Manor Farm Academy

Manor Farm Academy Tiber Road, North Hykeham, Lincoln LN6 9ST

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

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Personal development, behaviour and welfare Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

 Senior leaders are ambitious for the school. They have a clear vision and have carefully planned for the school’s continued growth.  The well-thought-out curriculum results in pupils being well developed personally, socially and emotionally. They are tolerant and able to value differences. They are very well prepared for life in modern Britain.  Where teaching is at its best, teachers make regular checks on how pupils are getting on. They change their teaching promptly to make sure that all pupils are working as hard as they can. However, in some cases, the instructions that pupils are given are too long or complicated.  Leaders have not ensured that the progress that pupils make is consistent in every year group. Some teachers do not challenge the most able pupils quickly enough in lessons.  Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are supported well. Adults make sure that the work these pupils receive is

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

well tailored to their needs.  Classrooms are bright, stimulating and attractive. Pupils use the displays and resources in classrooms to help them with their work.  Phonics is taught well. Pupils learn the sounds that different letter combinations represent and use this to help them read new words.  The proportion of pupils reaching the standard expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics is above that found nationally. Not as many pupils achieve the higher standards as that found nationally.  Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary. They are attentive, work cooperatively and help each other when they get stuck. They follow instructions promptly and are determined to do their best. They are well prepared for the next stage of their education.  Pupils have a good understanding of what they must do to lead a healthy lifestyle. They understand mental health and how to keep this positive.  Teachers in early years plan work that

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Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

motivates children. Children are eager to find out new things and work well together to solve problems. They work in a sustained manner.

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What does the school need to do to improve further?

 Strengthen teaching, by ensuring that: – the most able pupils are moved on to more challenging work as soon as they are ready – the instructions pupils receive are not too long or too complicated for them to understand.  Increase the proportion of pupils who attain the higher levels in reading, writing and mathematics.  Ensuring that teaching is consistently strong so that all pupils make good progress from their starting points.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 The headteacher and head of school provide exemplary leadership. They have set out a clear vision for the school and have carefully planned for its growth in size. They have created a positive ethos in the school and pupils enjoy being there. Staff morale is high. The school has a cohesive team of staff who share ideas and feel trusted to try new things. Staff feel supported by senior leaders. Staff, pupil and parent and carers’ views of the school are unanimously positive.  The design of the school’s curriculum develops pupils academically, personally and socially. Pupils are well prepared to play an active part in their community and beyond. In lessons, pupils are given targets that challenge them in their work and encourage them to reflect on other skills they are developing, such as problem solving and resilience. This means that they have a good understanding of how they learn both independently and as part of a team.

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

 Leaders check frequently and thoroughly on the quality of teaching in the school. This means that leaders know what is working well and what needs to improve. The trust provides the school with effective support and challenge. They rightly hold the headteacher and head of school in high esteem and recognise their strengths.  Parents are highly positive about the school. They say that the pupils are well looked after and make good progress. Parents value the approachability of staff and appreciate the availability of senior leaders. They say that the school responds well to any concerns that are raised. Parents also speak highly of the school’s work to develop pupils’ mental well-being.  Pupils with SEND are taught well. They make good progress and often catch up with their peers. The school’s special educational needs coordinator (SENCo) works in partnership with parents to make sure that pupils’ targets are well matched to their

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

needs and help remove barriers to learning.  Subject leaders know the strengths and areas for improvement in their subjects. They have detailed plans for improvement, make frequent checks in their subjects and regularly update the academy advisory board. Subject leaders are well organised and work systematically.  The school’s plan for supporting disadvantaged pupils is fit for purpose. It makes clear how the funding for these pupils is spent. Evaluations demonstrate that it is having a positive impact on the progress that pupils make.  Good use is made of the funding to develop physical education (PE) and sport. The PE leader has ensured that the pupils have been involved in choosing the types of activities that are available to them. Pupils have participated in a wide range of activities, such as line dancing, hockey, archery and yoga. There has been a very high level of pupil participation in these activities. Leaders’ evaluations show the positive

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Effectiveness of leadership and management Good

impact that different initiatives have had. Last year, pupils in Year 1 made good progress in cycling proficiency and swimming.  Pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is a strength. Leaders have put in place a comprehensive programme to make sure that pupils know how to have positive mental health. Pupils are taught how to debate and reflect on a wide range of issues. The effectiveness of lessons in the ‘tolerance programme’ is reflected in the exemplary behaviour, conduct and collaborative work that pupils demonstrate. Pupils show respect for each other, know right from wrong and show maturity beyond their years. This results in a highly cohesive school community.  Although the proportion of pupils who reach the standards expected of them is in line with that found nationally, there are some pupils who do not make the progress that they should from their starting points.

