Manley Village School

Inspection of Manley Village School Manley Road, Manley, Frodsham, Cheshire WA6 9DU

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good Overall effectiveness at previous inspection Requires improvement 24–25 September 2019

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What is it like to attend this school?

Without exception, the pupils we spoke with told us that the best things about school are the learning, teachers and their friends. Pupils also said that they like the school’s small size, which makes them feel safe and cared for. Pupils are adamant that there is no bullying and told us that behaviour in lessons is usually good.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy taking part in various physical activities and games such as ‘boxercise’ and dodge ball. They regularly participate in extra-curricular activities and enjoy singing, archery and playing chess. Pupils perform well in competitive sports and have won awards for their sporting achievements in football and netball.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils relish school visits, including to the historic town of Burwardsley. Most pupils participate in residential learning where they take part in team-building activities. Key stage 2 pupils excitedly told us about their recent science night in Widnes Catalyst Museum. Pupils love the outdoors and are knowledgeable about the plants, birds and insects they see when exploring the forest near the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils play various musical instruments, including the clarinet, flute and violin. Pupils are charitable and empathetic. They raise funds for various good causes, including local food banks and charities that support people affected by domestic abuse.

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better?

Leaders and staff have successfully improved the quality of education at the school since the previous inspection. Pupils’ achievement in reading, writing and mathematics has improved throughout the school and is now good. Staff have created an engaging and well-designed curriculum. Teachers and teaching assistants deliver the curriculum with enthusiasm. The curriculum interests pupils and is helping them to learn better than in the past.

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better?

Reading is at the heart of the curriculum. Daily phonics sessions in the Reception class and across key stage 1 help pupils to accurately sound out and read unfamiliar words. Older pupils read fluently and are familiar with the work of a wide range of authors. Pupils read with good expression and like to read and write poetry.

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better?

Teachers are trained well, so they have a secure knowledge of most subjects they teach. They are generally familiar with the content of each subject and understand what pupils should know and be able to do by the end of each curriculum unit.

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better?

The curriculum is tailored well to meet the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The special educational needs coordinator works closely with teachers, parents, carers and a wide range of specialists to ensure that pupils with SEND get the support that they need.

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better?

Pupils make good progress in reading, writing and mathematics. They also learn successfully in other subjects, such as science and history. In these subjects, 24–25 September 2019

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teachers have thought carefully about what they want pupils to know. They have also deeply considered the order in which pupils should learn key knowledge. This helps to ensure that pupils know and remember more over time.

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However, pupils do not learn as well in geography and physical education (PE). The headteacher is aware of this and is planning to provide teachers with the specific training they need to teach these subjects well.

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Staff have planned parts of the curriculum around topics that link to several subjects. For example, pupils in Year 6 learn about South America. In the humanities, they learn about the history and culture of the continent. In English, pupils read novels and learn facts about the Amazon. In art, they produce work in the surrealist style of the Mexican artist Frida Kahlo.

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The early years curriculum helps children to develop the skills and knowledge they need to be successful in key stage 1. Children follow rules closely and have strong bonds with staff. They are cooperative and curious. They benefit from an exciting curriculum.

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Children make good progress in developing their early reading and mathematics skills. They also enjoy listening to stories. Children learn rhymes, signs and symbols to help them to remember tricky words and basic facts about numbers. Staff make the most of the new outdoor learning and play areas. Children’s learning in these areas strongly supports their physical development and their appreciation of the natural world.

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During the inspection, we only saw pupils behaving well. Pupils have consistently positive attitudes to their education. They are respectful towards staff and their peers. The school is a calm and purposeful place to learn.

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Pupils are helped to become active and responsible citizens. They take their roles as road safety officers and school councillors seriously. They are also helped to understand democratic principles. Pupils know that Britain is culturally diverse. They respect the beliefs and traditions of different religions and have visited various places of worship.

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All staff told us that they enjoy working at the school. Those who completed the inspection questionnaire said that they are well supported, treated fairly and respected. Staff also indicated that the headteacher and governors are considerate of their well-being.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding are trained well. This helps them to carry out their roles effectively. They work with various agencies to ensure that pupils, including the most vulnerable, receive the support they need as and when it is 24–25 September 2019

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Pupils say that they always feel safe in school. Safeguarding and pupils’ welfare are prioritised by all staff. Staff are vigilant to any possible signs of neglect or abuse.

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Staff teach pupils about how to stay safe in a range of situations they may encounter. For example, pupils are taught about how to stay safe when online and the dangers of child exploitation, radicalisation and extremism.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The headteacher and governors have ensured that pupils benefit from a quality of education that is good. Some subjects are delivered very effectively. Where this is the case, staff deliver curriculums that have carefully mapped pupils’ learning from the early years to the end of Year 6. However, not all subjects are delivered to the same standard. This, in part, is due to the school’s small size. Some teachers are responsible for leading several subjects. As a result, they have been unable to improve all subjects to the same extent.  Leaders have a clear understanding of which subjects are taught well and which require more work. For example, they understand that pupils’ learning in geography and PE is not where it should be. In these subjects, leaders have begun to act to improve the quality of education. Leaders must therefore continue with this work and prioritise the development of pupils’ learning in these areas. In

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

particular, they need to provide staff with opportunities to develop the subject- specific expertise they need to design and deliver effective curriculums in these subjects.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to find out what other parents and carers think. We use Ofsted Parent View information when deciding which schools to inspect, when to inspect them and as part of their inspection.

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How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

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How can I feed back my views?

If you’re not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

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 24–25 September 2019

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years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 24–25 September 2019

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School details

Local authority Cheshire West and Chester

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School details

Inspection number 10110889 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website www.alvanleyandmanleyfederatedschool s.cheshire.sch.uk/

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School details

Date of previous inspection 4–5 July 2017

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Information about this school

 Manley Village primary school is in a federation with Alvanley Village Primary School, which is in a neighbouring village. One headteacher leads both schools.  There are two classes in Manley, one comprises Reception children and pupils from Year 1 and Year 2. The second class is made up of pupils from Year 3 to Year 5. The two schools share one Year 6 class, which is based at Alvanley. This class formed part of the inspection.  Almost all teachers are new to the school since the previous inspection. The outdoor learning and play areas for Reception children and key stage 1 pupils have recently been fully refurbished.

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Information about this inspection

We carried out this inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this inspection

 We met with four governors, including the chair of the governing body. A meeting was held with the school’s improvement partner.  We met with the headteacher as well as the teachers who lead reading, writing, mathematics, science and history. In addition, we held meetings with the 24–25 September 2019

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teachers who oversee provision in the early years and that for disadvantaged pupils and pupils with SEND.  We took account of nine text messages submitted during the inspection. We considered the school’s own surveys of parents’ and pupils’ views and responses to the inspection questionnaires completed by ten members of staff.  We focused deeply on reading, mathematics, history and science during the inspection. In each subject, we met with the subject leader and teachers. We visited lessons, looked at pupils’ work and talked with pupils about their learning.  We met with pupils, teachers and other staff. We talked about safety, personal development and behaviour. We also talked with parents about matters relating to safety. We scrutinised the school’s safeguarding policy and related policies and documentation. We checked the school’s records of the suitability of staff to work with children.

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Inspection team

Lenford White, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector

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Inspection team

Christine Howard Ofsted Inspector 24–25 September 2019

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regulates and inspects to 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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