Manor Primary School

Inspection of a good school: Manor Primary School Downsview Crescent, Uckfield, East Sussex TN22 1UB

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Outcome

Manor Primary School continues to be a good school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils appreciate the ethos of kindness leaders create in this school. Right from Reception, pupils are taught to help each other, working with partners according to their strengths. This enables them to build trusting and respectful friendships where everyone is included. Pupils focus well in lessons and walk around the school calmly, holding doors open for others as they pass.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders have made the school motto of ‘Everyone matters, everyone helps, everyone succeeds’ a reality. They are ambitious that all pupils, will learn a rich and interesting curriculum. Pupils are taught how to overcome difficulties and persevere with their learning until they have mastered it. As a result, they attain highly in all areas of the curriculum and are rightly proud of their achievements. As one pupil put it, ‘I wouldn’t be where I am today without the help my teachers have given me.’

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What is it like to attend this school?

Teachers make learning interesting through encouraging pupils to be inquisitive, like practising scientists, artists and mathematicians. Following their visit to Wakehurst place to learn about plants, pupils were excited to find them in other locations, explaining why they grew there. As one parent commented, ‘children go to school happily and come out excited to share their day.’

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

Leaders motivate pupils to develop a keen understanding of how professionals research and develop new knowledge in their field. Pupils learn that in their future careers they could be the ones that make the next great scientific, mathematical or historical discovery. The curriculum sets out clearly the knowledge, skills and vocabulary for previous, current and future learning. It builds from Reception to Year 6. Because of this, teachers know precisely what to teach and when. Children in Reception are prepared well for the curriculum in Year 1. They are frequently engrossed in independent activities. Teachers, for example, encourage them to work like scientists, testing which vehicles travel fastest down ramps. In a small number of subjects, pupils cannot always remember previously 3 and 4 July 2023

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learned concepts as well as they could. Leaders know what must be done and are further refining these curriculums, so that pupils fully embed what they have learned in their long-term memory.

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Subject leaders are experts in their curriculum areas. They have developed teachers’ practice, so that they too have strong subject knowledge. Teachers present and explain new ideas clearly, in ways which encourage pupils to want to find out more. They skilfully break the curriculum down into small steps, so that pupils understand new learning before moving on to the next stage. Right from Reception, teachers build pupils’ language skills through thoughtful discussions. Pupils learn to express their ideas, challenge each other’s views constructively and use technical language confidently. Teachers use assessment consistently well, frequently checking that pupils have understood new learning. They pick up on any misconceptions and address them quickly, so no one falls behind.

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Leaders place great importance on pupils learning to read for pleasure. Leaders have recently introduced a new phonics curriculum. All staff have had the training they need and mostly teach early reading well. Pupils read books which match the sounds they are learning. Any pupils at risk of falling behind are identified quickly and supported to keep up with their peers. Pupils who need to catch up benefit from reading tuition. Pupils attain well in reading and by the end of Year 2, they fluently read texts throughout the curriculum.

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Pupils have many opportunities to develop their leadership skills through being elected to responsible roles. They assist leaders with curriculum monitoring, represent other pupils in school council meetings and promote books as reading ambassadors. Pupils are taught how to look after their health and well-being and how to stay safe on the internet. They learn about different faiths through assemblies, and trips to local places of worship. Throughout the curriculum, pupils encounter notable people from a variety of cultures, and backgrounds. They learn to appreciate their differences, knowing, for example, that neurodiversity brings certain strengths. Pupils feel safe to be themselves in this school where they say that ‘difference is normal’.

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Governors support leaders and staff well, being mindful of workload and the importance of staff well-being. They ask challenging questions and visit the school to understand for themselves the impact of leaders’ actions. Governors work effectively with leaders on their shared, ambitious vision that everyone in this school, no matter their difficulties, will feel valued and attain highly. Leaders enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities to flourish. They recognise pupils’ needs quickly, making exactly the right adaptations to help them succeed.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Safeguarding

Leaders make safeguarding a high priority. They know pupils well and develop trusting relationships with families. Staff are well trained to recognise and report any signs that a 3 and 4 July 2023

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pupil might be at risk. Leaders keep detailed records, which they review regularly. Leaders refer cases to outside agencies and follow them up tenaciously, so that pupils get help.

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Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe mentally, physically, in the community and online. Keeping safe is always the first item on the agenda at school council meetings. Pupils feel safe in school and are comfortable to talk about concerns with any of their teachers.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Leaders are further refining some curriculum areas. Pupils’ understanding in these areas is not as secure as it could be. Leaders should continue their work on these subjects so that pupils revisit key concepts periodically, and fully embed what they have learned in their long-term memory.

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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 second ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in July 2013.

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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. 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. 3 and 4 July 2023

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Website http://www.manor.e-sussex.sch.uk

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School details

Date of previous inspection 8 November 2017, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.

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Information about this school

 There is a hearing support facility based on site which is not managed by the school.  The governing body manages a breakfast club and resourced provision for pupils with autistic spectrum disorder.  The school does not currently use any alternative provision.  The headteacher was appointed in September 2022.

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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 their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics and science. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also spoke to leaders about the curriculum in some other subjects. 3 and 4 July 2023

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 During the inspection, the inspector met with the headteacher and the assistant headteachers. The inspector also met with a representative from the local authority.  The views of parents and carers were considered through their responses to Ofsted’s Parent View survey. Further views of pupils and staff were gathered through Ofsted’s online surveys, interviews and discussions conducted throughout the inspection.  The inspector reviewed the arrangements for safeguarding through scrutinising safeguarding records and discussions with leaders, staff and pupils.  The inspector reviewed a range of the school’s documents, including self-evaluation reports, minutes of governing body meetings, attendance records and behaviour incident logs.  The inspector observed pupils’ behaviour during lessons and at playtimes. They spoke with pupils about bullying, behaviour and leaders’ expectations of behaviour.

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Inspection team

Jo Brinkley, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 3 and 4 July 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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