Manor Park Primary School

Inspection Report Manor Park Primary School

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103691 Unique Reference Number Coventry Local Authority 286726 Inspection number 16 °17 January 2007 Inspection dates Paul Edwards Reporting inspector

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

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Ulverscroft Road School address Primary Type of school Cheylesmore Community School category Coventry CV3 5EZ 3 °11 Age range of pupils 02476 501736 Telephone number Mixed Gender of pupils 02476 501100 Fax number 564 Number on roll (school) Steve Cooke Chair The governing body Appropriate authority Adam Hewett Headteacher 22 April 2002 Date of previous school inspection

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Inspection number Inspection dates Age group 286726 16 °17 January 2007 3°11 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

Manor Park is a large primary school. The proportion of pupils with learning difficulties is below average, as is the proportion eligible for free school meals. Just over a third of the pupils are from minority ethnic backgrounds and a small, but increasing number are at an early stage of learning English as an additional language.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 1 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Manor Park is a good school that demonstrates good capacity to become even better. The parents are rightly very happy with the quality of education it provides. This was evident from one of the many positive comments of parents who said, 'Manor Park is a good school. Our daughter's experiences have been overwhelmingly positive and happy.' Pupils thoroughly enjoy all aspects of school and are keen to take part in the wide range of activities on offer. The excellent provision in the Nursery ensures children receive the best possible start. Children start school with skills, knowledge and understanding that are slightly below the levels expected for their age. The early skills of reading, writing and mathematics are taught very well and interwoven with a wide range of interesting activities. These skills are developed well in the Reception classes. The good support for those at an early stage of learning English enables them to make rapid progress in their acquisition

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Grade: 2

of English. Taking account of their starting points, pupils achieve well throughout the school and attain standards that are above average at the end of Year 2 and Year 6 in the key areas of English and mathematics. Teaching and learning are good. Pupils make good progress because the teachers make lessons interesting and enjoyable and plan work that accurately matches the pupils' abilities. Whilst there is evidence of some very good marking, the quality is not consistent throughout the school and it does not always identify how the pupils might improve what they are doing. Older pupils do not have sufficient opportunities to become independent in their learning because teachers give them too much direction over what they should do. Pupils' personal and social development is good. As a result of good teaching, pupils behave well, enjoy what they are doing and try their best. Their enthusiasm for learning

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Grade: 2

springs from a good curriculum that has some exciting activities. For example, a group of Year 6 pupils take part in weekly video conferencing with other schools that effectively improves the mathematical skills of some more able pupils. The care, guidance and support the school provides are good. Pupils say they feel safe, are well looked after and know who to turn to if they have a problem. The introduction of individual targets is helping pupils to improve their work but the outstanding provision seen in some classes is not applied consistently in all year groups. Leadership and management are good. The headteacher, very well supported by the senior management team and governors, provides strong and effective leadership. Information about how the pupils are doing has been used very well to adapt its provision to ensure pupils achieve as well as they can. The reaction to the dip in pupils' performance in 2005 has been positive, resulting in improvements across the school;

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Grade: 2

it has improved well since the previous inspection.

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What the school should do to improve further

• Improve the consistency of teachers' marking so that pupils know what they need to do improve in their work. 2 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007 • Provide older pupils with more opportunities to develop their independence in investigative activities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils achieve well throughout the school, and standards are above average. When children enter the Nursery class the overall level of attainment is slightly below that seen in most schools because a small, but increasing number, are learning English as an additional language and their skills in English are below the average for their age. Children make outstanding progress in the Nursery because of the very effective teaching and move ahead well in their Reception Year. By the time pupils start in Year 1 almost all attain the levels expected for their age, with some doing better. The school provides good support for those children at an early stage of learning English, enabling them to take a full part in all aspects of school life and so they make progress in line with their peers. There was a dip in standards in 2005 but, since that time, standards have improved and literacy and numeracy skills are above those expected for pupils

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Grade: 2

of their age when they leave the school. There is no significant difference in progress between different groups of pupils.

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Grade: 2

Pupils are developing as confident and well balanced young people. Their spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Children get off to a very good start in the Nursery and Reception classes and quickly settle into school routines. Very good relationships between all members of the school community underpin pupils' good behaviour in lessons and at playtime. Incidents of bullying and racism are rare and pupils feel that the staff deal with these well. Pupils are very sensible as they move around school and are conscious of the need to keep safe by being careful on stairs, for example. Pupils enjoy school and are keen to learn. This is reflected in their good attendance and punctuality. They work hard in lessons and are attentive to their teachers. They enjoy using their initiative and working independently but the older pupils have too few opportunities to use their own ideas in investigating or solving problems and

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Grade: 2

deciding how they will set about tasks. Pupils are eager to take on responsibility and the school council, in particular, makes a good contribution to the running of the school. It is currently improving the play opportunities available at lunchtimes. Pupils are also involved in the wider community through links with other schools and their fund raising for charities. Pupils are well prepared for the future. They work very well in teams and develop a good understanding of the world outside of school. They are conscious of the need to stay healthy and are able to put their knowledge into practice through the wide range of activities on offer. They also know the importance of regular exercise and many participate in the good range of physical activities on offer. 3 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Grade: 2

