Manor Primary School

MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Dates of inspection: 4 – 6 November 2002

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MANOR PRIMARY SCHOOL

Short 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: Drayton Lane Drayton Bassett Tamworth Staffordshire

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Appropriate authority: The Governing Body

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Name of chair of governors: Mr Philip Millard

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Date of previous inspection: 1 – 4 December 1997 [ Manor Primary School ] 4

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Team members 10859 Mrs O.M. Cooper Registered inspector 9505 Mr D. Haynes Lay inspector 29504 Mrs S. Herring Team inspector

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

North West Education Services Cheshire House 164 Main Road Goostrey Cheshire CW4 8JP

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

The Complaints Manager Inspection Quality Division

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE INSPECTION TEAM

Alexandra House 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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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

Manor Primary is smaller than most community, primary schools providing education for 101 full-time pupils; 54 boys and 47 girls in the 4 to 11 age ranges. The majority of pupils live in private housing or rented accommodation close to the school, in surrounding villages or on farms. Overall there is a wide spread of family backgrounds represented. There is a high proportion of pupils from minority ethnic groups, with pupils of Indian and Chinese heritage and some from mixed ethnic groups. Six of these pupils speak English as an additional language, one is in the early stages of learning English. There is one pupil from a traveller family, who had moved to winter quarters at the time of the inspection. The proportion of pupils identified as having special educational needs is below the national average, with most having moderate or specific learning difficulties. A below average proportion of pupils is entitled to claim free

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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SCHOOL

school meals. Attainment on entry is above average in most years. The school is working towards gaining Investors in People status, to acknowledge the commitment of all staff to raising standards in the school.

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HOW GOOD THE SCHOOL IS

This is a very effective school providing a very good quality of education for its pupils in a supportive and caring environment. Overall standards of work are well above average by the time the pupils leave the school. This is because the school is very well led and managed; the teaching is good; pupils are happy and have very good attitudes to school and work. The school is very efficient and provides very good value for money.

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What the school does well

• Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6. • The teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well. • The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a strong staff team totally committed to supporting the pupils. • The very good attitudes and behaviour, and above average attendance rates help pupils to maintain good progress. • The school’s very close partnership with parents contributes well to the standards pupils’ achieve.

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What could be improved

• Pupils’ accuracy in spelling. • The presentation of pupils’ work. • Opportunities for pupils to use computers in lessons. 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 was last inspected in December 1997. Since that time good improvement has been made and action taken to overcome the issues raised in the previous report has been largely successful. Standards in design and technology are above average and in information and communication technology are average, showing improvement in both subjects by the end of Year 6. Statutory requirements for teaching both subjects are fully met. Very effective assessment procedures have been implemented and are supporting the drive to raise standards. The planning and provision for the oldest pupils in the school have improved, with some reorganisation of the pupils to ensure work set is closely matched to the attainment of the pupils. In addition the overall quality of teaching has improved, the curriculum has been enriched, and the leadership and management of the school have improved significantly. [ Manor Primary School ] 7

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STANDARDS

The table shows the standards achieved by pupils at the end of Year 6 based on average point scores in National Curriculum tests.

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Key

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

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Key

Overall standards at the end of the Foundation Stage are above average. Children in the reception class make very good progress and achieve very well. Most children are on course to achieve, and a significant number to exceed, the national targets by the end of the year in language and number, their understanding of the world, and in their physical, personal and creative development. The school’s 2002 results of National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 2 were well above the national average in reading, with the proportion of pupils exceeding the expected level also being well above the national average. In writing, standards were average. Assessment of these pupils on entry showed their writing skills to be significantly weaker and pupils have achieved well. Standards in mathematics were above average as all pupils reached the expected level, but the proportion of pupils exceeding this level was well below the national average and depressed the overall results. Current standards of work in Year

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Key

2 are above average in reading, writing and mathematics, and pupils are achieving well. Results at the end of Year 6 in 2002 were well above the national average in mathematics and above the national average in English and science. In English, there is some weakness in pupils’ accuracy in spelling, which is affecting overall standards in their writing. The content of their written stories is good, but the untidy handwriting and unsatisfactory presentation spoil good quality work for too many pupils. There is no consistent approach to marking or correcting spelling errors, as the marking policy is too vague. Spellings set for homework are not reinforced sufficiently in lessons. Standards of work among the current Year 6 pupils are well above average in English, mathematics and science, and pupils are achieving well, although the weaknesses above remain. Because of the small numbers in year groups and the uneven distribution of pupils with special educational

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Key

needs, standards fluctuate from year to year at the end of Year 2 and Year 6, as one pupil equates to several percentage points. Nevertheless, the school’s trend in improvement is broadly in line with the national trend. Scrutiny of the test results at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 for the pupils who left the school in July 2002 shows most made the expected rate of progress and several made better than expected progress. Overall achievement was good. A small number of pupils joined the school in Year 5 and could not make up the lost ground before taking the national tests. The school achieved the targets set in 2002 and is on course to achieve those set for 2003.

