Manor Primary School

MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 – 7 December 2000

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MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Inspection carried out under section 10 of the School Inspections Act 1996 This report may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that all extracts quoted are reproduced verbatim without adaptation and on condition that the source and date thereof are stated.

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MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the School Inspections Act 1996, the school must provide a copy of this report and/or its summary free of charge to certain categories of people. A charge not exceeding the full cost of reproduction may be made for any other copies supplied. Manor Primary School - 3

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

School address: Beechwood Drive Beechwood Birkenhead Wirral

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

E-mail address: schooloffice@manor.wirral.sch.uk

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 13 January 1997 Manor Primary School - 4

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responsibilities

C.D.Loizou (18645) Registered inspector Information and communication technology Music Physical education How high are standards? How well are pupils taught? How well is the school led and managed? B. Eyre (9039) Lay inspector Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development. How well does the school care for its pupils? How well does the school work in partnership with parents? L. Parkinson (12873) Team inspector Areas of learning for children in the foundation stage English Art and design History P. Goodsell (29989) Team inspector Special educational needs Mathematics Geography M. Mackay (23112) Team inspector Equal opportunities Science Design and technology Religious education How good are the curricular and other opportunities offered to pupils?

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responsibilities

Sandfield Educational Consultants 16, Wychwood Drive Trowell Park Nottingham NG9 3RB

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responsibilities

Any concerns or complaints about the inspection or the report should be raised with the inspection contractor. Complaints that are not satisfactorily resolved by the contractor should be raised with OFSTED by writing to:

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responsibilities

The Registrar Inspection Quality Division

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responsibilities

33 Kingsway, London WC2B 6SE Manor Primary School - 5

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PART A: SUMMARY OF THE REPORT 6

Information about the school How good the school is What the school does well What could be improved How the school has improved since its last inspection Standards Pupils’ attitudes and values Teaching and learning Other aspects of the school How well the school is led and managed Parents’ and carers’ views of the school

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HOW HIGH ARE STANDARDS? 10

The school’s results and achievements Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

The school is situated in the Beechwood estate near to Birkenhead in the Wirral. There are some privately owned houses near to the school. The school is an infant and junior school and there are 183 pupils on roll between the ages of 4 and 11 years. This is average for schools of this type. There are 40 part-time children, 13 of which are four years of age and spend the mornings in a reception class and the afternoons in the school’s nursery. The other 26 part-time children (13 full-time equivalent) are all three years of age and were admitted to the school’s nursery at the beginning of the school year. The number of pupils eligible for free school meals is approximately 78 per cent, which is well above the national average. There are 93 pupils on the special educational needs register (47 per cent), which is well above average. There are no pupils in the school learning English as an additional

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

language. The pupils are all admitted to the school in September with younger four year-olds attending the reception class in the mornings and the nursery in the afternoons. The pupils’ level of attainment on entry covers a wide range and is well below average overall.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is an improving school where the pupils achieve well and the teaching is good. The headteacher and staff monitor standards closely. They manage the pupils well, resulting in the pupils showing good attitudes to their work and to school. Standards are below average in English and mathematics and average in science. A number of factors affect the school’s test results which vary from year to year but, in relation to their attainment on entry, the pupils achieve well and standards are improving. The school is well led and managed and is providing good value for money.

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What the school does well

• The pupils achieve well, enabling them to make good progress in most subjects. • The teaching is good and this is having a positive impact on the pupils’ learning, their behaviour and attitudes to school. • The curriculum, particularly literacy and numeracy, is well planned and there is a good range of activities provided outside normal lessons. • Pupils identified with special educational needs make good progress in literacy. • The school provides well for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social, personal and cultural development. • The welfare and care of the pupils is good and their progress is assessed well. • The headteacher, senior staff and governors manage the school well.

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What could be improved

• Attainment in English, particularly in reading, writing and spelling. • Attainment in mathematics so that more pupils achieve higher than average standards. • Further improvement of the teaching so that more lessons reach the good and very good standards seen. • The opportunities for pupils to show independence,initiative and to take responsibility. The areas for improvement will form the basis of the governors’ action plan.

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HOW THE SCHOOL HAS IMPROVED SINCE ITS LAST INSPECTION

The school has made very good progress since its last inspection. The headteacher and senior staff have addressed the issues raised in the last report, particularly in relation to teaching and learning. As a result, the pupils achieve well in most subjects but standards are below average in English, mathematics, design and technology, geography and music. The teachers plan their lessons carefully. There is a higher than average number of pupils on the special educational needs register and this affects the overall standards in national tests. To address this, the headteacher and staff have improved the way that lessons are matched to the abilities of the pupils. There are more effective Manor Primary School - 7 monitoring procedures, which include the observation of lessons, which enable the staff to adapt and prepare more effective lessons.

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by 11 year olds based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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STANDARDS

Performance in: all schools similar schools Key

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STANDARDS

English C D C A well above average above average A B Mathematics D D C B Average below average C D Science E E C B well below average E

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STANDARDS

The results of the 2000 national tests for 11-year-olds show that the pupils’ attainment in English, mathematics and science was in line with the national average. When compared with similar schools, attainment in English was well above average and in mathematics and science it was above average. This was a great improvement on the previous year, and it reflects the upward trend over the last three years and confirms that the school is improving. However, in the years when the school has had particularly high numbers on the special educational needs register, test results reflect this with lower overall scores.

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STANDARDS

Inspection evidence indicates that standards in English and mathematics are below average at age 7 and 11. In science, standards are in line with those expected by the end of each key stage. The pupils, including those with special educational needs, make good progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. Reading standards are below average. The majority of pupils lack the broad experience of books and the strategies needed to attempt unfamiliar words. There is a lack of extended writing provided for pupils in the early years of Key Stage 1. Standards in spelling are unsatisfactory throughout the school. In mathematics, standards are improving but the school does not set mathematical learning targets for those pupils on the special educational needs register and higher attaining pupils are not being set sufficiently challenging work in the main part of the lessons. At the

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STANDARDS

end of Key Stage 1 standards are below average in information and communication technology. The pupils make good progress in Key Stage 2 so that by the end of the key stage, standards are in line with those expected. Standards in design and technology, geography and music are below those expected for pupils’ ages. In all other subjects, including religious education, the pupils reach the standards expected by the time they leave the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Good. The pupils try hard and show interest in their work.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Good in lessons and at other times. They are polite, courteous and respond well to visitors.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Good relationships exist throughout the school. The pupils respect the feelings and values of others. Manor Primary School - 8 Attendance Unsatisfactory. It is improving but below the national average.

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Aspect Comment

The pupils are attentive and usually well behaved in lessons and at break-times. The staff support and value the pupils and this is evident in the positive relationships in lessons. More could be done to encourage the pupils to take responsibility and to show initiative. A number of lessons are over- directed leaving little scope for the pupils to make decisions for themselves. Attendance rates are below average in spite of the monitoring of absence and the strategies used to encourage pupils to attend regularly.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

Inspectors make judgements about teaching in the range: excellent; very good; good; satisfactory; unsatisfactory; poor; very poor. ‘Satisfactory’ means that the teaching is adequate and strengths outweigh weaknesses.

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

The quality of teaching is good overall. This is a significant improvement since the last inspection and is largely responsible for the improvement in standards. In 24 per cent of the lessons observed, the teaching was very good or better. In 71 per cent the teaching was at least good and 29 per cent was satisfactory. No unsatisfactory teaching was seen. The good teaching is having a positive impact on the pupils’ achievements, their behaviour and attitudes to learning. The most effective lessons are challenging for all of the pupils and the teachers are more alert to improving the pupils’ work or performance during independent and group work. The teachers plan their lessons carefully so that the work that the pupils do builds well on previous lessons, resulting in more productive learning. More needs to be done to ensure that the teaching is consistently good or better. The teaching of reading

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Teaching of pupils: Aged up to 5 years aged 5-7 years aged 7-11 years

and writing is not always sufficiently focused on helping the pupils to attempt unfamiliar words and this affects their reading development and spelling. In mathematics, some lessons are not sufficiently challenging for the more able pupils.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Lessons are well planned and they provide clear development of skills and knowledge. Literacy and numeracy are generally well taught and good use is made of new technology across the curriculum.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good overall with appropriate learning programmes in place that set out the needs of the pupils. Younger pupils in Key Stage 1 do not always receive sufficient support in lessons.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Good overall. The pupils are taught to respect the feelings and beliefs of others. The school successfully develops the pupils’ self-esteem and confidence with a strong moral code. Staff and visitors provide good stable role models and encourage the pupils to work together well.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils There are good procedures in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the pupils. Good assessment procedures ensure that the pupils’ academic and personal development are monitored effectively.

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Aspect Comment

Good provision is made for the children in the nursery and reception class, but the curriculum in the reception class does not always provide activities that are linked to the curriculum guidance for the Foundation Stage. Lessons throughout the school are well planned with relevant and practical Manor Primary School - 9 activities that interest and motivate the pupils. Teachers and support staff monitor the progress that pupils make very closely, enabling them to set learning targets for all pupils but these do not sufficiently focus on mathematics targets. The Reading Recovery programme is particularly effective for those pupils identified as needing a boost in their reading development but this only affects a small number of pupils. Information and communication technology is improving rapidly and is enhancing the work that pupils do across a range of subjects. In some subjects, for example geography, the work is planned in

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Aspect Comment

blocks of time resulting in long periods when the subjects are not taught. This is not helping the pupils to retain what they learn, resulting in a lack of progress over time. There is a good range of activities and clubs outside normal lessons including sport, music, computer work, dance and drama.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff The headteacher and senior staff provide good, effective leadership. They ensure that the pupils are well managed and that lessons are well prepared. They offer good support and advice to other staff and lead by their example when teaching.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities The governors provide effective support. They make a valuable contribution to the work of the school.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance There are good monitoring procedures in place. Lessons are observed to improve their effectiveness and pupils’ work is checked to ensure that they achieve well and make progress.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Good overall. There has been significant improvement to information and communication technology resources.

