Manor Infant School

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 21 November 2023

The school is ambitious that pupils will achieve well and become independent, lifelong learners. Recently, however, pupils have not received the high-quality education that leaders know they deserve. Although pupils' published results are not where the school would want them to be, there are early signs, in some more well- established areas of the curriculum, that the quality of education pupils are getting is improving. However, there is still much work to do. The school places considerable emphasis on pupils' well-being. Pupils learn about their emotions and are helped to recognise feelings, such as anger, sadness, or fear. They make the most of the school's many calm and relaxing spaces to reflect on how they are feeling during times of tension. One parent commented that: 'Teachers care a lot about children and their well-being. The school is very supportive and welcoming.' Pupils are taught to 'be the best they can be'. They learn about the school values, saying that the most important one is kindness. Adults exemplify the values, demonstrating their high expectations. Pupils often help each other, sharing pens and glue in lessons and holding doors open as they walk through the school.

What the school should improve

• In some parts of the curriculum, the components of knowledge that pupils need to learn are not identified. In these areas, teachers do not know exactly what to teach and when, so that pupils' learning can build securely over time. The school should ensure that the intended learning is identified equally well across the whole of the curriculum, so that pupils learn consistently well across their broad range of subjects.
• Not all staff who need to have been trained in phonics. Because of this, pupils who struggle with reading do not consistently get the help they need. The school should continue to develop staff's knowledge and expertise in teaching phonics, so all adults are able to give pupils the expert help they need in reading.
• The activities pupils undertake in lessons are not closely matched to what adults want them to learn. Consequently, pupils do not understand and remember what they have learned. As the curriculum develops further, the school should ensure that appropriate activities are used to teach the intended knowledge effectively.

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