Manea Community Primary School

Manea Community Primary School Station Road, Manea, Nr March, Cambridgeshire, PE15 0HA

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Overall effectiveness Good

Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Personal development, behaviour and welfare Good

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Overall effectiveness Good

Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement

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This is a good school

 Pupils make good progress throughout the school. Pupils’ work, school data and end of Key Stage results for 2015 show that standards have improved especially in reading and writing.  Strong, determined and ambitious leadership by the headteacher, supported by the deputy headteacher, has effectively improved teaching and is raising pupils’ achievement.  Early years provision is outstanding because children learn in a nurturing environment. They make rapid progress and enter Year 1 with above- average achievement.  Teaching is typically good in Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2. Pupils are given clear guidance on how to improve their work. As a result they make good progress.  Behaviour around the school is good. Pupils are enthusiastic learners.  The school ensures all pupils are safe and well cared for. Pupils all say they feel safe in school.  The governing body knows the strengths and weaknesses of the school. They effectively

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It is not yet an outstanding school because

 Progress in mathematics is not as strong as it is in reading and writing. Not all teachers move pupils on to harder work quickly enough or give them the opportunity to solve mathematical problems.  Subject leaders know what they need to do to improve standards but they are not rigorous enough in measuring the impact of their work on improving pupil progress.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Improve the quality of teaching in mathematics in order to accelerate pupil progress by: ̶ sharing the good practice that already exists in the school with all teachers ̶ ensuring that all teachers consistently move pupils on to harder work as soon as they are ready ̶ ensuring teachers provide more opportunities for pupils to solve mathematical problems.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Develop the skills of subject leaders so that they are more effective in measuring the impact of their work on pupil progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The headteacher, ably assisted by the deputy headteacher, has provided strong, effective leadership that has driven through the necessary improvements to teaching that has resulted in improved outcomes for pupils. She receives very good support from the deputy headteacher and they work effectively as a team.  The headteacher has high ambitions for all pupils and this is shared by all leaders, governors and staff.  Senior leaders and governors have taken effective action to improve the quality of teaching. There is a strong focus on improving teaching and leaders use a wide range of information to judge teaching quality. Teachers are supported in the development of their teaching through training that is targeted to their individual needs.  Leaders ensure teachers are fully accountable for the achievement of pupils within their class. Any salary progression is determined by their meeting targets linked to pupil progress.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

 The effectiveness of governance continues to improve. Governors make good use of the wide range of skills they have in order to ensure the school runs effectively. They are knowledgeable about the standard of teaching and outcomes for pupils because they visit the school to gain first-hand experience of its work and effectiveness.  Senior leaders thoroughly evaluate the work of the school and use the information to plan future developments. The local authority has supported the school by providing an independent adviser to work with the school to validate its evaluation.  Leadership of the early years is outstanding because the leader ensures that all staff are highly trained in order to support children in their learning. Activities are tailored to the needs of each child. As a result pupils enjoy learning and make rapid progress.  Leaders and teachers track pupils’ progress carefully. Weekly meetings take place to discuss this progress

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

and teachers identify pupils in their class who may be falling behind in their learning. Effective support is then planned and put in place so that the pupils quickly catch up with their learning.  The school uses the pupil premium funding it receives effectively to support the learning of disadvantaged pupils. It has used the money to provide one-to-one support for pupils for literacy and numeracy, employed an extra teacher to reduce class sizes and purchased equipment to support learning. To ensure that pupils have full access to the curriculum, some of the money is used to fund educational visits and out-of-school activities. A group of governors meet regularly with school leaders to monitor the use of this spending. All governors receive a detailed analysis of the spending of this money and its effect on improving the progress of disadvantaged pupils.  The sports funding is used to train teachers so they deliver high-quality sports lessons. Pupils learn a

