Manley Park Primary School

Inspection of Manley Park Primary School College Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 0AA

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

The quality of education Outstanding Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Outstanding Early years provision Outstanding Previous inspection grade Outstanding

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Overall effectiveness Outstanding

Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since October 2011. 8 and 9 May 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils told inspectors that they feel privileged to attend this exceptional school. They benefit from the remarkable range of opportunities that the school provides, which begins in the early years. Pupils explained that they quickly grow in confidence, especially if they have recently arrived from another country.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are passionate advocates for equality. They respect people’s differences. Pupils are skilled at supporting each other, including in providing encouragement and translation for pupils who speak English as an additional language.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets an extremely high bar for pupils’ academic achievement. It makes sure that pupils, particularly those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), receive the support that they need. As a result, pupils achieve exceptionally well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils eagerly respond to the school’s aspirations for them. They rarely need reminding to do their best. Pupils’ behaviour is impeccable in class, during social times and as they move around the school.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils value the exciting and carefully designed activities that the school provides to support their physical and mental well-being. For example, prefects and play leaders make sure that everyone enjoys and gets the most out of breaktimes. The support that these pupils provide helps other pupils to feel safe and happy at school.

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better?

The school provides an exceptionally well thought-out and highly ambitious curriculum. The curriculum defines clearly what pupils need to learn across all subjects as they progress through the school. As a result, teachers know exactly what to focus on with their class. In turn, they make sure that pupils do not become overwhelmed by what they need to remember. This is particularly important if pupils have SEND or speak English as an additional language.

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better?

There is a high degree of consistency across the school. For example, teachers regularly check that pupils have a secure understanding of their learning. They also support pupils to recall and build on what they have already learned, including in reading. Pupils achieve this with impressive ease. This helps them to fully embrace new learning.

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better?

Year 6 pupils’ attainment in the 2023 national assessments demonstrated particular success in some subjects, including in mathematics. However, pupils’ current achievement demonstrates high levels of success across all aspects of the curriculum. Pupils have a remarkably wide range of secure knowledge. They are extremely well prepared for their next stages of education. 8 and 9 May 2024

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A number of children in the early years, and a number of pupils in key stages 1 and 2, are at the very early stages of learning English when they join the school. They benefit from the support of highly skilled staff. These pupils settle quickly and begin to strengthen their understanding of English from the outset.

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The school has firmly placed reading at the heart of the curriculum. Pupils benefit from exposure to the well-considered contemporary and classic literature that they explore with their teachers. Through reading widely and often, pupils’ knowledge of the wider world expands. The books that they read in class often inspire them to try books that they may not have considered previously. Most pupils become avid readers in key stage 2.

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Children begin to learn to read in the early years. The well-loved songs, rhymes and stories that children learn in the Nursery Year provide a firm foundation for accessing the school’s phonics programme. By the end of the Reception Year, children’s understanding of how to read words using their phonics knowledge is impressive. Pupils benefit from practising their reading with books that match the sounds that they know. As a result, most become fluent and accurate readers by the end of key stage 1. Pupils who need extra help with their reading benefit from the support of skilled and well-trained staff.

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The school makes sure that teachers know how to accurately identify and meet the additional needs of pupils, including those with SEND. As a result, pupils with SEND achieve extremely well from their differing starting points.

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Pupils typically attend well. They demonstrate extremely positive attitudes to learning. The school provides highly effective support to pupils whose attendance is a concern. These pupils’ attendance shows a marked improvement as a result of the carefully thought-out support that they receive. This enables these pupils to benefit from all that the school has to offer.

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The exciting and unique activities provided by the school inspire pupils to develop new skills and interests. The school ensures that all pupils find a talent where they can shine. Pupils proudly shared their many achievements with inspectors. These included becoming confident enough to travel to school on a bicycle, developing stamina in activities such as long-distance running, learning to play an instrument, maintaining the outdoor wooded area or becoming a digital leader. These, and other activities, help pupils to confidently embrace new opportunities open to them as they become older.

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Governance is strong. As well as providing clear strategic direction, governors ensure that staff’s workload is not affected by school improvement work.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 8 and 9 May 2024

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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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Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

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Further information

In the report, ‘disadvantaged pupils’ is used to mean pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND); pupils who meet the definition of children in need of help and protection ; pupils receiving statutory local authority support from a social worker; and pupils who otherwise meet the criteria used for deciding the school’s pupil premium funding (this includes pupils claiming free school meals at any point in the last six years, looked after children (children in local authority care) and/or children who left care through adoption or another formal route). 8 and 9 May 2024

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 October 2011, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school operates from two sites. Children in the early years and pupils in key stage 1 attend the site at York Avenue, Manchester M10 0AS. Key stage 2 pupils attend the main site at College Road, Whalley Range, Manchester M16 0AA.  Many pupils in the school speak English as an additional language. Some of these pupils have lived in other countries before attending this school.  Since the school was last inspected, there have been two headteachers in post before the current headteacher was appointed.  A new chair of governors has been appointed since the previous inspection.  The school operates a before- and after-school club for pupils.  The school makes use of one unregistered provision for pupils. 8 and 9 May 2024

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Information about this inspection

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

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time judgement about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. The inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspectors: reviewed the single central record; took account of the views of leaders, staff and pupils; and considered the extent to which the school has created an open and positive culture around safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors spoke with the headteacher and other leaders in the school. An inspector also spoke with members of the governing body, including the chair of governors.  An inspector spoke with a representative of the local authority.  An inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, music, geography and religious education. They spoke with the leaders of these areas of the curriculum. They also visited lessons, looked at examples of pupils’ work, held discussions with teachers and talked with pupils.  Inspectors also spoke with pupils about their learning in other subjects. They looked at samples of pupils’ work from across the curriculum.  Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour at breaktimes and lunchtimes. They observed pupils’ behaviour as they moved around the school. An inspector also scrutinised leaders’ records of pupils’ behaviour.  An inspector visited the school’s breakfast club.  Inspectors spoke with pupils about their experiences at school.  Inspectors considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free- text responses. They also considered responses to Ofsted’s online surveys for

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Information about this inspection

staff and for pupils.  Inspectors spoke with parents and carers as they brought their children to school.

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Inspection team

Claire Cropper, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Katie Hague Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 May 2024

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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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