Manor Primary School

124079 Unique Reference Number Staffordshire Local Authority 292884 Inspection number 2 May 2007 Inspection date John Eadie 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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Primary Type of school Community School category 3 °11 Age range of pupils Mixed Gender of pupils Number on roll 104 School

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The governing body Appropriate authority Jane Ackers Chair Richard Lane Headteacher 4 November 2002 Date of previous school inspection Drayton Lane School address Drayton Bassett Tamworth B78 3TX

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01827 475200 Telephone number 01827 475200 Fax number

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3 °11 Age group 2 May 2007 Inspection date 292884 Inspection number .

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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 two Additional Inspectors.

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Description of the school

This small school is situated in a rural village although it draws its pupils from a much wider area, a minority coming from an urban environment. Although the proportion of pupils with identified learning difficulties or disabilities is average, the number with statements of special educational need is higher than one would expect. Almost all pupils are White British, a very few representing a variety of other heritages. Almost all speak English at home. The headteacher took up his post in January 2006.

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Key for inspection grades

Outstanding Grade 1 Good Grade 2 Satisfactory Grade 3 Inadequate Grade 4 3 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007

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Grade: 3

This is a satisfactory and improving school; although the national tests in 2006 indicated some underperformance. In Year 2, too few pupils reached the higher levels and in Year 6, standards in science were much lower than those in English and mathematics. These issues have been dealt with well and standards are now average. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory and they are making satisfactory progress. The major reason for this increased progress is that leaders have put in place good improvement strategies and teachers are successfully carrying them through into their teaching. However, teaching and learning are no better than satisfactory as the more able pupils are not always given work that challenges them sufficiently. Children make good progress in the Nursery and Reception class because of the supportive atmosphere and the well-planned range of activities that are provided for them. The headteacher has identified the key areas for improvement and has, with the full support

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Grade: 3

of staff and governors, started the school on the upward path. For example, pupils and parents comment that behaviour is much improved. Pupils' personal development and well-being are now good. Pupils work hard and are developing well into responsible young citizens. This is appreciated by parents, who say such things as, 'My child is very well prepared for the transition to secondary school and has developed superb qualities in preparation for life'. Leadership and management are satisfactory, however, they are also part of the improving picture. Many developments are in their early stages and have not yet had time to impact. For example,the systems to keep a check on pupils' progress are very new. This means that managers do not have an overall picture of how well pupils are doing. Teachers and governors are only just beginning to play their part in checking on progress.. A strength within leadership and

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Grade: 3

management is the good use made of external agencies and the very good contacts made with the local community. Pupils' academic and personal development benefits from all of these links. Pupils' good personal development is largely as a result of the good pastoral support provided by all staff. A comment typical of many from parents is, 'The school nurtures a caring, community spirit in the children, who are encouraged to care for each other'. Pupils say they feel safe and thoroughly enjoy coming to school. Care, guidance and support are satisfactory overall as academic support and guidance needs improving. A start has been made at recording pupils' progress, but this is not being used to set clear targets so that teachers and pupils know exactly what pupils need to learn next. The curriculum is satisfactory. It is made more interesting with a good range of visits and theme days and weeks. However, the links between subjects have

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Grade: 3

not been fully developed to make pupils' learning more relevant. Leaders have made an accurate assessment of where the school is at and what needs to be done to improve and a good start has been made. With the satisfactory progress since the last inspection, the school is satisfactorily placed to move forward.

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What the school should do to improve further

• • Improve systems of assessment so that teachers and pupils always know what levels pupils are working at and what they need to do to improve. • Ensure that all lessons are planned so that the more able pupils are always given challenging enough work. 4 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007 • Develop formal systems and records so that managers have a clear picture of pupils' progress and ensure that all teachers and governors play a full role in monitoring this progress. A small proportion of the schools whose overall effectiveness is judged satisfactory but which have areas of underperformance will receive a monitoring visit by an Ofsted inspector before their next section 5 inspection.

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Grade: 3

Children start at the school with levels of skills and knowledge below those expected. They make good progress in the Nursery and Reception class and, by the time they start in Year 1, they have reached the expected levels in all areas of learning. Progress through the rest of the school is satisfactory and pupils reach average standards by the time they leave. The weaknesses in the national tests in 2006 have been tackled well. A good proportion of pupils in Year 2 are now working at higher levels and standards in science in Year 6 are at least as good as those in English and mathematics. Pupils' achievement is satisfactory, although there are still occasions when more able pupils are not sufficiently challenged and do not always make the best possible progress. Pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities make the same progress as their classmates as clear plans are made for their progress and they are supported well in class. The

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Grade: 3

very small numbers of pupils who do not speak English at home are improving their skills in English well and are able to take part in all class activities.

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Grade: 2

Pupils' spiritual, moral, social and cultural development is good. Pupils have positive attitudes and enjoy coming to school and attendance is above average. Pupils develop good social skills and work well cooperatively in pairs and groups. They show good levels of responsibility, for example through their work as school pupil group members. They enjoy being fully involved with the appointment of new staff and their many opportunities to be involved in the local community. For instance, they work with the local 'meals on wheels' service and regularly visit a residential home for the elderly. Care for the environment is evident in pupils' work with the local council on recycling. The school recognises that pupils do not have enough opportunities to be involved with the world beyond our shores and that they are insufficiently aware of the multicultural nature of society. Pupils say that they feel safe and those in Years 5 and 6 understand the dangers of alcohol,

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Grade: 2

smoking and drug abuse. All pupils are adopting healthy lifestyles well and drink lots of water, eat fruit and choose healthy food at lunchtime. They exercise regularly and high numbers take part in the extra-curricular sports clubs. Pupils' ability to work collaboratively, combined with the opportunities that they have to gain enterprise skills when running the 'Farmers' Market', for example, together with their development of basic skills, give them a good grounding for their future.