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

range of sports such as football, hockey, tag rugby, gymnastics and rounders, and all pupils from Year 3 have swimming lessons. After-school sporting activities are provided and these are well attended by pupils. The funding is also used to train Key Stage 2 pupils to become sports leaders who run events for younger pupils, helping them to improve their skills. Pupils take part in sports competitions run by the Witchford Schools Sports Partnership.  Disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs are provided with effective support both in class and through small-group teaching. As a result their progress is improving and work in pupils’ books shows that almost all make progress in line with their classmates.  Pupils study a broad range of subjects which stimulate their interest. Visitors and speakers, and subject- based learning events such as the science market are popular with the children. The curriculum makes

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

good provision for their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development as they learn about different cultures and religions. Dance, art, music and poetry, along with visits to museums, supports their cultural development. Pupils are taught about life in modern Britain and displays around the school illustrate this.  All staff and almost all parents who expressed a view feel that the school is well led and managed.  Subject leaders have good subject knowledge and know what they need to do to improve teaching and outcomes for pupils in their subject. They have action plans that are targeted at the right areas of improvement. However, their impact on pupils’ progress is not as strong as it could be because they are not thoroughly reviewing the impact of their actions on pupil progress in order to make the necessary changes quickly.  The governance of the school Governors evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the school and effectively hold all leaders to

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Effectiveness of leadership and management is good

account. The governing body understands the school data and what it tells them about pupil progress compared to pupils nationally. ̶ Governors ensure that performance management is effective and that pay rises are awarded appropriately. ̶ The governing body checks that the curriculum promotes the spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils and promotes fundamental British Values.  The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

 Teachers know their pupils well and plan lesson activities that build on their level of skill, knowledge and understanding so that pupils make good progress over time.  Teachers provide pupils with guidance on what they need to do to improve their work or set questions which extend their learning. Teachers expect pupils to make the necessary improvement and as a result pupils make good progress.  Teachers expect pupils to take care with their work. Inspectors, looking through pupils’ books, noted that pupils take pride in their work.  The support provided by teaching assistants is effective in helping pupils improve their learning. Inspectors saw many examples where the adults used questioning effectively or broke down the learning activities so that pupils were able to complete them. Teaching assistants are well trained and understand the different needs of the pupils they work with.  Reading is taught well. Pupils read daily in school and take their reading books home. The school has

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

been successful in promoting reading through a number of different activities, for example ‘drop everything and read’ sessions. A bell is rung in the school and staff and pupils stop what they are doing to read. Parents are also invited to weekly ‘stay and read’ where parents stay and read with their child at the start of the school day. Inspectors observed these sessions and found them to be well attended, especially by parents of pupils in Key Stage 1.  Writing is taught effectively. Standards of writing have improved since the last inspection and pupils have the opportunity to write in different subjects. This has supported good progress.  Mathematics teaching is improving and pupils are taught to use mathematical terms accurately in every lesson. However, progress in mathematics is not as rapid as it is in reading and writing as not all teachers are providing pupils with the regular opportunities to solve mathematical problems that will deepen their

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment is good

knowledge and understanding. Inspectors did see one mathematics lesson where pupils were effectively challenged and this improved the pupils’ understanding.  Homework is set regularly and is relevant to the topics pupils are studying.  Teachers question pupils frequently in lessons to test their understanding. However, there are occasions when they are not moving them on to harder work quickly enough and this slows down their progress. This was particularly evident in mathematics lessons.

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is good.  All pupils say they feel safe in school and that the school teaches them how to be safe. They told the inspectors that ‘teachers protect them’ and that the school grounds are safe.  Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe on the roads, around water and when using technology, especially the internet. They have visits from outside speakers such as the police on aspects of personal safety.  All pupils agreed that a pupil who felt sad or unhappy would be helped by other pupils or an adult in the school.  Children in the early years are taught about risks and with the help of adults they make decisions about how to keep themselves safe. For example, each morning two of the children act as ‘safety spies’ checking the safety of the outside learning area. They then report back to the class on whether it is safe to ‘busy learn outside today’.

