Mansel Primary

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

There is a real sense of community at Mansel Primary. Leaders have built positive relationships with pupils and their families.

They have created an inclusive culture that helps pupils to feel happy and safe.

Pupils know that the things they learn now will help them later in life. They talk about their many different aspirations for the future.

Leaders have developed an ambitious curriculum that supports pupils to achieve these aspirations. Visitors to school, such as local artists, inspire pupils. Most pupils strive to meet leaders' high expectations.

Adults help pupils to manage their own feelings and behave well. Leaders have established the schoo...l rules of 'ready, respectful, safe' to help pupils understand what adults expect of them. Staff apply these rules consistently.

As a result, pupils behave well most of the time. When behaviour slips, staff immediately help pupils to get back on track. This means pupils can focus on their learning with few distractions.

Bullying is not a problem at Mansel Primary. This is because leaders and staff teach pupils how to treat everyone with respect. When bullying does happen, staff resolve it effectively.

Leaders make sure pupils and families understand why attending school is important. Staff provide lots of support to help pupils attend every day. This is making a positive difference to pupils.

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

Leaders have made reading a priority. They ensure that staff have the training they need to help pupils learn to read. From early years onwards, leaders ensure that children have lots of books to enjoy.

Staff give pupils throughout school lots of practise to read. They model the sounds that pupils need to learn consistently well. This helps pupils to become fluent readers.

When pupils struggle with reading, staff give them the right support to catch up. Staff show pupils what being a great reader looks like by reading to them every day. Pupils talk enthusiastically about the books they read.

For example, they can list facts that they have learned or describe how a character solved a mystery. The books that pupils read are matched to the sounds they know.

Staff make sure that children in early years get off to a flying start in mathematics.

They give children lots of opportunities to develop their mathematical skills by, for example, counting how many chicks have hatched in the incubator in Nursery or exploring capacity in the water tray in Reception. Children become confident with number quickly. Teachers help older pupils build their mathematical knowledge step by step.

Pupils have lots of opportunities to rehearse and revisit learning. This means that, by the time pupils leave school in Year 6, they are confident mathematicians.In most subjects, leaders have defined the most important things they want pupils to learn.

In art, pupils build their knowledge in small steps, learning how to draw, paint and sculpt. However, in science, leaders have not clearly identified all of the most important things that they want pupils to remember. This means that, in some aspects of science, teachers are not sure what pupils need to learn.

Sometimes, the tasks that teachers give pupils do not help them to learn the knowledge leaders have planned. For example, in science and history, pupils are sometimes given tasks that are not related to the most important knowledge that they need to acquire. As a result, pupils are not always focused on the most important things that they need to know.

Leaders enable pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) to get the right support to help them to follow the full curriculum. Teachers use assessment to plan next steps for pupils with SEND. This means pupils learn things in steps that are right for them.

Parents and carers of pupils with SEND are fully involved in the production of support plans.

Leaders make sure that pupils learn the skills to become confident speakers. In the early years and Nursery, staff help children to learn lots of new words.

Staff show children how to use these words in order to extend their language. Older children learn how to have debates and speak in front of others. Teachers help them by making sure pupils have the right words and sentence structures to use.

This is helping pupils to become more confident.

Leaders and staff show pupils how to treat everyone with kindness. This is helping pupils to develop respectful attitudes towards each other.

Staff teach pupils how to disagree without falling out. This means that pupils understand differences and know that 'everyone deserves to be treated the same'. Staff provide pupils with extra-curricular opportunities, which helps to broaden their experiences.

Pupils particularly enjoy taking part in the annual school performance. Other opportunities include visits from authors and visits to a local outdoor education centre. Staff also make sure that pupils have lots of opportunities to take part in after-school clubs.

These include singing, kickboxing and sports. If pupils cannot attend, leaders find out why. They try to remove any barriers so that all pupils have the chance to take part.

Those responsible for governance challenge and support leaders to improve the school. Governors ensure that they have the skills they need to fulfil their statutory duties. They make sure that everyone focuses on providing pupils with a high-quality education.

Staff are passionate about the community they serve. They feel that leaders support them well and are proud to be part of the school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Everyone at Mansel Primary takes safeguarding seriously. Leaders make sure that staff are trained well and receive regular updates to safeguarding guidance. Staff work hard to build strong relationships with families.

As a result, they know pupils and their families well. Staff are vigilant and know how to identify any risks that pupils may face. They swiftly follow up any concerns about pupils' welfare.

Leaders and governors check that staff follow safeguarding procedures consistently. Leaders are tenacious in using links with external agencies to help pupils and families get the support they need.

Leaders use a 'Monday briefing' to remind pupils about important concepts, such as healthy relationships.

This helps pupils of all ages to show a strong understanding of how to stay safe, both in the community and online. Pupils are confident to speak to adults in school if they have any worries. They know that adults will support them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, leaders have not identified the most important knowledge that they would like pupils to know and remember. This means that teachers are not sure about exactly what should be learned. Leaders should ensure that this knowledge is identified so that pupils learn well across all subjects.

• Some tasks given to pupils in lessons do not match the intended learning. This means that pupils do not learn the intended knowledge. Leaders should ensure that teachers are sharply focused on what it is they expect pupils to learn by making sure that planned activities enable pupils to achieve this.

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