Leslie Manser Primary School

Inspection of a school judged good for overall effectiveness before September 2024: Leslie Manser Primary School Kingsdown Road, Doddington Park, Lincoln, Lincolnshire LN6 0FB

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Outcome

Leslie Manser Primary School has taken effective action to maintain the standards identified at the previous inspection.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils enjoy coming to this inclusive and welcoming school. Relationships between staff and pupils are strong. The school ensures that pupils can share any worries and concerns they might have. Pupils know that any concerns that they might have will be taken seriously and that they are well looked after. This helps to keep pupils safe.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations and a clear vision to support all pupils’ development effectively. As a result, pupils develop well academically and personally.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know the school’s values well. They recognise that these help them to develop a shared understanding of how to treat one another. Behaviour is calm and positive, with pupils following routines and engaging well in lessons. At social times, pupils play energetically and kindly. They take turns and share play equipment.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils benefit from a range of experiences that enrich the curriculum and help to prepare them for life in modern Britain. This includes taking part in residential trips and visits to a life skills centre. The school hosts joint activities with local schools, visits from authors, and it offers a range of clubs. Typically, pupils describe the school as ‘amazing!’

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

Pupils get a very positive start to their education. The early years curriculum is carefully considered. The school ensures that learning activities are interesting and meaningful. These cultivate curiosity and a love of learning from an early age. Children are eager to share what they learn. Staff pinpoint each child’s next steps in learning. As a result, children explore more and understand more. 10 and 11 June 2025

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The school’s curriculum is ambitious and engaging, but leaders are refining it to ensure that pupils deepen learning still further. In most subjects, the school identifies the important knowledge that pupils must learn and the order in which they need to learn it. Staff are diligent in checking pupils’ understanding so that they are ready for the next steps. For example, in art and design, pupils have a wide range of opportunities to learn and apply a broad range of techniques with confidence and finesse. In a small number of subjects, however, the curriculum is less well developed. In mathematics, pupils have not fully developed their problem-solving skills.

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Reading is central to the school’s curriculum. The school strongly promotes developing children’s language and communication skills from the start of Reception. Trained staff follow a well-sequenced phonics scheme consistently from the Reception Year onwards. This informs them about pupils’ reading fluency and accuracy. There is a sharp focus on supporting pupils who need additional help with their reading to catch up quickly. Reading books are matched closely to the sounds that pupils know. Staff support older pupils to choose appropriate reading books so that they experience books that they might not otherwise read. As a result, pupils are keen readers, with access to a wide range of books.

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The school has well-established and effective systems for identifying and monitoring the needs of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). The school works proactively with a range of external agencies to ensure that these pupils receive the support they need. Teaching uses pupils’ individual targets to help them make adaptations to learning tasks. This is effective, and pupils with SEND access the full curriculum alongside their peers.

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A wide range of visits and visitors enhances pupils’ interests and harnesses their talents very well. Pupils understand the importance of looking after their physical and mental health. They learn about friendships and how to keep themselves safe. Pupils talk about what fundamental British values mean to them in their own lives and actions. They understand the importance of tolerance and personal responsibility through the care that they show for each other. Pupils are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

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The school prioritises attendance and checks it closely. When a pupil’s attendance drops, the school works with parents and carers to address concerns and ensure regular attendance.

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The governing body provides strong support and challenge. Governors are knowledgeable about the school. This helps them to drive school improvement effectively. Staff are very proud to work in this school. They appreciate leaders’ careful attention to their workload and well-being. Staff relish the professional opportunities and support that they receive. Pupils benefit from working with motivated and dedicated staff.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective. 10 and 11 June 2025

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 A few subjects are not fully developed. As a result, some pupils experience variability in their learning. The school should continue to refine these subjects and ensure that staff follow curriculum plans closely so that pupils achieve highly across the curriculum.

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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 in February 2020.

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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 10 and 11 June 2025

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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). 10 and 11 June 2025

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School details

Appropriate authority The governing body

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 11 and 12 February 2020, under section 5 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 The school has undergone significant change in leadership since the last inspection. A new headteacher and deputy headteacher were appointed in the summer term of 2025.  The school uses one setting for alternative provision.

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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.  The inspector visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work.  The inspector held separate meetings with representatives of the school’s governing body and with the local authority’s school improvement adviser. 10 and 11 June 2025

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 The inspector spoke to the headteacher, members of the senior leadership team, subject leaders and leaders responsible for safeguarding.  The inspector spoke with groups of pupils about their experiences at school. She considered the views of pupils shared through Ofsted’s online survey for pupils.  The inspector considered the responses to Ofsted Parent View, including the free-text responses.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, the inspector: reviewed the single central record; sampled recruitment files; 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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Inspection team

Liz Moore, lead inspector Ofsted Inspector 10 and 11 June 2025

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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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