly motivated and enjoying this way of learning and all made good progress. However, sometimes there are missed opportunities in

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The quality of teaching is good

mathematics to make learning relevant to pupils through real-life scenarios in order to increase pupils’ interest in activities and accelerate progress.  There are many opportunities for writing across all subjects. Pupils are highly motivated by their topic work, and this can be seen by the high-quality displays around the school. When pupils talk, they sometimes use inaccurate grammar, and this is reflected in errors in their written work.  Most reading logs inform pupils, parents and staff of the progress pupils are making both at school and at home. However, there is inconsistency in how well these are used across the school, which slows the progress for a minority of pupils. For example, when information is missing about which page a pupil has read up to, time is wasted either by re-reading or trying to remember where they are up to.  Pupils’ work is regularly marked and the quality of written advice given to pupils on how to

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The quality of teaching is good

improve their work has improved since the previous inspection. However, pupils are not always given time to correct and edit their work in order to learn from their mistakes.  Effective teamwork by teachers, skilled teaching assistants and volunteers ensures a high level of support for all groups of pupils.

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

 The behaviour of pupils is good. Inspection evidence, school records and discussions with staff, pupils and parents show that this is typical. Staff manage behaviour well and disruptions to lessons are most unusual. Throughout the school there is a strong atmosphere of mutual respect.  Parents told inspectors that they chose this school because of its deservedly growing reputation, which is reflected in the school being full to capacity. ‘Absolutely fantastic!’ was how one parent described the school and another referred to how well, ‘school listens to parents and values our opinions and views’. Almost all of the parents who completed Parent View would recommend Manor Road Primary to other parents.  Older pupils are good role models for younger children and many have responsibilities as reading buddies or play leaders during lunchtime. Pupils take pride in wearing their school uniform and, with the help of the school council and eco-council, they ensure the school is litter free and

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

mindful of the environment.  In a small number of classes, a new system has been needed and successfully introduced to tackle unacceptable behaviour, which now motivates pupils to choose improved attitudes towards their learning, but for most, this is not needed.  The school’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Pupils are confident that there is no bullying at their school and they know exactly what to do if it did happen. Pupils feel safe in school because they know that staff care about them and they are taught how to keep themselves safe in a range of situations, for example, when riding a bicycle and using the internet.  The exceptionally strong links with professional agencies beyond school contribute extremely well to supporting disabled pupils and their families. The school is pro-active in adapting all activities so that every pupil can participate. For example, during ‘Health and Fitness’ week,

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The behaviour and safety of pupils are good

wheelchair basketball was organised for all pupils to experience. This demonstrates the schools full commitment to equality of opportunity.  Pupils’ experiences are increased through a range of trips taking them beyond their local community. Residential trips to an outdoor activity centre ensure pupils gain first-hand experience in how to stay safe in locations beyond their home environments.  Parents make sure that their children get to school on time. Pupils’ attendance is above average.

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The leadership and management are good

 The dedicated headteacher wants the very best for the school and she has the skills and determination to successfully drive continued school improvement. She has made sure that actions have been put in place to effectively address the areas for development identified at the previous inspection. As a result the quality of teaching and pupils’ achievement has improved.  There are regular checks on the quality of teaching and pupils’ progress is closely tracked to make sure that salary increases are awarded only when teachers help pupils to learn well. Training for teachers is closely linked to school priorities. One member of staff stated that, ‘Strong leadership has led to highly motivated staff.’  Teaching which is less than good is not acceptable and, when this has been evident, support has immediately been put into place. The local authority has been involved in supporting staff and helping to drive improvements in the teaching of mathematics. As a result the progress made by

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The leadership and management are good

boys and girls alike has rapidly improved since the previous inspection.  The curriculum provides many opportunities to use and apply numeracy and literacy across other subjects and topics, and as such fosters good progress. It is enriched by a wide range of after- school and lunchtime activities. The monitoring of how well mathematics is used and practised across the curriculum is still in its early stages. The full impact of timetabled spelling, punctuation and grammar sessions has yet to be seen.  The new primary school sports funding has broadened opportunities and, as a result, more pupils are now participating in a more diverse range of sporting activities. This was seen first- hand during the inspection when a professional coach was teaching pupils how to play tennis and a dancer was teaching samba movements to pupils. These experiences contribute well to encouraging pupils to stay fit and healthy.

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The leadership and management are good

 Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural awareness is well developed. Pupils care deeply about their school and local environment. This was clearly demonstrated in the story of how some pupils had found some duck eggs in the school grounds and used their hens to encourage the eggs to hatch. Pupils now take it in turns to feed four healthy ducklings, besides the hens.  The governance of the school:  Governors are very supportive and bring a raft of skills and experience to their roles. They are aware of the school’s strengths and future developments because they visit when they can and receive accurate, detailed reports from school leaders. Governors have a good understanding of data showing pupils’ achievement and how this compares with other schools. This enables them to challenge school leaders effectively. They check the progress of the pupils supported by pupil premium funding to make sure that spending has a good impact on

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The leadership and management are good

improving their achievement. The finance committee ensures good value for money in all that the school does. Governors have a good overview of the quality of teaching and how it is directly linked to the salary structure of staff. They undertake statutory duties, making sure safeguarding meets requirements so that pupils and staff are safe.

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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 119318 Local authority Lancashire Inspection number 442390

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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 245 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Nick Hodson Headteacher Karen Marshall Date of previous school inspection 27 November 2012 Telephone number 01772 335699 Fax number Not applicable Email address head@manorroad.lancs.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 and 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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