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Aspect Comment

The headteacher, staff and governors have worked very hard since the last inspection to address all the issues raised. This has led to better monitoring and close scrutiny of the work being done in lessons. Information is kept about pupils’ performance with a clear analysis of how and why pupils make gains in their learning. As a result, the headteacher, senior staff and governors have a clear picture of teaching and learning. A key strength of the school is its capacity to improve the effectiveness of the teaching through a co-ordinated programme of professional development for all staff. Support staff and learning assistants provide effective support. The school site is difficult to manage because of the difficulties caused in having two separate buildings, but there are good procedures in place to utilise all the available space and the site is well managed. Administrative and financial procedures are managed efficiently.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children enjoy school. • The progress their children make. • The teaching is good. • The school expects their children to do their best and work hard. • The information provided by the school. • The school to work more closely with parents. • The school to be more approachable.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspection findings support all of the parents’ positive views of the school. The school has a well- established family literacy group and provides facilities for the parents in its community rooms. The quality of written information for parents is judged to be good. The overall quality of links with parents and the contribution of parents to their children’s learning at school and at home is judged to be satisfactory. Manor Primary School - 10 Manor Primary School - 11

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The school’s results and achievements

1. The results of the 2000 end-of-Key Stage 1 national tests for 7-year-olds show that the pupils’ attainment in reading, writing and mathematics was well below the national average. When compared with similar schools, writing standards were above average but in reading and mathematics they were below average. Compared with the low level of attainment on entry to the school, the pupils have made good progress. The impact of the good teaching and the implementation of the national literacy and numeracy strategies is beginning to have a positive impact on pupils’ achievements. However, the very large proportion of pupils identified with special educational needs affects the overall test results by the time they finish Key Stage 1.

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The school’s results and achievements

2. At the end of Key Stage 2 the full impact of the good teaching is reflected in the national test results for 11-year-olds. In the 2000 tests, attainment in English, mathematics and science was in line with national averages. Compared with similar schools, attainment in all three subjects was well above average. A further indicator, which compares the progress the pupils have made since the end of Key Stage 1 four years ago, shows that that in English, progress was excellent and in mathematics and science, it was very good. The cohort of pupils taking the tests last year had fewer pupils on the special educational needs register, but the very good progress made is a clear indication that standards are rising and the pupils are achieving well.

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The school’s results and achievements

3. The attainment of children who enter the nursery and reception class covers a wide range and is well below average overall in all areas of learning. They make good progress in the foundation stage, although achievement is more consistently good in the nursery because the curriculum and the teaching is more targeted on improving the pupils’ language and mathematical development. In the reception class the curriculum is appropriate and tasks are well matched to the children’s needs but the school is only just beginning to adapt the curriculum and the planning in line with the foundation curriculum. By the time the children start Key Stage 1 in Year 1 their attainment is below that expected for their age, but they have made good progress in relation to their attainment when they first started school. A large proportion of children, between one third and a half, are identified as needing additional

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The school’s results and achievements

support, especially in communication and literacy skills. Most of these children are then identified as having special educational needs and some pupils then move on to benefit from the school’s reading recovery programme at some time between Year 1 and Year 2.

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The school’s results and achievements

4. The pupils in Key Stage 1 make good progress and achieve well in English, mathematics and science. Their speaking skills are limited and they find it difficult to express themselves clearly. As a result, the pupils are reluctant when asked to explain their ideas or to answer questions. When reading they know their letter sounds but they use a very limited range of strategies when attempting unfamiliar words. The reading recovery programme is helping a small number of pupils to develop their reading strategies, but this is not systematic across the school and the teaching is losing its impact in helping the pupils to achieve well in their reading. The pupils are writing with increasing confidence in Key Stage 1, but spelling, punctuation and sentence structures are unsatisfactory overall. In mathematics, the pupils develop a good understanding of number facts, measures and shape. Some of the work provided for the more

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The school’s results and achievements

able pupils is not always challenging enough and in some lessons the pupils are going over simple facts that have already been learned. Standards in science at the end of Key Stage 1 are in line with those expected for pupils’ ages. This is an improvement on previous years where teachers’ assessments have indicated below average standards.

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The school’s results and achievements

5. In Key Stage 2, pupils’ work shows that standards in English and mathematics are below average although the pupils have made good progress. A very high proportion of the pupils Manor Primary School - 12 are identified with special educational needs and, compared with the previous year’s national tests, this is the main reason for a slight fall in standards. Particularly good progress has been made in literacy skills because the pupils have been provided with an effective programme of support and intervention as part of the school’s special educational needs provision. Progress in reading is good overall, but some pupils use a limited range of reading strategies when attempting unfamiliar words. In mathematics, there are no numeracy learning targets included in the pupils’ individual education plans and this affects their achievement in numeracy. Overall, pupils with special educational needs make good progress but could do better in

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The school’s results and achievements

mathematics if specific support and intervention was included for mathematics in the same way that it is for literacy. The pupils in Key Stage 2 are grouped by ability for mathematics and this has been particularly effective in improving the rate of achievement for all pupils. There is a clear link between effective teaching which is more challenging for higher attaining pupils and improving levels of attainment year on year. However, in some mathematics lessons seen, the teaching was not always challenging enough for more able pupils.

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The school’s results and achievements

6. Attainment in science at the end of both key stages is in line with the standards expected. The pupils make good progress because the teaching is effective, clear and provides a good balance of practical and investigative science that interests and motivates the pupils. The school has improved the science curriculum since the last inspection and has been particularly successful in improving teachers’ subject knowledge and confidence. As a result, the pupils achieve well; they are learning to conduct fair tests, record their findings clearly and draw conclusions from their investigations.

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The school’s results and achievements

7. Standards in information and communication technology (ICT) are below those expected for 7-year-olds and the pupils make good progress. They continue to achieve well throughout Key Stage 2, so that by the time they are 11 years of age, standards are in line with those expected for their age. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection. The main reason for this improvement is the good teaching and the use of the school’s well-established ICT suite. The use of the ICT resources in this way has improved the effectiveness of the teaching because the teachers are better able to teach basic skills and provide individual support for each pupil.

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The school’s results and achievements

8. The pupils make satisfactory progress in religious education and achieve the standards that are expected at the end of both key stages. Standards have improved since the last inspection because the teaching is much better and the curriculum is well planned, providing a broad range of topics and subjects which covers all the world’s major faiths and religions.

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The school’s results and achievements

9. The pupils with special educational needs are identified early in Key Stage 1 and are then provided with good support with reading and writing. In addition to this the school uses the expertise of one member of staff who monitors and teaches individual pupils as part of the reading recovery programme. This is helping the pupils who show early signs of difficulty in learning to read.

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The school’s results and achievements

10. The pupils make good progress in art, history and music. They make satisfactory progress in design and technology, geography and physical education. Standards in art, history and physical education are in line with those expected for the pupils’ ages at the end of both key stages but standards in design and technology, geography and music are below those expected. The curriculum is organised into specific blocks of time so that these subjects are taught for specific weeks and then re-visited later in the year. As a result, too much time has elapsed, and for many pupils, the impact of the teaching is lost because the pupils have not had time to consolidate their learning in more frequent and structured steps. In art and history, the teaching is particularly effective because teachers show great enthusiasm for the subject, which encourages the pupils’ learning. The school lacks musical expertise amongst the staff

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The school’s results and achievements

and relies on the services of a part-time music specialist. The pupils make good progress but standards are below average. Manor Primary School - 13

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

11. The pupil’s attitudes to school and their interest in learning are good. Their behaviour has improved since the last inspection and this is good.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

12. On entry into the nursery a significant number of the youngest children have difficulty in engaging in discussion and some find it difficult top be part of a large group. The teachers work hard and effectively to encourage the children to become confident in their surroundings and in the nursery good progress is made. In the reception class, more could be done to develop the children’s independence, for example, by setting out more free-choice activities.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

13. Throughout the school the teachers’ interest in their pupils’ welfare and the care they show towards them is good, especially towards those pupil’s who find it difficult to settle into a classroom environment. All adults are good role models and their good example is reflected in the attitudes and behaviour of the vast majority of the pupils. At the time of the last inspection the pupils’ behaviour was judged to be satisfactory, inspection evidence and comments made by parents before the inspection confirm that this has improved and it is now good. Very few incidents of inappropriate behaviour were observed and when they did occur they were addressed quickly and effectively. The pastoral support given to pupils at lunchtimes is managed very effectively and this ensures that they develop good social skills at lunchtime and break-times.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

14. Movement around the school is orderly, the pupils assist by holding doors open for each other; adult supervision ensures that the numerous changes in floor levels and between buildings is conducted safely. Playtimes are happy occasions with the pupils co-operating and joining in games and activities. The separate playgrounds for the two key stages allow the younger pupils not to be overwhelmed by the older pupils.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

15. Opportunities for the pupils to take responsibility for tasks and learning are improving but more needs to be done to develop their independent study skills. Many pupils find it difficult to take turns and this is holding back their progress. An example was observed in a circle time lesson where a potentially very good session was spoiled because some pupils interrupted others when they spoke. They appeared not to be able to grasp the importance of being aware that when somebody speaks you have to listen.

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Pupils’ attitudes, values and personal development

16. Attendance in the school is unsatisfactory but it is improving, especially amongst the Key Stage 2 pupils. In the current academic year attendance in this key stage is close to the national average. Punctuality has improved and the level of unauthorised absence is low. In Key Stage 1 attendance levels are still well below the national average. The school uses appropriate strategies to reward good attendance and to monitor absences. Pupils settle quickly and quietly into the day’s routines and lessons commence on time.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

17. The teaching is good overall with a significant proportion that was found to be very good. There was no unsatisfactory teaching seen and this is a very good improvement since the last inspection. It was good or better in seventy-one per cent of the lessons observed. Nearly one in four lessons were very good and one excellent lesson was observed in the nursery. This good standard of teaching is having a positive effect on pupils’ learning and achievement. Manor Primary School - 14 18. Good teaching was seen in both key stages. This is reflected in the school’s improved test results by the end of Key Stage 2. There have been a number of staffing changes since the last inspection and the headteacher has ensured that training for staff is given a high priority. As a result, teachers’ subject expertise is improving as well as their confidence in teaching the full range of National Curriculum subjects. Their planning is clear and provides a structured

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

programme of interesting and varied activities and tasks that motivate and interest the pupils. The school must now address long-term planning to raise standards in design and technology, geography and music so that pupils re-visit topics more regularly, building on their previous learning and ensuring that progress is sustained.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

19. The teaching in the nursery is very effective, it is usually good or very good, resulting in the children making good progress in all areas of learning. A key strength in the teaching is the way that the staff question the children and constantly challenge their thinking. They allow the children to explore, investigate and practise skills. The staff circulate and challenge the children in all parts of the nursery and there is a good balance of focused activity under adult supervision and structured play. The teaching in the reception class is satisfactory overall with some good features. A significant difference between the teaching in the nursery and reception class is the way the foundation curriculum is planned. In the reception class activities do not always include a balance of adult-led and free-choice activities. Teachers and support staff in the reception class manage the children well but often over-direct the work,

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

leaving little scope for the children to explore or change activities. Focused activities when adults are directly supervising or teaching are good because the planning involves specific areas of learning and adults prepare these sessions well to match activities to the needs of the children. However, the teaching is not always focused on the learning goals in the foundation curriculum.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

20. In the rest of the school good teaching was seen in all year groups but the most effective teaching, amounting to nearly one in four lessons, exists more consistently in Years 2, 5 and 6 as well as the teaching provided by the special educational needs co-ordinator. Very good teaching involves much more pace and challenge for all pupils, including those with special educational needs and the higher attaining pupils. Questioning and class discussions are much sharper and to the point with more purposeful activities that are well matched to the abilities of the pupils. Twenty-one per cent of the teaching was judged to be satisfactory because there was a balance of strengths and weaknesses. Introductions to these lessons have less pace and teachers often repeat themselves or labour a particular point. Teachers’ planning is good throughout the school but in some lessons the activities do not always challenge the higher

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

attaining pupils, and they mark time when they finish their work early.

