Manorfield Primary School

Inspection Report Manorfield Primary School

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100920 Unique Reference Number Tower Hamlets LEA LEA 285167 Inspection number 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 Inspection dates Lyn Riley AI Reporting inspector

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This inspection was carried out under section 5 of the Education Act 2005.

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Wyvis Street School address Primary Type of school London Community School category E14 6QD 3 to 11 Age range of pupils 020 7987 1623 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 020 7987 3476 Fax number 467 Number on roll Mr Roy Pratt Chair of governors The governing body Appropriate authority Mr Marcus Earnshaw Headteacher 9 October 2000 Date of previous inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 285167 16 March 2006 - 3 to 11 17 March 2006 Website: www.ofsted.gov.uk

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This document may be reproduced in whole or in part for non-commercial educational purposes, provided that the information quoted is reproduced without adaptation and the source and date of publication are stated.

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Further copies of this report are obtainable from the school. Under the Education Act 2005, the school must provide a copy of this report 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.

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Introduction

The inspection was carried out by three Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

Manorfield is a larger than average primary school and nursery serving an area of significant social and economic deprivation. The number of pupils entitled to free school meals is high. Most pupils are from minority ethnic groups and over half speak English as an additional language. The largest group of pupils are from Asian Bangladeshi backgrounds. The number of pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities is below the national average but the number of pupils with a statement of special educational need is higher than average.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006

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Grade: 2

Manorfield is a caring school that provides pupils with a good standard of education. The newly appointed headteacher has quickly established positive working relationships with pupils, staff, governors and parents. The school works very effectively with the local authority, other local schools and a wide variety of agencies to promote pupils' learning and well-being. The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage are satisfactory. Children make sound progress but because of their low starting points standards are still below the national average when they enter Year 1. From Year 1 to Year 6 the quality of teaching and learning are good and as a result pupils make good progress. They achieve standards that are in line with the national average by the time they leave the school. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities are well supported and make good progress. The school has satisfactory assessment and monitoring systems but these do not yet

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Grade: 2

effectively identify and track the progress of higher attaining pupils. School self-evaluation is at an early stage of development and the new headteacher is in the process of reviewing and revising the school's self-evaluation document. A range of new strategies have been introduced to tackle low attendance and poor punctuality but, despite the school's best efforts, attendance remains below average. The governing body is well organised and highly supportive. The school provides good value for money, has good capacity for further improvement and has made good progress since its previous inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

* Develop the use of assessment information to identify and track the progress of higher attaining pupils and to inform school self-review;* Continue to improve provision in the Foundation Stage;* Implement the strategies for raising attendance rigorously.

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Grade: 2

Children join the nursery with low levels of skills and abilities especially in communication and literacy. Children make satisfactory progress in the Foundation Stage, in all areas of learning, but standards remain below average when they enter Year 1. From Year 1 to Year 6 pupils make good progress because the teaching they receive is good overall. In the 2005 national tests results, Year 6 pupils attained results that were in line with the national average, and better than the previous year, in mathematics and English but the school's science results were lower. There has been a clear focus on improving writing standards which has been successful, particularly in Year 6. The school has identified science as in need of further 2 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 improvement and the good teaching seen shows that the focus on science is successfully raising standards.

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Grade: 2

However, in English, mathematics and science, too few pupils reach the higher levels in the national tests because the targets and work set for the more able pupils are not challenging enough. Pupils make good progress in information and communication technology (ICT) and other subjects. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities achieve well because they receive appropriate support and their individual targets are monitored closely. There is no significant difference between the achievement of different groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' personal development, including their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development, is good. Pupils enjoy school and readily join in school activities. They behave very well and have positive attitudes to learning. Pupils feel safe and well cared for in school but, despite the school's best efforts, attendance remains below the national average. Pupils display a high level of awareness and celebrate the cultural diversity and wide range of religions represented in their school. They understand their rights and responsibilities. School council members take their responsibilities seriously and are beginning to have a say in developments which affect their day-to-day life in school such as playground developments. Pupils have a clear understanding of the importance of healthy living and proudly report that they are working towards 'Healthy School' status. They engage enthusiastically in a range of physical activities, both in and after school time. They

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Grade: 2

particularly value the extensive programme of activities, clubs, events and community initiatives which the school supports. Their contribution to the community is good and they raise funds for different charities. Year 6 pupils learn management skills through a project entitled 'Manor Town'. This experience helps them grow in confidence and maturity in preparation for later life. One pupil sums it up, 'The school prepares us well for our future education by making learning interesting and giving us debating, homework and drama clubs'.

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Grade: 2

Teaching is good overall, except in the Foundation Stage where it is satisfactory. Pupils settle well and make satisfactory progress, from low starting points, in the nursery and reception classes. From Year 1 to Year 6 pupils make good progress, and show good attitudes to their work, due to the good teaching they receive. Teachers have good subject knowledge and the work provided engages pupils' interest and 3 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 enthusiasm. Teaching assistants provide a high level of support for pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities, who also make good progress. During a special science afternoon teachers provided a wide range of practical science activities that interested and excited pupils and enabled them to make good progress in acquiring and consolidating scientific knowledge and skills. Pupils' work is generally well matched to their learning needs, except for the most

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Grade: 2

able pupils who are not always sufficiently stretched and challenged in lessons or in ability sets for English and mathematics.

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Grade: 2

The curriculum is good and contributes well to pupils' achievement and personal development. Provision for pupils with learning difficulties and those who speak English as an additional language is good but provision for higher attaining pupils is satisfactory. The Foundation Stage curriculum is satisfactory and the school has identified this as a priority for improvement. Links between subjects, such as art, science, geography and history are good. For example, pupils have produced very good artwork of 'food chains' in science. The curriculum is enriched well by the specialist teaching of music and sports activities such as football and rugby. Residential visits, as well as a range of visits and visitors, are used well to support pupils' learning. Pupils are offered a wide range of clubs and the attendance at these is good. There is a strong focus on personal, social and health education in the curriculum.

