Sunbury Manor School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school's expectations of pupils are too low. Too many pupils refuse to attend their lessons.

When they do, their experiences are very inconsistent. This is partly due to instability in the school's staffing meaning a large proportion of lessons are taught by temporary supply staff. It is common for pupils not to engage with their learning.

Teachers are not consistent in challenging these behaviours.

The use of racist and homophobic language has become normalised between pupils. Many say that they would not report this behaviour because they are not confident it will be dealt with effectively.

They are justified in feeling this way. When issues ar...e reported, leaders do not always take appropriate action. This allows these behaviours to continue.

Pupils enjoy some opportunities to engage in clubs and trips. This offer is not as wide as the school would like due to the high turnover of staff.

There is a shared understanding that standards of behaviour and education in the school are unacceptably low.

Pupils and staff have been frustrated by a lack of consistent and effective leadership in the school over time. They are looking forward to the newly appointed headteacher taking up post soon.

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

Leaders and trustees understand that there has been a sharp decline in standards at this school.

Staff turnover and a lack of leadership capacity have made it difficult for the school to make the necessary improvements. Trustees have identified this and, working with the local authority, have brokered support from a multi-academy trust (MAT). Leaders and trustees are aware that staff morale in the school has been low.

However, recent changes have begun to have some positive impact and have been received well by staff and pupils.

Pupils experience a fragmented education at this school due to the impact of disruptive behaviour. Although there is a planned and coherent curriculum in most subjects, pupils do not consistently benefit from this because expectations of their engagement and work are often very low.

Many staff are new to the school or employed on a temporary basis. Not all have the expertise to deliver the curriculum effectively. There are systems for assessing pupils' progress, but the school does not currently apply these consistently due to a shortage of permanent staff.

The school's published outcomes are low across the board. This is particularly the case for disadvantaged pupils, whose progress is typically well below average.

Rates of absence at the school are high.

Too many pupils are persistently absent and there is little sign of this improving. Despite some very recent improvements, when pupils do attend school, many are late or truant their lessons. Pupils' attendance is not always recorded accurately.

Leaders are aware that they are not providing an acceptable quality of education for pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND). Staffing shortages in this team mean that pupils' needs are not identified quickly enough. Teachers are not always aware of pupils' needs or the strategies that are likely to help most in the classroom.

There is some positive work to support a small number of pupils outside of lessons. This includes some effective intervention for pupils who need help to improve their reading.

The school has a well-planned programme of careers education, information and guidance.

All pupils have opportunities to learn about a range of employers and further education providers. Pupils are taught an appropriate programme of personal, social, health and economic education known in school as 'life skills'. This part of the curriculum is a relative strength of the school.

Pupils find these lessons useful as they learn about a range of topics that are relevant to their age and experiences. Although pupils are taught about fundamental British values, including respect and tolerance, this is not reinforced through the school's wider work. Discriminatory language is not consistently challenged by adults in school.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective.

The school lacks the required capacity to carry out their safeguarding duties effectively. Too many pupils are frequently absent from school and leaders do not consistently make sure that these pupils are safe.

This includes some pupils who are vulnerable, for example because they require the involvement of children's social care. There is a lack of oversight of pupils on reduced timetables. The whereabouts of these pupils is sometimes unknown.

There is a lack of connectivity between different systems in school. Information about safeguarding and behaviour are not joined up, which has resulted in instances where patterns of concern have been missed. Weaknesses in safeguarding have not been identified prior to this inspection, including through the work of trustees.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

• The arrangements for safeguarding are not effective. There is a lack of oversight of some pupils who are not attending school. This includes groups of pupils who are particularly vulnerable.

Leaders must act urgently to address weaknesses in the school's safeguarding arrangements. Trustees should ensure that this work is prioritised and that they have more robust means of checking the effectiveness of safeguarding in the future. ? Leaders have overseen a decline in standards at this school.

Although they have identified weaknesses, they lack the capacity required to make the necessary improvements. Working with trustees and external partners, leaders should ensure that they put in place a clear and sustainable plan to raise standards of education and behaviour across the school. ? The school's systems to manage behaviour are not effective or consistently applied.

Pupils frequently ignore the requests of staff to engage in lessons. Some pupils truant their lessons and disturb other classes. These behaviours frequently disrupt pupils' learning.

Leaders should continue their work to establish clearer expectations of pupils' conduct. They must ensure that these expectations are upheld consistently and effectively and that staff are supported well to achieve this. ? The use of prejudicial language has become normalised by pupils at the school.

When incidents are reported, leaders do not consistently take action to stop this behaviour continuing. This has allowed a culture of racist and homophobic 'banter' to develop. The school should ensure that there are high expectations of the way pupils treat each other and that these are understood by all.

They must make sure that their behaviour policy is applied consistently and that prejudicial language is not tolerated. ? Pupils with SEND do not receive a high-quality education. Teachers and support staff are not consistently knowledgeable about the individual needs of pupils with SEND.

Leaders should make sure that the school has procedures in place to identify the needs of pupils with SEND as quickly as possible. They should ensure that staff receive the training and guidance required to meet pupils' needs. ? Having considered the evidence, we strongly recommend that the school does not seek to appoint early career teachers.

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