Manor Church of England Academy

Manor Church of England Academy

Address: Millfield Lane, Nether Poppleton, York, North Yorkshire, YO26 6PA Unique reference number (URN): 136544

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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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Achievement Strong standard

Work in pupils’ books is of a high quality across the curriculum. There is no difference in the quality and quantity of work in books of disadvantaged pupils or pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities compared to their peers. Across many subjects, pupils’ workbooks highlight how well teachers help pupils learn the curriculum. Assessment is a strength, helpfully identifying what pupils do well and where they can improve further.

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Achievement Strong standard

Published outcomes demonstrate the impact of the taught curriculum. Pupils’ achievement over time is impressive. Pupils frequently achieve significantly higher outcomes than others nationally. Gaps are narrowing quickly between disadvantaged pupils and their peers in school.

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Achievement Strong standard

Leaders ensure that pupils develop the foundational knowledge that they need in mathematics, reading and writing. A comprehensive programme of reading intervention is in place. Through careful and thorough assessment, pupils’ needs are identified. Pupils follow the right programme for them, enabling them to read and access the whole curriculum offer.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

The strategic leadership of the curriculum and teaching at both school and trust level ensures that lesson structures are consistently embedded across the school. The ‘Manor Learning Model’, designed with the most vulnerable pupils in mind, is highly effective in enabling pupils to know what teachers expect of them throughout the lesson. Pupils benefit from a ‘task plan’. This breaks down activities for pupils who need extra support.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Pupils can clearly explain how, for example, the 'connect' section of the lesson helps them make links to their prior learning. Teachers are highly knowledgeable and model concepts and calculations confidently and accurately. Pupils say this really helps them to understand the processes in reaching the correct answer.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Teachers are skilled at adapting lesson activities and supporting pupils to overcome barriers to their learning. Staff training focuses on inclusion, and the impact of this is seen consistently across subjects. In English, in particular, there is a strong focus on vocabulary development. This work continues across humanities and languages, particularly in key stage 3, where new curriculums are in place.

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Curriculum and teaching Strong standard

Pupils who struggle with their reading learn to read through a well-planned programme of interventions. Staff make accurate assessments of pupils’ reading ability to ensure pupils receive the right help at the right time. Through the highly effective intervention that they receive, pupils become competent readers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Significant work has taken place over the last 3 years to ensure that all pupils are fully included. This work consistently enhances opportunities for the most vulnerable pupils. Leaders have carefully thought out how they use pupil premium funding to remove barriers. In discussions that they call ‘360 meetings’, there is a precise focus on all pupils, but particularly those who are vulnerable. This ensures that barriers are swiftly identified and that bespoke support and interventions are put in place to enable this group of pupils to achieve alongside their peers.

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Inclusion Strong standard

The school has comprehensive systems in place to identify pupils’ special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staff are clear about how to identify and share information when a pupil needs additional support. Pupils with SEND have high-quality plans with clear strategies and well-written targets that they achieve. Leaders communicate information effectively to staff, who use it well to inform their teaching.

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Inclusion Strong standard

Vulnerable pupils are helped to access in-school support and leaders make referrals to external agencies as appropriate. There is clear impact from leaders’ use of part-time alternative provision to support pupils with complex needs. This can be seen in pupils’ improved attendance, behaviour and mental health and wellbeing.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Leaders have a clear understanding of the school’s strengths as well as its priorities for further development. Highly effective self-evaluation and effective quality assurance checks help to inform the school’s detailed improvement plan. There is a comprehensive offer of opportunities for staff’s development. The sharp focus on inclusion is helping staff to ensure barriers are removed and needs are met for all pupils.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Governors and trustees keep pupils' best interests at the centre of their work. They are highly knowledgeable and skilled in their roles, and ensure that statutory duties are met. Governors and trustees provide the school with consistent challenge and support. They are active participants who visit school regularly, for example to test out what they have been told. Relationships and communication between leaders at all levels, including governors and trustees, are very effective, ensuring that the school continually improves.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

Staff wellbeing is carefully considered. Staff report that leaders are considerate of their workload. For example, leaders have taken due account of the time that staff need to be able to assess pupils’ work, attend meetings or attend training events. Staff enjoy the collaborative opportunities for development, such as working together on midterm planning. Staff feel very well supported by senior leaders. They see senior leaders as highly approachable and value the 'open-door' policy that they have established. Regular briefings enable information to be shared between leaders and staff.