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Governance of the school

 The academy advisory board is highly ambitious. It knows what is working well and what needs to improve. The board works well with the trust and makes good use of the regular quality assurance checks that the trust carries out.  Members of the board make regular visits to the school to check for themselves on improvements. They regularly check on safeguarding and how effectively the extra funding that the school receives for disadvantaged pupils is being spent.  The support and challenge that the board provides are rigorous, and they hold leaders to account for the outcomes that pupils achieve.

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Safeguarding

 The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.  Pupils know how to stay safe online, on roads and in the community. They know whom to talk to if they have a problem. Pupils, staff and parents are unanimous in their view that pupils are kept safe at school.  Records of staff training in safeguarding are thorough. The school’s system highlights training that is due for renewal in good time. This means that all necessary training is up to date and that there are no gaps.  The school makes robust checks on all those who work with children.  The member of the academy advisory board responsible for safeguarding monitors the school’s arrangements alongside the headteacher and head of school.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 Positive attitudes to learning are evident in every class. Pupils engage promptly with their work and respond quickly to instructions given by adults. Teachers and teaching assistants use questioning skilfully to identify gaps and move pupils on in their learning. In most cases, they re-shape tasks to make sure that pupils understand what they are learning.  Pupils work cooperatively and help each other with their work. During the inspection, the inspector observed several examples of pupils helping each other to understand and complete their work without being prompted by an adult.  The least able pupils are provided with work that matches their needs. Teachers provide work that challenges their thinking and makes their learning memorable. Teaching assistants provide good support and skilfully move pupils on when they are ready.  In some lessons, the most able pupils are not moved on to harder work quickly enough

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

because teachers do not check what pupils can do.  In some cases, the explanation of what pupils are learning is too complicated for pupils to understand or remember.  Classrooms are bright and stimulating. The resources that adults provide help pupils complete their work with increasing independence.  During lessons, pupils are given targets that make them think about their work and how they approach it. This means that pupils understand the importance of skills such as resilience and determination. Pupils described to the inspector how they were using problem-solving skills to help them complete their work. They understand how this supports them in everyday life.  There is a systematic programme for teaching phonics. Teachers’ and teaching assistants’ subject knowledge is strong. Pupils understand the routine that their lessons follow and quickly learn new words and letter sounds to help them in their reading.

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Quality of teaching, learning and assessment Good

 The way mathematics is taught is well planned. Pupils are taught in a systematic manner and they remember what they have learned. Teachers check on what pupils can do at the beginning of a unit of work and set pupils ‘stage targets’ for the end of the unit. The majority of pupils achieve these targets.  Pupils use their reading, writing and mathematics learning in other subjects well. They are consistent in the care that they take in their work.  Parents are unanimously positive about teaching. One comment that was typical of many was, ‘This is a great school. They can’t do enough for the children. The progress the children make is amazing.’

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Personal development and welfare

 The school’s work to promote pupils’ personal development and welfare is outstanding.  All pupils behave exceptionally well in lessons and demonstrate an inquisitiveness and a love of learning. They listen with extended attention and are eager to begin learning. Pupils enter the school building promptly and settle quickly to tasks.  Pupils are very confident. They support each other in lessons and work cooperatively. They are highly attentive to adults and follow instructions promptly. Pupils say that they like school and that they are never distracted by poor behaviour in lessons. They say that relationships between adults and pupils are consistently very positive. This supports what the inspector saw during the inspection.  Pupils openly praise each other and celebrate each other’s achievements. They regularly congratulate each other and share celebratory high-fives when they have done well.  Pupils have an exceptionally good understanding of how to stay healthy. During a wet

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Personal development and welfare

playtime, pupils explained to the inspector that to keep healthy they drink water, get fresh air, exercise and sleep, and relax and have a balanced diet. They enjoy the wide range of clubs and activities available to them and enjoy being active.  During a wet break, pupils were observed joining in a video activity designed to help them understand and deal with stress. They were very articulate in explaining how this can help them at school and home.  Pupils show a high level of respect for each other. The school’s ‘tolerance programme’ has enabled pupils to understand and accept differences. Pupils are exceptionally well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Behaviour

 Leaders have taken effective action to address a slight dip in attendance in 2017/18. Working with parents and external agencies, leaders have improved attendance so it is once again higher than that found nationally.  The proportion of pupils who are persistently absent from school is very low.  There have been no exclusions since the school opened.  Playtimes are sociable occasions. Pupils engage with the wide range of activities that are available to them and play cooperatively. They look after each other if they become hurt or have an accident.  Pupils enjoy applying what they have learned on the playground. A group of pupils enjoyed explaining to the inspector all about the model of Lincoln Castle that they have in the playground.  The school’s philosophy programme successfully enables pupils to debate in a structured and courteous manner. Pupils know that it is acceptable to have different

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Behaviour

views and are highly respectful of each other. They show a maturity beyond their years.

