Ramsey Manor Lower School

Inspection of Ramsey Manor Lower School Manor Road, Barton-le-Clay, Bedford, Bedfordshire MK45 4NS

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Inspection dates: 24 and 25 September 2024

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The quality of education Good Behaviour and attitudes Outstanding Personal development Outstanding Leadership and management Good Early years provision Good

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Previous inspection grade Not previously inspected under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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The headteacher of this school is Colin Moore. This school is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer, Steve Kelly, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Owen Flack. 24 and 25 September 2024

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils, staff, parents and carers are extremely proud to be part of this school. Parents are overwhelmingly positive about the commitment shown by school staff in providing a happy, nurturing place for children to learn.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils work hard to demonstrate the school’s values of ‘respect’ and ‘empathy’, which are interwoven across all aspects of school life. Pupils are kind to one another and respectful to staff and polite to visitors. Pupils are extremely well behaved, and they show consistently positive attitudes to their learning. This starts in Reception where children are taught to share and collaborate. Pupils achieve well, and staff have high expectations of them.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Positive caring relationships exist between pupils and staff. Pupils explain that if they feel sad or have a worry that adults will listen and help them. This helps pupils to feel safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

There are a wide range of clubs on offer, including archery, football and cross-stitch club, which are very well attended. There are many opportunities for pupils to take on roles of responsibility. For example, pupils can become playground buddies or members of the student leadership team. Pupils are proud of their roles because they have been taught the importance of ‘helping others’.

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

The school has in place a well-sequenced curriculum, which starts from the early years. Leaders have identified the important knowledge, skills and vocabulary they expect pupils to know year-on-year. Lessons are well structured, and they provide regular opportunities for pupils to build on previous learning. For instance, pupils in Year 4 explain why different types of teeth are suited to different animals. This is because they have previously been taught about the various functions of teeth.

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

Teachers have good subject knowledge. This means they explain new vocabulary well. For example, during a computing lesson, the teacher clearly explained the connection between ‘pointillism’ and ‘pixels’. However, sometimes in the early years, adults do not model important vocabulary that they want children to hear and practise. In addition, some adults do not extend children’s sentence structure, and this means some children miss out on opportunities to hear and use new vocabulary. Teachers at the start of lessons provide opportunities for pupils to revisit previous learning. This allows teachers to address any misconceptions that may arise.

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

Reading is given priority here. Children are taught to read as soon as they join Reception. This is because the school aims for pupils to read fluently and without delay. Staff have been trained to teach early reading well. Consequently, the books pupils use to practise their reading are carefully matched to the sounds that they know. Typically, those pupils who are at risk of falling behind are given the help to catch up. However, sometimes adults do not check what pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) 24 and 25 September 2024

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know and understand sharply enough in reading. Therefore, some pupils have gaps in their learning.

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Pupils with SEND are identified effectively. Teachers typically adapt their teaching methods so that pupils with SEND learn well. For example, visuals are provided to support these pupils to access learning where these are needed. In the resource provision, interventions to develop attention skills are delivered carefully and effectively.

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Pupils’ behaviour across the school is impeccable. Pupils are highly motivated to learn and want to do well. Routines are very well established, which starts from the early years. Therefore, learning is not interrupted.

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Attendance is a priority. There are a range of effective strategies in place so that attendance remains high.

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The personal, social, health and economic education is very well considered. Leaders aim for pupils to become responsible citizens. For example, some pupils picked litter in the local community. Pupils are taught about the importance of democracy. Pupils explain standing before their classmates to present their manifestos as part of the election process with pride. Pupils say that this process taught them about the importance of being ‘courageous’.

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Pupils are taught about different faiths and cultures. They respectfully explain how fasting in some religions demonstrates self-discipline. Pupils learn about fairness. They know that people might be treated unfairly because of race or disability and that this is not right.

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Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe online and off-line. They learn about consent in an age-appropriate manner.

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Staff speak highly of the support they receive from leaders to fulfil their role. Governors and trustees are ambitious and committed to the school. They have an accurate understanding of what the school is doing well because there are appropriate processes in place to check the effectiveness of the school.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 24 and 25 September 2024

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Sometimes in the early years, adults do not extend children’s sentence structure and model vocabulary effectively enough. This means that some children miss out on opportunities to hear and practise new language. Leaders need to ensure that staff receive appropriate training and that children gain the language they require for future learning.  On a few occasions in reading, adults do not check what pupils with SEND know and understand sharply enough. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning. The school should ensure that assessment is used effectively to identify understanding to ensure progress for all pupils.

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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). 24 and 25 September 2024

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School details

Date of previous inspection Not previously inspected

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Information about this school

 Ramsey Manor Lower School converted to become an academy in June 2020. When its predecessor school, Ramsey Manor Lower School, was last inspected by Ofsted, it was judged to be requires improvement for overall effectiveness.  Ramsey Manor Lower School is part of The Pyramid Schools Trust, which consists of seven schools.  There is a specially resourced provision for six pupils who have special educational needs with a diagnosis of autistic spectrum disorder.  The school does not currently make use of any alternative provision. 24 and 25 September 2024

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Information about this inspection

The inspectors carried out this graded inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. During a graded inspection, we grade the school for each of our key judgements (quality of education; behaviour and attitudes; personal development; and leadership and management) and for any relevant provision judgement (early years provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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Information about this inspection

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  This was the first routine inspection the school received since the COVID-19 pandemic began. Inspectors discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  The inspectors held meetings with the senior leadership team to discuss school development.  The inspectors met with the chief executive officer, the representatives of the board of trustees and the local governing committee, with the director of school improvement and the executive safeguarding lead.  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.

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Information about this inspection

 The inspectors scrutinised a wide range of documents, including those related to pupils’ wider development and behaviour and attendance. The inspectors also met with groups of staff and pupils to discuss these aspects of the school’s work.  The inspectors carried out deep dives in these subjects: early reading, mathematics, and computing. For each deep dive, the inspectors held discussions about the curriculum, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspectors also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects.  The views of parents and staff were also considered, including through Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Inspection team

Deborah Walters, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

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Inspection team

Fiona Webb Ofsted Inspector 24 and 25 September 2024

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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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