Manston St James Primary Academy

School report Manston St James Primary Academy Sandbed Lane, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS15 8JH

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Overall effectiveness

Previous inspection: Not previously inspected as an academy This inspection: Good 2 Leadership and management Good 2 Behaviour and safety of pupils Good 2 Quality of teaching Good 2 Achievement of pupils Good 2 Early years provision Good 2

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Pupils’ achievement is good. All groups of pupils make good progress and growing numbers are reaching the higher standards in English and mathematics. This reflects the increasing success of the academy’s work to support all pupils to do as well as they can.  Teaching is good overall. There is some outstanding teaching of reading, writing and mathematics. Pupils throughout the academy read to a high standard, and rightly consider reading to be a strength.  Some outstanding teaching of phonics in the early years provision helps children to make rapid progress in their spelling of unfamiliar words.  Disadvantaged pupils are achieving increasingly well. Any gaps that remain between their achievement and that of other pupils in the academy are being addressed and are closing rapidly.  This is a happy school where pupils feel safe and know that they are very well cared for. Pupils are well behaved. They enjoy trusting relationships with

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

the adults in school.  The principal has secured the commitment of all to ensuring that the academy becomes better still.  The academy has strong and effective systems for checking the quality of teaching and its impact on the progress pupils are making. Leaders are quick to identify any problems and, as a result, teaching is good overall.  The governors have a clear understanding of the academy’s strengths and relative weaknesses. Together with the trustees of LEAF Academy Trust, they are effective in holding the academy to account for the standards reached by all pupils.

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Teaching is not yet outstanding.  Pupils’ work is not always at the right level of challenge. It is too hard for some and too easy for others.  Pupils are not always clear about how to improve their work, including their handwriting and spelling.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors observed a range of lessons or parts of lessons; two observations were carried out jointly with the principal and one with the vice-principal.  Inspectors met with senior leaders, phase leaders, subject leaders and the Special Educational Needs Co- ordinator. They also met with staff, the Chair of the Governing Body and four governors, and the Chief Executive Officer of the LEAF Academy Trust.  Inspectors examined a wide range of documentation that included national assessment data and the academy’s assessments, the academy’s own view of its work, minutes from governing body meetings, curriculum information, safeguarding information and samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors met with pupils who are members of the school council. They listened to pupils from Year 1 and Year 2 read, and talked with older pupils about their reading experiences. Inspectors spoke informally to pupils around the academy, at playtimes and at lunchtime.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors spoke with parents, and took account of the 126 responses received at the time of the inspection from the online questionnaire (Parent View).  Account was taken of the 40 staff questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Deana Aldred, Lead inspector Additional Inspector

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Information about this school

 The academy is larger than the average-sized primary school.  Children in early years are taught in three full-time Reception classes. Pupils from Year 1 to Year 6 are taught in two single-aged classes in each year group.  Almost all pupils are White British.  The proportion of disadvantaged pupils eligible for support through the pupil premium is below the national average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils who are known to be eligible for free school meals and children who are looked after by the local authority.  The proportion of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is below average.  The academy meets the government’s current floor standards, which are the minimum expectations for pupils’ progress and attainment in English and mathematics.  Manston St James Primary Academy converted to become an academy on 1 October 2012. When its predecessor school, Manston St James Church of England Primary School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it

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Information about this school

was judged to be good overall. Manston St James Primary Academy is a member of the LEAF Academy Trust. The academy works in partnership with David Young Community Academy and Rothwell Church of England Primary Academy. They share a Trust Board and a Chief Executive Officer. Each academy has local governance.  Before- and after-school provision, Garforth Kids Club at Manston, is run on the school site by external providers. This is inspected separately.  The principal of Manston St James Primary Academy is deployed by the LEAF Academy Trust to support improvement in other schools.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve teaching to outstanding in order to raise attainment further by: - ensuring that work is at the right level of difficulty for all groups of pupils - ensuring that pupils are consistently given clear guidance about how to improve their work, including their spelling and handwriting, in all curriculum subjects.

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The leadership and management are good

 The principal has high expectations for the pupils and staff in the academy. He has successfully created a school where all live the vision of ‘Respect, Enjoy, Believe, Achieve’.  The academy is a caring and purposeful environment, where teaching is good and at times outstanding. As a result, pupils enjoy coming to school and make good progress. However, leaders are aware that the challenge for the academy is to raise attainment further.  Academy leaders review the quality of teaching regularly and have a clear view of what constitutes good teaching and learning. Phase leaders are particularly effective in using this information to raise standards throughout the academy. While some leaders are still developing their skills, they are supported very well by the principal, vice-principal and more experienced leaders. They are further supported by highly effective training, particularly that provided by the LEAF Multi-Academy Trust.