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Aspect Comment

Attitudes to the school Very good. Pupils enjoy coming to school and are keen to do well.

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Aspect Comment

Behaviour, in and out of classrooms Very good. In lessons, at playtimes and lunchtimes, behaviour is very good. There have been no exclusions for unacceptable behaviour in the latest reporting period.

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Aspect Comment

Personal development and relationships Very good. Pupils willingly accept responsibility. Levels of respect for one another are high. The pupils are courteous and there is a strong [ Manor Primary School ] 8 sense of community in the school.

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Aspect Comment

Attendance Good. Above the national average.

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

Quality of teaching Very good Good Good 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 in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

The quality of teaching and pupils’ learning is good overall. The teaching throughout the school meets the learning needs of pupils well. The teaching in English and mathematics is good, apart from the emphasis on accurate spelling and neat handwriting. Numeracy and literacy skills are taught well, but insufficient attention is given to ensuring pupils use their knowledge of spelling patterns in all their written work. Overall strengths in the teaching are in the clear identification of what pupils are expected to learn; skilful questioning which challenges pupils’ thinking; very effective deployment of teaching assistants, the management of pupils and use of resources. Teachers’ expectations of the way pupils present their work are not always high enough and there is insufficient use of computers to support pupils’ learning. Teachers evaluate their lessons and use this information to plan activities to help pupils to deepen their

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Teaching of pupils in: Reception Years 1 – 2 Years 3 – 6

understanding, acquire knowledge and reach their targets. The teaching of pupils with special educational needs and those with English as an additional language is good; they are well supported in lessons. In response to the teaching, pupils work hard and at a good pace to complete their tasks. They have very good knowledge of their learning and what they need to do to improve.

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Aspect Comment

The quality and range of the curriculum Good. All subjects of the National Curriculum and religious education are taught and the provision meets statutory requirements. A wide range of extra-curricular activities, visits and visitors enhance the provision.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with special educational needs Good for all pupils, whatever the difficulty. The provision is well managed by the co-ordinator. Pupils’ individual education plans are detailed, maintained well and provide challenging targets. Clear records show the good progress made by most of these pupils.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils with English as an additional language Good. Pupils are supported well by their class teachers, who check they understand the vocabulary being used. Pupils in the early stages of learning to speak English are well catered for through individual tasks to meet their specific needs.

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Aspect Comment

Provision for pupils’ personal, including spiritual, moral, social and cultural development Very good in all aspects. Pupils gain very good insights into values and beliefs; are very effectively taught right from wrong. Community values are very strongly promoted, with high levels of mutual respect evident. A very good range of opportunities is provided for pupils to learn about Western and other cultures and traditions.

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Aspect Comment

How well the school cares for its pupils Good. Child protection procedures are securely in place and there is a high regard for pupils’ health and safety. Arrangements for assessing pupils’ attainment and progress are very good and identify areas where [ Manor Primary School ] 9 further improvement can be made.

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Aspect Comment

Leadership and management by the headteacher and other key staff Very good. The headteacher provides clear direction for the work of the school and leads by example. The curriculum co-ordinators provide good support and make an effective contribution to school self- evaluation and review procedures.

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Aspect Comment

How well the governors fulfil their responsibilities Very well. The governors fulfil all their statutory responsibilities, with the exception of providing a job description for the headteacher. They have a very efficient committee structure and minutes of all meetings are kept, showing clearly the decisions made. The play an active part in determining the priorities contained in the school development plan and do much to support the headteacher.

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Aspect Comment

The school’s evaluation of its performance Very good. The headteacher has introduced very good systems to check the quality of teaching and pupils’ work. Pupils have targets for improvement in English and mathematics, which are reviewed each term.

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Aspect Comment

The strategic use of resources Very good. The governors know what they want for the school and make decisions in the best interests of the pupils. They give full consideration to obtaining the best value for money and the impact of their decisions on pupils’ learning.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

• Their children like coming to school. • The children are expected to work hard and do their best. • The teaching is good. • The school is well led and managed. • The children become mature and responsible. • The arrangements for setting homework.

