Mitton Manor Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Mitton Manor Primary School Carrant Road, Tewkesbury, Gloucestershire GL20 8AR

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Outcome

Mitton Manor Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There is a buzz of happy activity at Mitton Manor Primary School as pupils work and play.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are a credit to the school. They are polite, welcoming and sociable. Pupils thoroughly enjoy school and feel safe here. They said that adults take good care of them and make learning fun. Pupils behave impeccably. They are kind to one another and are respectful to adults. Pupils confirmed that bullying is not tolerated here.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Adults have high expectations of pupils. Pupils listen carefully and work hard because they have a thirst for learning. Pupils proudly explained that they are ‘Team Mitton’, because learning encourages them to try, enjoy, achieve and move forward. The school provides rich learning experiences for pupils. For example, pupils enjoy trips to an interactive science centre and Morfa Bay.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The majority of parents are happy with the school. Typical comments from parents include: ‘I can’t thank them enough’; and, ‘The school goes above and beyond to support my child.’ Parents appreciated regular communication and remote learning for pupils during the national lockdowns. A minority of parents have concerns about the way in which the school supports their children. Leaders are committed to further improving communication with parents in order to gain their confidence.

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

The headteacher, along with the senior and subject leaders, leads the school well. Staff are enthusiastic and ambitious for all pupils to achieve well. They have designed a broad, exciting and well-sequenced curriculum. Governors are committed to school improvement. They carry out a range of duties to challenge and support leaders and staff effectively.

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

Pupils progress well through the curriculum because teachers plan, teach and assess learning effectively. Leaders regularly monitor the effectiveness of the curriculum. They 2 and 3 March 2022

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help staff to improve teaching when required. Senior leaders have plans to further improve the precision of curriculum monitoring.

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Staff are keen for all pupils to develop a love of reading. Children are taught to read as soon as they start school. Pupils regularly read at home and school. They thoroughly enjoy listening to stories that teachers read to them. Pupils who find reading more difficult are given extra support, which helps them to improve.

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Phonics teaching, however, is not consistently strong. This is because books do not closely match the sounds pupils are learning. In addition, teaching does not routinely help pupils to apply their knowledge of phonics in order to spell words. Leaders have recently implemented a new phonics programme. However, it will take time for this to be embedded and have an impact.

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The mathematics curriculum provides regular opportunities for pupils to practise and apply their mathematical knowledge. Pupils become immersed in their learning because they enjoy the learning experiences teachers provide. For example, children in the early years count spots on dice and dominoes when learning to add and subtract. Older pupils fold paper to make a ‘fraction wall’. They use this to work out equivalent fractions.

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The history curriculum helps pupils to develop their historical knowledge well. For example, Year 6 pupils discuss the validity of primary and secondary sources. They can explain their understanding of ‘axis’ and ‘allied forces’, when discussing the Second World War.

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Leaders have a clear understanding of pupils’ needs. They work closely with pupils, staff and parents to provide targeted support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. Additional help is sought from external agencies when necessary.

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The school is committed to supporting pupils’ mental health and well-being. Staff are particularly mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Pupils are supported to talk about their feelings. Pupils said that this helps them to manage their emotions.

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The school supports pupils’ broader development well. For instance, pupils can join netball, running and cookery clubs, as well as raise money for charity. Pupils enjoy taking on positions of responsibility, such as becoming prefects or members of the school council.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Staff care deeply about pupils, and prioritise their safety.

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Safeguarding

Leaders have regular meetings to identify and discuss safeguarding concerns. They take timely action to secure the help that pupils need. Leaders maintain thorough records and routinely check that they are making a difference. 2 and 3 March 2022

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The school makes all necessary checks to ensure that adults are safe to work with children. Staff undertake regular safeguarding training. They can clearly explain how to report concerns.

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The curriculum supports pupils to stay safe. For example, pupils learn about road safety, drug awareness and how to stay safe online.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Phonics teaching is not consistently strong. Pupils’ reading books do not closely match the sounds they are learning, and teaching does not routinely help pupils to use their knowledge of phonics to spell. As a result, pupils are not fully supported to develop the knowledge and skills that they should. Leaders must fully embed the new phonics programme and routinely check its impact, to assure themselves that pupils are gaining the knowledge and skills they need in order to become confident, fluent readers and writers.

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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.

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Background

This is the second section 8 inspection since we judged the predecessor school to be good in March 2013. 2 and 3 March 2022

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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.

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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. 2 and 3 March 2022

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School details

Inspection number 10211071 Type of school Primary

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Chair of governing body Patricia Clements

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School details

Date of previous inspection 7 December 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The deputy headteacher, who was previously the assistant headteacher, has been appointed since the last inspection. He has recently taken on the role of special educational needs coordinator.

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Information about this inspection

 This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school.  The inspector held several meetings with the headteacher and deputy headteacher.  The inspector held a meeting with a group of governors, and had a telephone conversation with an academy member.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, looked at curriculum plans, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at some samples of pupils’ work. 2 and 3 March 2022

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 The inspector also met with the subject leader for science, and looked at curriculum plans and a sample of pupils’ work.  The inspector reviewed a sample of the school’s safeguarding records, and checked the school’s single central record. She discussed safeguarding arrangements with the deputy designated safeguarding leaders, one of whom is the deputy headteacher. She also spoke to pupils and staff.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons, in breakfast club and during break and lunchtime.  The inspector spoke to pupils, staff and parents to gather their views. She reviewed 78 responses to the online survey, Ofsted Parent View, along with 47 additional free-text comments. The inspector also considered responses to the school’s own parent questionnaires. The inspector took account of 46 responses to Ofsted’s pupil survey and 21 responses to the staff survey.

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Inspection team

Catherine Beeks, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 2 and 3 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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