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The leadership and management are good

 Procedures to manage staff performance are used well to ensure that all staff have clear and appropriate targets linked to the standards expected of teachers. These have been successful in helping to improve teaching and ensure that pupils throughout the academy make good progress.  The academy is taking appropriate actions to raise standards. These are identified within the academy’s plans for the future and there are clear procedures to check that they are being effective. However, these plans have not yet been precise enough to ensure that pupils are making outstanding progress.  The pupil premium funding has been spent effectively on programmes to develop reading, writing and mathematics, and to provide support where this is necessary. This support includes that of a Learning Mentor, who is particularly effective in helping pupils overcome problems. As a result of well-targeted support, disadvantaged pupils currently make similar good progress overall as other pupils in the academy

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The leadership and management are good

do.  The primary school sport funding is spent well. It provides inter-school competitive sport, expertise in teaching and an increased range of clubs. The funding is effective in improving standards reached by pupils, and has significantly increased the participation of pupils in sporting activities. The academy successfully promotes healthy choices and sporting successes.  All safeguarding policies and procedures meet statutory requirements. Leaders have created a safe environment, where pupils enjoy learning.  The academy’s curriculum is having a good impact on preparing pupils for life in modern Britain. Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is promoted well. This is strongly supported by the values of the academy’s vision. The curriculum ensures that pupils have a good understanding of their community, and the wider world. Visits and visitors enhance the academy’s teaching about faiths and

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The leadership and management are good

cultures, and pupils demonstrate high levels of respect. Pupils enjoy their responsibilities within the academy, and older pupils actively seek out further responsibilities, including within the wider community. For example, pupils publish an academy newspaper, and are part of a ‘leading citizens campaign’.  The academy is clearly focused on supporting those pupils who may be at risk of falling behind, and has ensured that pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This shows the academy’s commitment to promoting equal opportunities and tackling discrimination.  The LEAF Academy Trust is highly confident in the leadership of the academy, and uses the expertise of the principal to support leaders in other schools.  The governance of the school: - Governors offer strong support and increasing challenge to the academy. They are fully committed to the principal’s vision and share his determination to make the academy better still. They have improved

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The leadership and management are good

their effectiveness through recruitment, training and the development of plans for governance. - The Chair of the Governing Body has a strong commitment to the academy, and is supported well by the other governors. Governors have a very clear knowledge of the academy and see it at the heart of the community it serves. They work hard to ensure that the views of pupils and parents are taken fully into account. - Governors are very clear about the quality of teaching, pupils’ achievement and the curriculum. They monitor carefully to ensure that all pupils make good progress. They know that the academy has taken more robust actions to improve the quality of teaching. The governing body oversees the process used to hold teachers to account and links teachers’ pay with their performance. - Governors know how the pupil premium funding and the primary physical education and sport funding are spent. They ensure that they have a strong impact on the achievement of disadvantaged pupils and

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The leadership and management are good

all pupils’ health and well-being. Finances are managed well. - Governors ensure that national requirements for safeguarding and child protection are met in full.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils are well mannered, polite and kind towards each other. They are very welcoming to visitors, and engage confidently in discussions. They are eager to talk about their school, and to show their work.  Pupils clearly know right from wrong, and all work hard to meet the high expectations of the academy.  Playtimes are happy occasions when many pupils enjoy chatting and playing games with their friends. Older pupils enjoy their role as peer mediators; helping to resolve problems, should they arise. At lunchtimes pupils and adults eat and socialise together.  Behaviour in lessons is typically good. Occasionally, pupils are less attentive, usually when the work is either too easy or too difficult.  Pupils enjoy coming to school and this is shown in their good attendance.

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Safety

 The academy’s work to keep pupils safe and secure is good. Clear procedures are in place for ensuring pupils’ safety and to meet child protection requirements.  Pupils and parents are agreed that the academy is a safe and happy place.  Pupils have a good understanding of how to keep themselves safe in school and in other situations. They spoke of the teaching they receive which helps them to understand the dangers of drugs, the internet and social media. They spoke highly of the internet safety workshops provided for their parents by the academy.  School councillors explained a strong understanding of what is meant by bullying; clearly describing the different forms it can take. They say it rarely happens, and if it does they know that other pupils or adults will help them sort it out. They have high levels of trust in their teachers, and this makes them feel safe and well cared for in school.

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The quality of teaching is good

 The quality of teaching has improved rapidly over the period since the academy was established. It is now mostly good and some is outstanding. This is having a very positive impact on pupils’ learning and progress throughout the academy  Reading is a strength of the academy, and pupils across the academy attain high standards. Pupils who read with inspectors told them that ‘reading is my talent’, and ‘reading inspires us to use our imagination’. Pupils read regularly, including at home. They love books, and are fascinated by the authors who visit their school.  Pupils have many opportunities to develop their writing skills in English and other subjects. Pupils in Year 3 are enthused to write about their visit to a local museum where they studied the Egyptians. Overall, pupils are clear about how to organise their work and the skills they need to develop. This helps them make good progress.  In mathematics, pupils have many opportunities to apply their skills in problem-solving activities. Pupils in