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What pleases parents most What parents would like to see improved

The inspectors fully support the parents’ positive views of the school. Arrangements for setting homework are satisfactory and follow national guidelines. Information on the school’s homework policy is contained in the prospectus, a letter is usually sent out by each class teacher at the beginning of the year giving the homework to be set and arrangements for returning it. Pupils record their homework in the diaries provided and homework returned is marked, put into pupil files and shown to parents on open evenings. [ Manor Primary School ] 10

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

1. Most children receive pre-school education in a local nursery which helps them to make a good start to their education in the reception class, building on their pre-school experiences. The curriculum in the reception class has been improved in line with recent national guidelines and advice sought from local authority inspectors. It links well with the early stages of the National Curriculum. The curriculum enables the children to make very good progress, particularly in their personal, literacy and numeracy skills. Through a wide range of experiences and opportunities to explore and investigate, they acquire knowledge of the world around them, develop their independence in making decisions and learn to work with others. A literacy activity observed showed the children can form letters correctly when writing and copy an adult’s writing successfully. By the end of the year in the reception class, most children are on

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

course to achieve and a significant number to exceed the national targets in language and literacy and in their mathematical and personal development. Overall attainment is securely above average.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

2. Pupils in Years 1 and 2 continue to build systematically on their previous learning experiences, make good progress and achieve well. When scrutinising the progress of individual pupils from assessment results on entry to their attainment at the end of Year 2, good progress and achievement are confirmed. For the pupils in Year 2 who took the National Curriculum tests in 2002, all pupils made the expected rate of progress in mathematics and four made better progress (33 per cent). This led to all pupils achieving the expected level or higher, with no pupils just reaching level 2, but all achieving level 2B or above. In reading and writing, all pupils excluding those with special educational needs made at least the expected rate of progress with almost one half making good progress in reading and over a half making good progress in writing. Overall standards in reading were well above the national average as 45 per cent of

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

pupils reached the higher level. In writing, despite the good progress overall standards were broadly average. This is because the assessment of these pupils on entry showed writing skills to be particularly weak. Eleven out of the fourteen pupils admitted had scores that were below average and they did well to reach the expected level by the end of Year 2, but only just did so. Very few pupils reached the higher level or good level 2s, which depressed the overall standards. Current standards in Year 2 are better and above average in writing. The training undertaken by staff in the previous year is showing in their confidence in teaching writing skills. Current standards in reading and mathematics are similar to those found last year, but with slightly more pupils working at the higher level.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

3. Pupils continue to make good progress in Years 3 to 6. In the National Curriculum tests at the end of Year 6 in 2002, the results in mathematics were well above the national average at the expected level and the higher level. One pupil achieved particularly high standards for an eleven year old. All pupils achieved the expected level, or higher in science, which was well above the national average, and placed the school in the top five per cent of schools at this level. However, the proportion reaching the higher level in science was below the national average and reduced the overall standards. In English, results were above the national average, but the lower proportion exceeding the expected level again prevented them being well above average. Standards among the current Year 6 pupils are higher and well above those expected, as almost one half of the pupils are on course to achieve the higher level in English and

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

mathematics and an above average proportion are likely to reach the expected level.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

4. By the end of Year 6, pupils have very good speaking and listening skills. Many are articulate in class discussions, use a wide range of vocabulary and display good levels of maturity in their responses. They listen attentively to the ideas and opinions of others and to their teachers. Most are confident, fluent readers and they use these skills well to support their work in all other subjects. For example in a Year 5/6 literacy lesson, pupils read a chapter from the selected text following the punctuation and reading confidently and accurately. Their responses to questions showed good understanding of what they had read. Pupils write for different purposes, for example writing letters, accounts, newspaper articles and creating their own stories, which they do well, using different ways to hold the reader’s interest. [ Manor Primary School ] 11 5. Pupils have very good numeracy skills and by the end of Year 6 are confident in using the four rules of

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

number and applying them to fractions, decimals and percentages. Pupils are given very good opportunities to explain how they solved problems and this improves their depth of understanding. Tight time limits are set in lessons, which maintain a good pace of work throughout, as pupils then work quickly to complete their tasks on time. Pupils have a good understanding of mathematical vocabulary, for example when solving a problem by interpreting data in graphs and charts, pupils talked about the ‘frequency’ of events. Pupils can rotate shapes in all four quadrants and complete long multiplication and division questions accurately. They have many opportunities to carry out investigations, for example when investigating lines of symmetry and tangrams and this helps them to make good progress.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

