Manor Oak Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Manor Oak Primary School Sweeps Lane, St Mary Cray, Orpington, Kent BR5 3PE

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Outcome

Manor Oak Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils and staff have a strong sense of belonging here. Staff want the best for their pupils. Leaders give equal value to pupils’ academic and personal development. Pupils enjoy coming to school. They described the school as friendly and that adults keep them safe. Staff work hard to ensure that learning is enjoyable and meaningful for pupils. This helps pupils to achieve well, including those who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils’ behaviour in lessons and as they move around school is calm. They understand adults’ expectations and know they can talk to adults if they are worried. Pupils work and play well together. Pupils trust adults to deal with any issues should they occur. Parents and carers spoke positively about staff’s communication with them, and of the care provided to their children.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders place a high priority on making sure that pupils have lots of different opportunities at school. This helps motivate pupils to work hard and be ready for secondary school. Pupils enjoy the wide range of after-school activities, including fencing and archery. They spoke enthusiastically about outings and visits that help with their learning. This includes performing in musical concerts.

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

Leaders have created a curriculum that provides pupils with a broad range of learning. It is set out clearly so that pupils’ learning builds progressively over time. For example, in history, Year 1 pupils explore how we learn about the past through listening to different people’s experiences. By Year 4, pupils use historical sources confidently to learn about how life was in the past. In some subjects, leaders do not identify the key content that pupils should learn and when. This means some pupils’ knowledge is not secure enough to help them with future learning. 16 and 17 May 2023

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In 2022, outcomes were low for pupils, particularly in writing. Pupils’ attendance was not high following the COVID-19 pandemic. Leaders have worked diligently with families to improve pupils’ attendance. Leaders have focused on developing the curriculum for writing positively. Attendance and outcomes in writing have improved as a consequence. In most subjects, teachers use their strong knowledge to explain new information and ideas clearly. In mathematics, they make sure that pupils have lots of opportunities to revisit previous learning so that it becomes secure.

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Reading is a high priority at the school. Staff teach phonics to pupils consistently well. This helps pupils to read fluently. Leaders ensure the books that pupils read closely match their phonics knowledge. They provide pupils with a wide variety of books they can read for pleasure. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books in their class libraries. Teachers assess regularly how well pupils are remembering their phonics sounds. They provide extra help for any pupils who are falling behind.

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Leaders and teaching staff identify the needs of pupils with SEND well. They ensure that the school provides a positive culture so all pupils can have success in their learning. Parents speak well of the support they receive if their child needs extra help academically or emotionally. Staff use resources effectively in order to help pupils with SEND to access the curriculum successfully, for example using digital technology.

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Staff set clear expectations for learning routines and behaviours. This means pupils can work well independently and with their peers. Staff ensure that behaviour does not get in the way of pupils’ learning. In the Nursery, children settle quickly, including two-year-olds. Staff help children in the early years to work together and to follow instructions well.

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Leaders provide many opportunities for pupils’ wider personal development. For example, pupils learn new skills through sports coaching and the school’s outdoor learning environment. Teachers make good use of local resources to support learning. For example, Year 6 pupils visited local caves used for shelter during World War Two.

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Staff value the support they receive from leaders, both professionally and personally. They describe the school as a supportive community where everyone works well together. The trust has invested in developing leadership capacity, learning resources and partnership work with other trust schools. Trustees and the local committee know the school well and work in a systematic way to support and challenge school leaders.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

All leaders have ensured that there are effective systems and processes in place to identify and report concerns about pupils who may be at risk of harm. Staff and those in governance are provided with regular training and updates. This helps them to identify concerns and know their responsibilities. Leaders know about risks in the local area. They work with external agencies to support pupils and families to ensure that they get the help they need. 16 and 17 May 2023

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe through their lessons and assemblies. They know about online safety and when to report a concern.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, leaders do not identify the key content that pupils need to learn and when. This means that teaching in these subjects does not help some pupils to develop a secure understanding. Leaders should ensure that curricular thinking in these subjects identifies the important knowledge that pupils should learn so that they build their knowledge securely over time.

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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 an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act. Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

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Background

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in November 2016.

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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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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. 16 and 17 May 2023

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School details

Inspection number 10204473 Type of school Primary

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 29 and 30 November 2016, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has provision for two-year-olds.  One pupil is dual registered with an alternative provider.  Many pupils join the school part way through their primary education.  The school has a high number of pupils with SEND and in receipt of free school meals compared to the national average.

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Information about this inspection

 This is 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 his evaluation of the school.  The inspector met with a member of the trust board, the chair and vice-chair of the local committee, the chief executive officer of the trust, the headteacher, senior leaders and a range of staff. 16 and 17 May 2023

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 The inspector carried out deep dives in reading, mathematics and history. For each deep dive, the inspector met with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, met with teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and considered pupils’ work.  The inspector considered the curriculum in other subjects.  The inspector considered information provided about safeguarding arrangements. He scrutinised safeguarding records and pre-employment checks. The inspector reviewed procedures and processes by talking to leaders and staff, and through discussions with pupils.  The inspector considered the views of parents, including their responses to Ofsted’s online survey for parents, Ofsted Parent View.

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Inspection team

Nick Flesher, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 16 and 17 May 2023

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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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