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The quality of teaching is good

Year 4 worked confidently to apply their understanding of multiplication to solve a range of problems. They showed good knowledge of times tables, and of the strategies required to complete the work given to them successfully. Teaching was well organised, with appropriate and timely intervention to support pupils who needed help. Pupils showed high levels of independence in their work and made rapid progress.  Very occasionally, the work given to pupils is too difficult and they do not have the support they need to help them. For example, pupils in Year 2 struggled to complete their task of sorting and naming three- dimensional shapes because none of them were familiar with a hexagonal prism. Pupils were unsure what to do and this slowed their progress.  The academy’s marking policy is clearly focused on helping pupils to improve their work, while making sure pupils understand how successful they have been. It is clear that pupils have the time to act upon

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The quality of teaching is good

the advice given to them. However, while there are many examples of extremely good marking, particularly in writing and mathematics, its use is inconsistent across other curriculum subjects. For example, there is not a clear enough focus on helping pupils to improve their spelling and their handwriting. This slows their progress.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are supported well. The additional help provided ensures that they make good progress.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 At the end of Year 2 in 2014, the majority of pupils reached broadly average standards of attainment. Compared with 2013, there was a considerable improvement in the proportion of the most able pupils who reached the higher standards, particularly in reading.  In the Year 6 tests in 2014, the majority attained broadly average standards in English and mathematics. The proportion who reached the higher standard in reading was above average. Pupils made good progress in Year 6 and those who had previously fallen behind in their learning were helped to catch up. Most achieved the standard expected for their age, although too few made the progress needed for them to do better than this in mathematics and writing.  Evidence in pupils’ books and the academy’s data about pupil progress show that pupils currently in Year 6 are on track to attain above average standards in 2015 in English and mathematics.

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The achievement of pupils is good

 The most able pupils currently in Year 6 and across the academy have been clearly identified. These pupils are attaining standards that are above or well above the expectations for their age.  The academy is taking appropriate actions to raise standards and so pupils throughout the academy are making good progress in their reading, writing and mathematics.  Phonics teaching is typically good, and so pupils have a clear awareness of the letters and the sounds they represent. They understand how this helps them to read words which are new to them, and how to improve their spelling. They now have many well-planned opportunities to read and write, and so pupils are confident in using their skills from an early age. They are also eager to share and improve their work. This helps them to make good progress.  In 2014, an increased proportion of disadvantaged pupils achieved the standard expected for their age in

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The achievement of pupils is good

the Year 6 tests. During Year 6, most disadvantaged pupils made good progress, including those who also had special educational needs. However, as some pupils had previously underachieved in mathematics and writing, this progress was not sufficient for them to reach the higher standards.  Overall, disadvantaged pupils were approximately three terms behind others nationally across reading, writing and mathematics. They were three terms behind their peers in reading, two terms behind in writing and one and a half terms behind in mathematics.  Any gaps in achievement that remain are being addressed successfully and so disadvantaged pupils throughout the academy are making good and better progress.  Disabled pupils and those with special educational needs make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. This is because of the highly effective support and teaching they receive from teachers and

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The achievement of pupils is good

teaching assistants. Those at risk of underachievement are swiftly identified and appropriate support put in place.

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The early years provision is good

 Most children start the Reception class with skills and knowledge that are typical for their age. Children make good progress, so that a higher than national proportion has a good level of development when they enter Year 1. Teaching is consistently good, and so children make good progress across all areas of the curriculum.  The academy’s data show year-on-year improvements in the standards reached. Much of this is due to heightened expectations in teaching and well-planned activities both indoors and outdoors. The teaching of phonics, reading and writing is a strength. Children demonstrate a good understanding of the elements of story writing, for example developing story settings and characters in their own work. They write confidently, using their phonic knowledge to spell unfamiliar words. From an early age they are clearly taught the skills of writing, including handwriting, and so they write confidently and legibly. This gives

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The early years provision is good

them a good start in their learning.  Children’s behaviour and safety are good. They quickly settle into the early years provision, they are eager to learn and to co-operate. Children are confident in their relationships, with adults and with each other. A group of children worked together taking turns to solve addition problems to twenty successfully. Children are guided skilfully by good quality questioning and explanations. For example, a child was helped to improve the accuracy of his counting and then worked on his own to count a number of objects, ‘without getting muddled’.  All the statutory requirements are in place.  The leadership and management of the early years provision are good. There is a successful commitment to improving learning outcomes for all children.

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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 failing

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Grade Judgement Description

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 138824 Local authority Leeds Inspection number 449700

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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 Academy converter Age range of pupils 4–11 Gender of pupils Mixed Number of pupils on the school roll 447 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Mary Tailby Headteacher Mark Edwards Date of previous school inspection Not previously inspected Telephone number 0113 273 9180 Fax number 0113 216 1800 Email address Manston.info@leafacademytrust.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 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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