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Leadership and governance Strong standard

The vast majority of parents who responded to Ofsted’s parental survey are positive about the work of the school. Many describe their child as thriving here and many praise staff for their ability to form strong relationships with pupils who attend the school. Parents of pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities commented on the strong offer of support, and in particular the offer through ‘The Hub’.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Leaders ensure that the structured programme for pupils’ personal development meets the needs of pupils attending this school. For example, leaders identify current safeguarding risks and ensure that these are addressed through personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) lessons and form time activities and woven through assemblies. Pupils are well informed about local, national and international issues. Pupils have a deep understanding of life in modern Britain and beyond and are confident and resilient learners.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils benefit from a broad extra-curricular offer, including clubs, trips, charity work and leadership opportunities. Pupils' own views and interests help to shape this offer. Leaders monitor how well pupils take up the activities provided. The information that leaders gather shows that an increasing number of vulnerable pupils are attending, in line with their peers. Pupils often receive personalised invitations to clubs that teachers know will interest them.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Through the PSHE curriculum, pupils receive a structured careers programme. Pupils also access work experience and attend careers fairs and have input from external speakers and colleges. Pupils value this and say that it helps inform their future steps.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

Pupils articulate the value of friendship and are clear about what makes a healthy relationship. Pupils understand the dangers of social media and know how to stay safe online and in their community. Pupils recognise why school is strict about mobile phones and their storage throughout the school day.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

The pastoral care offered to pupils is a significant strength of the school. It is fully embedded. After a positive entry to school, tutors are the first port of call to check in with pupils, for instance when they meet and greet pupils each day. For pupils who need additional support, heads of year are proactive in providing this, along with specialist staff such as wellbeing workers.

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Personal development and wellbeing Strong standard

There is an astute awareness of all pupils' needs at this school because pupils’ welfare and vulnerabilities are consistently considered. One pupil told inspectors, 'I feel privileged to be a pupil here and I know that I matter'.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Attendance is at the heart of the school's priorities. There is a well-thought-out system for improving and monitoring pupils’ attendance. All staff take responsibility for helping pupils to attend well. Following the pandemic, the attendance of pupils who are disadvantaged has been slower to improve. However, leaders’ recent actions are making a positive difference. For instance, they have introduced a more rigorous approach, known in school as the 'power hour', for communicating with parents when pupils are absent. Leaders have put in place well-thought-out rewards for attendance. These measures are beginning to have an impact on improving attendance and reducing persistent absence for this group of pupils. Leaders are meticulous in their approach in their ‘360 meetings’, where their effective use of data ensures that the right interventions are in place to remove pupils’ barriers to attending. Overall attendance for all pupils is in line with national averages.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

Leaders and staff have high expectations for how pupils should behave. Pupils rise to these expectations and behave very well in school. Pupils are polite, articulate, friendly and welcoming to visitors. The school is calm and purposeful. Pupils are well supervised during lesson changeovers and at social times. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm. The school’s ethos permeates through daily activities.

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Attendance and behaviour Expected standard

The school has a zero-tolerance approach to bullying, harassment and discrimination. Leaders and staff take the rare instances seriously. Pupils are confident to report bullying. If it happens, it is tackled quickly, with check-ins to ensure it stops. Suspensions are few in number and are used appropriately, with reasonable adjustments for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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

Pupils say that they feel safe at Manor Church of England Academy. The school’s values of graciousness, kindness, patience, compassion, loyalty, forgiveness and justice permeate through the school. Overall, pupils attend well. They value the extremely high quality of the school's educational and pastoral offer. Pupils behave very well and have positive attitudes to their learning. They are a credit to themselves and to their school.

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

Pupils are welcomed to the school each morning by staff. In lessons and in social times, there are highly positive relationships between staff and pupils and between pupils themselves. The vision of ‘serving others, growing together and living life to the full’ is understood and enacted by all. Pupils talk confidently about the importance of the school culture in helping them to succeed. For example, one pupil reflected the opinions of others by saying, ‘I feel privileged to be a pupil here and I know that I matter.’

