Manor Way Primary Academy

Inspection of a good school: Manor Way Primary Academy Brier Mill Road, Halesowen, West Midlands B63 3HA

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Outcome

There has been no change to this school's overall judgement of good as a result of this ungraded (section 8) inspection. However, the evidence gathered suggests that the inspection grade might be outstanding if a graded (section 5) inspection were carried out now. The school's next inspection will be a graded inspection.

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Outcome

The headteacher of this school is Lisa Buffery. This school is part of Windsor Academy Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Dawn Haywood, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Andrew Middleton.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils love attending Manor Way Primary Academy. The pupil junior leadership team shows pupils how to live the ‘Manor Way.’ Pupils are conscientious and want to do their very best. Pupils want to be in school and attend well. The school is tenacious in its work to ensure all pupils attend school regularly. Rigorous checks are undertaken. Any pupil absence is swiftly addressed.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are polite and well-mannered. They settle quickly to tasks in lessons. The ‘brain, browse, buddy’ approach helps pupils to persevere on tasks and take responsibility for their own learning. At social times pupils play well together and enjoy spending time with their friends. Pupils say, ‘everyone is kind, and no-one is left out.’ Staff consistently and fairly apply the schools ‘ready to learn’ approach. This means that pupils are eager to make great choices.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school supports pupils to find their passion and find their purpose. A vast range of clubs are provided to meet pupils’ interests. These include coding, archery, crochet, sports, gardening, pottery and book club. There is something for everyone. Trips, visits and visitors are carefully weaved through the curriculum to deepen learning. These range from visits to museums or art galleries to school workshops.

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

The school’s curriculum is highly ambitious for all pupils. The knowledge pupils need for 21 and 22 May 2024

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future success is skilfully planned and sequenced. Teachers receive highly effective professional development. This helps them to know what to teach and how to teach it. In addition, teachers have the resources they need to engage and motivate pupils well. The work they give to pupils consistently meets the aims of the curriculum. Pupils achieve well and are proud of the high-quality work they produce.

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Teachers make rigorous checks on how well pupils are learning the curriculum. Any misconceptions and gaps in learning are quickly remedied. Teachers ensure pupils know where they have gone wrong and how to correct their work. They use the school’s ‘edit, extend, explain, extra’ feedback approach well to support pupils to improve their work.

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Reading is exceptionally well taught, particularly phonics. Pupils use their phonics knowledge when reading books that match the new sounds they learn. Pupils who fall behind in their reading are swiftly identified and receive highly effective support to catch up quickly. Staff work closely with parents so that they know how to support their child when reading at home. Furthermore, the school promotes a love of reading. Pupils enjoy author of the month, readathons, and bedtime story days. Pupils read and are read to regularly in school. One pupil recalled how she ‘was engrossed’ when her teacher read with an American accent. It was described as magical and uplifting. As a result, pupils read with the confidence and accuracy expected for their age, with many exceeding these expectations.

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Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are included in all aspects of school life and achieve well. The school swiftly identifies pupils’ additional needs. They ensure that any pupil in need of extra support gets it. This includes personalised resources, additional adult support, adaptions to work or speech and language support.

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Children in the early years settle well to school life. Skilled adults plan a wide range of purposeful learning activities. For example, children learn to share and take turns. In addition, adults ensure that pupils have plenty of opportunities to develop their communication skills. This prepares children well for Year 1.

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Pupils embody the values of respect, responsibility and resilience every day. The school effectively nurtures pupils’ leadership skills. For instance, ‘helping hands’ pupil leaders assist in keeping the school orderly and tidy while ‘playground-pals’ help pupils to socialise and play games at break and lunch time. All this helps them to be active citizens.

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The school ensures that pupils learn about and respect difference. Pupils learn about the importance of places of worship to different faiths by visiting a synagogue, gurdwara and mosque. Additionally, pupils gain a strong understanding of democracy through participation in school elections. As a result, pupils are well-prepared for life in modern Britain.

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Staff value the highly effective support from leaders to manage their workload and well- being. The trust rigorously holds the headteacher to account for the performance of the school. It provides both support and robust challenge 21 and 22 May 2024

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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Background

When we have judged 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 September 2018.

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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' 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). 21 and 22 May 2024

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School details

Website https://www.manorwayprimary.org.uk/

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2018, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school does not use alternative provision  Since the last inspection the school operates a pre-school for 3-year-olds on site.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspector carried out this ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Education Act 2005.  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 inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with leaders and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspector carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, geography and mathematics. For each deep dive, the inspector discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of sessions, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. The inspector also looked at 21 and 22 May 2024

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samples of pupils’ work and held discussions with the leaders about the history and science curriculum.  The inspector observed pupils reading to a familiar adult and reviewed reading resources.  The inspector reviewed a range of documentation on the school’s website.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: 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.  The inspector observed pupils in lessons and at other times during the day.  The inspector held meetings with the headteacher, the deputy headteacher, the assistant headteacher, the special educational needs coordinator, the designated safeguarding leader and curriculum leaders. The inspector also met with representatives from the trust.  The inspector took account of responses to Ofsted Parent View, pupil surveys and staff

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Inspection team

Lorraine Lord, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 21 and 22 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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