Thornton Cleveleys Manor Beach Primary School

Highlights from Latest Inspection

What is it like to attend this school?

The school is a welcoming place. Parents and carers told us that teachers and staff are approachable and friendly. Almost all parents believe that the school deals well with any concerns they may have.

Children starting school soon settle in. However, some children do not achieve well in reading and writing during their time in early years. Not enough children achieve a good level of development by the end of Reception Year.

As a result, too many pupils start Year 1 without strong reading and writing skills. These pupils struggle to catch up and are not fully prepared for the demands of the curriculum in reading and writing at key stage 2. Some teachers do not have hi...gh enough expectations of what pupils are capable of achieving.

Pupils understand that everyone is unique. They say that it's 'okay to be different'. Pupils learn how to keep themselves healthy, physically and mentally.

They enjoy taking part in sports activities in school and in the after-school clubs.

Pupils are happy and behaviour around the school is good. Attendance has been getting better over time.

There are still some pupils who are absent from school too often.

Pupils feel and are safe in this school. They are confident that bullying is a rarity at Manor Beach.

Pupils told us that their teachers would act quickly if ever it did occur.

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

Leaders have planned a structured curriculum. The design of the curriculum helps teachers to be clear about what they have to teach pupils across each year group.

Leaders have made sure that the national curriculum subjects have the required content. Despite this carefully planned curriculum, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. This is particularly the case for younger children in the Reception class and for key stage 1 pupils, in reading and writing.

Teachers do not introduce children to phonics quickly enough. This delay slows down children's development in reading and writing. Too many children are therefore not ready for Year 1.

These pupils struggle to catch up. In 2019, a third of pupils did not reach the expected standard in reading and writing at the end of key stage 1. Leaders are beginning to address these weaknesses in reading and writing.

For example, they have reviewed the school's approach to the teaching of phonics. However, this work is at a very early stage and it is too soon to see the full impact on pupils' achievement in reading and writing.Pupils across the school, including in early years, enjoy listening to stories.

Teachers read to pupils regularly from a wide range of texts. These books introduce pupils to new vocabulary. Older pupils told us that learning new words enriches their writing.

Pupils take books home to read.Leaders recognised that pupils' achievement in mathematics was not good enough. They have now made improvements to the curriculum in mathematics.

These improvements are having a positive impact for pupils currently in the school. Leaders have provided training to improve teachers' subject knowledge. This helps them to plan lessons that are developing pupils' skills in mathematics over time.

Leaders have improved teachers' subject knowledge in science. Pupils enjoy their lively and interesting science lessons. These lessons help them to make connections with learning in other subjects.

For example, in Year 5, pupils dropped paper spinners to test out air resistance. They used their mathematical knowledge to calculate the average time it took for the paper to reach the ground. Pupils can remember their learning from earlier lessons in science.

The curriculum for personal, social and health education (PSHE) is effective. For example, pupils in Year 4 discuss what makes someone a 'good friend' or a 'bad friend'. Their learning in PSHE supports pupils' personal development.

Leaders provide a wide range of activities to help pupils develop personally. Pupils take part in singing activities, charitable works and community events. They contribute to decision making with the school through their roles as school councillors.

Pupils learn about different faiths and cultures. They know about differences and similarities between people.Pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive timely support.

They are fully included in all aspects of school life. Their individual plans set out their specific targets clearly. As a result, pupils with SEND have their needs well met.

Leaders work with other primary and secondary schools. These relationships are helping the school to improve. Leaders have not worked hard enough with Nursery providers.

Staff do not know enough about what children already know and can do before they start school.Pupils behave well, including in early years. Teachers have high expectations and pupils understand these.

Pupils' attendance is improving overall. Some pupils are absent more persistently. Leaders need to work even harder with some families to reduce persistent absence further.

Safeguarding

The arrangements for safeguarding are effective.

Leaders and governors have made sure that staff have a range of safeguarding training. This helps them to be vigilant for signs of harm, and to recognise when children need help.

The school has clear systems for recording concerns. Everyone understands these systems and uses them effectively. Leaders carry out appropriate checks on the suitability of staff to work with children.

Records of these checks are thorough and up to date.

The curriculum enables pupils to recognise dangers when they work on the internet. Pupils know what action to take if they see something that worries them.

What does the school need to do to improve?

(Information for the school and appropriate authority)

In recent years, too few children have reached good level of development by the end of Reception Year. This is because children do not develop the skills they need to read and write well. Leaders now need to make sure the new phonics scheme is securely embedded so that children learn about phonics right from the start.

This will ensure that more children achieve a good level of development and are better prepared for their transition into Year 1. . Too few pupils reach the expected standard in reading and writing at the end of key stage 1.

New initiatives have been put in place to improve outcomes in reading and writing. Leaders need to ensure that these new initiatives are embedded so that pupils' achievement in reading and writing improves and that these improvements are sustained over time. This will ensure that pupils are better prepared for the demands of the key stage 2 curriculum.

. This school does not have a Nursery class. Most of the children who start at Manor Beach attend a private nursery first.

Leaders have not developed close enough links with Nursery providers to enable staff to find out more about children's learning prior to starting school. This prevents staff from building quickly and effectively on what children already know and can do. Leaders now need to make sure that staff build stronger working relationships with Nursery providers so that children have the best possible chance of making a prompt start to learning at Manor Beach.

. Leaders have worked hard to improve attendance over time. This work has had some success.

Attendance is now closer to the national average and is improving. However, the level of persistent absence is still above the national average. Although there are genuine reasons for this in some cases, leaders now need to work even harder with other families to make sure those pupils who are absent persistently develop better and consistent attendance habits.

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