Manor Field Infant School

Manor Field Infant School

Address: Haydn Road, Brighton Hill, Basingstoke, Hampshire, RG22 4DH Unique reference number (URN): 116055

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Safeguarding standards met

The safeguarding standards are met. This means that leaders and/or those responsible for governance and oversight fulfil their specific responsibilities and have established an open culture in which safeguarding is everyone's responsibility and concerns are actively identified, acted upon and managed. As a result, pupils are made safer and feel safe.

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How we evaluate safeguarding

When we inspect schools for safeguarding, they can have the following outcomes:

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How we evaluate safeguarding

Met: The school has an open and positive culture of safeguarding. All legal requirements are met. Not met: The school has not created an open and positive culture of safeguarding. Not all legal requirements are met.

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Early years Strong standard

Children in early years make a great start to their early education. They are very well prepared for Year 1. Staff prioritise developing children’s language and communication skills. Staff emphasise and model appropriate language and vocabulary effectively. Often this is through the rhymes and songs they learn. Children seek help from adults if they cannot resolve a problem or when they have worries.

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Early years Strong standard

Leaders have carefully designed the early years curriculum. Children, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities, access learning across the curriculum effectively. Leaders work supportively with parents and carers. Staff quickly identify any barriers to learning that children may have. This includes children who join at different times of the year. Staff build highly positive relationships with children. They respond sensitively to children's individual needs. Staff display expertise in their communication with children, which helps them to develop and rehearse their learning and skills.

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Early years Strong standard

Reading is prioritised. Leaders ensure that staff receive the training they need. Staff have a secure understanding of the school’s chosen phonics programme. They teach this skilfully. Children are supported effectively to keep up with the phonics programme as soon as they start the school. Staff ensure that children get the chance to practise their reading and writing throughout the curriculum.

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Achievement Expected standard

Overall, pupils achieve well. They are ready for the next stages in their education. Phonics outcomes in year 1 are close to national averages. Typically, pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities progress well through the curriculum from their starting points. Leaders are working to further close the gap between disadvantaged pupils’ attainment and that of their peers.

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Achievement Expected standard

Typically, pupils are confident in using both their reading and mathematical knowledge in different ways to access the curriculum successfully. However, some pupils' communication and language skills are not yet as developed as they could be. As a result, at times, pupils do not produce oral and written sentences of as high a quality as they could.

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Achievement Expected standard

Across the school, most pupils develop appropriate knowledge across a broad range of subjects. Pupils’ knowledge is particularly detailed in some subjects, such as computing and history.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders analyse and track pupils' absence patterns carefully. Where needed, they work closely with parents and carers to help pupils attend school frequently. Leaders know the barriers faced by pupils well and take appropriate action to tackle them. Pupils’ attendance is close to national averages. However, leaders’ decisive actions have led to attendance further improving for many pupils.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

From the beginning of the Reception Year, children learn the school’s routines and expectations well. This builds a culture of care and respect throughout the school. Pupils understand why behaviour is important. They explain the systems in place with accuracy. Positive relationships underpin the school’s kind, supportive ethos. Staff understand and apply the school’s behaviour systems effectively. They use this knowledge to give pupils the support that they require to meet the leaders' high expectations. Staff deal with any incidents of derogatory language or unkindness swiftly and effectively. This results in a supportive environment, where pupils can learn with little disruption.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Throughout the school, pupils’ attitudes to learning are positive and enthusiastic. During social times, pupils of all ages play together happily. They share equipment and encourage each other to engage in games.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Leaders have put in place a broad, ambitious and well-ordered curriculum. They know where this is working well and where further refinements are needed. Knowledgeable staff are skilled at explaining and modelling concepts and new learning. Tasks are well designed to build on pupils' prior learning. However, leaders are working to ensure that staff check pupils' understanding consistently well, so that gaps in knowledge are identified quicker and addressed effectively.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Throughout the school, the development of pupils' basic skills in reading and mathematics is a priority. Staff choose texts carefully to support pupils’ understanding. This helps pupils to build their vocabulary effectively. Typically, staff successfully make sure that pupils have the practise that they need to become confident with these skills. At times, however, some pupils in key stage 1 require further support to help them to develop and rehearse their ideas orally before writing them down.

