Mandale Mill Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Pupils are proud of their school. They are happy and friendly.

Pupils are very welcoming and go out of their way to look after each other.

Behaviour is good. Pupils are clear that bullying is unacceptable.

Any bullying is rare and is taken very seriously. Pupils' emotional health and well-being are important to staff.

Pupils say they feel safe.

They say that kind, friendly staff look after them well. Relationships between adults and pupils are positive.

Teachers make learning enjoyable and have high expectations for every child.

Pupils enjoy coming to school and are curious and excited to learn new things. As a result, atte...ndance is good.

The early years is well led and managed.

Consistent rules and well-practised routines help children to settle quickly. Children read, write and build their understanding of number from the start of Reception. They leave Reception well prepared for Year 1.

Pupils enjoy responsibilities such as being part of the eco group or sports leaders. They take these roles seriously. Pupils are proud of the actions they have taken to make changes to their school and for their local area, for example, taking part in a litter pick and raising money for a local food bank.

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

The headteacher wants the absolute best for all pupils. Leaders are determined that all pupils will succeed. They offer the correct balance of support and challenge for all.

Teachers encourage pupils to have high expectations of themselves. Pupils know the standards they are capable of reaching.

Leaders and teachers have worked carefully to plan a challenging curriculum for pupils.

As a result, pupils attend well as they want to take part in the opportunities that are available to them. Some subjects still need further work by sharing the good practice that is in school. However, it is clear that leaders are already putting actions in place to make sure that all subjects will be at the same good standard.

The headteacher understands that pupils previously in Year 6 have not achieved well enough in national tests. This is because teaching was not good enough then. However, leaders have worked hard to make sure that teaching is at a good standard now.

As a result, pupils across the school, including those in upper key stage 2, are currently making good progress.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive the right support in lessons so that they achieve well.

In the early years, many children enter with little knowledge of sounds, letters or numbers.

From the very start, staff make sure that those children who need to catch up do so quickly. Children read, write and work with numbers every day. Number, rhyme and story times are frequent.

Cosy reading areas and mathematical activities are exciting. In Reception, children learn to form letter and number shapes accurately right from the start. Children count and use mathematical words with improving confidence.

They are well prepared for Year 1.

Pupils enjoy and value mathematics. Learning in mathematics is carefully planned.

Staff make sure that pupils know their number facts, including multiplication tables, by heart. Pupils use their number knowledge to solve increasingly tricky mathematical problems.

Pupils are able to talk about their learning in subjects other than English and mathematics.

In Year 4, pupils can explain confidently how to carry out fair tests in science. In physical education, pupils in Year 1 know different types of jumps and rolls they can use when doing gymnastics. By Year 5, they are using this knowledge to make a sequence of movements using a springboard and box.

Pupils remember important knowledge as they move from one year to the next.

Leaders give reading full priority and want every pupil to learn to read, regardless of their needs or abilities. Reading and phonics are taught well.

By the end of Year 1, pupils achieve well in the national phonics screening. Staff choose texts and books carefully. They read aloud to pupils daily.

Adults' lively expression and enthusiasm are catching. Pupils learn and know a set of familiar stories inside out by the end of each year. Many pupils said that they enjoy reading.

Pupils' personal, social and emotional development is a particular strength of the school. Pupils develop a respect for other faiths and cultures. They take part in activities to develop their resilience and teamwork.

The needs of pupils and families who may be vulnerable are identified and managed extremely well. Staff build strong partnerships with external agencies. They are quick to seek the right support.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There is an extremely strong culture of safeguarding in school. Pupils' welfare and safety are of the utmost importance to all staff.

Staff have ensured that pupils have a very strong awareness of how to keep safe. The curriculum helps pupils to stay safe. Pupils can explain when it is not appropriate to share personal information online and why they must report any worries they have.

Staff are very well trained and understand that safeguarding is everyone's responsibility.

Staff know their pupils and their families very well and take prompt action when they have concerns. This makes sure that families get the help they need.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

The headteacher has accurately identified those leaders who are effectively developing their subject areas to have a positive impact on pupils' achievements. Leaders should continue to ensure that this expertise is shared across the whole school to develop an effective curriculum in all subjects, leading to appropriate outcomes for all pupils. .

The school's curriculum is not yet sufficiently coherently planned and sequenced in some subjects. However, it is clear that leaders are already taking the actions needed to improve this. For this reason, the transition arrangement had been applied in this case.