Manchester Enterprise Academy

Inspection of a good school: Manchester Enterprise Academy Simonsway, Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester M22 9RH

p.1

Inspection dates: 21 and 22 September 2021

p.1

Outcome

Manchester Enterprise Academy continues to be a good school.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff have high expectations for all pupils at Manchester Enterprise Academy. They challenge all pupils to aspire to ‘a fantastic future’. Pupils from all backgrounds are well supported to gain the resilience and knowledge that they need for a positive future.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Staff help pupils to understand themselves, others and the world around them. Pupils and students in the sixth form value and live up to the high standards that staff set for them.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to school. They feel safe because they are confident that they can approach staff for help if they need to. Pupils told inspectors that bullying, harassment and discrimination are not common. They said that most staff manage these incidents well when they happen.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils respond positively to the praise and encouragement that staff give them. They are keen to learn. Pupils value and respect each other. They behave well in lessons so that learning is rarely interrupted. Teachers manage the small occurrences of unacceptable behaviour effectively.

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Most pupils behave sensibly around the school. Staff swiftly notice when they occasionally do not and help pupils to quickly calm down.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders, governors and trustees have worked well together to ensure that pupils receive a good quality of education. Leaders have nurtured a culture where staff feel supported. Leaders empower staff to confidently do their jobs. Leaders support staff effectively when they need it. Staff are positive about what leaders do to support their workload and well- being.

p.1

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have strengthened the curriculum for pupils in Years 7 to 11 so that it is broad, balanced and appropriately ambitious. Staff are helping more pupils to study a broader range of subjects than in the past. The students that are currently in Year 13 are 21 and 22 September 2021

p.1

2

following courses that meet their interests and needs. Students told inspectors that their curriculum is supporting their future aspirations. Pupils are increasingly well equipped to take suitable next steps in their education, employment or training.

p.2

2

Subject curriculums are appropriately demanding. They are well designed to ensure that pupils acquire new knowledge in a carefully sequenced order. Teachers know their subjects well. They think carefully about the specific types of knowledge that pupils will learn. They make effective use of assessment information to form a helpful picture of what pupils know and remember. Teachers skilfully use activities that help most pupils to acquire essential knowledge.

p.2

2

Leaders have suitable approaches to identify the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff make good use of expertise at the school and from other partners to provide effective support for pupils with SEND outside of their lessons. Many pupils with SEND benefit from teachers’ approaches to delivering the curriculum, as well as the small-group support that they receive to meet their learning needs. However, targeted support for these pupils in lessons is not as effective. Some teachers do not adapt subject content well enough to enable pupils with SEND to access the planned curriculum. As result, a small proportion of pupils with SEND do not know and remember as much as they should.

p.2

2

The majority of pupils are fluent and confident readers. Teachers support pupils to further develop their reading abilities in subject lessons and in daily dedicated reading time. Leaders have appropriately increased the support for pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read. Staff have begun to use more information about the reading abilities of these pupils to provide more focused, targeted support.

p.2

2

Staff carefully assess the needs of pupils who speak English as an additional language. Staff provide well-designed individual support for these pupils. Consequently, pupils who speak English as an additional language acquire English quickly so that they can be successful in learning the curriculum.

p.2

2

Staff support pupils and students with helpful routines and guidance about how to behave in lessons and around school. Staff manage behaviour fairly and consistently. This ensures that most pupils, and students in the sixth form, behave well. Poor behaviour does not interrupt their learning. School records show that pupils encounter far fewer incidents of bullying or violence than in the past. However, a very small number of pupils are boisterous when they move around the school, which makes it unpleasant for others as they move to their lessons.

p.2

2

Staff support pupils’ wider development effectively. Through the ‘fantastic futures’ programme and other opportunities, pupils benefit from a well-designed personal, social, health, relationship and sex education curriculum. Pupils, and students in the sixth form, told inspectors that these opportunities help them to respect each other and make good decisions. Leaders ensure that pupils and students in the sixth form receive suitable careers advice and guidance. This provision meets the requirements contained in the Baker Clause. This sets pupils and students up well to attain their aspirations for the future. 21 and 22 September 2021

p.2

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

Safeguarding

Leaders carefully consider what pupils should know about staying safe and making safe choices. They ensure this guidance is regularly updated and taught effectively. Pupils value this useful information which they said helps them stay safe.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff are well equipped to notice any signs that pupils may need specific support. Staff report and follow up concerns about pupils well.

p.3

Safeguarding

Staff provide carefully designed support for individual pupils when they need it. Leaders work well with other agencies to provide pupils with the expert support that they sometimes need.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 There is variation in how well pupils with SEND are supported in different subjects and classes. This stops some pupils with SEND from knowing and remembering as much of the planned curriculum as they should. Leaders should ensure that teachers get the support that they need to further improve their knowledge of how best to support these pupils.  A very small proportion of pupils do not live up to leaders’ expectations of behaviour while moving around school. Some pupils occasionally run or push other pupils in the corridor. Leaders should ensure that all pupils fully understand how they should conduct themselves when moving around the school.

p.3

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good. This is called a section 8 inspection of a good or outstanding school, because it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on a section 8 inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a section 5 inspection. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the section 8 inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the section 8 inspection as a section 5 inspection immediately.

p.3

Background

This is the first section 8 inspection since we judged the school to be good on 11 and 12 March 2015. 21 and 22 September 2021

p.3

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

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

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

If you are the school and you are not happy with the inspection or the report, you can complain to Ofsted .

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 21 and 22 September 2021

p.4

School details

Inspection number 10183992 Type of school Secondary Comprehensive

p.5

provision

Number of pupils on the school roll 1203

p.5

form

Website https://www.manchesterenterpriseacademy .org.uk/ Date of previous inspection 11 and 12 March 2015

p.5

Information about this school

 Manchester Enterprise Academy is part of the Prospere Learning Trust.  The school makes use of five alternative providers.  The sixth form will close at the end of summer 2022. There are a small number of Year 13 pupils currently on roll.

p.5

Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school, and have taken that into account in their evaluation.  Inspectors met with the principal and senior leaders. They met with representatives of the academy trust, the local governing body and Manchester local authority.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: English, Spanish, history and science. For each deep dive, inspectors met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum 21 and 22 September 2021

p.5

6

plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  Inspectors reviewed the school’s records of safeguarding checks and referrals. They met with leaders who have overall responsibility for safeguarding. Inspectors spoke with staff and pupils about the school’s work to keep pupils safe.  Inspectors spoke with the leaders responsible for SEND and reading.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in class and around the school site. They also scrutinised behaviour and attendance records.  Inspectors spoke with pupils from all year groups, including separate groups of boys and girls. They considered pupils’ responses to recent school surveys.  Inspectors held discussions with staff and considered the 55 responses to Ofsted’s questionnaire for staff.  Inspectors took account of the 39 responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Parent View,

p.6

6

including the 31 comments received by Ofsted’s free-text facility.

p.6

Inspection team

Michael Pennington, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Christine Veitch Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 September 2021

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

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 .

p.7

7

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

p.7

7

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

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7