Mangotsfield School

Inspection of Mangotsfield School Rodway Hill, Mangotsfield, Bristol BS16 9LH

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Overall effectiveness Good

The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Good Personal development Good Leadership and management Good Previous inspection grade Requires improvement 1 and 2 March 2022

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What is it like to attend this school?

Mangotsfield School is rapidly improving. New leaders have raised expectations. Pupils are working harder. Leaders have introduced useful ways to establish an orderly atmosphere and improve the curriculum. Staff, pupils and parents and carers recognise that expectations have increased. Many say that the school is a much better place to learn. They value being part of this community-focused, ambitious school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are mostly attentive in lessons and take pride in their work. Occasionally, less good behaviour means that pupils stop concentrating and need reminding of the new expectations. Similarly, the impact of the pandemic has unsettled certain groups of pupils and this affects their attendance. Leaders recognise that this means that the impact of their higher expectations is less secure than it might have been. Although some parents feel that staff are now too strict, leaders are right that they should continue to insist on the highest expectations for all.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils say that bullying can happen and mostly it is sorted well. Some pupils say that certain areas in the school worry them and that some pupils can be hurtful in what they say. Leaders know this and are taking action. For example, they are restructuring the school building in response to pupils’ concerns.

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better?

Changes in leadership since the previous inspection are making a big difference. Leaders know that pupils’ learning in some subjects has not been strong enough in the past. Leaders have sensibly reviewed how improvements to provision were attempted in the past and why they did not work. From this, they have developed well-considered initiatives that are helping staff to focus on the right things to be more effective. Consequently, the curriculum has been reorganised and is better matched to the needs of pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Pupils now choose a broader range of challenging subjects and succeed in them.

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better?

Leaders strive to ensure that pupils achieve their potential. Staff share this ambition. There is strong curriculum thinking across subjects. Key knowledge is usually very well sequenced. Across the curriculum, teachers structure learning well, enabling pupils to remember and understand what they learn. Teachers use assessment well so that they know how pupils are doing and can adjust the content of their teaching accordingly. However, the ambition for some pupils could be even higher. Similarly, teachers in some subjects are less adept at adjusting learning to meet the specific needs of pupils with SEND.

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better?

Pupils’ reading is prioritised. School leaders have thought carefully about how to promote reading and a love of books and to support those who struggle to read. Their approach is evidence based and effective. Pupils absorb texts chosen for their relevance, challenge and link to culture. Staff receive helpful training to teach 1 and 2 March 2022

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reading effectively. Leaders are rightly focused on ensuring that the least able can read to access the curriculum.

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Staff deliver well-planned activities to prepare pupils for life in modern Britain and the world of work. Leaders have developed the ‘Mangotsfield Way’ to encourage pupils to be responsible and active citizens. The pandemic has reduced the breadth of extra-curricular activities on offer. However, leaders have been quick to reintroduce them. For example, Year 9 pupils visited the National Portrait Gallery as part of their art curriculum.

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All pupils access high-quality, impartial careers advice. Leaders look to secure work experience that relates to pupils’ career aspirations. Leaders have successfully ensured that the Baker Clause, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships, is met. At times, the overall offer is overly focused on vocational options. However, leaders are rightly looking to provide more information for pupils who aspire to go to university.

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Leaders have secured the confidence and commitment of staff, even when they have had to make difficult decisions. Leaders challenge staff to do the best for the school, but look after their workload at the same time.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders responsible for safeguarding are appropriately trained and experienced. They know the context of the school and community well. They have ensured that staff are well trained in local processes. This helps to ensure that all staff are vigilant and record concerns appropriately when they have them. Leaders work effectively with other agencies.

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Safeguarding

Safer recruitment practices are secure. Key staff complete the appropriate checks on staff, volunteers and governors. These are recorded accurately on the up-to-date single central record.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders have rightly prioritised improving the quality, breadth and organisation of the curriculum. This means that subjects are mostly planned logically and carefully to help pupils build the knowledge they need to succeed. However, the curriculum could be even more ambitious for some pupils, or those with SEND. Leaders need to ensure that teachers consistently meet the needs of all pupils so that all pupils can reach their full potential. 1 and 2 March 2022

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 Leaders’ expectations of behaviour have risen. Teachers and pupils recognise this, although some pupils and parents are concerned that expectations are too high. This is not the case. Expectations could be even higher, so that low-level disruption is never tolerated and pupils attend well.

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How can I feed back my views?

or to 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.

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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 are the school and you are 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 years and pupils in care or who left care through adoption or another formal route. 1 and 2 March 2022

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School details

Number of pupils on the school roll 1,079

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Date of previous inspection

20 and 21 March 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Since the previous inspection, a new headteacher has been appointed. In September 2021, two new deputy headteachers joined the school and two assistant headteachers were promoted from within.  The school uses three alternative providers. They are Pathways Learning Centre, South Gloucestershire and Stroud College and Rocksteady’.

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

This was the first routine inspection of the school had received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders, and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspectors met with senior and subject leaders, a group of staff and various groups of pupils. Discussions took place with the chief executive officer of the trust, the acting special educational needs coordinator and leaders responsible for behaviour. Inspectors also met with representatives from the local governance 1 and 2 March 2022

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committee and board of trustees, including the chair of the local governance committee. Inspectors discussed leaders’ evaluations, priorities for improvement, systems for monitoring and accountability, and the curriculum.  Inspectors did deep dives into four subjects: English, science, art and design, and modern foreign languages. Inspectors met with senior and subject leaders, teachers and pupils. Inspectors also visited lessons, scrutinised pupils’ work and talked to pupils. Inspectors reviewed some subject planning and spoke to leaders about other subjects.  Inspectors analysed 150 responses to Parent View, Ofsted’s online survey, and the free-text responses from those parents. They also scrutinised 54 responses to the staff survey and 181 responses to the pupil survey.  Inspectors analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement, and paperwork relating to the work of governors and the

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trust. Inspectors scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum.  Inspectors reviewed safeguarding arrangements by meeting with the designated safeguarding lead and one of the deputy leads, reviewing safer recruitment processes and speaking to staff and pupils. School policies, governance arrangements, records of concern and links to other agencies were scrutinised.

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Inspection team

Matthew Barnes, lead inspector Her Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Tim Redding Ofsted Inspector 1 and 2 March 2022

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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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