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

21. A significant difference between the good and satisfactory teaching is the attention that teachers pay to improving pupils’ achievement or performance. This is particularly evident when the pupils are required to work independently, with a partner or in a group. The teachers are more effective when they circulate and challenge the pupils, ensuring that they stay on task and produce their best work. In Year 2 for example, the teacher uses very good questioning techniques to probe and challenge the pupils’ thinking, “What does ‘observation’ mean?” she would ask during a science lesson. In a mathematics lesson, the Year 5 teacher works very hard to ensure that all the pupils remain on task and consequently, the large majority of pupils learn to calculate numbers up to 1000 mentally. In Year 6, the teacher’s enthusiasm and secure knowledge of the subject matter ensures that the pupils are motivated

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HOW WELL ARE PUPILS TAUGHT?

and interested in the history topic about the “Miracle of Dunkirk”. The skilful intervention of the special educational needs co-ordinator during the reading recovery sessions ensures that the pupils develop very good strategies that will help them to improve their reading and writing. These teaching skills are effective in promoting good learning habits amongst all the pupils and are mainly responsible for the improved standards at the end of each key stage. Manor Primary School - 15

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

22. The curriculum for the children under the age of five is satisfactory. It provides a broad range of suitable activities. These are organised well in the nursery class but in the reception class the children are given insufficient opportunity to make decisions and choices and there are too few opportunities to learn through planned play activities. The curriculum for Key Stages 1 and 2 is good. The school provides a wide range of activities that are well planned and relevant to the pupils’ needs. The curriculum is better now than at the time of the last inspection. The school has successfully addressed the imbalance in the provision and has introduced problem-solving in mathematics, science and design technology.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

23. The school has implemented the National Strategies in literacy and numeracy well. It has established a successful family literacy group and is about to begin a family numeracy group. It has recently extended its provision for personal, social and heath education. This has provided good opportunities for the pupils to explore issues that arise in their daily lives and that are important to them. There are satisfactory arrangements for teaching sex education and drugs awareness. However, the school’s arrangements for design and technology, history and geography mean that there are long periods when the subjects are not taught. The inspection evidence is that the present arrangements do not allow many of the pupils to retain what they learn and apply prior learning to new topics.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

24. The school provides a good range of activities outside normal lessons. These enrich the pupils’ learning at both key stages. At Key Stage 1, for example, there are clubs for the guitar, dance and gymnastics. At Key Stage 2, the pupils may choose from a range of activities, including football, netball, a range of ‘Top Sports’ activities, computing and guitar lessons. The school organises a number of educational visits, including residential weeks at an outdoor adventure centre where the pupils learn important personal and social skills such as making choices, facing new challenges and working as part of a team. There is a large choir that makes a good contribution to school assemblies and concerts. The clubs and activities are well attended. Because all of the teachers are involved in supporting the extra activities, there are good opportunities for the teachers to get to know the pupils well and support their personal and

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

25. The school provides well for the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development. The acts of collective worship and class assemblies are made meaningful because they are carefully planned to include many opportunities for the pupils to take an active part in exploring spiritual and moral issues of interest to them. The pupils at Key Stage 1, for example, learned much about prayer and the meaning of Christmas when they used the Christingles they had made earlier. The pupils in Year 6 used a whole school assembly to present, through a set of short plays, their thoughts on making a moral stand against bad behaviour. They learned a great deal in the processes of researching, writing and performing them, but they also helped the younger pupils to understand how to say ‘No’ to invitations or temptations to do wrong. Work in religious education and in personal and social education provides the pupils with many

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

opportunities to reflect on the spiritual and moral dimensions to daily life. For example, the pupils learn about spirituality and morality as expressed in some world faiths such as Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam.

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

26. The school provides well for the pupils’ social and cultural development. The pupils are given many opportunities to contribute to the life of the school. The recently established School Manor Primary School - 16 Council, for example, allows pupils to influence directly how the school functions. The pupils in each class elect two of their number to represent them on the Council. The elected councillors meet with the headteacher to present the views of the pupils and to make suggestions about how the school could be improved. The school encourages the pupils to help others less fortunate then they are by supporting local and international charities. It arranges a good number of educational visits to places of cultural interest such as museums, theatres and cinemas. It makes good use of visiting musicians and artists to work with the pupils and to explore their own culture and that of others. For example, an artist introduced the pupils to

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OFFERED TO PUPILS?

willow sculpture and helped them to create impressive works of art, which are now displayed in the hall and quadrangle. The pupils have contributed to an impressive public sculpture erected nearby in the form of concrete trees that bear their handprints as leaves. In the recent past, Malaysian monks visited the school to demonstrate a range of unfamiliar musical instruments. In the summer, Year 5 pupils visited the Albert Dock and took part in a production about seafarers.

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS?

27. The school has a strong links with the community and makes good use of its links to enhance the pupils’ learning. One of the teachers represents the school on the local estate management board. This draws the school and the community it serves closely together in a number of joint projects of mutual benefit. The school also hosts a community week each year during which it takes pupils out into the community and invites members of the community into school to be entertained by the pupils. It is currently involved in a project to design a playground in the area. It has good links with the police who work with the pupils on a wide range of activities. These include work on road safety, firework safety, and drugs awareness. These activities help to promote among the pupils the principles of good citizenship.

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS?

28. The school has constructive links with other schools and colleges that benefit the pupils. The Year 6 pupils, for example, learn much from the work they do in science and in computer sessions when they visit one of the local high schools. The pupils have also benefited from work done in co-operation with a local institute of performing arts and from the visits by a student at a local sixth form college.

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS?

29. The school makes good and effective provision for pupils with special educational needs. There are good procedures in place for the initial identification and assessment of pupils with special educational needs, and for the assessment of their progress against the targets set in the individual education plans. However, the individual education plans do not include numeracy targets for each pupil. The pupils are taught in a mixture of situations, being withdrawn in small groups, individually and supported within the classes. Their individual education plans are reviewed each half term and targets set, these are clearly focussed and in small enough steps to enable good progress to be made. The class teachers, learning support assistants and special educational needs co-ordinator work together to ensure that pupils’ individual needs are met and that they have full access to the curriculum provided. The special

p.16

OFFERED TO PUPILS?

educational needs co-ordinator works with Key Stage 1 pupils in the Reading Recovery Programme every morning. This makes a significant contribution to the progress of a number of individual pupils in Key Stage 1; full re-integration into the class curriculum is carefully monitored and extra support given when necessary.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

30. The school provides a very good level of care for its pupils. This is a considerable improvement. At the last inspection, the Child Protection procedures were found to be unsatisfactory. They are now very good.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

31. The information provided by parents before the inspection suggested that the school does not always work closely with them. The inspectors found that there is a genuine desire to consult Manor Primary School - 17 and inform parents but for a variety of reasons some parents are reluctant to approach the school.

p.16

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

32. Procedures for monitoring and promoting high standards of behaviour are good. The school’s code of conduct is displayed in classrooms and corridors and the pupils were involved in the establishment of a list of school rules referred to as “Ten Commandments”. These rules are usually followed. Teachers are alert to the needs of their pupils, they have a very good understanding of the emotional difficulties some pupils experience and work effectively with outside agencies to secure appropriate levels of support.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

33. No incidents of bullying or oppressive behaviour were observed and there have been no exclusions. Discussions with parents in the school confirm that isolated incidents of misbehaviour are dealt with fairly and firmly. A small number of parents who attended the meeting with the registered inspector suggested that the pupils’ behaviour is not always handled consistently. The inspectors could find no evidence to support this.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

34. Pupils with special education needs have good support. The reading recovery programme provides young pupils in Key Stage 1 with expert tuition to help them to develop their reading skills. However, in other lessons, the amount of additional help provided by learning assistants working with the class teacher in Year 1 is insufficient to ensure that teaching always matches their needs. The support pupils receive in Key Stage 2 is better and this enables them to make good progress.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

35. The Child Protection procedures are very good. All adults, including the mid-day supervisors, have a clear understanding of what they must do if they become aware that a child needs support. Training has recently been given to make sure that they know what has to done to protect children from harm. Induction arrangements ensure that newly appointed members of staff are properly informed. The Child Protection Co-ordinator attends case conferences and maintains appropriate links with outside agencies.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

36. Health and safety arrangements are well managed. A comprehensive policy directs the school’s safety procedures, this ensures full and proper compliance. The assessments are conducted jointly by two members of staff and a governor. Arrangements for the administration of medicines, first-aid treatments and fire evacuation procedures are all satisfactory.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

37. The procedures for assessing and monitoring the pupils’ performance and progress are good. The teacher evaluation of the academic progress made by pupils is used to assist them when they plan their lessons. Scrutiny of the annual reports parents receive confirm that these are used to provide accurate evaluation of the progress they have made. The school has effective procedures for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress in all three key stages. Procedures for assessing academic progress, for recording the results consistently and for passing them on to the next teacher are good. The school makes good use of baseline assessments when the children first start school, end of key stage tests, optional tests and other diagnostic tests to measure children’s progress. Achievements in English, mathematics, science, and recently, information and communication technology are assessed half-termly. Each pupil has an

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

assessment file which include levels, targets, comments from the previous parents’ report, and comments as to why the pupil has not achieved their individual targets, if necessary. Pupils’ progress can be tracked back right to entry to the school in the Nursery.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

38. Staff moderate samples of work and their individual judgements are checked by other members of staff. There has to be a certain number of teachers’ signatures substantiating the judgements before they are considered officially agreed. There are portfolios of levelled work in the main subjects. These procedures are good and help to inform teachers about standards Manor Primary School - 18 and levels achieved. There are no assessments in subjects such as history, geography, art and music and the school is addressing this now that the new curriculum has been introduced.

p.17

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

39. Assessments are used for a number of purposes. They are used to identify pupils who have special educational needs; to highlight under achievers and to give all pupils individual targets. The school also gives individual classes and teachers targets to achieve. End-of-key-stage tests are analysed to highlight problems in teaching and achievement.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

40. Reports to parents include pupils’ individual targets and these are discussed with them. The school has begun to teach pupils to assess themselves. The school has begun a system whereby pupils are encouraged to write their own comments in response to certain questions on their progress and attitudes to their work in their annual report, which goes home to their parents. One pupil wrote in response to , ‘ The work I enjoyed most was : Maths because I like doing it.’ Pupils in Key Stage 1 and lower Key Stage 2 are helped to do this by the their teacher. Older pupils do it by themselves.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

