Uplands Manor Primary School and Nursery

What Ofsted said

From the inspection on 16 May 2023

This is a school where the school's values of achievement, belief, creativity, determination and enthusiasm permeate all that happens throughout each day. Pupils are proud of what they do and how they do it. Pupils take their learning and their care of each other seriously. They concentrate in lessons. They look out for each other. They told inspectors, 'Never a soul is left out.' They share a strong sense of community. If difficulties do happen with behaviour or friendships, staff deal with them swiftly. Pupils value the way staff help and support them, both with their learning and their feelings. They are right to. Supported by the highly effective pastoral and inclusion teams, all staff provide excellent support, which makes a real difference to pupils and their families. Leaders have worked hard to make sure pupils have all they need in place to achieve well. This is beginning to pay dividends. Many more pupils are now working at the standard that they should be. Pupils see being a member of 'Tech Squad', a prefect or a school councillor as important. They know they make a positive contribution to school life. Pupils enjoy learning from visits out and visitors into school.

What the school should improve

• The recently refined English curriculum is in the early stages of implementation. Staff have a range of information to plan from. Work in pupils' books shows that not all teachers build up the learning sequentially towards the final written task. This means that some pupils do not achieve as well as they could. Leaders should ensure that teachers are supported in understanding the small steps of learning that build through a unit of work and monitor that these small steps are taught effectively and consistently.
• Pupils remember recent learning but some are unable to consistently draw on what they know and remember over time. Leaders should continue to embed the curriculum and develop further recall strategies. This is so that all pupils can make links across their learning to secure deeper understanding and ensure that they can remember and apply what they know consistently across all subjects.
• Some of the resources that children in the early years have access to do not fully support their learning. This means that, occasionally, children's opportunities to learn through play are restricted. Therefore, leaders should ensure that the suitability and organisation of resources are enhanced to better meet children's needs and maximise learning opportunities.

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