6. In science, pupils have good subject knowledge for their age and are confident in devising and carrying out investigations. For example Year 5 and 6 pupils carried out an investigation into soil types. They investigated the components of different types of soil and then linked their findings to farming and which soil farmers would prefer to grow crops in. This linked their new learning to everyday situations and made it more meaningful. Pupils struggled to work out why tractors have large tyres with a deep tread, but the skilful questioning by the teacher led them to use their new knowledge to work out the answer. Pupils use correct scientific vocabulary in their explanations, such as humus and loam. The National Curriculum programme of study is covered in depth and pupils acquire a good body of knowledge about life processes and living things, materials and their properties and physical processes.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

The teaching is good and enables pupils to achieve well.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

7. The well above average standards being attained by the pupils in Year 6 reflect the good overall quality of the teaching. No unsatisfactory lessons were seen. Eight out of ten lessons are good or better; this includes three in ten that are very good. Two out of ten lessons are satisfactory. There is good teaching throughout the school and examples of very good teaching in Years 1, 2, 5 and 6. The overall teaching in the reception class is very good and enables the children to settle into school routines quickly and to begin to work with others. The children’s personal, social and emotional development is particularly good as the teacher and teaching assistant have very good relationships with the children. There is a good balance between activities the children can choose for themselves and those led by adults. The on-going assessment of pupils’ attainment leads to activities that are carefully planned and closely matched to the

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

learning needs of individual children. Early identification of children with possible learning difficulties leads to early intervention. For example, a child with English as an additional language has been assessed in his first language on entry to determine the level of support needed and external agencies are providing additional guidance.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

8. The teaching in literacy and numeracy is good overall and meets the learning needs of all pupils, except for spelling and handwriting, which are commented on in greater detail later in the report. The National Literacy and Numeracy Strategies are continuing to have a positive effect on teaching. The additional training undertaken in teaching grammar for writing and the use of other national strategies to boost the performance of selected pupils who can achieve more is evident in the standards being achieved in Year 6. The content of pupils’ stories is good as they have clear understanding of how different authors create suspense, or a feeling of anticlimax. The structure and techniques used in literacy and numeracy lessons have been transferred to lessons in other subjects, which has helped to improve the quality of teaching.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

9. There is little variation in the pace of learning between different year groups. All teaching seen in the Year 1 and 2 class was good or better and enables all pupils capable of doing so to reach the expected level or higher by the end of Year 2. Some pupils with statements of special educational needs reach the expected level, for example in mathematics in 2002. In Years 3 to 6, three out of four lessons are good, including one very good lesson and the remainder are satisfactory. Slower pace and an overlong introduction led to teaching being only satisfactory. In all year groups, except reception, insufficient use is made of computers to support pupils’ learning and the development of skills in information and communication technology. [ Manor Primary School ] 12 10. The pace of learning in literacy and numeracy is good overall, but accelerates where pupils receive additional support in small groups to boost their performance. The teaching assistants have been trained to

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

lead groups using additional materials and this group work helps most of these pupils to keep up with their peers. The school’s assessment procedures track the progress of pupils from year to year and so any not making sufficient progress are highlighted for support. This enables all pupils to reach the expected levels in National Curriculum tests in some years, for example in mathematics at the end of Year 2 and science at the end of Year 6 in 2002.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

11. The key factors in the good teaching are in the lesson planning, skilful questioning, management of pupils, deployment of teaching assistants and use of time and resources. The learning aims of lessons are written up and shared with pupils at the beginning so they are clear about what they are expected to learn from lessons. Teachers use time towards the end of lessons well to check if pupils have made as much progress as they should, or to reinforce the new learning. The weekly lesson plans in English and mathematics include activities at three levels of complexity and in addition show how the needs of pupils with learning difficulties are to be met. Where planning needs to be amended to meet the learning needs of pupils, teachers make notes on their planning sheets. The arrangements for grouping pupils in English and mathematics in Years 3 to 6, based on what pupils already know and can do, is working well, with

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

some pupils working with older ones to ensure sufficient challenge in English and mathematics. This enables those capable of reaching levels well above those expected for their age to do so.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

12. In a very good literacy lesson with pupils from Years 5 and 6, the knowledge and understanding of all pupils were very well extended by carefully phrased and targeted questions. The choice of text, ‘The Firework Maker’s Daughter’, was appropriate for the time of year, appealed to both boys and girls and maintained their interest. The clear explanation of the task set, along with the additional challenge of including given conjunctions in their writing provided sufficient challenge. The use of ‘writing partners’ to check each other’s writing met the teacher’s expectations was also effective in improving pupils’ work.