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Outcomes for pupils Good

 The proportion of pupils in key stage 1 reaching the standards expected of them in reading, writing and mathematics is above that found nationally. However, a smaller proportion of pupils reach the higher standards in these subjects.  Pupils in Year 2 have not progressed as well as they should have done due to inconsistencies in teaching. A smaller proportion have reached the standards expected for their age when compared with outcomes at the end of early years. However, books show that rates of progress have increased this year.  Pupils with SEND progress well because they receive good-quality support. Work is well matched to their needs and broken down into small steps. Adults are skilled at ensuring that tasks are adapted frequently to make sure that pupils are constantly challenged.  The money the school receives to support disadvantaged pupils is used well. These pupils make progress well because of the extra support they receive. They are catching

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Outcomes for pupils Good

up with their peers, and in some cases doing even better by reaching the higher standards.  Service children progress well. They are well supported by the ‘forces group’ that helps them to understand and manage challenges that they might face.  The progress that pupils make in phonics is rapid and sustained. The proportion of pupils currently working at the standard expected of them is very high compared with national figures.  Books show that pupils make good progress in mathematics. Teachers make sure that pupils think deeply about their learning and apply it in different contexts.

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Early years provision Good

 Children in early years work calmly and purposefully. They show sustained engagement and work well together.  Teachers plan activities that capture children’s interests. This means that children are eager to find out new things and solve problems that have been set for them. However, some of the instructions that children receive are too long and complicated for them to understand and retain.  The leader of early years has a good understanding of what’s working well and what needs to improve. Activities for children are well designed and are continually adapted to take into account needs and learning priorities of different groups of children.  Children are kept safe. Adults understand their safeguarding responsibilities and make sure that these are carried out rigorously. Staff routinely make sure that activities are safe, while allowing children the opportunity to explore new activities.  Staff work well with the large number of settings that children attend before they join

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Early years provision Good

the school. This means that children are well prepared to start full-time school and staff understand what children can do. Parents make regular contributions to assessments of what children can do.  Children are well behaved and respond promptly to instructions. They talk fluently about what they are doing. One group of children worked together to make a trolley to move a large plant that had been sent to the class. They worked collaboratively to construct the trolley and articulately described how it had been designed.  Children typically join early years with skills that are slightly higher than those that are typical for their age. They make the progress that they should and remain above national expectations by the end of early years.  Teachers’ assessments of what children can do are accurate and used to inform the next steps in teaching.  Children in early years are well prepared for the next stage of their education. They

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Early years provision Good

participate in whole-school activities, attend assemblies and spend time on the playground with key stage 1 pupils. They are happy and confident learners who are well prepared for Year 1.

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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

Email address enquiries@manorfarmacademy.org

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 This was the school’s first inspection since opening in September 2016.  The school became part of the LEAD Academy Trust in January 2018. The powers of governance lie with the trustees of the LEAD Trust. The trustees have appointed a committee known as the local academy advisory board. The trustees delegate some of their powers to the academy advisory board.  The school is smaller than the average-sized primary school. It is increasing in size by a class a year. It is anticipated that there will be 210 pupils on roll by 2021.  The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals is much lower than the national average.  No pupils speak English as an additional language. The majority of pupils attending the school are of White British heritage.  The proportions of pupils within each class and of children in early years with SEND are smaller than the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector observed teaching and learning across all classes with the headteacher or head of school. Eight lessons, or part lessons, were observed.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, head of school, members of the academy advisory board, a group of staff and representatives of the trust.  The inspector looked at pupils’ work, information regarding their attainment and progress, and the school’s records of behaviour and safety.  The inspector also looked at minutes of meetings of the academy advisory board and safeguarding documents, including the mandatory checks made on the recruitment of new staff, along with a scrutiny of the school’s website.  Discussions were held with pupils, and the inspector listened to pupils read.  The inspector took account of the 14 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff and the 42 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online questionnaire. There were no

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Information about this inspection

responses to the pupil survey to consider. The inspector spoke informally with parents at the beginning of the school day.

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Inspection team

Vic Wilkinson, lead inspector 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

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ refers to those pupils who attract government pupil premium funding: pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. www.gov.uk/pupil-premium-information-for-schools-and- alternative-provision-settings .

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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 children looked after, safeguarding and child protection.

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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Inspection team

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

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