Consistently good teaching helps pupils to learn quickly. There is a good working atmosphere in classrooms and pupils feel that teachers 'make lessons fun'. High expectations of behaviour and hard work ensure that pupils remain focused on learning. Classrooms are well organised and pupils know exactly what is expected of them. Staff plan well together and this helps them to make lessons interesting and to meet the needs of all pupils. Pupils with learning difficulties and those learning English as an additional language are supported well, with teaching assistants making a very positive contribution. In the Nursery and Reception classes there are some outstanding features, with children in the Nursery making rapid gains in their learning as a consequence of very strong teaching. There are plenty of opportunities for children to work independently and use their initiative in these younger children's classes. This is not

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Grade: 2

as evident as pupils move through the school. For example, in science, investigative activities are too often directed by the teacher and so pupils do not use their own initiative. Teachers are working on improving the marking of pupils' work in order to accelerate pupils' progress even more. At the moment there is some inconsistency between classes, with marking not always helping pupils to understand whether they have grasped new learning or what they need to do to move forward.

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Grade: 2

The school offers pupils a good curriculum with a good emphasis on English, mathematics and science, although opportunities to develop literacy skills in other subjects are limited. There is a strong emphasis on healthy living and pupils speak enthusiastically about physical education lessons and healthy eating. Links with a wide range of organisations, including video conferencing facilities with other schools and colleges, and links with commercial companies, have a very positive effect on developing pupils' learning. The curriculum for pupils with learning difficulties and those with English as an additional language is constantly monitored to ensure it meets their needs. Curricular provision for the more able pupils is good; for example in Years 3 and 4 gifted children produce high quality computer presentations for children in Reception. There is a good range of enrichment activities which are enjoyed by a large

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Grade: 2

number of pupils. Pupils who attend after school classes in Punjabi and Guajarati comment on how pleased they are that their language is valued by the school.

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Grade: 2

The care, guidance and support provided for pupils are good. Pupils are very well safeguarded because of the very good attention paid to potential risks. Child protection procedures are robust and very effective systems are in place to check on the suitability 4 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007 of adults in the school. Pupils say that they feel safe in school and feel confident in talking to adults if they have any worries. Pupils declare that bullying is rare and when it does occur, it is dealt with very effectively. Regular monitoring and the use of good quality plans ensure that pupils with learning difficulties make good progress. Targets set in English and mathematics are used to develop learning but they are not used consistently across the school. In the best examples, teachers refer to the targets regularly in marking and pupils know exactly what they have to do to improve.

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Grade: 2

The school is led and managed well. As a result of the good evaluation of how well the school is performing, the headteacher and senior management provide rigorous and well focused guidance for the staff. The school's impressive tracking procedures are used very effectively to highlight where pupils are not achieving as well as they should and effective intervention ensures the situation is rectified. A clear analysis of why pupils' performance dipped in 2005 and swift action to improve teaching have ensured that standards have risen. There is a commitment from all staff to further improve the quality of education. The views of parents and pupils are gathered through questionnaires and meetings and there are strong links with other schools and colleges that promote new learning opportunities for pupils. There have been a number of recent middle management changes and the school has recognised the importance of

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Grade: 2

enhancing their accountability to further strengthen the leadership and management. 5 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007 .

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Grade: 2

set out in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 6 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Inspection judgements

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

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Overall effectiveness

How effective, efficient and inclusive is the provision of education, integrated care and any extended services in meeting the needs of learners? How well does the school work in partnership with others to promote learners' well-being? 2 The quality and standards in the Foundation Stage 2 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 2 The capacity to make any necessary improvements Yes Effective steps have been taken to promote improvement since the last inspection

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Achievement and standards

2 How well do learners achieve? 2 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 2 How well learners with learning difficulties and disabilities make progress

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learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

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

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and interests of learners?

Grade 1 - Exceptionally and consistently high; Grade 2 - Generally above average with none significantly below average; Grade 3 - Broadly average to below average; Grade 4 - Exceptionally low. 7 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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and supporting all learners?

How effectively leaders and managers at all levels set clear direction leading to improvement and promote high quality of care and education How effectively performance is monitored, evaluated and improved to meet challenging targets How well equality of opportunity is promoted and discrimination tackled so that all learners achieve as well as they can How effectively and efficiently resources, including staff, are deployed to achieve value for money The extent to which governors and other supervisory boards discharge their responsibilities Yes Do procedures for safeguarding learners meet current government requirements? No Does this school require special measures? No Does this school require a notice to improve? 8 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

Thank you very much for the warm welcome you gave us when we visited your school recently and for telling us about your work in school. Those in charge of the school are making sure that it provides you with a good education. Here are some of the things that the school is doing well • You do particularly well in English and mathematics. • You behave well, enjoy your lessons and like to take part in all the other activities that the school provides. • You get on very well with one another and with the adults who look after you well and keep you safe. • Teachers provide you with a good range of interesting activities. • You are developing a good understanding of how to keep yourselves healthy and safe. These are the things we have asked the school to do now • Improve the marking of your work so that you all know what you need to do next to make it better. • Make sure that those of you who are older have more opportunities plan your own work.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

I hope you continue to work hard and enjoy your time at school. 9 Inspection Report: Manor Park Primary School, 16 °17 January 2007

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