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Standards in English, mathematics and science are well above average in Year 6

13. Good lessons in science resulted from the teachers’ secure subject knowledge and enthusiasm for the subject. Strong emphasis is placed on developing pupils’ investigative skills, an improvement since the previous inspection. Pupils are very aware of their pace of learning as targets are set for each lesson and most have targets for improvement each term inside their English, mathematics and, in some classes, science book covers, which are referred to in the marking of their work.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

strong staff team totally committed to supporting the pupils.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

14. The headteacher provides very good direction for the work of the school and leads by example. Her enthusiasm for the job, and total commitment to the children and the school community are reflected in the confidence of parents, staff and pupils and the standards achieved. The headteacher relentlessly pursues issues of concern in order to provide the best possible for the pupils in her care and to ensure the school’s aims are met successfully. For example, talks are currently taking place over further extension of the school building to provide another classroom, as one class is accommodated in part of the school hall, which restricts space for physical education lessons. With the support of the senior teacher, the headteacher has maintained a positive climate for learning, which is characterised by high expectations of the teachers’ work, and pupils’ efforts, behaviour and achievement. Consequently, the staff feel valued,

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

pupils respond well to their teachers and parents are very satisfied with the work of the school.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

15. Since the current headteacher took up the post, the school has expanded and a fourth class has been created. This has made planning more manageable for the teachers. Teaching staff have been carefully selected, good appointments made and this has led to a very cohesive staff team who are totally committed to the pupils and very supportive of each other. The headteacher is an inspirational leader, who motivates others to follow her very good example.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

16. The management of the school is equally effective. Performance management procedures have been implemented well and have improved the teaching and pupils’ learning. The school has an effective [ Manor Primary School ] 13 programme for checking teaching and pupils’ learning and progress, and has made good use of support available from the local authority’s advisors and inspectors in developing these procedures.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

17. The governors are knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities and provide very good support for the headteacher and staff. This is particularly important in a small school that does not have a deputy headteacher. They pursue issues on behalf of the school, which allows the headteacher to carry out her teaching uninterrupted. They make full use of the expertise of individual governors when forming their committees, which ensures the committee structure is efficient in feeding decisions into the full governing body meetings. They fulfil all their statutory obligations with the exception of providing a written job description for the headteacher, although the national standards for headteachers have been discussed and expectations made known to her. A job description is required to which the headteacher can be held accountable.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

18. The current headteacher has improved the organisation of pupils into classes, and the assessment procedures so as to track the progress of each pupil from entry to when they leave the school. The information gained is used well to highlight pupils who have not made sufficient progress over the year and require a boost to their performance to help them to catch up. Support within small groups is provided and is usually successful in helping selected pupils to make better progress. Targets for pupils at the end of Year 6 are based on reliable information and progress towards them is reviewed annually. Pupils’ performance in individual questions in mathematics tests is analysed and the curriculum is amended if any gaps in pupils’ knowledge or weakness in skills are identified. Some subject co-ordinators monitor teaching when subjects are priority areas for review as they have been trained to carry out their roles and

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

responsibilities effectively. Further training or coaching is provided to improve teaching where necessary. New entrants to the profession are very well supported and given time to develop their practice through training, mentoring or coaching.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

19. The school improvement plan is a good document for driving school improvement, with priority areas determined from the review of the previous plan, thorough analysis of test results and consultation with staff and governors. The 2002/3 plan recognises the improvement in pupils’ academic skills and the need to focus on how children learn best in order to help the to improve their rate of progress. To this end, training for all staff is planned to develop teaching strategies further and add interest and motivation for the pupils. This shows a school always seeking to improve upon its current performance.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

20. The school makes very good strategic use of its financial and other resources to provide the best possible education for its pupils. The financial plan links closely to the priorities for development in the school improvement plan. Teaching assistants are very effectively deployed, for example in working with small groups in the computer suite or to boost the performance of selected pupils in reading and writing using the Additional Literacy Strategy. Specific grants for the training of teachers and for pupils with special educational needs are used well. Teachers receive relevant training to help in developing aspects of the school. For example, in the last year, training has been undertaken to improve the teaching of writing in Years 3 to 6, with the outcomes evident in the good content of pupils’ written work. The funding for pupils with special educational needs is used efficiently to provide some time for the co-

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

ordinator to monitor the implementation and success of individual education plans and to liaise with external agencies and parents and so maintain the good provision. The governors have a good knowledge of how this school compares with others, both in terms of standards and costs and they apply the principles of best value well. The most recent auditor’s report praised the school for the many strengths in its financial procedures and records.

