Manorfield Infant and Nursery School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

This is a friendly, nurturing school.

Parents say that adults warmly welcome them to this school and they enjoy being part of a compassionate school family. Parents said that the new headteacher has already made a positive change to attendance. For example, one parent said, 'The new headteacher has brought in rewards that make parents get our children into school on time.'



Pupils show respect for each other and are well mannered. Adults work closely with pupils to build positive relationships. Pupils say they feel safe.

They are confident that they can approach staff with any concerns. They say that adults will deal with any incidents of bullying. ...However, until recently, incidents of bullying and poor behaviour have not been regularly recorded and reviewed.

Despite this caring start to school, pupils' academic achievement is poor. The curriculum is not well planned, and the way in which it is delivered is poor. Pupils do not do as well as they should in reading, writing or mathematics.

The quality of education is weak. Pupils complete work that does not build on what they already know or can do. In some lessons, pupils find the work too easy.

As a result, pupils lose concentration, and they achieve far less than they should.

In the early years, adults miss opportunities to check how well the children are learning. As a result, gaps in their knowledge are not addressed at an early stage.

This prevents children from being adequately prepared for the next stage in their education.

Pupils are taught how to stay safe online and in school. However, leaders have recognised that pupils have limited experiences of the world outside of school.

In response, a range of events and trips have been planned to enhance the curriculum.

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

The school has been through recent changes to leadership. A new headteacher and special educational needs and disabilities coordinator have recently joined the staff team.

Parents and staff speak positively about the appointment of these new leaders. Parents are pleased to see the headteacher on the school playground each morning. This gives them the opportunity to speak with her.

Parents say that leaders now respond to their concerns promptly. Staff say the new leadership team is bringing increased training opportunities and a greater sense of purpose. They are excited to be learning how to deliver a new phonics programme.

However, there is still much to do in this school.

Until recently, pupils have not been taught using one systematic phonics programme. In September, all staff received training in the teaching of phonics.

This is beginning to lead to greater consistency in daily teaching of early reading. There is still too little attention paid to developing pupils' letter formation. Daily reading to support pupils who struggle with learning to read does not happen, and reading for pleasure is not established.

As a result, pupils are not ready for the next stage of their educational journey. Staff are working closely with leaders to improve the early reading offer in this school.

In mathematics, the subject leader has a clear understanding of how to plan learning so that pupils know, remember and are able to do more.

The mathematics curriculum is well sequenced but it is not delivered consistently well across all classes. As a result, pupils cannot always remember what they have been learning. Expectations of what pupils should achieve are not high enough.

This means that many pupils are not ready for the next stage in their education.

In the wider curriculum, subjects are not taught consistently well. There is no coherent structure or plan for the teaching of most subjects.

Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) have not been considered when planning the curriculum. They are not supported well enough in their learning. These pupils are cared for pastorally.

However, academic expectations of them are low.

Many of the subject leaders have not been given enough support and training to be able to lead their subjects well. They do not have a clear understanding of how thoroughly their subject is delivered across all classes.

They cannot talk about what pupils are learning or how they can support all pupils to make progress.

Pupils learn about democracy in class. Tolerance is promoted within discussions in religious education.

Weekly assemblies have recently been introduced to discuss current news stories. Pupils have had the opportunity to be involved in national fundraising events along with local collections for food banks. However, an understanding of the protected characteristics (the nine groups protected under the Equality Act 2010) is not established.

Staff have not received effective professional development in this area.

The early years leader has accurately identified that children arrive with a limited vocabulary and a poor knowledge of language. The early years curriculum that is currently in place does not address this quickly enough.

Staff are not maximising their interactions with children or modelling the vocabulary children need. Consequently, children do not leave Reception with the understanding of language that they need to be successful in Year 1.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders have a clear understanding of how to keep children safe. The record of pre-employment checks on staff is complete and well maintained. The designated safeguarding leads are knowledgeable and committed to keeping all pupils safe.

Written records of incidents are recorded systematically. However, this approach needs to be extended further so that the clear procedures in place are followed routinely by all staff.Risk assessments of the early years area have not always been completed routinely.

During this inspection, potential health and safety risks to children were identified. These risks were addressed immediately by leaders.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• Pupils are not developing reading accuracy quickly enough.

This means they struggle to access the wider curriculum. Leaders should continue their work to securely implement phonics across the school so there is fidelity to the schools chosen phonics programme. This will support pupils to learn to read.

Pupils who fall behind the pace of the programme should receive additional, targeted support to help them keep up. Leaders should make sure that there is a structured approach to helping all pupils develop an understanding of key vocabulary which staff have identified as important. This will support pupils in being ready for the next stage in their education ? Subject leadership is at an early stage of development in this school.

Leaders must ensure that curriculum plans identify the important knowledge and understanding they need pupils to learn. This knowledge needs to be carefully ordered so that pupils are able to build on what they already know. This will help pupils to gain the knowledge needed to prepare them for key stage 2.

• There are inconsistencies in the leadership of each subject. Subject leaders have not had the opportunity to check that teachers are delivering the curriculum well enough. This means that pupils are not achieving as well as they might.

Subject leaders should monitor the delivery of the curriculum more closely. They should identify weaknesses and provide the right support and training for teachers so that all pupils, in all classes, receive an education that is at least good. ? Pupils with SEND are not considered when planning the curriculum.

While these pupils are cared for pastorally, learning activities are not routinely adapted to support and include them academically. Leaders must ensure that pupils with SEND are considered when planning and implementing the curriculum. All staff should understand pupils' needs and how best to support them.

Teachers and teaching assistants need to adapt activities so that all pupils can access their learning at an appropriate level. ? Leaders know what is needed to improve the early years. However, this work has not begun.

Staff do not have secure enough knowledge of how to plan learning and interact with children to support their language development. Leaders need to develop the skills and knowledge of staff in relation to early years. They need to plan and deliver a curriculum that is ambitious for the children in their care.