Manor Primary School, Ivybridge

Inspection of Manor Primary School, Ivybridge Manor Way, Ivybridge, Devon PL21 9BG

p.1

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

p.1

The headteacher of this school is Ryan Howe. This school is part of Westcountry 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 (CEO), Rob Haring, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Carl Atkinson.

p.1

Ofsted has not previously inspected Manor Primary School, Ivybridge under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. However, Ofsted previously judged Manor Primary School, Ivybridge to be outstanding for overall effectiveness, before it opened as Manor Primary School, Ivybridge as a result of conversion to academy status. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 5 and 6 March 2024. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 July 2025

p.1

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are positive about attending this friendly and welcoming school. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm, nurturing and supportive. Older pupils act as mental health ambassadors for their peers. For example, they help them to resolve any friendship issues. Both at breaktimes and in lessons, pupils are thoughtful and respectful towards each other.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school prioritises pupils’ physical and emotional well-being across the curriculum. Pupils learn to ride bicycles, play golf and ride horses. At social times, pupils relish running, playing football and climbing trees in the large field.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

The school sets high expectations for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). From the early years, children learn the routines of school well. They learn to listen attentively and collaborate with their peers. Pupils enjoy their learning and achieve well.

p.2

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are rightly proud of their school. They deepen their knowledge of citizenship, geography and history through a breadth of trips to places of local and national significance. For instance, they enrich their understanding of democracy and the importance of the freedom of speech through a visit to the Houses of Parliament. Pupils extend this understanding by participating in elections to vote for members of the school council.

p.2

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

The school has recently experienced an unsettling period of change. However, school leaders and staff have worked well to ensure that pupils continue to receive a good education. The school has revised the curriculum to make sure that pupils learn the important knowledge and skills. This means that pupils build securely on their prior knowledge to learn more complex concepts. For example, pupils articulate their learning in history about the concept of migration through the Pilgrims’ journey on the Mayflower in great depth.

p.2

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

The school is inclusive. Staff are astute at identifying pupils with SEND. Many pupils with SEND struggle with communication and interaction and have autism. The trust and external agencies provide additional guidance to ensure that pupils receive the most appropriate support. As a result, most pupils with SEND receive well-considered adaptations to the teaching of the curriculum. These adaptations enable them to learn effectively.

p.2

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

Reading is a priority across the school. The English curriculum is well structured, enabling pupils to read a breadth of texts in depth. Consequently, most pupils read and write well. However, the early reading programme is not implemented consistently well. Some phonics teaching lacks precision and does not support pupils to make clear connections between letters and the sounds they make. Staff do not check some pupils’ understanding 8 and 9 July 2025

p.2

3

with sufficient rigour to help pupils revise their reading knowledge. As a result, some pupils do not read with fluency and confidence.

p.3

3

Children in the early years get off to a flying start. From pre-school to Reception, children develop their language skills very well. They read a breadth of texts that inform their imaginative interpretations of the world around them. For instance, children paint their versions of fish in response to a book about the adventures of a fish. Children learn mathematical concepts well, such as ‘more than’ and ‘less than’ in response to weighing objects. Staff support children well to articulate their learning in full sentences. Children in early years are well prepared for their next steps.

p.3

3

The school provides a rich personal development programme. This enables most pupils to enhance their knowledge about the modern world. They learn about the significance of the natural world and the importance of conservation. Pupils broaden their knowledge about the subjects they study, for example through working with professional artists. They learn about the link between physical and mental health and well-being. Through the personal, social and health education curriculum, pupils learn about gender and racial equality and healthy relationships. However, pupils do not have sufficient opportunity to discuss these important topics in depth. Consequently, some pupils’ misconceptions about race, gender and healthy relationships are not addressed. This means that some pupils are not well prepared for life in modern Britain.

p.3

3

Pupils enjoy coming to school, and their attendance is high. The school works effectively with parents and carers to help remove the barriers to school attendance. Parents appreciate the school’s work. Pupils follow the school rules well. They have adopted ‘wonderful walking’, which means that the school is a calm, harmonious learning environment.

p.3

3

Leaders and those responsible for governance have a strong understanding of the school’s strengths and areas for further development. They provide school leaders with effective support and challenge to ensure that the school moves from strength to strength. Staff are positive about the support for their workload and well-being.

p.3

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

p.3

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 Some phonics teaching lacks sufficient pedagogical and subject-specific knowledge to deliver the programme effectively. This means that some pupils do not learn to read with fluency and understanding. The school and trust should support staff to develop the expertise required so that the phonics curriculum is implemented consistently well and all pupils learn to read well. 8 and 9 July 2025

p.3

4

 The personal development programme does not ensure that pupils get sufficient opportunity to discuss complex concepts such as gender and racial equality and healthy relationships. As a result, the school does not address pupils’ misconceptions effectively in these key areas. The school should ensure that pupils have planned opportunities to discuss their perceptions and understanding about issues that impact on their personal development so that they are well prepared for life in modern Britain.

p.4

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.

p.4

How can I feed back my views?

The Department for Education has further guidance on how to complain about a school.

p.4

Further information

You can search for published performance information about the school.

p.4

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 July 2025

p.4

School details

Dates of previous inspection 5 and 6 March 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

p.5

Information about this school

 The school is part of Westcountry Schools Trust.  The school has a communication and interaction resource base for pupils with SEND. All pupils using the resource base have an education, health and care plan.  The school does not use alternative provision.  The school has pre-school provision for two-year-olds.

p.5

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 and/or sixth form provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024 will not be given an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 July 2025

p.5

6

 Inspections are a point-in-time evaluation about the quality of a school’s education provision.  Inspectors discussed any continued impact of the pandemic with the school and have taken that into account in their evaluation of the school.  Inspectors met with the headteacher and members of the leadership team.  An inspector met with the chair and vice chair of the trust board alongside the safeguarding trustee.  The lead inspector met with trust leaders.  Inspectors visited a sample of lessons, spoke to some pupils about their learning and looked at samples of pupils’ work. Inspectors discussed the curriculum in a range of subjects.  Inspectors met with staff to consider their views.  To evaluate the effectiveness of safeguarding, 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

p.6

6

safeguarding that puts pupils’ interests first.  Inspectors considered the views of parents and carers who responded to the confidential questionnaire, Ofsted Parent View.

p.6

Inspection team

Susan Aykin, lead inspector His Majesty’s Inspector

p.6

Inspection team

Tracy Hannon Ofsted Inspector 8 and 9 July 2025

p.6

7

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.

p.7

7

If you would like a copy of this document in a different format, such as large print or Braille, please telephone 0300 123 1231, or email enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk .

p.7

7

You may reuse this information (not including logos) free of charge in any format or medium, under the terms of the Open Government Licence. To view this licence, visit www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open- government-licence/ , write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gsi.gov.uk .

p.7

7

Interested in our work? You can subscribe to our monthly newsletter for more information and updates: http://eepurl.com/iTrDn .

p.7

7

T: 0300 123 1231 Textphone: 0161 618 8524 E: enquiries@ofsted.gov.uk W: www.gov.uk/ofsted

p.7