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

The school’s own records highlight that some bullying does occur. However, instances are uncommon and pupils have confidence in staff to deal with any issues that arise.

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

In lessons, there is a positive culture of learning. Clear lesson structures ensure that all pupils know what they should be doing and what is coming next. This helps them to manage their learning and remember what the teacher has taught them.

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

Pupils have many opportunities to participate in experiences beyond the taught curriculum. For example, pupils were proud to tell inspectors about the clubs that they attend and the trips that they go on, with some pupils describing their experiences as ‘life-changing’.

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

Pupils achieve well. Outcomes for all groups are well above national averages in most subjects. Gaps between disadvantaged pupils and their non-disadvantaged peers are closing. This is because teachers are finding effective ways to break down barriers. Most pupils progress to destinations that are in line with their career aspirations.

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Team inspectors:

Bernard Clark, Ofsted Inspector Lucy Toner-Gowland, Ofsted Inspector Vicky Callaghan, Ofsted Inspector Gill Senior, Ofsted Inspector

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Next steps

Leaders should further refine their use of attendance data, drawing upon best practice, external support and research to broaden their strategies and impact to further improve the attendance of disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities.

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About this inspection

This school is part of the Heartwood 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, Helen Winn, and overseen by a board of trustees, chaired by Jane Lewis.

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About this inspection

Inspectors carried out this full inspection under section 5 of the Education Act 2005. Following our renewed inspection framework, all inspections are now led by His Majesty’s Inspectors (HMIs) or by Ofsted Inspectors (OIs) who have previously served as HMIs.

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About this inspection

Inspectors spoke with the principal, the vice-principals, including the designated safeguarding lead, and the assistant principals, including the special educational needs coordinator, during the inspection. They also spoke with staff, pupils, governors, including the chair, trustees and a representative of the Diocese of York. Inspectors visited an alternative provision setting and spoke with representatives from another.

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About this inspection

The school meets the requirements of the provider access legislation, which requires schools to provide pupils in Years 8 to 13 with information and engagement about approved technical education qualifications and apprenticeships.

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About this inspection

The inspectors confirmed the following information about the school: This school is registered as having a Church of England religious character. The school is in the Diocese of York. Its last section 48 inspection was on 4 March 2026. The school currently makes use of 5 alternative provisions, including 2 that are unregistered.

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Facts and figures used on inspection

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. National average: 28.9%

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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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English and maths GCSE

Percentage of pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 53.1% 45.3% Close to average

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Attainment 8

A measure of pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2022/23 (final) 48.3 46.3 Close to average

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Progress 8

How much progress pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2022/23 (final) -0.04 -0.03 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils achieving grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 34.4% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 21.1% 25.8% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 20.0% 25.2% Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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national average

2024/25 (final) 36.9 34.9 Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (final) 34.1 34.6 Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (final) 32.2 35.0 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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national average

2023/24 (final) -0.35 -0.57 Close to average

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Disadvantaged pupils' performance gap

Disadvantaged pupils are those who have been eligible for free school meals at any point in the last six years and children looked after. The school disadvantage gap is the difference between the performance of the school's disadvantaged pupils compared to the performance of all non-disadvantaged pupils nationally.

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Disadvantaged pupils' English and maths GCSE grade 5 or above

Percentage of disadvantaged pupils who achieved grade 5 or above in English and maths GCSE.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Attainment 8

A measure of disadvantaged pupils' point scores across 8 subjects including maths (double weighted), English (double weighted if both language and literature are taken), 3 EBacc measures and 3 GCSE or technical measures.

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Disadvantaged pupils' Progress 8

How much progress disadvantaged pupils made between the end of primary school (key stage 2) and the end of secondary school (key stage 4), compared to pupils across England who got similar results at the end of key stage 2.

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Destinations after 16

Percentage of pupils staying in education or employment for at least 2 terms after the end of secondary school (key stage 4).

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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 (3 term) 8.1% 8.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 8.0% 8.9% Close to average

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national average

2022/23 (3 term) 8.0% 9.0% 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 (3 term) 20.1% 23.4% Close to average

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national average

2023/24 (3 term) 21.3% 25.6% 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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