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Grade: 3

The overriding impression in lessons is of a bright and stimulating learning environment. This is true not only of the physical surroundings, where displays are used well to support learning, 5 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007 but of the enthusiasm of teachers and pupils. There are good relationships between pupils and all adults and this leads to pupils wanting to work hard and do well. Teachers almost always share with pupils, at the start of the lesson, what they intend them to learn; although they do not always return to it at the end so that pupils can judge the effectiveness of their learning. Teachers use a good range of methods to engage pupils, for example making good use of information and communication technology (ICT) both in whole-class teaching and for pupils to use to extend their learning. Although teachers plan work for a range of abilities, this does not always include work that really challenges the more able, who often have to complete

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Grade: 3

simple tasks before going on to more difficult work. There are also times when the pace of lessons slackens, for example when pupils sit for too long on the carpet. This is particularly the case when pupils have to sit and listen to the instructions for the work for each group.

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Grade: 3

Pupils say many lessons, such as history and geography, are 'fun and interesting'. They appreciate the visits arranged by the school as it makes their learning more relevant and enjoyable. Good use is made of specialist teachers to boost learning in ICT and music. Gifted and talented pupils have been identified and the school generally plans more challenging activities for them. However, the school realises that this requires further development so that these pupils can reach their full potential. Links between different subjects have begun to make learning more interesting but these are in their early stages. The theme weeks, which have included flight and circus topics, are appreciated and enjoyed by pupils. A good range of strategies are used to support pupils with learning difficulties and disabilities. These enable them to make the same progress as their classmates. A good variety of interesting activities are planned for

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Grade: 3

children in the Nursery and Reception class that enable them to learn well.

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Grade: 3

Pupils say that behaviour has improved recently and that bullying is now rare. Procedures for safeguarding pupils are good. The school has achieved 'dyslexia friendly' status as a result of its supportive ethos, and this reflects the level of support provided to all pupils, particularly those who are vulnerable. New assessment procedures mean the school is beginning to identify pupils who are not making the progress expected.Special classes are in place for Year 6 in literacy and mathematics. However, these strategies are too new to have had a major impact on overall improvement. Pupils have learning targets in English and mathematics, but these are not specific enough for pupils to know how to improve their work. Good induction procedures help new pupils settle quickly into school and sound links with the secondary school ensure pupils feel confident and are happy to move on.

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Grade: 3

The headteacher has involved all staff in a thorough evaluation of the school's effectiveness and they have produced an accurate assessment of the current position. Parents' and pupils' views are also canvassed and their input is valued. All this has also led to appropriate priorities for improvement being established. Work has started on many of these but their effect is only beginning to be seen in pupils' improved progress. Governors have also started to play their 6 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007 role in this and have made a good start at finding out the effectiveness of developments for themselves. Their new strategic planning committee is particularly effective in organising training for governors and planning a programme of meetings with staff so that governors can assess the effectiveness of the school. Although there are many good systems in the school, some of these are insufficiently well

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Grade: 3

recorded. The most important are the records of pupils' progress. The headteacher and staff generally know those pupils who are in need of extra help and those who could do better. However, there are no clear records so that managers can evaluate the effectiveness of pupils' learning and the progress that individuals and groups are making. 7 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007 .

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Grade: 3

in the guidance 'Complaints about school inspection', which is available from Ofsted’s website: www.ofsted.gov.uk. 8 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 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 3 The effectiveness of the school's self-evaluation 3 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

3 How well do learners achieve? 3 The standards 1 reached by learners How well learners make progress, taking account of any significant variations between groups of learners 3 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?

3 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. 9 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 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? 10 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

3 May 2007 Dear Pupils Inspection of Manor Primary School, Drayton Bassett, B78 3TX Thank you so much for welcoming Mrs Lowery and myself to your school this week. We really enjoyed meeting you and hearing how much you enjoy school. We were particularly pleased to hear that you think behaviour has improved recently. Your school is giving you a satisfactory education, and it is improving. • The main things we found about your school are. • You are developing well into sensible young people. • You are making satisfactory progress as teaching is satisfactory. • All adults take very good care of you. • Your headteacher and staff have made a good start at improving the school and this is beginning to help you make better progress. • The variety of things you learn in lessons is satisfactory, but the trips and theme weeks, such as those on flight and circus, are good and you told us that you really enjoy them.

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Text from letter to pupils explaining the findings of the inspection

• You do lots of things in the local community, like helping with 'meals on wheels' and visiting a residential home for elderly people. • We have suggested that the following things should be improved. • You need to know more clearly how you can improve your work. • Some of you who find work easy need to be given harder work. • Staff have not had a clear enough picture of how well you are all doing because the school has only just started keeping careful records of your progress. Keep up the good work and make sure you know how you can improve your work. Thank you once again. Yours faithfully John D Eadie Lead inspector 11 of 11 Inspection Report: Manor Primary School, 2 May 2007

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