Manaccan Primary School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 25 June 2024

Pupils get along well together in this close-knit village school. They play and learn harmoniously. However, the education they receive is not yet good. Over recent years, support and challenge for the school to improve the quality of education has been weak. Since joining Aspire Academy Trust, pupils' learning is improving significantly but there is more work to do. Relationships between staff and pupils are warm and encouraging. This is appreciated by parents. Pupils are respectful towards one another. This begins in the early years where children share, play and collaborate together well. Pupils know the rules and the expectations. They understand the consequences of the choices they make. The school does not develop pupils' character as well as it could. Pupils do not benefit from an overall coherence to their personal development. For example, younger pupils develop their social skills and independence. However, the school does not build on this as pupils get older. Pupils do not have enough opportunities to take on responsibilities or experience ways of contributing to school and community life. Even so, they enjoy experiences such as sailing, museum trips and clubs. These enrich the curriculum.

What the school should improve

• Some areas of the curriculum are not as developed as others. Where this is the case, pupils do not learn as well. The trust and the school must complete its work to design a coherent, well-sequenced curriculum for pupils, including for children in the early years.
• The school has not identified clear teaching strategies that it wants pupils to learn the curriculum through. This includes in the early years. Consequently, adults use a range of strategies, not all of which are effective. The trust and the school must develop staff's understanding of pedagogy, including the use of assessment to ensure pupils know more and remember more over time.
• A majority of parents say the school does not communicate or engage well with them. As a result, parents do not understand the improvements and developments in the school well. The trust and the school should review and improve its work with parents to restore trust and an understanding of improvements to pupils' education.
• Opportunities for pupils to contribute to their school and local community are limited. Pupils do not gain a full understanding of what it means to be a responsible citizen. The trust and the school should build coherent opportunities for pupils to develop this knowledge so that they can contribute to and influence the school and local communities.

Read the full Ofsted report (opens in a new tab)