41. Procedures for monitoring attendance are good and there is an improving attendance level especially in Key Stage 2 as a result. The amount of unauthorised absence has been reduced considerably over the past three months. As was the case when the last inspection took place there are pupils whose attendance is erratic. The school has secured support from a Social Inclusion Programme which provides information for parents about the school’s procedures and is designed to help families recognise the importance of regular attendance. There are early indications to suggest that this is having a positive impact on attendance levels. The poor levels of attendance in Key Stage 1 has an adverse effect on the progress of a number of pupils. It is also affecting the progress of other pupils because teachers have to spend time revisiting work covered in earlier lessons. The school registers are marked and analysed

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL CARE FOR ITS PUPILS?

accurately in compliance with the regulations.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

42. The school has a satisfactory partnership with parents and is doing all it can to encourage parents to become involved in partnership initiatives. The work done to promote the adult literacy programme for parents and the construction of a Christmas Grotto by parent governors and supporters are two examples of current good practice.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

43. Most of the parents who completed the questionnaires or who attended the meeting with the registered inspector agreed that the pupils’ behaviour is managed well. But they had differing views regarding the approachability of staff if a problem arose. Some felt that more could be done to inform them about how their child is getting on including collaboration with them regarding day-to-day concerns. The physical layout of the school adds to the problems parents experience. The dispersed nature of the site makes it difficult for parents who have babies in pushchairs to meet staff at the beginning or end of the day.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

44. The school provides a regular flow of informative newsletters. The brochure is presented in a clear and informative way. The governors’ annual report is well set out but it lacks some essential information. For example, it does not say how the school has addressed the issues raised at the last inspection. This is unfortunate because good progress has been made on all areas.

p.18

HOW WELL DOES THE SCHOOL WORK IN PARTNERSHIP WITH PARENTS?

45. The “Friends of Manor” comprises a small but dedicated group of parents who work tirelessly to raise funds to support the work of the school. They are particularly proud of the help they give to ensure that all children can enjoy outings and visits. Manor Primary School - 19 46. Transfer arrangements into the next stage of education are good, discussions with pupils and parents confirm that a good level of collaboration exists and both parents and pupils have the opportunity to become fully informed about secondary school routines.

p.18

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

47. The headteacher, together with the senior management team, provide good and effective leadership. They meet regularly to discuss standards, pupils’ attainment targets and particular aspects of teaching and learning that will inform future professional development. The school has improved very well since the last inspection because the management of the school is much more aware of strengths and areas for development. This is as a direct result of close monitoring of lessons, scrutiny of the pupils’ work and the concerted efforts of all the staff, who work as a team to improve the quality of the curriculum and the teaching. Target setting and the close scrutiny of pupils’ work and progress inform the senior staff and help the teachers to plan accordingly. Regular assessments made by the special educational needs co- ordinator ensure that many of the pupils with special educational needs make enough progress

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

to achieve the expected standard for their age in national tests. All of the senior staff lead by their good example in the classroom and are very well placed to share best practice and improve teaching and learning further.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

48. Since the last inspection there have been many staffing changes and appointments. There is a good balance of experienced and newly appointed staff who manage different subjects and areas of the curriculum. Literacy and numeracy have been priorities in the last few years and science and information and communication technology have improved significantly as a result of good leadership and direction by the respective co-ordinators. The headteacher has successfully ensured that the school has moved on from the last inspection, especially in the areas of staff development, teaching and curriculum planning. The school’s development plan includes relevant and pertinent curriculum action plans that have appropriate success criteria.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

49. The governors provide good support. They are knowledgeable and well informed about the school and its community, and good relationships exist between governors and the school. There are appropriate committees which meet every term to discuss curriculum, finance, staffing and appointments as well buildings and site issues. There are good informal and formal visits made by the governors. These include link governors who are assigned to particular curriculum subjects, for example, numeracy and literacy. The school also adopts a “visiting governor” system which involves the governors, in turn, making formal visits to the school and reporting back to the whole governing body along with the termly headteacher’s report to governors.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

50. The management and control of the school’s finances are good. Stock controls, orders and the systems used to monitor the budget are efficiently managed. The governors’ finance committee has appropriate terms of reference and it ensures that funds allocated to the school are monitored closely. Secretarial support is good and visitors and parents are well received. Given the split-site issues, the secretary and headteacher manage to communicate well with all staff across the school.

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

51. The school has a good number of qualified teachers to match the demands of the curriculum. The arrangements for the induction of newly qualified teachers are very good. All of the staff have carefully planned opportunities to extend their professional expertise through in-service training. The teachers have regular professional development interviews with the headteacher when needs for training are identified and linked closely to the school’s development plan. The learning support assistants work closely with the teachers and make a significant contribution to the pupils’ development, particularly those with special educational needs. However, they are mainly deployed in Key Stage 2 and on a few occasions learning is less Manor Primary School - 20 effective in some lessons in Key Stage 1. The site manager and the cleaning staff work hard to maintain good standards of safety, cleanliness and repair, despite the poor condition of some

p.19

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

of the external fabric and internal decorations of the buildings.

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

52. The accommodation is more than adequate to the school’s needs. The four separate buildings create access, security and maintenance problems but the school works hard to overcome them. The school makes good use of the available teaching areas to provide dedicated spaces for two libraries, a well-equipped computer suite, and a music and activity room shared by Key Stage 1 as well as a special educational needs base in the Key Stage 2 building. There are two good-sized halls providing good facilities and opportunities for physical education and whole school assemblies and a range of social events. In the community block there is a coffee bar and a meeting room used for family literacy sessions and a toy-lending library. The Key Stage 2 building is enhanced with good displays and the community area is cheerfully decorated but both are internally in a poor state of repair. There are four hard playground areas and

p.20

HOW WELL IS THE SCHOOL LED AND MANAGED?

extensive grassed areas enabling the pupils to enjoy a good range of play and sports activities. The school’s learning resources are generally good and well managed. There are plans to rebuild and to renovate much of the school as part of the local authority’s scheme to improve the accommodation. Manor Primary School - 21

p.20

WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

In order to improve the quality of education and raise standards further, the governing body, headteacher and staff should:

p.21

* Raise attainment in English further by:

- providing more varied opportunities for the pupils to develop their speaking skills and extend their use of vocabulary in structured discussions so that pupils communicate more clearly;

p.21

* Raise attainment in English further by:

- teaching more reading strategies to help the pupils attempt unfamiliar words and, building on the current work being done, to involve parents more in their children’s reading at home and in school;

p.21

* Raise attainment in English further by:

- ensuring that the teaching of writing is more focused on improving grammar, spelling and punctuation and ensure that more independent writing is done in the early part of Key Stage 1.

p.21

* Raise attainment in mathematics further by:

- providing more challenging work for higher attaining pupils in the main part of the lessons, especially when they are involved in individual or group work;

p.21

* Raise attainment in mathematics further by:

- including numeracy learning targets in the individual education plans for those pupils identified with special educational needs in Key Stage 2 to ensure that they make good progress in mathematics as well as their language development.

p.21

the good and very good standards seen, by:

- ensuring that all lesson introductions and class discussions are more challenging, not repetitive and make clear what the pupils are to do when they work independently or in groups;

p.21

the good and very good standards seen, by:

- using the best examples of good and very good teaching seen across the school to agree the criteria that makes for effective teaching and learning. This should form the basis for the school’s future professional development programmes to raise standards in all subjects.

p.21

the good and very good standards seen, by:

(Paragraphs 17 – 21; 34) Manor Primary School - 22

p.21

responsibility by:

- providing more opportunities and tasks that will develop independent learning and research skills;

p.22

responsibility by:

- ensuring that lessons are not over-directed and the pupils have opportunities to make decisions, choose appropriate resources and use their skills and understanding to apply the best methods when problem solving.

p.22

CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

* Raise attainment further in other subjects by organising the curriculum better to ensure that the pupils build on their previous knowledge and understanding.

p.22

CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

* Continue to improve attendance rates by building on the good work being done and developing more strategies to reward and promote good attendance levels.

p.22

CONSIDERED BY THE SCHOOL

(Paragraphs 16; 41) Manor Primary School - 23

p.22

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 26

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

p.23

Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

The table gives the percentage of teaching observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about lessons.

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) 13 189

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils eligible for free school meals 0 147

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs 0 1

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register 12 81

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 0

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 26

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 22

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

National comparative data 5.2 National comparative data 0.5

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. Manor Primary School - 24 Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 Year Boys Girls Total

p.23

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2000 15 10 25

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Boys 7 11 12 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 8 9 9

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentage of pupils School 60 (64) 80 (78) 84 (86) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 85 (83) 90 (87)

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Boys 11 12 11 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 9 9 9

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentage of pupils School 80 (67) 84 (63) 80 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (82) 88 (86) 88 (87)

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year.

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 Year Boys Girls Total

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2000 8 12 20

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Boys 6 6 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 12 8 12

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentage of pupils School 90 (63) 70 (63) 100 (63) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (70) 72 (69) 85 (78)

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Boys 5 6 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 11 8 12

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentage of pupils School 80 (38) 70 (54) 100 (67) at NC level 4 or above National 70 (68) 72 (69) 79 (75)

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. Manor Primary School - 25 Ethnic background of pupils Exclusions in the last school year

p.24

Information about the school’s pupils

Black – Caribbean heritage Black – Caribbean heritage

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Black – African heritage Black – African heritage

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Any other minority ethnic group Other minority ethnic groups

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

This table refers to pupils of compulsory school age only. This table gives the number of exclusions of pupils of compulsory school age, which may be different from the number of pupils excluded.