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Curriculum and teaching Expected standard

Overall, staff have a secure understanding of pupils’ needs and barriers to learning. They adapt learning when this is needed and support pupils well. For example, staff use information about pupils to ensure that teaching is carefully designed around their identified needs and targets. They provide sensitive support so that pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities are able to access the curriculum confidently.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Leaders have high expectations for pupils. They promote a culture, where diversity is celebrated and every pupil is valued. Decisions made are invested in pupils’ best interests. For instance, leaders have made changes to resources and the environment to support pupils' individual needs and overcome any barriers to learning or wellbeing that they may have. This ensures that pupils feel a sense of belonging and enables them to focus on their education. Consequently, pupils develop increased confidence and independence during their time at the school. Leaders ensure that staff receive the training that they require to help pupils to access their learning. They work efficiently with external specialists and pupils’ families to ensure that the support provided to pupils is effective. Leaders check this systematically and use their evaluations to inform their ongoing work. As a result, pupils with special educational needs

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Inclusion Expected standard

and/or disabilities and those known to social care, progress well through the curriculum from their individual starting points.

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Inclusion Expected standard

Additional funding is used appropriately to enhance access to the curriculum for disadvantaged pupils. This enables these pupils to achieve well. Leaders check that this money is having a positive impact on pupils' education and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

The school has been through a period of change. Throughout this time, leaders have kept a focus on making decisions in the best interests of pupils, particularly those who have barriers to their learning or wellbeing. Leaders ensure that these pupils receive the support that they need to succeed.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders and governors work purposefully to raise aspirations for pupils. Together with staff, they work effectively to ensure that pupils have every opportunity to achieve well. Leaders have a secure understanding of strengths and areas that they need to prioritise. They have put into motion the right actions to ensure that these aspirations can be met and worked towards. Governors fulfil their statutory duties and know the school’s context well. They challenge leaders effectively to ensure that pupils’ educational experience is usually of a high quality.

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Leadership and governance Expected standard

Leaders prioritise the workload and wellbeing of staff. This helps staff feel valued and there is a real team spirit. Leaders have created a supportive culture, where staff feel empowered to share their views, thoughts and ideas. Staff benefit from a carefully structured professional learning programme that is informed by research. This training is tailored to the school’s strategic improvement priorities. Leaders work effectively with the wider school community to further broaden pupils' experiences during their time at the school.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Leaders and staff help pupils to be considerate and kind citizens, who respect peoples’ differences. They ensure that the personal development programme is threaded across school life to develop these aspects. This helps pupils to grow into thoughtful and responsible individuals.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Support for pupils' emotional wellbeing is effective and multi-layered. Secure and positive relationships between pupils and staff underpin a caring and encouraging culture. Targeted support, such as time with skilled staff, helps pupils to manage issues, such as anxiety about coming to school. The school’s mental health and wellbeing strategy ensures that pupils’ needs are identified early and reviewed for impact. This means that pupils are confident in accessing help when needed.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils demonstrate a respect for others and celebrate differences. They are taught about the importance of living by democratic values, including voting. Pupils discuss topics such as equity and diversity thoughtfully. They work on various projects to support environmental sustainability, for example, through their use of compost. These experiences help pupils to develop an appreciation of the significance of looking after the world around them. Pupils explain differences and similarities between religious celebrations confidently. This knowledge is developed effectively in different ways, such as celebrating the festival of Chinese New Year.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

The personal, social, health and education curriculum enables most pupils to develop detailed knowledge of important aspects. This includes how to take care of their mental health and wellbeing, including age-appropriate relationships and consent. Pupils talk confidently about how to stay safe online and in the local community.

