Manor Academy Sale

Highlights from Latest Inspection

Summary of key findings for parents and pupils

This is a good school. From low starting points, all groups of students make good or better progress in all subjects.

The recent introduction of a structured programme has resulted in a large majority of students making rapid progress in their reading skills. Teaching across the school, including in the sixth form, is almost always good and sometimes it is outstanding. Teachers continually evaluate what students have learned to inform planning of next lessons.

Students' behaviour is good overall. Parents believe that their children are safe and happy in school. Students enjoy warm and supportive relationships with staff and make great strides in their personal... and social development.

Following the arrival of the current headteacher, a number of new initiatives have been put in place to monitor and improve the work of the school. She has been enthusiastically supported, particularly by senior and middle leaders, because they can see the benefits for students and share her vision for school development. The members of the governing body have taken steps to improve their knowledge of the day-to-day work of the school.

They all have links to subjects or aspects of the school's work and this has enabled them to challenge and support the work of the school very effectively. The sixth form is good. It provides personalised programmes which are well-matched to the needs of each student so that when they leave the school they are very well prepared for their future lives.

It is not yet an outstanding school because : Occasionally, teaching does not challenge the highest-ability learners to achieve as well as they might in all lessons. Teaching assistants are not used often enough to support the learning of these students. Sometimes, students are not given enough time to think through and answer questions.

As a result of their special educational needs, a very small minority of students can present with difficult behaviour. Strategies and systems for managing these behaviours are new and are not yet always followed consistently.

Information about this school

Manor High School makes provision for secondary age and sixth form students who have statements of special educational for moderate learning difficulties.

A large majority have additional complex needs including autism spectrum conditions, speech, language and communication difficulties and physical disabilities. Since the previous inspection, there has been a significant increase in the number of students who have additional social, emotional and behavioural difficulties. The proportion of students entitled to support from the pupil premium (additional funding for those known to be eligible for free school meals, those from service families or those looked after by the local authority) is almost twice the national average.

The proportion of students from minority ethnic groups is lower than the national average and only a very few students speak English as an additional language. Only a third of students are girls. The school does not make use of alternative provision but individual students access some occasional sessions at Trafford College.

Since the previous inspection there have been a number of changes in staffing, including the appointment of a new headteacher and other senior and middle leaders. The school did not have a deputy headteacher in school at the time of the inspection but a new appointment has been made for January 2014. The Chair of the Governing Body was very recently appointed to the post.