Manchester Road Primary Academy

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Manchester Road Primary Academy Manchester Road, Droylsden, Manchester, Lancashire M43 6GD

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Outcome

Manchester Road Primary Academy has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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Outcome

The principal of this school is Joanne Taylor. This school is part of Enquire Learning Trust, which means other people in the trust also have responsibility for running the school. The trust is run by the chief executive officer (CEO), Darren Holmes, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Delyse Turrell.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils at Manchester Road Primary Academy flourish. The school values the pupils’ well- being and personal development alongside their academic achievements. Pupils enjoy attending school. They are well prepared for their next steps. They gain the confidence and depth of knowledge that they need to learn successfully. Pupils know that staff have high expectations of them. They rise to these high expectations and receive the support they need to thrive.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school’s high ambition for pupils includes their behaviour and conduct. Pupils are very clear about how they should act in different situations and use the ‘3Ps’ of ‘pride, positivity and politeness’ to guide their actions and daily routines. Pupils recognise the impact of their actions on others and take responsibility for the decisions they make. As a result, classrooms are typically calm and social times are abuzz with pupils’ games and activities.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Parents and carers are happy with the way that the school communicates with them. For example, parents feel that leaders respond quickly and appropriately to any concerns that they raise. The school provides a range of opportunities for parents to find out about the curriculum and how to support pupils with their learning at home. 5 and 6 November 2024

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

Since the previous inspection, the school has continued to develop the curriculum. The curriculum is now logically set out in all subjects. Teachers are clear about the most important parts of knowledge that pupils need to know and remember. The school has thought carefully about the order in which pupils learn the curriculum. This helps pupils to build on their prior knowledge. Pupils have frequent opportunities to talk about their learning and to reflect on what they already know. In some subjects, this is helping pupils to remember their learning over time. However, in other subjects, this part of the school’s work is at the early stages of development.

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

The school knows pupils’ needs in a high level of detail. Staff share information about pupils’ progress effectively. This includes those pupils who have special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Consequently, staff have the same depth of understanding of strategies that support pupils to learn the curriculum, as well as those that help them to manage their behaviour successfully.

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

The school prioritises reading. Staff have secure subject knowledge and model sounds to pupils with accuracy. Pupils who need it receive extra help to become confident and fluent readers. Staff make sure that the books pupils take home help them to practise the sounds that they already know. Older pupils take pride in recommending books for other pupils, as well as being role models for reading at home.

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

Children in the early years quickly respond to the established routines and structures of the setting. In the Nursery Year, children develop the skills that they need to learn with increasing independence, for example putting their coats on and organising snack time. Children learn to listen to the sounds that letters make through regular songs and rhymes. Staff in the early years have relevant expertise to know how young children learn. They recognise when to support learning and when to let children ‘have a go’ for themselves. This, along with a well-thought-out curriculum, prepares children very well for their learning in Year 1.

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

Pupils benefit from a well-considered approach to their personal development. They relish every opportunity that they have to contribute to the life of the school. For example, pupils join an ‘action committee’ to work on particular projects led by the school council. Through these opportunities, pupils learn what it means to be an active citizen and to have a voice. In addition, pupils have a secure knowledge of how different people live. This work contributes highly to pupils’ readiness for the next stage of their education.

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

The school’s relentless determination to improve pupils’ attendance means that pupils attend well. Parents receive timely information about attendance, as well as support to overcome potential barriers that their children may have in attending school.

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

Staff hold extremely positive views about what it is like to work at the school. Staff say that the school shows genuine care for their workload and well-being. They value the training, support and guidance that they receive to fulfil their roles effectively. 5 and 6 November 2024

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The trust makes regular checks on the quality of education that pupils receive as well as how pupils are kept safe. The trust ensures that leaders have the support that they need to drive improvement, while seeking assurances that leadership decisions are made with pupils’ best interests at heart.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 The school’s work to help pupils regularly revisit learning in some subjects is at the early stages of development. In these subjects, pupils find it hard to remember their learning over time. The school should develop systems that help pupils to remember more of their learning over time so that they can make meaningful connections and deepen their understanding.

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Background

Until September 2024, on a graded (section 5) inspection we gave schools an overall effectiveness grade, in addition to the key and provision judgements. Overall effectiveness grades given before September 2024 will continue to be visible on school inspection reports and on Ofsted’s website. From September 2024, graded inspections will not include an overall effectiveness grade. This school was, before September 2024, judged to be good for its overall effectiveness.

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Background

We have now inspected the school to determine whether it has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at that previous inspection. 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’s work has improved significantly or that it may not be as strong as it was at the last inspection, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection. A graded inspection 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 for overall effectiveness on 11 and 12 September 2019. 5 and 6 November 2024

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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). 5 and 6 November 2024

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 September 2019, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school is part of the Enquire Learning Trust.  The school does not use any alternative provision.  There is a nursery with provision for three-year-olds.  There is an on-site before- and after-school club that is run by the school.

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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. The inspector discussed the impact of the pandemic with the school and has taken that into account in her evaluation of the school. 5 and 6 November 2024

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 The inspector met with the principal, vice principal, subject leaders and the special educational needs co-ordinator. In addition, the inspector met with the CEO and trustees as well as members of the local governing body.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  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’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site.  The inspector analysed school documentation, including leaders’ evaluations and plans for improvement. The inspector scrutinised a range of policies and procedures, including those that relate to the curriculum, SEND, safeguarding and behaviour.

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 The inspector considered responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text comments.  The inspector spoke with staff and pupils to gather their views on the school.  The inspector evaluated responses to Ofsted’s staff survey.

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Inspection team

Jane Dennis, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector 5 and 6 November 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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