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Personal development and wellbeing Expected standard

Pupils wholeheartedly participate in a range of events and tournaments, such as football competitions and NSPCC workshops. Leaders track pupils’ participation in these events, especially for disadvantaged pupils. These opportunities help pupils to develop and broaden their horizons.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils are very proud to be part of this welcoming school community. Pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities and those who are disadvantaged, work hard to meet the expectations that leaders have for their behaviour and achievement. Most pupils attend school regularly. They have positive attitudes towards school and their learning. Pupils develop the knowledge that they need to understand what is being taught. Typically, they achieve well. This is especially true in the early years, where children get off to a flying start. Overall, pupils leave school well prepared for the next stage of their education.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils benefit from a calm and kind atmosphere. Staff know pupils well and provide a culture of mutual respect and care. Staff form trusting relationships with pupils driven by the school’s ‘STAR’ values of success, teamwork, aspiration and respect. These values are at the heart of the school. Pupils know and use them well. Incidents of bullying or discrimination are uncommon. Pupils are confident that staff will help them deal quickly with any concerns they may have. They feel safe and well cared for. Pupils have a secure sense of belonging. Parents and carers praise the efforts staff make to support children to achieve and thrive.

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What it's like to be a pupil at this school

Pupils enjoy a wide range of visits that are matched carefully to their learning. For example, visits to science centres deepen their understanding about space. Pupils develop a sense of responsibility through the opportunities that leaders provide. They are proud to be class monitors. Pupils’ horizons are broadened through taking part in a range of clubs, such as in dance and football. Leaders ensure that these opportunities are open to all pupils.

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Next steps

• Leaders should further develop staff expertise in checking and deepening pupils' understanding in lessons, so that they identify and quickly address pupils' misconceptions and gaps in knowledge. • Leaders should continue to develop the school's work to further improve pupils' spoken and written sentences in key stage 1, to help them to achieve all that they are capable of in their written work.

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About this inspection

The chair of the board of governors in this school is Deborah McKinnon.

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About this inspection

The school is part of a federation called The Manor Field Schools Federation.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the education act 2005.

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About this inspection

Following our renewed framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty's Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMI.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the head of school and staff. They also spoke with the school's improvement partner from the local authority. The lead inspector met with 2 members of the governing board, including the chair.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school:

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About this inspection

The school currently makes use of no alternative provision.

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About this inspection

The executive headteacher took up post in September 2021.

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About this inspection

Executive headteacher: Lawrence Britt The data was used by the inspector(s) during the inspection. More recent data may have been published since the inspection took place.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils currently at this school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The total number of pupils who can attend the school and how this compares to other schools of this phase in England.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with an education, health and care plan. This covers pupils with more support than is available through special educational needs support.

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What does this mean?

The proportion of pupils with reported special educational support needs at the school.

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What does this mean?

Based on the English Indices of Deprivation (2019) and the school's location, we have calculated whether the school is located in a more or less deprived area.

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What does this mean?

Whether school has Resourced Provision or SEND unit (if applicable).

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Overall absence

The percentage of all possible mornings and afternoons missed due to absence from school (for whatever reason, whether authorised or unauthorised) across all pupils.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 4.9% 5.2% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 5.7% 5.9% Close to average

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Persistent absence

The percentage of pupils missing 10% or more of their possible mornings and afternoons.

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national average

2024/25 (2 term) 10.0% 13.3% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 17.6% 16.2% Close to average

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Exceptional

Practice is exceptional: of the highest standard nationally. Other schools can learn from it.

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Strong standard

The school reaches a strong standard. Leaders are working above the standard expected of them.

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Expected standard

The school is fulfilling the expected standard of education and/or care. This means they are following the standard set out in statutory and non ‑ statutory legislation and the professional standards expected of them.

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Needs attention

The expected standards are not met but leaders are likely able to make the necessary improvements.

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Urgent improvement

The school needs to make urgent improvements to provide the expected standard of education and/or care. services providing education and skills for children and learners of all ages, and inspects and regulates services that care for children and young people.

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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Urgent improvement

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

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