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Teachers and classes Financial information

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 18.2

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total expenditure 484,605

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Total number of education support staff 4 Expenditure per pupil 2,218

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Total aggregate hours worked per week 83.2 Balance brought forward from previous year 18,594

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Balance carried forward to next year 28,449

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Qualified teachers and support staff: nursery

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 1

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 13

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Total number of education support staff 1

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

Total aggregate hours worked per week 20.8

p.25

Information about the school’s pupils

FTE means full-time equivalent. Manor Primary School - 26

p.25

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Percentage of responses in each category

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Strongly agree Tend to agree Tend to disagree Strongly disagree Don’t know

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child is making good progress in school. 30 55 9 3 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

Behaviour in the school is good. 27 53 10 10

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 26 61 10 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 27 42 21 9

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 30 52 15 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 33 64 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school works closely with parents. 21 42 27 6 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is well led and managed. 24 61 9 3 3

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 30 61 9

p.26

Results of the survey of parents and carers

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 31 44 16 9 Manor Primary School - 27

p.26

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

53. Children attend the school’s Nursery part-time before entering full-time education in the Reception class. Children who turn five years of age before March attend the Reception class full-time and those who turn five after March attend part-time in the mornings. At the time of inspection, because of low numbers in the Nursery, the children who were part-time in the Reception class were attending the Nursery in the afternoon.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

54. There have been good improvements in the provision for children in the Foundation Stage. The children enter the Nursery with poorly developed skills in speaking and listening and personal independence. This is confirmed by initial assessments. A large number have special educational needs. A good number of these are associated with speech difficulties. They make good progress through the Foundation Stage, especially in the Nursery where the quality of teaching is good. The teaching is satisfactory in Reception. In spite of their good achievements, the children are unlikely to achieve the early learning goals in all areas of learning by the time they are five years old and their level of attainment is well below that expected for their age.

p.27

AREAS OF LEARNING FOR CHILDREN IN THE FOUNDATION STAGE

55. The teachers in both the Nursery and the Reception plan to the recommended six areas of learning which make up the Early Learning Goals. The school is developing a two-year programme of topics for the Foundation Stage. Planning in the Nursery is good. The planning in the Reception class does not fully reflect the guidance of the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority for the Foundation Stage.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

56. Nearly all the children enter the Nursery with poorly developed personal independent skills. By the time they leave the Reception class they have made good progress against the early learning goals. This reflects the good teaching in this area of learning. In the Nursery, staff work very hard to encourage children to become more self reliant, for example when putting on their coats. Resources and routines are well organised and established so that the children can get on easily, confidently and ‘have a go’, for example, at writing their names to label their models. Children work and play well together. They co-operate in activities such as role-play where the theme was of celebrations and parties. On one occasion, the nursery nurse intervened well and led a discussion with two boys as to whether boys usually go to parties in girls’ dresses or not. Over time the children develop a sense of identity and belonging. They

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

learn to have some responsibility for themselves and their behaviour when the nursery staff take them for a visit to the local shops. The children learn to understand that there is a code of behaviour and that they should not wander off. They readily help to tidy up when staff request it at the end of the morning or afternoon sessions.

p.27

Personal, social and emotional development

57. In the Reception class, the teacher builds on this good progress. Children continue to behave well and co-operate with staff who act as good role models. However, at times the children do not exercise good self-control. For example, they call out in story time. The teacher intervenes and points out to the children that they must take turns and listen to each other. The learning environment in the reception class is satisfactory. The activities promote the children’s learning and the children sustain concentration and work hard. Too many activities, however, are over-directed. The teaching does not always allow the children to choose activities for themselves. Manor Primary School - 28

p.27

Communication, language and literacy

58. In both classes the children enjoy listening to stories and, in the Nursery, they gain a lot from looking at and sharing books. The small numbers in the Nursery enable the youngest children to share books with staff on an individual basis and children are learning that books are enjoyable and that pictures and print are related. Teaching in the Nursery is good, but progress is slow and it takes quite a while for the majority of children to learn that pages turn from left to right and that print goes from left to right. Children learn to make marks on paper in the Nursery, some learning to write their names accurately. The activities provided give the children the opportunity to have lively discussions. Two children sustained a conversation as to whether the bubbles in the water play were real or not. The nursery nurse seized the opportunity to intervene. She further developed the discussion about the colour of the water

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

59. In Reception, the teaching is satisfactory. The children make good progress but only a minority of them are likely to achieve the early learning goals. Many children can recognise and sound the letters of the alphabet correctly. The teacher successfully promotes their learning and the higher attaining children build up a sight vocabulary of words which occur frequently in books. These children recognise simple punctuation and understand its purpose. A few children know what speech bubbles represent in illustrations. The children learn to copy words accurately and some of the higher attaining children learn to write independently. Most of the children form their letters correctly. The progress made by the average and lower attaining children in developing communication, language and literacy is slow. This is partly because the children’s spoken language is not well developed. The staff value the children’s contributions and

p.28

Communication, language and literacy

conversation but there are too few opportunities for staff to interact with children in well planned play situations to extend, through discussion, the children’s spoken vocabulary and their problem-solving language.

p.28

Mathematical development

60. In the Nursery, adults help children to see mathematics around them. The children learn the concept of exchange when shopping for mince pies. They first talked with the teacher about needing to go shopping. On the way to the shop they listened to the teacher naming the numbers on the dustbins outside houses. In the shop they worked out how many mince pies they wanted and how many were left in the box. They handed the money to the shop assistant and watched as the change was given. The children can count to ten and some children can count beyond when the teacher is taking the register. However, they do not understand what each number means. They learn to understand one-to-one correspondence and what individual numbers mean when they pretend that they are going to a party in the role-play area. With the help of staff they learn that four pieces of ‘pretend cake’ are not enough for five people to have a piece each. Many children know the basic colours and can

p.28

Mathematical development

sort cutlery in the role-play area according to colour or shape.

p.28

Mathematical development

61. In the Reception class, children learn to write figures. They learn to recognise simple shapes and their properties. They learn to carry out simple addition and subtraction sums. Their progress is satisfactory overall but is hindered because they lack the spoken language and vocabulary to reason and solve problems.

p.28

Knowledge and understanding of the world

62. The majority of children enter the Nursery with very limited general knowledge. In both classes, children learn about ‘Now and Then’. In the Nursery, the children learn what has Manor Primary School - 29 happened to them since they were babies by bringing photographs to school and in Reception they make comparisons with the past and present by recalling their own experiences and sharing these with other children and adults. In both classes children are confident in using the computer although they were not observed doing this very often.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

63. The Nursery children learned a great deal about their locality when they went on a walk to the local shops to buy mince pies. The teacher drew their attention to notices by the zebra crossing and went through the safety routine for crossing. On the way the children were drawn to the library because they were familiar with one of the librarians who used to come into school regularly and whom they had visited in the library. Good questioning from the teacher increased their knowledge of the different kinds of shops and their names.

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Knowledge and understanding of the world

64. By the time the children leave Reception they have increased and consolidated their knowledge of light and dark, celebrations and festivals and shiny and non-shiny materials around the theme of ‘light’. They have learnt about maps on a theme of ‘where we live’ during a topic about ‘ourselves’. During the afternoons when the youngest reception children attend the Nursery, a few children in the Reception class have the opportunity to select resources but there is little interaction between the staff and the children. The teaching in this area of learning is satisfactory overall in the Reception class.

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Physical development

65. There has been a good improvement since the previous report. An outdoor play area has been created for the Nursery class. There is still a need for equipment that will challenge the older children in their play. The Reception class does not have access to the outdoor area. Both classes have sessions in the school hall.

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Physical development

66. Teaching is good overall. The Nursery children move in a range of ways. They walk slowly or quickly, skip and run with control. They are improving their use of space. They adjust their speed and are learning to avoid bumping into others. They move freely with pleasure and confidence and respond to music. They find it very difficult to keep in time with a beat or rhythm.

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Physical development

67. Children in both classes move around the classrooms carefully and are developing a respect for others’ space. The children’s control of small tools such as spatulas and brushes and use of malleable materials is developing steadily as is their skill in cutting. Adults ensure children pay attention to safety.

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Creative development

68. Many children start from a low level of skill and experience when they enter the Nursery and make good progress through the Foundation Stage. In the Nursery they have experience of a good variety of materials and tools. They learn to use paste and glue and to achieve nicely finished pieces of work such as the rockets decorated by Reception children. Children in both classes gain confidence in using colours and materials to represent their ideas. The children have experience of different musical instruments. During the afternoon when the youngest Reception children attend the Nursery, the older children engage in role play but this is not always supported by adult intervention.

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ENGLISH

69. The inspection findings indicate that in spite of a slowly improving trend, by the end of Key Stage 1 and 2, the pupils’ overall attainment in English is below average. The results of end- Manor Primary School - 30 of-Key Stage National Curriculum tests in reading and writing at the of Key Stage 1 show that standards have improved between 1996 and 1998 but have not done so since then. The test results at the end of Key Stage 2 show that there has been a trend of steady improvement with a very good improvement in 2000. However, test results attainment fluctuate reflecting the number of pupils in the class with special educational needs. This year over half the Year 6 class has special educational needs.

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ENGLISH

70. Many children enter school with low skills in speaking. Listening skills are better developed throughout the school than speaking skills. Pupils of all abilities follow verbal instructions quickly and carefully. Pupils with special educational needs make good progress. The atmosphere and relationships in classes is such that pupils are confident to contribute. A significant number of pupils in all year groups, however, are reluctant speakers. Pupils are encouraged to take turns in speaking and to listen to each other. Although teachers work hard to make good use of question and answer sessions to give pupils opportunities to speak and listen and pupils make good progress during their time in school, their speaking skills are below average at age 11. Most pupils’ attitudes and response in lessons are good and they want to answer teachers’ questions and to explain. They listen well and recall facts they have learnt.

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ENGLISH

They find it difficult, however, to express themselves clearly.

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ENGLISH

71. Children come into Key Stage 1 with standards in reading below those expected for their age. The pupils’ progress is uneven. Pupils make satisfactory progress in reading in the lower part of Key Stage 1 and good progress in Year 2. Average and higher attaining pupils in Year 1 recognise a good number of frequently read words but all pupils have only limited skills in working out unknown words and meaning. By the time pupils are seven, a good number of pupils read confidently and fluently. Higher attaining pupils are enthusiastic readers. They read accurately and with good expression, commenting on characters, for example “Harry is funny and naughty” . Average attaining pupils are able to say whether they enjoy the story and make reasonable predictions as to what is going to happen next. They find it difficult to comprehend the less obvious meanings of texts and words. Average and lower attaining

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ENGLISH

pupils’ understanding of sounding out and building up words is increasing but average achievers are hindered because they have not been taught to break down words and sound out each part polysyllabic words. The pupils’ strategies for reading unfamiliar words are unsatisfactory. A lower attaining pupil, who takes part in the Reading Recovery programme, understands that there is more than one way of working out a word and that one way is from the context of a sentence. He goes past an unknown word, reading the rest of the sentence, and then works out the word using the meaning of the sentence as well as the initial letter but a good number of pupils of differing attainment do not know this strategy. Reading Recovery pupils also know how to scan quickly to the end of a word to check they are reading it correctly. Other pupils tend to guess words, sometimes incorrectly, after having read the first few letters; for example one pupil read ‘started’ for ‘stopped’ .

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ENGLISH

72. Younger Key Stage 2 pupils make slow progress in reading. They read clearly but without expression and lack depth of understanding. In Year 5 their progress is better. The pupils have a greater range of reading strategies and read a wider range of material. Their library skills are satisfactory. In Year 6, the average and higher attaining pupils read fluently and accurately but with little expression. They read polysyllabic words such as ‘distraught ’ and ‘curiosity’ accurately. Most of them are able to find and use information in books.

