Manshead Church of England Academy

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

Manshead is a school that welcomes everyone. Pupils are respectful to each other, visitors, and staff. They value the positive working relationships with their teachers.

Some pupils join the school at different stages in their education. Newcomers, including incoming Year 7 pupils, appreciate the welcome and support given to help them to settle in quickly.

Pupils, sixth-form students, and parents sharing their views with inspectors said that behaviour in the school has improved 'massively' since opening.

Most pupils arrive in the morning ready to learn. Disruption in lessons is rare, so pupils are more confident that they can get on with their work. Teachers'... high expectations of pupils are well understood.

As one pupil said, 'We can't get away with anything anymore.'

When things go wrong, pupils are certain that staff will help them. They say that bullying does not happen often.

When it does, action is taken to sort it out. Pupils feel that staff and leaders 'care about us here'. Pupils' learning helps them to develop personally, as well as academically.

Sixth-form students act as good role models for younger pupils. The return of the variety of after-school clubs and sports this year is welcomed by the many pupils who take part.

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

Leaders want the best for pupils in this highly inclusive school, and these values are visible in all aspects of the school's work.

The focus on positive behaviours creates an environment in which pupils and sixth-form students can achieve well. Pupils' well-being is a priority, which ensures that they are ready to learn. Positive relationships with pupils, students and families are a strong feature of the quality of education that the school provides.

Leaders and staff have created a well-considered curriculum across the school. They continue to review this curriculum to ensure that subject content is taught in the most logical order, so they are helping pupils to apply what they already know to new learning. In a range of subjects, including English, mathematics and science, teachers ensure that important content is revisited, so that pupils remember more of what they have learned.

A few curriculum subject plans are less well developed, for example in music and computing. In these few subjects, pupils' experiences lack the depth of the rest of the curriculum. Some complex tasks are set before pupils have grasped the basics of what they need to know before they move on to the next stage.

Reading is prioritised. An intensive programme of support is in place for pupils who need to catch up. This is improving pupils' reading ages, but it does not make the same difference to their spelling.

This is often because pupils have not learned how to sound unfamiliar words accurately.Pupils access a full range of subjects in Year 7 to Year 9. They go on to choose from a wide range of courses in Years 10 and 11.

All pupils are encouraged to include a foreign language and history or geography in their choices. Some choose work-related courses alongside other studies. A few pupils are accompanied by school staff to attend work-related courses, for part of the school day, at an external provider.

The sixth-form curriculum is appropriately matched to students' needs, interests, and aspirations.

Pupils in all year groups have access to impartial careers education, information, advice, and guidance from the in-school careers adviser. Pupils have opportunities for work-related learning and work experience, including in the sixth form.

More pupils are staying on in the school's sixth form at the end of Year 11. Most complete their courses and go on to appropriate, and wide-ranging, post-18 education settings, training and/or employment.

Support for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) is well thought out in all year groups.

Regular checks on learning ensure staff have a good understanding of individual needs. The learning, inclusion, nurture and care provision provides additional, effective support for vulnerable pupils. While most parents are positive about their children's experiences, a few do not feel their children's needs are routinely met.

Behaviour and attendance across the school have improved significantly since the school opened. Almost all staff, pupils and parents who shared their views with inspectors agree. Pupils learn how to stay safe, form healthy relationships, and to respect individual differences.

Sixth-form students have their own personal development programme, which helps to prepare them to become independent adults.

Leaders are mindful of staff well-being and workload. Staff training is a high priority, including support for early career teachers.

Governors are appropriately supported by the trust. They are clear about their roles and responsibilities, including in holding leaders to account for the school's performance. Link governors ensure that leaders' work is closely monitored against each area of the school's development plan.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have ensured that safeguarding is a high priority. Pupils are taught how to keep themselves safe.

Statutory requirements are met, including making checks that employees are suitable to work with pupils. Staff are vigilant and suitably trained. They understand the signs that may indicate a pupil is at risk of harm.

The safeguarding team works closely with external agencies, including the police, to help to protect vulnerable pupils and to get them the support they need. Leaders are persistent in following up concerns, including where local authority services are slow to respond.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• In some subjects, the school's curriculum is still under development.

While plans are in place, some planning lacks detail and staff are not yet fully trained to deliver it. For this reason, the transition arrangements have been applied. Leaders should ensure that their plans for curriculum review are fully implemented and staff are fully trained, including seeking external subject expertise where it is needed.

• The programme of support for pupils who need to catch up with their reading does not improve weaknesses in pupils' spelling. This is because it does not address the gaps in pupils' ability to use phonics to sound words and spell accurately. Leaders, including the trust, should ensure that staff leading interventions have a better understanding of systematic synthetic phonics, so that they can help pupils to decode and spell unfamiliar words.

Also at this postcode