Manor Primary School

Store Street Manchester M1 2WD T 0300 123 4234 www.gov.uk/ofsted

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Mrs Fiona Swain Headteacher Manor Primary School 110 Ashampstead Road Reading Berkshire RG30 3LJ

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

Following my visit to the school on 12 September 2017, I write on behalf of Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Education, Children’s Services and Skills to report the inspection findings. The visit was the first short inspection carried out since the school was judged to be good in December 2012.

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

The leadership team has maintained the good quality of education in the school since the last inspection. You, your senior team and governors lead a school in which pupils are happy and keen to learn. Your leadership team supports you well and shares in your strong determination to bring about further improvement. Many parents comment positively about the school’s work, highlighting the good progress that their children make, how approachable the teachers are and how well prepared their children are for secondary school. The great majority of parents would recommend the school to others.

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

All of the staff who responded to the online survey feel proud to work at Manor Primary and many say that the school has improved since it was last inspected. You and your governors lead a motivated staff team who are appreciative of the high importance you place on their professional development and the support they receive to accomplish their career aspirations. Staff thoroughly enjoy working at the school and parents are appreciative of the strong relationships forged between pupils and teachers. One parent commented, ‘The staff are brilliant and get to know the children well.’

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

The school’s motto ‘making people successful’ is exemplified by the progress that many pupils make. Many join the school with below-typical starting points. By the time pupils leave Manor Primary, they are well prepared for their secondary schools, having caught up and achieved the standards expected for their age. Some exceed and achieve high standards. Unvalidated performance information in 2017 shows that many pupils attain the standard expected for their age in reading, writing and mathematics. Nevertheless, you rightly recognise that further improvement to the teaching of writing is now needed, so that more higher-ability pupils make rapid progress and achieve at greater depth, particularly in key stage 1.

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

You have maintained the strengths identified at the last inspection. The curriculum is highly engaging and planned well to appeal to pupils’ interests. Motivating topics inspire pupils to use their language skills to discuss and debate with proficiency. For example, in an art and design lesson, Year 3 and Year 4 pupils could confidently share their preferences when considering the work of different famous artists. Furthermore, secure, trusting relationships between adults and pupils lay foundations for successful learning. Pupils feel valued as individuals and this gives them confidence as learners.

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

You have also addressed the areas for improvement that inspectors identified previously, including raising the quality of teaching. Pupils make good progress and are well supported in class. They are adept at asking for help when needed. Pupils told me that they have every confidence that, when required, adults explain things clearly and help them improve their work. In addition, you have overhauled leaders’ own evaluation of school performance. Leaders have a clear and accurate view of the strengths and relative weaknesses of the school because they use a range of available information to build a picture of quality. Furthermore, robust and regular monitoring of all aspects of the school’s work gives you and other leaders an accurate view of areas requiring further development. However, greater precision is required in order for leaders and governors to evaluate fully the difference additional funding makes to the achievement of disadvantaged pupils, including the

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

Safeguarding is at the top of leaders’ and governors’ agendas at all times. The leadership team has ensured that all safeguarding arrangements are fit for purpose, and records are detailed and of high quality. Designated leaders and governors are well trained and are up-to-date with the latest guidance. Staff know and understand their responsibilities well. For example, staff share a comprehensive understanding of the government’s ‘Prevent’ duty and know how to refer concerns as and when appropriate.

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

Leaders work systematically and methodically to ensure that pupils receive the help they need if and when required. For example, leaders make significant use of the education welfare service and use a variety of professionals to support families with a variety of needs. Leaders are tenacious in ensuring that pupils attend regularly in order to get the most out of school. Leaders exploit all avenues available to ensure that, in a minority of cases, pupils who are persistently absent attend more frequently. Consequently, many pupils improve their attendance and pupils’ attendance overall is broadly average. Due to strong relationships, teachers know pupils well and understand their needs. Pupils say they feel safe in school because they understand adults’ expectations. Pupils are confident that there is no bullying in school. They feel cared for and supported well by staff and are proud that they are able to sort out minor fallings-

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Short inspection of Manor Primary School

out for themselves. One parent commented, ‘Staff go out of their way to make sure children are happy and well looked after.’

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Inspection findings

 During this inspection, we looked closely at specific aspects of the school’s provision, including: the effectiveness of safeguarding arrangements; the achievement of disadvantaged pupils in mathematics; the effectiveness of the teaching of reading; and pupils’ achievement in writing, particularly in key stage 1.  You and your team provide effective support for pupils eligible for pupil premium funding. The school’s strategy is well researched and makes good use of a whole host of appropriate strategies. For example, leaders understand that improving pupils’ attendance and working closely with the education welfare service can be the key to success for some disadvantaged pupils. Evidence seen during the inspection indicates that the majority of pupils eligible for the pupil premium are making good progress, including in mathematics. Disadvantaged pupils, including the most-able disadvantaged, achieve similar standards to their peers,

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Inspection findings

particularly in key stage 2.  School leaders acknowledge that standards in phonics in Year 1 have been below the standard seen nationally for several years. As a result, you have set about raising standards methodically, instigating thoughtful and well-considered school improvement actions. In addition, you seek, and willingly act upon, external views of the school. As a result, leaders have overhauled the school’s approach, investing in new resources and ensuring that all staff are trained well. Consequently, teachers’ skills and expertise have developed well. Standards have risen significantly this year and particularly for boys. Unvalidated information shows that in 2017, more pupils met the standard expected at the end of Year 1 than in previous years.  Pupils in other year groups make good and sometimes rapid progress in reading. Pupils talk animatedly about the regular opportunities to read. Regular visits to

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Inspection findings

the school’s library further spark pupils’ love of reading. Pupils in Year 6 noted how the school’s librarian extends their awareness of different authors, introducing them to books they had not previously considered. Consequently, pupils develop a keen interest in literature and develop a love of reading.  Pupils speak positively about their learning experiences, describing their teachers as ‘very encouraging’ and also as ‘helping us to believe in ourselves’. This is because there is a great deal of high-quality teaching within school. Teachers regularly assess the progress pupils are making and plan tasks that are well- matched to pupils’ starting points. During activities, teachers make regular checks to ascertain pupils’ depth of understanding, appropriately readjusting activities if required. For example, during the inspection pupils in Year 2 were encouraged to rehearse their sentences out loud and check for the inclusion of key language

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Inspection findings

features, such as conjunctions. Teachers offer helpful suggestions and keep a keen eye on pupils’ literacy development. As a result, pupils, including those of lower ability, are able to make improvements and secure good progress in the development of their writing skills, including in key stage 1.

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Next steps for the school

Leaders and those responsible for governance should ensure that:

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Next steps for the school

 pupils, particularly those in key stage 1, have greater opportunity to write at greater depth  school leaders further sharpen the analysis of the difference that additional funding makes to accelerating the progress of disadvantaged pupils.

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Next steps for the school

I am copying this letter to the chair of the governing body, the regional schools commissioner and the director of children’s services for Reading. This letter will be published on the Ofsted website.

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Information about the inspection

I met with you, other staff with significant responsibilities, a representative of the local authority and two governors, including the vice-chair of the governing body. I also met with six pupils in key stage 2. I observed learning in nine classes, either jointly with the headteacher or one of the school’s deputy headteachers. I scrutinised pupils’ work. I took account of 21 responses from parents to Ofsted’s online questionnaire, Parent View, including eight written comments. I also took account of the views of 22 members of the school team who responded to the online survey for staff. I analysed a range of school documentation, including information about pupils’ achievement, the school improvement plan and safeguarding checks, policies and procedures. We discussed your own evaluation of the school’s effectiveness.

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