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ENGLISH

73. The majority of pupils practise reading at home, and this has a positive impact on their progress. They take home reading books and school library books. All pupils have reading diaries which parents are encouraged to write comments in. In Key Stage 2 each pupil has a reading log. The logs are divided up into genre and pupils enter the titles of books they have read, from school, home or the local library, into the correct section. The teachers monitor and Manor Primary School - 31 analyse the logs each half-term, to assess the amount of reading pupils do and to make sure they are reading a variety of books.

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ENGLISH

74. The school has worked very hard to improve the pupils’ writing and has succeeded. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils’ progress in writing in Key Stage 1 is satisfactory and good in Key Stage 2. The pupils make good progress in Year 2 and a good number write independently by the end of Key Stage 1. In both key stages the pupils write for a wide range of purposes and audiences. The children in Year 1 have difficulty with sentence structure and setting writing out and they find spacing words difficult. Higher attaining pupils make very good attempts at writing a few sentences. In Key Stage 2, the pupils can draft and improve their writing to very good effect. There are very good opportunities in Key Stage 2 for pupils to write in other subjects as well as in literacy and extended writing lessons. Pupils still, however, have similar problems to those in Key Stage 1. There is very good progress in

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ENGLISH

the quality of handwriting and presentation in Key Stage 2 and in punctuation, but standards in grammar and spelling are unsatisfactory throughout the school.

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ENGLISH

75. Teaching is never less than satisfactory and in the majority of lessons observed it was good. This is an improvement since the previous inspection. There is very good teaching at the end of both key stages. The school has implemented the National Literacy Strategy well and it has had a significant impact on teaching, standards and attitudes to learning. The pupils put a lot of effort into their work resulting in good learning and achievements. They concentrate well and in Key Stage 2 have good knowledge of their own learning. Lessons are well planned. Assessment is good and tasks are matched to pupils’ needs but opportunities for pupils to develop independence in learning are infrequent.

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ENGLISH

76. The management of the subject is good. The school is aware of what it needs to do to continue to improve standards in English and has mapped out a suitable action plan. The school has curricular targets for each key stage.

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MATHEMATICS

77. In the 2000 end of key stage tests for Key Stage 2, standards in mathematics were average and well above average when compared with similar schools. Last year’s test results show that the pupils’ attainment in mathematics in Key Stage 1 was well below the national average and below average when compared to similar schools. Inspection findings show that standards are below average in both key stages. This is partly explained by the unusually high proportion of pupils with special educational needs in Key Stage 2. There are no numeracy targets in the individual education plans for pupils identified with special educational needs. Pupils in both key stages are making generally good progress over time and the trend of the test results is improving. The school is taking further measures to improve standards by targeting the Year 6 more able pupils and working with a ‘Booster’ group in Year 6 to focus

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MATHEMATICS

78. The school is placing great emphasis on the implementation of the numeracy strategy, including good procedures for the assessment and tracking of pupils’ progress. The results from standardised tests are analysed and together with the half-termly tests, curriculum objectives are set for groups of pupils. The setting arrangements provide work at four levels which is matched to the key learning objectives of the National Numeracy Framework. However, throughout the school the most able pupils are not always set work at a challenging level particularly in the main part of the lesson and there are a few occasions when the mental and oral introduction is too long. Manor Primary School - 32 79. The pupils in Key Stage 1 have a good understanding of place value, they can count in 2s, 5s and 10s, and by the end of the key stage are able to link addition to simple multiplication. The youngest pupils can double numbers to 20, they know the days of the week and can tell the

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MATHEMATICS

time in hours and half-hours. By the end of the key stage, the pupils know their number bonds to 20 and are able to sort numbers using a variety of criteria. They can recognise and describe the properties of a range of two-dimensional shapes and can collect, tally and display data in block graphs and pictographs. In Year 3 this work is continued and the pupils learn how to label and use 2’s, 5’s and 10’s on a vertical axis when studying simple graphs. The Year 4 pupils extend their knowledge of telling the time by learning to use the 24-hour clock and to use both analogue and digital clocks. In Year 5 and 6 the pupils extend their knowledge of place value by learning to order larger numbers, including those with two decimals. By the time they leave the school most of the pupils have a good knowledge of their multiplication tables and are able to use their knowledge to solve problems. The more able pupils are

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MATHEMATICS

beginning to understand and use ratios in calculations and to work out the percentages of a range of numbers. The pupils can work with equivalent fractions, decimals and percentages to solve problems. They can use co-ordinates in the four quadrants and they can find the perimeter and area of two-dimensional shapes.

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MATHEMATICS

80. Throughout the school the pupils enjoy their mathematics lessons and are willing to offer answers to questions. They try hard to explain how and why they have reached an answer and sometimes are able to suggest alternative ways of working out. However, there are weaknesses in the pupils’ knowledge and use of mathematical terms and this occasionally slows the pupils’ rate of learning. The pupils are given opportunities to estimate, and to solve problems using a variety of numerical operations. The teachers take good opportunities to use the mathematics curriculum within other subjects, for example in science a range of measures, and measurements are used, and in information technology programs are used to support data handling.

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MATHEMATICS

81. The overall quality of teaching is good with some very good teaching. The significant improvement in teaching since the last inspection has made an impact on the standards attained in national test results, but the work seen during the inspection would indicate that there is still room to raise standards further throughout the school. Where the best teaching is seen the teachers ensure that the pupils know what they are to learn and they have high expectations of the pupils’ ability to use intellectual effort, to concentrate and explain their answers. The teachers have a good knowledge of mathematics and how to teach it, they use and explain clearly the vocabulary and they use open-ended questions to extend the pupils’ understanding. These features mean that the pupils make good progress in learning new skills and in gaining mathematical understanding. In some lessons, the pace of parts of the lessons is

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MATHEMATICS

too slow, the teachers have lower expectations of what the pupils can achieve and so the effectiveness of the learning opportunities is lessened. In addition, an insufficient range of work provided does not challenge the higher attaining pupils. In Key Stage 2 the special educational needs pupils do not have individual education plans which contain numeracy targets although the school sets group targets for mathematics in the lessons where the pupils are grouped by ability.

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MATHEMATICS

82. The co-ordinator, who is the headteacher, has an enthusiastic and very well informed approach to the development of mathematics in the school, and to finding ways to raise standards and to monitor teaching and learning. She works hard to analyse the data obtained from the standardised tests and this assists the teachers in setting targets. Mathematics is being given a high profile in the school and, as a result, it is given appropriate attention in lessons. In all the classes, there are interesting displays in place to support the teaching and learning. There is a good range of resources, they have been improved and updated to support the activities of the National Numeracy Strategy. Manor Primary School - 33

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SCIENCE

83. Standards are average for seven and eleven-year-olds. Standards at the time of the last inspection were below average at the end of both key stages. The improvements are largely the result of better teaching. The school has made good use of opportunities to strengthen the teachers’ subject knowledge so that teachers are now confident in what they teach.

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SCIENCE

84. The standards in the current Year 2 are much higher than the 2000 test results because the teaching is successfully addressing the weaknesses in the pupils’ ability to describe and record what they see and do in science investigations. In their work on changing materials, for example, the teaching helps the pupils to acquire a useful vocabulary of scientific terms to explain how and why ice changes into water when exposed to warm air. The pupils confidently use terms such as liquid, freeze, frozen, melt, observe, and heat source when they record the way differently shaped pieces of ice melt. They learn that the greater the source of heat, the quicker the ice melts. An analysis of the pupils’ work shows that since the beginning of the autumn term they have consistently made good progress and achieve well, even though they began at a low level of understanding. They work hard and attain average standards in work on how plants grow, how materials may be changed by twisting, stretching

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SCIENCE

and rolling them, and how friction and gravity affect the distance travelled by toy cars. Some of the higher attaining pupils achieve a good understanding of the habitats of insects and the importance of balanced diets to human health.

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SCIENCE

85. The standards in the current Year 6 are average and are in line with the results of the 2000 national tests even though the current group of pupils has a larger than average proportion of pupils with special educational needs. An analysis of the pupils’ work shows that they attain average standards in knowledge and understanding across most aspects of the science curriculum. Their work on forces demonstrates average standards of knowledge and understanding in relation to magnets and electrical circuits. They know, for example, how to construct circuits that include bulbs, buzzers and switches and they correctly record these in diagrams using the conventional symbols for the different parts. Their work on how materials may be changed shows a satisfactory understanding of how some solids dissolve in liquid to form solutions. Discussions with the pupils revealed that they recall very well how some

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SCIENCE

materials may be extracted from liquid by means of filters whilst other materials can only be retrieved by evaporating the liquid in which they are dissolved.

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SCIENCE

86. The quality of the teaching is good in both key stages. It has a number of strengths that account for the pupils’ good progress. The teachers have secure subject knowledge and they plan well to take account of the needs of different groups of pupils. For example, the teachers plan the recording tasks carefully according to the pupils’ literacy skills. This prevents the pupils from getting discouraged and helps them to consolidate what they have learned through observations and experiments. Another strength of the teaching is the effective use made of probing questions that encourage the pupils to think for themselves in order to solve problems or understand scientific processes. This occurred in a Year 5 lesson when the teacher’s skilful questioning led the pupils to decide for themselves how best to set up fair tests to enable them to make judgements about why shadows change according to distance between an object and

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SCIENCE

the light source. In a Year 4 lesson, the teacher exhibited the same skilful use of questions and opportunities for discussion when the pupils considered how best to conduct fair tests on the performances of the model cotton-reel racers they had made. One result was that the pupils visibly gained in confidence as they overcame problems. By the end of the lesson they could not only explain how energy was stored in the mechanisms of their models, but also how a fair test had been constructed and recorded. A consistent strength of the teaching is the effective use of practical, investigative activities that ensure that the pupils’ scientific skills and knowledge are based solidly on first-hand experience. An example of this was seen in a Year Manor Primary School - 34 6 lesson on the effects of exercise on the heart. After discussing with the pupils how a fair test might be designed, the teacher provided the pupils with heart monitors so that they could

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SCIENCE

record accurately the outcome of their experiment. This involved the pupils working in pairs in the hall to collect data on changes in their pulse rates when they exercised vigorously for five minutes. By the end of the lesson, the pupils not only knew much about the circulatory system, they also knew how to use new technology to help them collect information that they could record and analyse. Because the teachers make good use of a wide range of resources in interesting learning activities, the pupils develop good attitudes to the subject, work hard and behave well. The pupils, therefore, make good progress and achieve well in relation to their earlier attainment.

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SCIENCE

87. The school has effective arrangements for assessing the pupils’ knowledge and understanding, but not the progress that they make in acquiring scientific skills. The teachers keep good records and use them well to plan further work. For example, they use the results of assessment to provide recording tasks that are well matched to the pupils needs. However, the teachers do not consistently record the progress the pupils make in acquiring investigative skills.

