Manor Croft Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Leaders and staff know that every pupil has only one chance at education.

Staff are united in their commitment that every pupil will succeed. This ambition is realised. Pupils are supported at every turn in this inclusive school.

They are ready for their next steps.

Pupils benefit from a broad and knowledge-rich curriculum. This is enhanced by the extra-curricular activities that are available.

Staff thoughtfully link trips and visits to different subjects. This helps pupils to build meaningful connections between the subjects they study and their relevance to the wider world.

Leaders' high ambitions for academic excellence are reflected in ...their universally high expectations for behaviour and attendance.

There are warm and supportive relationships between staff and pupils. The great majority of pupils behave well in lessons and around school. Staff act swiftly to address any concerns that pupils may have.

Staff take effective action on the rare occasions that bullying occurs.

Leaders know the importance of developing pupils' knowledge, confidence and skills. The 'Pledges' scheme enables pupils to benefit from wider experiences within school and in the wider community.

Pupil leaders are proud of the work they have done to improve the school. They have helped to organise fundraising events for different charities. These pupils know that they are important role models for others.

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

Leaders have ensured that there is an ambitious curriculum in place for all subjects. Subject leaders have identified the important subject-specific knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember. This knowledge builds on what pupils have learned before.

Teachers skilfully plan sequences of learning that help pupils to build their knowledge over time. There are regular opportunities for pupils to revisit what they have learned. As a result, many pupils are able to recall important subject knowledge over time.

Pupils achieve highly. This includes disadvantaged pupils and pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND).

Leaders know that many pupils and their families need additional help.

Leaders work tirelessly to ensure that needs are met wherever possible. Pupils with SEND are well supported and are fully involved in every aspect of school life. Teachers and teaching assistants work well together to help pupils with SEND to get the most out of what the school can offer.

There is a focus on the importance of reading across school. All staff model the importance of reading high-quality texts. A vending machine of books is regularly restocked as pupils select books as part of the rewards scheme in place.

Pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read are swiftly identified. They receive additional sessions to help them with their reading. However, these sessions are not sufficiently effective in helping all pupils to quickly become more proficient readers.

This is because staff leading these sessions are not fully trained to implement the chosen scheme effectively. Leaders have arranged for staff to receive additional training to address this.

Leaders have worked hard to improve pupils' behaviour and attendance.

As a result of the consistently high expectations from all staff, there is generally a calm and orderly atmosphere in the school. However, a few pupils continue to disrupt the learning of others. Staff are united in their continued support to help these pupils make better choices to improve their behaviour.

Pupils value the weekly ethics, philosophy and citizenship (EPC) lessons. These are supplemented by a range of extra-curricular activities designed to develop pupils' understanding of the world around them. However, pupils are not consistently able to recall some of the important knowledge from EPC lessons.

This includes their knowledge of some world religions and fundamental British values.

Leaders are rightly proud of the ambitious next steps that many pupils take after leaving school. Pupils in Year 11 receive the careers information that they need to help them with their choices.

In some subjects, careers are woven through the taught curriculum from Year 7 onwards. This helps pupils to understand the wider opportunities these subjects can provide.

Staff value the support and training they have received to help them to continually refine and improve their practice.

They benefit from the additional opportunities they receive from the wider trust. Staff know that leaders consider their workload and well-being. Governors are experienced and skilled strategic leaders.

They know the school well and check for themselves that school leaders are taking the right decisions for the benefit of all pupils.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

There are strong safeguarding systems in place to ensure that pupils are kept safe.

Leaders have ensured that staff have regular opportunities to refresh their knowledge of the safeguarding risks that pupils face. As a result, staff know the signs that suggest a pupil may be at risk of harm. Staff report any concerns promptly.

Leaders take swift action to ensure that pupils receive the help and support that they need.

Pupils learn how to manage the risks they might face. This includes through the inappropriate use of social media.

Pupils know how to report any concerns that they may have. They know that staff will act to keep them safe from harm.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority) ? The support for pupils at the earliest stages of learning to read is not sufficiently effective.

This means that some pupils are not learning to read as well as they should. Leaders should ensure that the planned staff training enables teachers to better support pupils at the earliest stages of reading to become confident and fluent readers. ? Some pupils struggle to remember the important knowledge that they have been taught from the EPC curriculum.

They do not have sufficiently secure knowledge of different religions or of important concepts, such as fundamental British values. Leaders should ensure that teachers enable pupils to remember important knowledge in the EPC curriculum in the way that they do in the other subjects they study. This will help pupils to be even better prepared for life in modern Britain.