Manorside Academy

Inspection of Manorside Academy Evering Avenue, Parkstone, Poole, Dorset BH12 4JG

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

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The principal of this school is Gemma Sutter. The school is part of Authentic 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 (CEO), Fay MacRitchie, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Alison Beane.

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Until November 2020, the school was exempt from routine inspection because it was judged as outstanding for overall effectiveness at its previous inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. The school has not been inspected under section 5 of the Act since February 2018. The school received an ungraded inspection under section 8 of the Act on 14 May 2024. Since September 2024, schools have not been awarded an overall effectiveness grade. 8 and 9 July 2025

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud to be members of this school. They are happy to attend school every day. Pupils feel safe in their school because staff listen to them. They are encouraged through the school values to be resilient, kind, respectful and unique. Pupils know and demonstrate these values well.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school has high expectations of pupils’ behaviour and attitudes to learning. There are also high expectations on pupils’ achievements both academically and personally. Pupils respond positively to these and work hard in lessons. Achievement is now in line with national expectations, as shown in last year’s published outcomes for the end of Year 6, and in the Year 1 phonics screening check.

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What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils know and follow the school rules. They move around the school in a calm and orderly manner. Staff help pupils to manage their emotions and share their feelings.

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What is it like to attend this school?

The school is rightly proud of its wider offer to pupils, especially in music. All pupils learn to play several instruments during their time at the school, and in some cases up to four. This extends pupils skills and talents. For example, pupils develop confidence by performing individually during a whole school assembly. The sound of joyful singing often echoes around the school.

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

The school has constructed an ambitious and logically ordered curriculum. Pupils develop detailed knowledge and skills that build gradually over time. For example, in geography children in the nursery were seen exploring where East Africa is on a globe. Further up the school, pupils enjoyed discussing how volcanoes can affect people’s lives. Pupils spoke to inspectors about physical and human geographical features with confidence.

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

Reading is a priority. The programme for teaching pupils to read is well organised. Pupils are taught to read from the beginning of their time in the early years. This gives them a strong start. Phonics lessons provide opportunities for pupils to practise what they have been taught. Those who fall behind in reading receive the support they need to catch up quickly. This helps pupils to become more fluent and confident readers.

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

In some cases, work is well matched to what pupils already know and what they need to learn next. On occasion, the choice of activities does not match the intended learning outcome as well as it could. Some teaching does not always check pupils’ understanding precisely enough. As a result, misconceptions are not always corrected, and some pupils develop gaps in their knowledge.

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

Pupil with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) are fully included in the daily life of the school. Staff are committed to continuing to strengthen the provision for pupils with SEND. Pupils are given specific targets to support them. Those pupils who have an education, health and care (EHC) plan have school ‘passports’ to support their needs. Staff have set individual targets for pupils with SEND to achieve. However, 8 and 9 July 2025

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sometimes these targets are not precise enough. This means teachers cannot always provide the most effective or timely support.

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The school has thought carefully about incentives to help families and pupils recognise the importance of strong attendance. For example, pupils with 100% attendance enjoy a trip to a popular soft toy shop. Pupils enjoy ‘wake and shake’ on a Friday morning before school starts. This encourages them to arrive on time to school. As a result of these approaches, pupils’ attendance is improving over time.

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The school has a consistent approach to managing pupils’ behaviour effectively. In the early years, children transition calmly between activities. These are well practised and support children to understand routines as they move up through the school. Pupils who require additional support with managing their behaviour receive this promptly.

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The school’s planned assemblies, themed weeks and special events develop pupils’ character and their social, moral and cultural understanding. From when children join in the early years, essential topics such as personal safety and relationships are taught. This prepares pupils well for later life. A carefully designed enrichment offer is available to pupils. The school is tenacious about making sure all pupils, including those pupils who are disadvantaged, are encouraged and supported to attend.

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Since the previous inspection, leaders have made positive changes to the curriculum. They ensure that all their decisions are in the best interests of pupils. Staff are positive about how leaders consider their workload and well-being. As a result, staff report feeling supported and empowered. Governors and trustees are committed to the school. They hold leaders to account, while supporting them to provide the best possible experiences for pupils.

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Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 At times, the targets set for pupils with SEND are not measurable or achievable for pupils. There can also be a lack of clarity regarding the support pupils need to meet their targets. Consequently, some pupils with SEND do not progress through the curriculum as well as they could. The school and trust should ensure that staff identify how best to support pupils with SEND, so that they can meet their individual targets and learn the curriculum well.

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(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

 In some subjects, assessment is not always used as effectively as it could be to check pupils’ understanding. This means that some pupils have gaps in their learning, and they cannot connect new knowledge to prior learning. The school and trust should 8 and 9 July 2025

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ensure that teaching identifies gaps in learning swiftly and that staff are supported to address these.

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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). 8 and 9 July 2025

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School details

Local authority Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole

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School details

Dates of previous inspection 14 and 15 May 2024, under section 8 of the Education Act 2005

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Information about this school

 Manorside Academy is part of Authentic Academy Trust, previously known as Ambition Academy Trust.  The school currently has its own resource base for pupils with SEND.  The school currently uses two unregistered alternative provisions.  The Principal took up her post in January 2023.

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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 and/or sixth form 8 and 9 July 2025

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provision). Schools receiving a graded inspection from September 2024, will not be given an overall effectiveness grade.

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 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 principal, the special educational needs and disabilities coordinator, the trust chief education officer, the chair of the local governing board, the chair of the trust, the acting CEO of the trust, and several staff.  Inspectors carried out deep dives in the following subjects: early reading, mathematics, music and geography. For each deep dive, inspectors discussed the curriculum with subject leaders, visited a sample of lessons, spoke to teachers, looked at samples of work and spoke to pupils about their learning.  Inspectors spoke to pupils and also discussed the curriculum in some other subjects  The lead inspector listened to pupils in Year 1, 2 and 3 read to an adult.

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 Inspectors observed pupils’ behaviour in lessons and around the school site. Additionally, inspectors spoke to pupils to discuss their views about the school.  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.  The inspectors took account of responses to Ofsted’s online survey, Ofsted Parent View, including free-text comments. The inspectors also considered the responses of pupils and staff to Ofsted’s online surveys.

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Thomas Brewer, lead inspector His Majesty's Inspector

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Lakmini Harkus His Majesty's Inspector 8 and 9 July 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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