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The school is very well led and managed, with a focus on raising standards and developing a

21. The leadership and management of the school have improved since the previous inspection. The more open approach of the current headteacher has resulted in governors being better informed of the life and work of the school, allowing them to fulfil their roles and responsibilities more effectively. Members of staff are more involved in decision making and therefore have more ownership of and commitment to developments within the school. This commitment has in turn helped in the drive to raise standards. [ Manor Primary School ] 14

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The very good attitudes and behaviour, and above average attendance rates help pupils to

22. The responses to the parents’ questionnaire show that all parents think their child likes school, including 77 per cent who hold this view strongly. The pupils’ responses to lessons confirm the views of parents. In all lessons the pupils worked hard and showed enthusiasm, as they wanted to succeed. They are interested and responsive in oral discussions and usually when they work independently or in small groups, they sustain concentration, discussing the activity sensibly, or checking with others that their work meets the teachers’ expectations. Pupils are keen to participate in the extra-curricular activities and take the opportunities to use the library at lunchtimes.

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The very good attitudes and behaviour, and above average attendance rates help pupils to

23. Behaviour is very good in lessons, at lunchtime and at playtimes. That is the expectation of teachers and other staff and is very much part of the ethos of the school. There was only one lesson in which a teaching assistant had cause to speak to pupils about their behaviour. The situation was very well managed, resolved to the satisfaction of the pupils involved and the lesson continued with little disruption. In a whole school assembly, all pupils listened intently to how two pupils from minority ethnic groups had celebrated Divali with their families, and to the story of Rama and Sita. They responded well to questions and waited patiently for their turn to speak.

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The very good attitudes and behaviour, and above average attendance rates help pupils to

24. Relationships between pupils are very good. Around the school, pupils are most helpful and show concern for those younger than themselves. There are good levels of mutual respect and courtesy as staff set good examples for them. They take on responsibilities willingly, for example in raising funds to support a child in Bangladesh, organising a school quiz, or as members of the school council, responding to the views and ideas of others. They show initiative in organising school events to raise funds. For example, the school council are currently seeking ways to raise funds for playground equipment. Parents spoke highly of the caring, community ethos and stated that incidents of bullying were rare and usually dealt with swiftly and members of the school council also agreed. There have been no exclusions in the latest reporting period.

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The very good attitudes and behaviour, and above average attendance rates help pupils to

25. The attendance rate at the school is above the national average and unauthorised absence is below average. Parents understand the importance of regular attendance and support the school by not taking undue holidays in term time. The very positive attitudes and behaviour and regular attendance make a significant contribution to pupils’ progress and attainment.

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The school’s very close partnership with parents contributes well to the standards pupils

26. The school’s partnership with parents is very good and has been maintained since the previous inspection. The parents’ questionnaires show parents’ views of the school are excellent. All parents who returned the questionnaires agreed that their children like school; are expected to work hard and that they become mature and responsible. At the pre-inspection meeting with parents, those present were particularly pleased with the strong sense of community within the school and the approachability of the staff. Parents feel able to express their views and opinions of the school, knowing that they will be listened to and action taken wherever possible.

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The school’s very close partnership with parents contributes well to the standards pupils

27. The parents raise substantial sums of money for the school, which help to provide additional resources, such as the recent purchase of a television and netball posts. Each class teacher has recently been asked for a list of equipment that they would like the association to purchase for them, in order to improve the resources available in each classroom. Parents make a significant contribution in lessons by working alongside teachers and teaching assistants. For example, in a literacy hour with pupils from Years 3, 4 and 5, such help led to an adult being available to support each group of pupils. This maintained the pace of the lesson and helped each group of pupils to make good progress in planning their stories about noises that frighten them at night. [ Manor Primary School ] 15 28. The contribution of parents to children’s learning at home is very good and is a factor in the standards achieved. Parents are very supportive in hearing pupils read and in the completion of homework. Parents

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The school’s very close partnership with parents contributes well to the standards pupils

of pupils with special educational needs are fully involved in reviews of their child’s progress and most are very pleased with the support their children receive. The school pursues any parents’ concerns about their children not making sufficient progress, requesting external support or additional funding. However, the local authority does not always respond as the parents wish and the school does its best to meet the individual needs of each pupil. Very detailed records of progress made by these pupils are available for parents at review meetings. Parents from minority ethnic groups visit the school to discuss their cultural traditions and beliefs and this enhances the curricular provision and helps to prepare pupils well for life in our multi-cultural society. The growing and improving reputation of the school within the community has led to parents removing their children from independent schools to send them to Manor, and those spoken

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The school’s very close partnership with parents contributes well to the standards pupils

to were very happy with the way their children had settled in and the progress they were making.