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Personal development and welfare

 Staff unanimously agree that the school is a safe place for pupils and the vast majority of parents agree. The school has taken effective steps to improve attendance. Attendance was below the national average but due to the positive work being undertaken by the child and family worker, attendance has improved. It is now at the national average.

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Behaviour

 The behaviour of pupils is good.  Pupils’ conduct around the school and in the playground is exemplary. They play well together and pupils told inspectors that ‘all pupils shared in their play’. They show respect for the school environment.  Relationships between adults and children are very positive and staff provide good role models for pupils. Staff effectively support pupils who find it difficult to manage their behaviour.  Pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive in almost all lessons. However, inspectors did see some low-level disruption in lessons where the work was not hard enough or where pupils were not moved on to the next activity quickly enough. However, school records show that incidents of disruption are rare. Pupils know the code of behaviour and older pupils told inspectors that behaviour has improved because ‘they learn from their mistakes’ and ‘because teachers enforce the behaviour rules’.

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Behaviour

 Almost all parents and all staff agree that the school ensures that behaviour is good.  Pupils told inspectors that there is some bullying in the school, usually name calling. However, they are confident that staff will deal with it. This is a view shared by both staff and parents.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 The attainment of pupils in Key Stage 1 is good because the number of pupils meeting the national expected standard in reading, writing and mathematics has increased over the last three years. The number of pupils attaining the higher level of achievement has also improved.  The proportion of Year 1 pupils meeting the expected standard in the screening check in phonics (letters and the sounds they make) has improved year on year. In 2015 it was above average for the third consecutive year.  Key Stage 1 pupils read well because they use their phonics skills to help them read. Inspectors listened to a range of pupils reading and noted that those who had additional support with their reading were enthusiastic readers who are able to use their phonics skills to help them read unfamiliar words.  As pupils move into Key Stage 2 their enjoyment of reading and level of skills also improves. Older pupils

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Outcomes for pupils are good

are confident readers who read fluently and with expression. They talk enthusiastically about their reading.  The proportion of pupils who made expected progress at the end of Key Stage 2 in 2015 was above average in reading and writing and average in mathematics. The proportion of pupils making more than expected progress in all three subjects has improved on previous years, although the percentage is lower in mathematics than it is in reading and writing.  Work seen in the books of current pupils shows that they continue to make good progress in writing and the standards of spelling continue to improve.  Progress in mathematics is improving. However, inspectors noted that the level of progress in lessons and in pupils’ books is not as striking as it is in writing. Inspectors did see plenty of evidence of pupils using mathematics terms correctly and confidently, which provides a good foundation for future development.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

 Pupils receive effective support and as a result the progress of pupils who fall behind with their learning is good because they quickly catch up with their learning.  From their different starting points, progress of the majority of disabled pupils and those who have special educational needs is good. This is because they receive effective support with their learning.  The most-able pupils are achieving well. They read well, write fluently and at length and can write for a variety of purposes. In mathematics they are confident when tackling new problems but their progress is less rapid as they are not always sufficiently challenged by the work.  The progress and attainment of disadvantaged pupils across the school is good. Work in books and school tracking data shows that they are making progress in line with other pupils in the school. The 2014 Key Stage 1 results showed that there was no gap between pupils and other pupils nationally in all subjects.

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Outcomes for pupils are good

At the end of Key Stage 2 pupils were approximately six months behind other pupils nationally in reading and writing and a year in mathematics.  Year 6 pupils leave the school well prepared for secondary education.