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SCIENCE

88. The management of the subject is good. The co-ordinator has helped the other teachers to use a range of effective strategies for raising standards, including strengthening of teachers’ subject expertise, provision of more teaching time, extra classes and better use of revision aids for the national tests.

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ART

89. By the end of both key stages standards in art and design are in line with those expected for the age of the pupils. Progress is good for all pupils, including those with special educational needs, in knowledge and understanding. Progress in developing skills is satisfactory. This is because art and design is taught in half-termly blocks so pupils’ skills are not reinforced continuously. The provision for art and design is an improvement since the previous inspection.

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ART

90. Pupils create effective pieces of work by the end of both key stages. A strength of the subject is the value placed by teaching staff on pupils’ efforts. The pupils’ work is always displayed to best effect. By Year 6, pupils produce very attractive stencils and screen printing in the style of Andy Warhol . They work with tremendous enthusiasm on creating different kinds of hats out of different materials and these are appropriately decorated; hats for princesses, top hats and baseball hats to name but a few. Their achievements are helped by a visiting hat maker who stimulates their interest. By Year 2, pupils carefully design effective coats for Joseph (as part of the topic on Joseph and his multicoloured dreamcoat) thoughtfully using colour and pattern.

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ART

91. In Year 1, the pupils tried out weaving with paper and then extended this by weaving with a variety of textiles on a different shapes and frames. The most impressive parts of this work were the enthusiasm and co-operation which the pupils exhibited in selecting their materials and getting started, and their understanding of colour and the techniques of weaving. The pupils paid very good attention to using landscape pictures the teacher gave them as a starting point. They used these to stimulate their thoughts about colour and design. One pupil continually referred to her picture before deciding to use green feathers to represent bushes.

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ART

92. In Year 5, the pupils design coil pots which they make in clay and papier-mâché. Other pupils produce designs in the style of William Morris . They have been taught about designing and making and are encouraged to evaluate and appraise their work and use of materials. The Manor Primary School - 35 teachers use very good questioning techniques which enables pupils to make good progress. In one lesson, the teacher reviews the progress made by the pupils part way through the lesson, asking questions such as “Is the clay too thin, too thick, is there too much or too little water?” . In Year 4, good links are made with history when the pupils are taught to draw portraits from Tudor times. The pupils are confident to ask and answer questions.

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ART

93. The quality of teaching is good and this is a significant improvement since the previous inspection. Teachers plan lessons well and have high expectations of pupils, matching tasks to their capabilities. The management of the subject is good. The teachers have taken part in training which has had a good impact on the quality of teaching and standards. The school’s planning of art and design makes good links with other subjects, particularly history. The art and design curriculum is exciting and the pupils enjoy the subject very much. The school makes very good use of visitors to stimulate pupils’ interest and to teach techniques and crafts. Visitors include an artist who uses willow to make sculptures, a hat maker, and an artist who demonstrates and teaches fabric painting. The impact of these visitors is evident in the quality of the pupils’ work displayed around school.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

94. No lessons were seen during the inspection. The evidence on standards is based upon discussions with pupils, an analysis of the work in pupils’ books and samples of the products they have made. Standards are below those expected at the end of both key stages, but they are higher than in 1997, when the school was last inspected. The pupils now have a greater understanding of how to design and evaluate the things they make, but their finished products show that the pupils do not reach the expected standards in the use of tools and construction techniques.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

95. There is not enough evidence to make firm judgements about the quality of the teaching. It was unsatisfactory at the time of the last inspection because it did not help the pupils to develop a satisfactory understanding of the design process or provide them with sufficient opportunities to evaluate their work. The teachers’ plans and the work in pupils’ books indicate that this aspect of the teaching has improved significantly. The teachers provide the pupils with useful guidance on how to generate ideas and how to set them out in well-drawn designs. The work in the books of Key Stage 1 pupils shows them attaining average standards in their designs for purses and picture frames. The pupils state clearly what the function of their product is and what they will need to make it. One Year 2 pupil recorded the following details in her book: “My purse will carry money and sweets. I will need cottons, pins, a

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

needle, scissors, some felt, my pattern and some Velcro for a fastener.” This was typical of the work of other pupils in the class and shows that the pupils are able to plan work and select appropriate materials. There are many examples of the pupils successfully evaluating the usefulness of the things they make. Many of them draw pictures of the finished articles and write simple analyses of the results. For example, one pupil from the same class wrote, “My purse looks like this.” (Beneath the sentence is a well drawn purse, it parts neatly labelled). “ It can carry money in it and it can carry sweets.” The finished products, however, showed that many of the pupils do not have the skills they need to complete the tasks to a satisfactory standard.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

96. The picture is similar in Key Stage 2. The teaching introduces the pupils to a wider range of tools, materials and components, and provides sufficient opportunities for the pupils to draw up designs. As a result, the work in the pupils’ books shows a satisfactory understanding of how levers, pivots, pulleys and simple hydraulics work, and their designs indicate that the pupils have a satisfactory understanding of the design process. But samples of their completed work show that most of the pupils do not have a sufficiently wide range of making skills to enable them to translate the ideas in their designs into well-made products. For example, the pupils Manor Primary School - 36 produced attractive designs for slippers but did not have the necessary skills to complete the stitching effectively. Some pupils became discouraged and abandoned their work before it was completed.

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DESIGN AND TECHNOLOGY

97. The pupils’ comments indicate that they are aware of the need to work safely and to share equipment sensibly. This reflects the teaching well. For example, the lesson plans include risk assessments of the activities and indicate how the pupils will be grouped for sharing tools and materials. The pupils do not always get the help they need to improve their making skills because the teachers do not consistently consolidate or extend their skills in joining and assembling materials, mainly because they lack confidence in their own subject knowledge. The co-ordinator has begun to revise the scheme of work following detailed consultation with the teachers at both key stages. In the development plan, the school recognises the need to strengthen the co-ordinator’s subject expertise so that she can help the less-confident teachers more effectively.

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GEOGRAPHY

98. No lessons were observed in geography during the inspection. Judgements are based on a scrutiny of pupils’ work and teachers’ planning, and discussions with the pupils. In both key stages the pupils are interested in geography but discussions with the pupils indicate that by the time they leave the school standards are below those expected for their age.

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GEOGRAPHY

99. In Key Stage 1 the pupils learn about their local area including the school grounds and how to make a plan of their classroom. They learn to identify the differences between their own area and a contrasting seaside location. In Key Stage 2, the pupils study the local area, weather and the water cycle, and St. Lucia in the Caribbean. Year 6 pupils have the opportunity to investigate geographical and environmental issues when they take part in a residential visit to Glyn Ceirog in Wales. The pupils have opportunities to read maps, find different countries and regions on a world map and relate them to a globe. However, they are unable to explain the use of lines of latitude and longitude or to recall the reasons for variations in weather in different parts of the world. The pupils have a limited understanding of geographical vocabulary,

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GEOGRAPHY

100. The school has a policy for geography in place and long term planning which uses a local authority scheme of work. The school intends to match this scheme with the framework suggested by Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. At present geography is taught in half- yearly blocks, this restricts the progression and continuity of learning in geography because the pupils re-visit areas of learning long after each block or topic. Visits are made to a range of places to investigate geographical features being studied and there are adequate resources to support the work done in school. The subject makes a satisfactory contribution to the cultural provision of the pupils.

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HISTORY

101. Pupils in both key stages attain standards in history expected for their age. This is a good improvement since the previous inspection. All pupils, including those with special educational needs make good gains in historical knowledge and understanding. By the end of Key Stage 2, their ability to organise and communicate through writing is also appropriate for their age. Manor Primary School - 37 Gains in historical knowledge and enquiry in Key Stage 1 are mostly made through practical activities. Pupils in both key stages enjoy history and find it interesting.

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HISTORY

102. By the end of Key Stage 1, pupils know about past events and periods in British history and how people lived in the more distant past, such as the Romans, Celts and Anglo-Saxons. The school made good use of resources during a Victorian Day. The Year 2 teacher dressed up as a Victorian teacher. The pupils responded enthusiastically and enjoyed talking about dressing up as Victorian children. Resources are well used. The collection of Victorian toys is attractive and instructive. It enhances the pupils’ interest and helps them to understand how to find out about the past from a range of resources. They are learning to understand why people did things in the past and why events happened. For example, they understand why Boadicea preferred to take poison and sacrifice herself rather than becoming a slave.

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HISTORY

103. By the end of Key Stage 2, pupils understand the events which led up to the second world war and its effects. They have a secure understanding of the ‘miracle’ of Dunkirk and have empathy with the bravery of the fishermen who went out in ‘small boats’. This is revealed in their writing when they pretend they are soldiers who have been rescued and write letters to their families reassuring them that they are safe.

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HISTORY

104. In Year 1, the pupils’ understanding of chronology is good. They make comparisons about artefacts and can place them in order. In Year 4, the pupils learn about the differences between the life-styles of people in the country and town, rich and poor. They also learn to use primary and secondary resources. The imaginative use of a Tudor Weekly News - sheet about Sir Francis Drake and the Armada stimulates pupils’ interest. Pupils have good opportunities to discuss the features of Tudor ships and to discuss the flag linking it to the Union of England. Higher attaining pupils have an understanding of the importance of wind power for Francis Drake’s ships. They understand the differences in weaponry between then and now and features of the weaponry used at the time of the Armada.

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HISTORY

105. The quality of teaching is good and this is an improvement since the last inspection. One lesson observed was very good. The teacher enabled all the pupils to engage in discussion and ensured that they remained on task and that their writing was clear, resulting in thoughtfully set out writing of a very good standard. Teachers intertwine history and literacy to improve both subjects. They plan lessons well and have high expectations of the pupils.

