Manor School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The curriculum at Manor School does not provide pupils with the knowledge and skills that they need to achieve well. Expectations are too low. The quality of teaching is inconsistent.

Lessons are not well matched to pupils' stage of learning. This is having a negative impact on pupils' achievement, which is reflected in published outcomes. The curriculum in the sixth form is better, particularly in vocational courses.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) do not get the support they need. Many pupils with SEND become disengaged in their lessons or do not attend school regularly. This creates further gaps in their learning.

The major...ity of pupils are polite and respectful. Most behave well. Pupils say that bullying is infrequent.

Pupils told inspectors that occasionally their learning can be disrupted by a small minority of pupils. Also, that sometimes school routines are not implemented consistently and fairly. Some pupils told inspectors that the behaviour of others can leave them feeling uneasy at times.

A small number of pupils attend alternative provision. The school does not make robust checks to ensure this provision is suitable for these pupils. This includes checks to ensure pupils attend and achieve well.

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

Over recent years, the school's development journey has been unsettled by changes to staffing and leadership. This has affected the consistency of the implementation of the curriculum, school routines and policies. This has been a factor in pupils not achieving as well as they should, resulting in dissatisfaction from some parents and carers.

The delivery of the curriculum is weak. Staff do not routinely check that pupils are secure in what they have learned. They often present new learning before pupils have applied or practised sufficiently what they have been taught.

There are few opportunities for pupils, including those with SEND, to revisit prior learning to help them to strengthen their recall of important knowledge. Pupils receive work that does not always challenge them to think deeply.

The school does not identify or assess the needs of pupils with SEND well enough.

Information about these pupils is not shared effectively or followed up with staff. This is resulting in teaching not being adapted to meet pupils' needs. Leaders have started to put in place systems to address these shortcomings.

The school does not have an assessment system to identify gaps in pupils' knowledge and skills in reading. Therefore, staff are unable to provide suitable support across the curriculum. This is limiting pupils' ability to read at an age-appropriate level and apply their skills to learning in all subjects.

The school has designed a suitably broad curriculum offer. Pupils have access to a variety of academic and vocational courses. Nevertheless, in some subjects, the curriculum is less well developed.

This can affect pupils' ability to connect learning within and across all subjects so they do not always secure the breadth and depth of knowledge that they could.

With support from the multi-academy trust, new leaders have quickly identified and acted on the areas in need of rapid improvement. While at an early stage, the new policies and procedures are beginning to have a positive impact on improving provision.

In English and in the sixth-form provision, the quality of teaching is more consistent and pupils' learning more secure.

The school has introduced a new strategy for promoting and checking on pupils' attendance. It has started to address the barriers that pupils, particularly those with SEND and disadvantaged, may face.

This approach is having a positive impact on securing improved attendance rates, which are now not dissimilar to those found nationally. The school has also revised systems for improving pupils' behaviour. The spike in suspensions that was evident in the first half of the academic year have reduced dramatically.

The number of pupils who are removed from lessons has also decreased.

The school has planned a 'work, world, and wellness' curriculum to support pupils' wider personal development. This is designed to give pupils the knowledge they need to keep themselves safe, and physically and mentally healthy.

Pupils learn about fundamental British values, equality and diversity as well as different faiths and cultures. Pupils have access to lots of information about future education and career choices.

In the sixth form, the delivery of the curriculum for personal development is more established.

It supports students to become responsible, respectful and active citizens. Students benefit from opportunities to take on leadership and mentoring responsibilities in the school.

Staff told inspectors that leaders are considerate of their well-being.

They appreciate the opportunities that the school provides to support them to develop their expertise.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The school's delivery of the intended curriculum is of poor quality.

It does not support pupils to gain knowledge and skills securely. This is reflected in pupils' work and their performance in external examinations at key stages 4 and 5. The school needs to ensure that pupils benefit from a well-planned and well-implemented curriculum and that they gain the knowledge and qualifications to be successful in their next stages of education and future careers.

• Pupils with SEND do not benefit from a high-quality education because expectations for these pupils are too low. Staff do not receive accurate information, or have the expertise, to effectively adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of pupils with SEND. Therefore, these pupils are not reaching their potential.

The school needs to ensure that expectations are raised, and that staff adapt teaching approaches so that pupils with SEND benefit from the curriculum and achieve well. ? The school does not have systems in place to identify gaps in pupils' reading knowledge. As a result, pupils who need more help with reading, including those with SEND, do not receive the support they need to access the curriculum.

The school should ensure that it has an accurate understanding of pupils' reading needs. It should ensure that all pupils can access reading material across the curriculum through appropriate adaptations. ? The school has not made appropriate and robust checks on the alternative provision used to support the needs of a small number of pupils.

Routines are not in place to measure the impact of the provision or monitor the attendance of these pupils. As a result, these pupils do not benefit from a high-quality education. The school needs to ensure that secure systems are in place to ensure any alternative provision used meets the needs of pupils.

It should ensure pupils attend well and benefit from an appropriate curriculum. ? The school has introduced new systems to improve attendance, behaviour and the number of pupil suspensions. Although these new systems are starting to have some positive impact, they are still in their infancy.

This results in these pupils missing too much of their learning. Pupils with SEND and those that are disadvantaged are disproportionately represented in these figures. The school must fully implement its systems to improve behaviour and reduce the rates of poor attendance and suspensions so that all pupils benefit from the school's curriculum.

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