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Early years provision is outstanding

 Although there is year-on-year variation, most children enter Reception class with levels of development that are below those typical for their age, especially in reading, writing and number. Children of all abilities make outstanding progress in all areas of learning. They are very well prepared for Year 1.  Almost all children join the Reception class from the school’s pre-school. Transfer arrangements are outstanding. Staff visit the pre-school during the year to see the children at work. Home visits are carried out and parents are invited to ‘stay and play’ sessions. Parents are involved in the initial assessments.  At the start of the year children attend for either the morning or the afternoon, enabling them to work in small groups so they get to know the staff. During these sessions pupils are assessed and staff learn more about the child through the ‘all about me boxes’ they bring with them. This information is used to

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Early years provision is outstanding

tailor learning activities to the interests and learning needs of the children.  Teaching is outstanding because adults are highly skilled in talking to the pupils to assess their learning and recognising which pupils need work that is harder, or when they need extra help in order to catch up.  Children learn in a caring and nurturing environment. Adults encourage them to take risks and foster a ‘can do’ attitude. Children are praised for their achievements and as a result want to achieve more.  Learning activities are exciting. Inspectors saw many examples where children were excited about their learning. For example, using the explorers’ kit to find out about their environment, making a space ship for Kipper’s birthday, and using their ‘magic’ to make phonics sounds in order to read words. Because children enjoy their learning they show high levels of concentration.  Adults are highly effective in supporting pupils to manage their behaviour. They gently remind them

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Early years provision is outstanding

about taking turns or sharing when appropriate. As a result children work well together. They show high levels of care for others in the class.  The school uses the funding to support disadvantaged children highly effectively. It is used to provide individual support and extra learning resources. As a result children make exceptional progress and almost all reach a good level of development.  The school encourages parents to be involved in the learning of their children. They contribute to their child’s learning journal. Parents are encouraged to talk to staff at the start and end of the day to share their child’s learning. Staff hold briefing sessions on subjects such as phonics.  Both the teacher and teaching assistant in the Reception class are early years leading practitioners. Staff from other schools visit to observe their practice.

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School details

Unique reference number 110638 Local authority Cambridgeshire Inspection number 10001956

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School details

This inspection 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 171 Appropriate authority The governing body Chair Sarah Eastol Headteacher Nicky Froggatt Telephone number 01354 680293 Website www.manea.cambs.sch.uk Email address head@manea.cambs.sch.uk Date of previous inspection 19–20 September 2013

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Information about this school

 The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school.  Most pupils are from a White British background and few speak English as an additional language.  The proportion of pupils supported by the pupil premium is below average. The pupil premium is additional funding for those pupils 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 the national average.  The early years provides part-time pre-school education and full-time education for children in the Reception class.  The school is part of the March and Chatteris cluster of schools which work in partnership to develop learning for pupils in the schools.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors visited 12 lessons to observe learning. The headteacher and deputy headteacher accompanied inspectors for four of these observations. The inspectors also looked at the work in pupils’ books in lessons and conducted a joint work scrutiny with the headteacher.  Inspectors listened to two groups of pupils read and talked to them about their reading.  An inspector visited one assembly.  A formal discussion was held with a group of pupils, along with informal conversations with others at break and lunchtime.  A range of documents were examined, including the school’s analysis of its own work and its improvement plan, information on pupils’ academic progress, and documents relating to the quality of teaching, staff training, behaviour, attendance and safeguarding.  Discussions were held with the headteacher, the early years leader, subject leaders and six members of the governing body and the schools improvement advisor.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector took account of the 30 responses to the online questionnaire, Parent View, and two letters sent in by parents. The inspectors spoke to a number of parents informally at the start and end of the school day.  The inspector received and considered the views of the 21 staff who completed questionnaires.

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Inspection team

Caroline Pardy, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector David Piercy Ofsted Inspector guidance ‘Raising concerns and making a complaint about Ofsted’, which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.gov.uk/government/publications/complaints-about-ofsted . 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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Inspection team

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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Inspection team

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.gov.uk/government/organisations/ofsted

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Inspection team

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, further education and skills, 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. If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk . You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence , write to the Information Policy Team,

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Inspection team

The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

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Inspection team

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

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Inspection team

T: 0300 123 4234 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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