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HISTORY

106. The management of the subject is satisfactory. The co-ordinator has monitored pupils’ work and is adjusting the curriculum to take account of the new National Curriculum 2000. The co- ordinator keeps herself informed by being a member of a history group and supports other teachers but there is a need for other members of staff to have in-service training related to the new curriculum.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

107. Attainment in information and communication technology (ICT) is in line with the standards expected for pupils by the end of Key Stage 2. This is a very good improvement since the last inspection, which found the provision for ICT to be unsatisfactory. By the end of Key Stage 1 standards are below those expected for pupils aged 7 years of age, but the pupils have made good progress in relation to their low level of attainment on entry to the school. They continue to make good progress throughout Key Stage 2 as a result of the improved teaching and the regular use of the school’s ICT suite, which is very well resourced and enhances the provision for ICT for all pupils. Manor Primary School - 38 108. The pupils in Key Stage 1 are using simple word processing and graphics programs to produce text and pictures. They can save and print their work and understand that the computer can be used to change text and re-organise information. Regular use of the ICT suite has enabled

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

the teachers to focus on basic computer skills and, as a result, the pupils in Years 1 and 2 can control a pointing device and manoeuvre around the computer keyboard searching for letters and symbols with increasing confidence and skill. In Year 2 the pupils are making good progress when using more advanced word processing skills. For example, during their weekly lesson in the ICT suite, the pupils were observed editing text by altering and refining sentences or moving text from a horizontal arrangement of words in to a list where the words are arranged vertically. Most of the pupils can change font style and can save their work on disk.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

109. In Key Stage 2, the pupils are making good progress in all aspects of ICT. Again, regular access to the ICT suite, together with skilled teaching and intervention, has enabled the pupils to develop a clear and structured understanding of turtle graphics, word processing, data handling and desk-top publishing. In Year 3 the pupils are beginning to use a range of “turtle graphics” skills using the computer’s “screen roamer” (a programmable robot presented on the computer screen). Year 6 pupils have developed a very good understanding of more advanced techniques, for example, routines, procedures and logical programming, to produce sequences of commands that will control the “turtle” to produce shapes. The pupils have gained a good understanding of basic computer programming and, as a result, are able to use routines and procedures to produce some complex patterns and shapes on the computer screen. Year 5 pupils have made good progress in a short space of time designing and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

producing newspaper articles, posters and word-processed documents. The pupils were observed using advanced desktop publishing skills to produce articles about a recent visit from a musician, describing the “Didjeridu man’s visit” and presenting this as a newspaper article by arranging text and pictures. The pupils can use the computer’s pointing device to click and drag pictures and text, producing good effects and enabling the pupils to re-arrange and organise the way the document is presented before saving and printing their work.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

110. The teaching is good. Teachers and support staff have developed a good understanding of how computers can be used to enhance the work that pupils do across a range of subjects and activities. For example, in Year 5, the pupils have produced word-processed accounts of their history work on “The Victorians” about the treatment of Victorian children. In Year 6, the pupils have used computers to support the work they have done related to the Second World War. They have also used simple data handling programs and spreadsheets to support the work they have done in mathematics. Regular access to the computer suite has enabled all classes to receive focused teaching with a structured programme of basic skills that builds on previous work and enables the pupils to improve their skills and understanding. There is a determination and willingness from all the staff to improve their own knowledge and

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

understanding of ICT and its capability. As a result the school is very well placed to use new technology and to build on the good progress made since the improvement in ICT resources.

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INFORMATION AND COMMUNICATION TECHNOLOGY

111. The school has made very good progress since the last inspection and the co-ordinator provides very good support, leads by her own good example and enables the staff and pupils to have access to new software and to experiment with new ideas. The headteacher and senior staff have ensured that improvements to the ICT curriculum have been supported through careful and thoughtful planning and targeted spending which has improved the level of resources considerably since the last inspection. The school is now very well placed to raise standards further because the staff are exploring different ways of enhancing the pupils’ learning using new technology and are receiving good support from the co-ordinator and staff who have expertise in the subject.

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MUSIC

Manor Primary School - 39 112. Standards in music are below those expected for pupils’ ages at the end of both key stages. The school has recently appointed a music co-ordinator and due to the lack of musical expertise amongst the staff, a music specialist is used on a part-time basis to teach music in Key Stage 2. The teaching seen during the inspection in one music lesson in Key Stage 2 was very good, resulting in the pupils making good progress. In Key Stage 1 pupils make satisfactory progress.

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MUSIC

113. The quality of singing in assemblies is variable but unsatisfactory overall because many pupils are unable to sing in tune or clap in time and depend very much on being led by older pupils or adults. The pupils are taught new songs every week and manage to sing in unison but their singing lacks range, pitch and timing. As a result, some pupils shout and find it difficult to distinguish between hard and soft tones. The music specialist uses good techniques which helps the pupils to keep time, for example, when singing in the round in two parts. However, the pupils have difficulty keeping time and rhythm when learning new songs because they are not always listening to others while singing, resulting in them losing the beat or pace of the song.

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MUSIC

114. Only two music lessons were observed, one in each key stage. In Year 1 the teaching was satisfactory with some strengths and weaknesses. Good use was made of tuned and untuned percussion instruments to help the pupils distinguish between long and short sounds. The teaching used good techniques that enabled the pupils to read symbols from a card and use hand gestures to demonstrate different sounds. The pupils made satisfactory progress but the lesson was somewhat repetitive and this did not help the pupils to focus their listening on particular sounds. In Key Stage 2, the music specialist was observed teaching a very good lesson in Year 6. Skilful intervention and very good use of recorded music enabled the pupils to develop their understanding of musical composition, timing and the use of percussion. This lesson enabled the pupils to make good progress because it was well structured and based on

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MUSIC

115. The pupils enjoy music; they try hard and persevere, especially when working in groups or with a partner. The teaching uses skilful questioning, a good range of music resources and the staff praise and value the efforts of the pupils. The school used to have a full-time teacher and this largely accounted for the satisfactory standards found in the last inspection. In order to raise standards a co-ordinator has recently taken up the responsibility for music. Good use is made of the part-time specialist but the school must improve the overall expertise of music amongst the staff in order to have an impact on standards in the future. A good start has been made because the school is using the recommended scheme of work produced by the Qualification and Curriculum Authority together with weekly singing practice led by the part- time music teacher.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

116. The school provides an appropriate programme of physical education and standards are in line with those expected for pupils at the end of both key stages. However, standards in swimming are low because the majority of Year 6 pupils are unable to swim 25 metres unaided. During the inspection it was only possible to see two physical education lessons in Key Stage 1.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

117. In Year 1 the pupils can adapt body movements during a dance lesson and improvise a sequence of movements to music. The focus of one lesson was on “Animals that jump” and the pupils could jump in time to the music but their movements were repetitive with little scope provided for them to experiment with other ideas. In Year 2, during a dance lesson, the Manor Primary School - 40 teaching was much more effective in enabling the pupils to learn traditional folk dances. As a result the pupils worked hard and persevered with a range of movements and sequences that were challenging and varied.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

118. The teaching is satisfactory in Year 1 and good in Year 2. The pupils make good progress in relation to their attainment on entry to the school. The school organises a number of clubs and sporting activities; these include dance, keep-fit, major and minor games such as football and netball. Satisfactory use is made of resources and the school has just adopted the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority’s recommended scheme of work.

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PHYSICAL EDUCATION

119. The co-ordinator monitors teachers’ planning and has led school based in-service training on how to plan using the scheme of work. She produces an annual action plan which is of good quality. This sets out the need for future training to improve staff confidence and competence in teaching the subject. There are plans to use the expertise of specialist staff in order to share and develop best practice by working alongside colleagues.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

120. At the time of the last inspection, the pupils at both key stages attained standards below those expected of pupils aged seven and eleven. Standards have improved since then and are now average for seven and eleven-year-olds.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

121. At the age of seven, the pupils know about some of the major Christian and Hindu religious festivals such as Advent and Diwali. They understand that light has symbolic significance in both of them. For example, they know that the candles on Christingles represent the light of Christ, and that the lights of Diwali stand for the presence of God. They know that both Christians and Hindus send religious greetings cards to celebrate important festivals. By the age of eleven, the pupils’ attainment matches the expectations of the agreed syllabus. The pupils understand that many world religions have similar teachings about man’s relationship to the Divine and to one another. They successfully explore these in the context of what they learn about Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism, Sikhism and Islam.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

122. The quality of the teaching is satisfactory overall and one good lesson was observed in Year 5. The lessons are well planned to take account of the pupils’ knowledge and experience. The teaching provides many opportunities for the pupils to learn from first hand experience. For example, the pupils in Years 1 and 2 learn about symbolism when they make Christingles from oranges. They decorate them with candles, dried fruit, sweets and red ribbons and learn what each item represents. They use their completed Christingles in a Christmas assembly. This helps them to understand how physical things are used in religious ceremonies to signify spiritual ideas. The teachers use a good range of methods to catch the imagination of their pupils. In the lesson in Year 5, for example, the pupils were inspired by copies of paintings by William Hole depicting events from the Christmas story. The teacher used skilful questioning

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

to elicit a good range of responses from the pupils that helped them to link the paintings with the biblical accounts they portrayed. As a result, the pupils spoke enthusiastically and knowledgeably about what the painting conveyed and how well they represented the Christmas story.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

123. The pupils take pride in their work because the teaching provides them with many opportunities to present it attractively and prominently in large displays. The Key Stage 1 pupils, for example, are proud of the wall displays in the hall. These include a large Advent calendar, a display celebrating the idea that everyone is special to God, and colourful and informative displays about the Hindu festival of Diwali. The pupils’ medhi and rangoli patterns are imaginative and accurately drawn. The teachers expect the pupils to think for Manor Primary School - 41 themselves and to relate the work they do in lessons to their every-day-lives. As a result, the pupils in Year 6 are able relate the stories and miracles of Jesus to the opportunities they have to help others less fortunate than they are. For example, the pupils are very proud of the number of gift boxes they send to the children in Romania.

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

124. One of the strengths of the teaching is the success the teachers have in providing contexts in which the pupils can come to understand difficult religious ideas. The Year 6 pupils, for example, spoke with insight about what they had learned about prayer from the opportunities they had been given to talk to someone who believed that prayer had helped her to come to terms with a difficult moment in her life. The pupils respond well to the teachers’ expectations of them to work hard and learn as much as they can. This was particularly evident in a Year 3 lesson when the pupils gained a good understanding of how some children are less fortunate than they are. They listened intently to an account of the difficulties in the life of a Romanian orphan. They were amazed to learn that when he was given an Easter egg he ate it still wrapped in its paper because he had never seen chocolate. The teaching often provides the

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

pupils with opportunities to act on the knowledge and insights they gain in lessons such as these. This helps the pupils to understand the moral dimension to religious belief, expressed as a responsibility to care for those in need. The lessons and the teachers’ plans and discussions with pupils show that the teaching provides a balanced range of learning activities. In all lessons, the teachers make clear to pupils their expectations of behaviour. The pupils respond well to them. As a result, the teachers spend very little time managing the pupils. This allows them to work with groups or individual pupils with very few interruptions. The teachers make effective links with literacy by providing good opportunities for the pupils to read and respond to stories, and to write for a purpose such as sending greetings cards for Christmas and Diwali. They adapt the demands of the writing tasks well to the needs of each ability group

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

and introduce important religious terms carefully, often displaying them on cards for reference, or including them on worksheets. The teaching has no significant weaknesses

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RELIGIOUS EDUCATION

125. The subject is managed satisfactorily. The co-ordinator has ensured that teachers’ planning is based upon the locally agreed syllabus and that the teachers have a good range of resources to support their work. The teachers make effective use of these as well as resources in the community such as local churches and the expertise of religious leaders. Because the teachers help the pupils to make links between what they learn in class with their own lives and with the lives of people in the wider community, the subject makes a good contribution to the pupils’ spiritual, moral, social and cultural development.

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