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Pupils’ accuracy in spelling

29. The school’s literacy policy does not state how spelling is to be taught in the school. In Years 1 and 2, spelling patterns form part of literacy hours and pupils are frequently reminded of these patterns when writing in other subjects. Pupils are given words to learn for homework on a regular basis and are encouraged to look at the words, then cover them up while they write them down, before checking they have written them correctly. Whilst pupils are tested to check that they have learned the spellings, in Years 3 to 6, they are not reminded of the spelling patterns learned, as they should be when writing in English and other subjects.

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Pupils’ accuracy in spelling

30. The school’s marking policy is too vague, stating that ‘corrections of work will be at the discretion of the teacher’. The marking of pupils’ work in Years 3 to 6 rarely focuses on inaccurate spelling and there is no consistent approach as to how pupils should correct their inaccuracies. Words spelt incorrectly in titles, for example, are rarely corrected. There was evidence in the scrutiny of work from Year 6 pupils that they do not understand some basic spelling patterns, such as removing the final letter ‘e’ on words before adding ‘ing’, consequently pupils were writing ‘useing’ and ‘writeing’.

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Pupils’ accuracy in spelling

31. The lack of a clear policy for teaching spelling and a whole school approach to correcting inaccuracies is hindering pupils’ accuracy in spelling.

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The presentation of pupils’ work

32. There is no clear policy for teaching pupils to join letters and so develop a fluent joined style of writing. There is evidence in handwriting books that this is happening, but far too many pupils in Year 6 have reverted to printing because teachers do not insist that pupils persevere in developing cursive writing. As a result, the presentation of pupils’ work is untidy and letters are poorly formed.

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The presentation of pupils’ work

33. The school policy on presentation, contained within subject policies such as English, states that pupils should use pens in Years 5 and 6. As a result pupils use pens in mathematics when drawing graphs and in science when drawing diagrams which is undesirable and leads to some untidy work. Teachers’ expectations of the way pupils present their work in Years 3 to 6 are not high enough.

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The use of computers in lessons

34. During the inspection pupils in Years 5 and 6 were seen using the computer suite to develop their skills in multimedia presentations as part of their information and communication technology lessons. The children in reception improved their skills in controlling a mouse when they moved the jig saw pieces to complete pictures of divas. However, insufficient use is made of the computers available at other times to support work in other subjects. Only in the reception class was a computer in use most of the time and evidence in displays of the use of computers to support the children’s learning about the world around [ Manor Primary School ] 16 them. In the lessons observed in Years 1 to 6 a computer was used in one literacy lesson only to support pupils’ learning. The scrutiny of pupils’ work and the displays around the school, with the exception of the computer suite, showed little evidence of the use of computers to support learning in other subjects. Pupils

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The use of computers in lessons

with special educational needs have more opportunities than other pupils to use computers to record their work, which helps them to make good progress towards their targets. This is because one computer has been provided specifically for this purpose.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

35. In order to build on the improvements made in recent years and improve further the teaching and standards achieved, the headteacher supported by the staff and governors should:

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(1) improve the accuracy of pupils’ spelling by: • implementing a clear policy for teaching spelling; • increasing the detail in the marking policy to ensure consistency in marking and correcting inaccurate spelling; • reinforcing spelling patterns in all lessons and expecting pupils to spell words accurately once a pattern has been learned. Discussed in paragraphs 29, 30, 31.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(2) improve the presentation of pupils’ work by: • implementing a whole school policy for teaching handwriting; • expecting pupils to transfer their handwriting skills to lessons in all subjects; • insisting pupils join letters and develop a fluent joined style to writing to aid the recording of their work; • using pencils when drawing diagrams, graphs and recording work in mathematics. Discussed in paragraphs 32, 33.

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WHAT SHOULD THE SCHOOL DO TO IMPROVE FURTHER?

