Maltby Manor Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Outcome

Maltby Manor Academy continues to be a good school.

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are at the heart of this nurturing and vibrant school.

They feel safe and valued as individuals. Pupils form strong relationships with the staff. Parents and carers appreciate the guidance and support that staff provide.

High expectations permeate every aspect of school life. Leaders place no limits on what pupils can accomplish. In classrooms, there is a purposeful buzz of learning.

Playtimes are cheerful occasions when pupils have fun. Pupils are rightly confident that any unkind behaviour or bullying will not be tolerated. They have a strong sense of how they shoul...d look after themselves and each other.

The sense of inclusion that pervades the school means that all pupils, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), do well. All achievements are celebrated meaningfully, and pupils have access to an impressive range of extracurricular and enrichment activities. They contribute wholeheartedly to their local community through raising money for charity, donating to foodbanks and local litter-picking.

Pupils play an active part in school through the roles of student leader, sports leader and eco-warrior. These help to develop pupils' character exceptionally well.

What does the school do well and what does it need to do better?

Leaders have prioritised reading in all aspects of the curriculum.

Pupils are enthusiastic about books. They enjoy reading as well as listening to adults reading to them. The teaching of phonics starts as soon as children begin Reception Year.

All staff are trained to use and follow the school's phonics programme. As a result, pupils are supported well to read with growing accuracy and confidence. Regular assessments identify any gaps or misconceptions in pupils' knowledge.

Teachers provide extra support to help pupils to keep up with the reading programme. Books used to teach reading are well matched to the sounds that pupils know. Staff in early years use questioning to help children to understand and develop their vocabulary.

In all subjects, staff follow the agreed curriculum. They provide pupils with a rich range of learning. Staff know how to spot when pupils are struggling with their learning.

Teachers adapt resources to ensure that pupils with SEND can learn well alongside their peers. This is highly effective.

In some classes, teaching is not as consistent as it is in others.

Pupils cannot always build securely on their prior learning. Leaders have put plans in place to ensure that teaching improves and is consistent across the school. These plans are in the early stages.

In English and mathematics, teachers check pupils' understanding of what they have learned. They use these checks to help them to plan future learning. They identify those pupils who need help and put effective extra support in place.

For example, in mathematics, staff make sure that pupils revisit areas of the curriculum that they have misunderstood. Pupils develop a secure understanding of different strategies in mathematics.

Leaders have trained all staff in how to support pupils with SEND.

Staff make careful adaptations to the curriculum where they need to. This means that pupils with SEND experience the same curriculum as their peers. Pupils with SEND achieve well.

The special educational needs leader knows all pupils extremely well and plans effectively for their next steps in learning.

The excellent wider personal development curriculum is a strength in this school. All pupils take part in a rich range of experiences in and outside school.

Leaders are relentless in their ambition to ensure that pupils experience a well-considered range of opportunities before they leave school. Pupils understand, respect and appreciate difference. Pupils learn about human rights and responsibilities.

They speak confidently about the importance of healthy relationships and of treating others with kindness. Pupils enjoy learning about different religious traditions. They learn about the lives and experiences of a diverse group of people.

Governors and leaders of the trust know what the school does well. They help leaders to make necessary improvements. Governors regularly check on the progress that leaders are making towards achieving the priorities they have set to improve the school.

Leaders ensure that staff feel well supported at school. Staff appreciate the support they get for their well-being. They are proud to work at the school.

Leaders work effectively with parents. Parents are very positive about the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors ensure a strong culture of safeguarding in the school. Recruitment checks for new staff are thorough and timely. Staff and governors receive regular safeguarding training and updates.

This means that they are knowledgeable and vigilant about potential risks to children.

Leaders record safeguarding information appropriately. They know pupils and their families very well.

Leaders work well with external partners. They are tenacious in making sure that vulnerable children get the right support quickly. Pupils learn how to keep themselves safe, including when online.

Pupils talk confidently about how adults in the school help keep them safe.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• There are inconsistencies in how well some of the curriculum is taught across the school. As a result, some activities do not build on prior learning securely.

This means that some pupils could develop gaps in their learning. Leaders should ensure that the curriculum is taught consistently well across the school, so that pupils can build effectively on their prior learning.

Background

When we have judged a school to be good, we will then normally go into the school about once every four years to confirm that the school remains good.

This is called an ungraded inspection, and it is carried out under section 8 of the Education Act 2005. We do not give graded judgements on an ungraded inspection. However, if we find evidence that a school would now receive a higher or lower grade, then the next inspection will be a graded inspection, which is carried out under section 5 of the Act.

Usually this is within one to two years of the date of the ungraded inspection. If we have serious concerns about safeguarding, behaviour or the quality of education, we will deem the ungraded inspection a graded inspection immediately.

This is the first ungraded inspection since we judged the school to be good in October 2017.