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Grade: 2

Provision for healthy living is good as a result of the many sporting activities and the development of healthy lunches. Participation in competitive activities, such as Waterstone's writing competition and the local authority's 'Design a Recycling Logo', also enriches the schools provision.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are well supported and cared for. Child protection procedures are very good. Staff and governors are effective in ensuring that systematic risk assessments and health and safety checks are carried out efficiently. Consequently, parents trust the staff to take care of their children and are pleased with the relationship they have with the school. Parents are generally pleased with the information they receive about their children's progress. Pupils' progress is assessed regularly and each pupil receives specific targets for improvement. However, the use of assessment data to identify and track the progress of pupils who have the potential to attain higher levels in national tests is under-developed. Teaching assistants are well deployed and give good support to pupils who need extra help in lessons and at other times. 4 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006

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Grade: 2

The leadership and management of the school are good. The new headteacher has quickly established good working relationships with the staff and parents and has developed a very positive relationship with pupils. He has established an effective senior management team and has set clear priorities for school improvement with a strong focus on raising standards. Governors offer a wide range of relevant experience and are highly dedicated to the school. They support and challenge the school well and ensure that all statutory requirements are met. They are particularly conscientious about child protection and health and safety issues which promote the personal development and well-being of pupils. The senior management team regularly observe lessons and monitor pupils' performance. There are sound monitoring and assessment systems in place but these are not yet used effectively enough to identify and track the progress of higher

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Grade: 2

attaining pupils. School self-evaluation is at an early stage of development but the new headteacher is working in effective partnerships with the local authority and the governing body in order to monitor and evaluate all aspects of the school's performance. Some good improvements have been made since the new headteacher took up his appointment at the beginning of term. New approaches have been introduced to tackle low attendance and punctuality. These have been particularly successful in combating lateness. Resources are deployed thoughtfully and effectively and the school provides good value for money. The correct priorities for development have been identified and funding has been earmarked for dramatic improvements to the school environment, particularly the Foundation Stage. Parents are very supportive of the school but would like the school to introduce more regular and systematic procedures for gathering their views and

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Grade: 2

the views of the pupils. 5 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006 .

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set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s

website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Manorfield Primary School, 16 March 2006 to 17 March 2006

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Overall

Key to judgements: grade 1 is outstanding, grade 2 good, grade 3 satisfactory, and grade 4 inadequate

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learners?

NA 2 How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? NA 3 The quality and standards in foundation stage NA 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation NA Yes The capacity to make any necessary improvements NA Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well do learners achieve? NA 3 The standards 1 reached by learners

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Achievement and standards

NA 2 How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners NA 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

NA 2 The extent of learners' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development NA 2 The behaviour of learners NA 3 The attendance of learners NA 2 How well learners enjoy their education NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt safe practices NA 2 The extent to which learners adopt healthy lifestyles NA 2 The extent to which learners make a positive contribution to the community NA 2 How well learners develop workplace and other skills that will contribute to their future economic well-being

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needs and interests of learners?

NA 2 How well are learners cared for, guided and supported?

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needs and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low.

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and supporting all learners?

NA 2 How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education NA 3 How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets, through quality assurance and self-review NA 2 How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can NA 2 How effectively and efficiently resources are deployed to achieve value for money NA 2 The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities NA Yes The adequacy and suitability of staff to ensure that learners are protected

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The extent to which schools enable learners to be healthy

Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to eat and drink healthily Yes Learners are encouraged and enabled to take regular exercise Yes Learners are discouraged from smoking and substance abuse Yes Learners are educated about sexual health

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The extent to which providers ensure that learners stay safe

Yes Procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements Yes Risk assessment procedures and related staff training are in place Yes Action is taken to reduce anti-social behaviour, such as bullying and racism Yes Learners are taught about key risks and how to deal with them

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The extent to which learners make a positive contribution

Yes Learners are helped to develop stable, positive relationships Yes Learners, individually and collectively, participate in making decisions that affect them Yes Learners are encouraged to initiate, participate in and manage activities in school and the wider community

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The extent to which schools enable learners to achieve economic well-being

Yes There is provision to promote learners’ basic skills Yes Learners have opportunities to develop enterprise skills and work in teams NA Careers education and guidance is provided to all learners in key stage 3 and 4 and the sixth form NA Education for all learners aged 14–19 provides an understanding of employment and the economy

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Pupils Thank you for welcoming the inspection team to your school and for taking the time to talk to us in your lessons and around the school. It was a pleasure to meet you. We would like to thank the School Council for their helpful contribution to the inspection process. The inspection team think that Manorfield is a good school that provides a good standard of education. We were impressed by your good attitudes in lessons and by your good behaviour around the school. We think you are very well looked after and cared for at school. We also think that your new headteacher leads and manages the school well and that your teachers work hard to make sure your lessons are interesting and help you to make good progress. We have asked your school to improve the way it identifies and tracks the progress of the most able pupils to make sure they achieve the higher levels in the Year 2 and Year 6 tests. We have

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

also asked your school to continue to improve the nursery and reception classes. The final point we would like your school to improve is attendance and punctuality. You can help your school to be successful with this point by making sure you come to school every day and that you arrive at school on time!We were very pleased to hear how much you enjoy your school and how much you appreciate all the opportunities the school offers you.We would like to wish you every success for the future. Yours sincerely, Lyn Riley Lead Inspector

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