(3) provide more opportunities for pupils to use computers in lessons to support learning in all subjects by; • increasing the number of computers in the school to provide at least one in all classrooms and ensuring they are used effectively to support pupils’ learning in all subjects. Discussed in paragraphs 9, 34. [ Manor Primary School ] 17

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Summary of the sources of evidence for the inspection

Number of discussions with staff, governors, other adults and pupils 6

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

Excellent Very good Good Satisfactory Unsatisfactory Poor Very Poor

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Summary of teaching observed during the inspection

The table gives the number and percentage of lessons observed in each of the seven categories used to make judgements about teaching. Care should be taken when interpreting these percentages as each lesson represents more than six percentage points.

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils on the school’s roll Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s roll (FTE for part-time pupils) N/a 101

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of full-time pupils known to be eligible for free school meals N/a 5

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Information about the school’s pupils

Special educational needs Nursery YR – Y6

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with statements of special educational needs N/a 2

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils on the school’s special educational needs register N/a 13

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Information about the school’s pupils

English as an additional language No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Number of pupils with English as an additional language 6 or 7

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupil mobility in the last school year No of pupils

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who joined the school other than at the usual time of first admission 3

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Information about the school’s pupils

Pupils who left the school other than at the usual time of leaving 4

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Attendance

National comparative data 5.6 National comparative data 0.5

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Attendance

Both tables give the percentage of half days (sessions) missed through absence for the latest complete reporting year. [ Manor Primary School ] 18

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 1 for the latest reporting year 2002 6 5 11

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results Reading Writing Mathematics

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 5 5 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 5 5 5

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 91 (75) 91 (75) 100 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 84 (84) 86 (86) 90 (91)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Boys 5 6 6 Numbers of pupils at NC level 2 and above Girls 5 5 5

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

Percentage of pupils School 83 (75) 100 (75) 100 (75) at NC level 2 or above National 85 (85) 89 (89) 89 (89)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 1 (Year 2)

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

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Number of registered pupils in final year of Key Stage 2 for the latest reporting year 2002 9 6 15

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

National Curriculum Test/Task Results English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 8 8 9 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 5 4 6

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 87 (89) 80 (89) 100 (78) at NC level 4 or above National 75 (75) 73 (71) 86 (87)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Teachers’ Assessments English Mathematics Science

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Boys 7 8 8 Numbers of pupils at NC level 4 and above Girls 4 4 5

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentage of pupils School 73 (89) 80 (100) 87 (89) at NC level 4 or above National 73 (72) 74 (74) 82 (82)

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Attainment at the end of Key Stage 2 (Year 6)

Percentages in brackets refer to the year before the latest reporting year. [ Manor Primary School ] 19

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Ethnic background of pupils

Categories used in the Annual School Census No of pupils on roll Number of fixed period exclusions Number of permanent exclusions

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Ethnic background of pupils

White – any other White background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Mixed – any other mixed background 1 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Asian or Asian British – Pakistani 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Asian or Asian British – Bangladeshi 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Asian or Asian British – any other Asian background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Black or Black British – Caribbean 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

Black or Black British – any other Black background 0 0 0

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Ethnic background of pupils

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

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of qualified teachers (FTE) 4.6 Financial year 2001/2

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Number of pupils per qualified teacher 22:1

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Education support staff: YR – Y6 Total income 233,246

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total number of education support staff 4.5 Total expenditure 220,462

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Total aggregate hours worked per week 116 Expenditure per pupil 2423

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance brought forward from previous year 30,920

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Teachers and classes Financial information

Balance carried forward to next year 43,429

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers who left the school during the last two years 1

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of teachers appointed to the school during the last two years 1.6

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Recruitment of teachers

Total number of vacant teaching posts (FTE) 0

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Recruitment of teachers

Number of vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of a term or more (FTE) 0 [ Manor Primary School ] 20 Number of unfilled vacancies or vacancies filled by teachers on temporary contract of less than one term (FTE) 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

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

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child is making good progress in school. 53 45 0 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

Behaviour in the school is good. 54 39 2 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

My child gets the right amount of work to do at home. 49 31 13 2 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

I am kept well informed about how my child is getting on. 49 49 2 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

I would feel comfortable about approaching the school with questions or a problem. 87 8 0 0 5

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school expects my child to work hard and achieve his or her best. 72 28 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school works closely with parents. 64 29 5 0 2

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is well led and managed. 72 20 0 0 8

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school is helping my child become mature and responsible. 66 34 0 0 0

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Percentage of responses in each category

The school provides an interesting range of activities outside lessons. 66 24 2 0 8

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Other issues raised by parents

No other issues were raised by a number of parents. Three letters were received which praised the work of the school and its staff, one in particular commented on the school’s support for pupils with special educational needs.

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