Children 'learn happily' at Manor Infant and Nursery School which has maintained its good Ofsted rating

Manor Infant and Nursery School, located in Inverness Road, Portsmouth, has been described as a place where children feel ‘safe, secure and truly cared for’ following its recent Ofsted inspection. Ofsted visited the school on Juen 18 and 19 and it outlined that the school is a setting where children get off to a great start in their education and they settle quickly.

The report said that curriculum is ‘ambitious’ and ‘it sets out the important knowledge and skills that the pupils need to learn right from the start of Nursery to the end of Year 2.’ The curriculum also ensures that children with special educational needs develop a good understanding of what is being taught. The school has also made improvements to how well pupils read and write and the inspection found that these improvements can be seen in the work being produced by students.

The report said: “Pupils generally behave well around the school and in lessons. The school has high expectations for pupils’ behaviour. These are clearly understood and consistently applied across the school. Furthermore, effective additional help to manage their behaviour is provided for those pupils who need this.

“The school is tenacious in ensuring that pupils attend school. While attendance rates for most pupils are positive, there are a few pupils who do not attend school as well as they should. The school’s work to improve the attendance of these pupils is helping to bring about necessary improvements.”

Helen Castle, headteacher, said: “Everyone at Manor Infant and Nursery School were thrilled to be recognised as 'good' in our recent Ofsted inspection. All the staff work tirelessly to provide the best education and experiences for our children. Our strong emphasis on relational practice was picked up by the inspectors when they commented  'pupils feel safe, secure and truly cared for.”

The report found that the school could work on ‘some elements of the curriculum’. It says that some areas of the curriculum are in the early stages and as a result, the school needs to continue to develop the staff’s subject knowledge ‘and their understanding of highly effective teaching strategies.’

The report added: “Leaders do not stand still in their drive to improve the school. All leaders in the school, including governors, share the same high aspiration for pupils to achieve well. Regular training ensures that staff are suitably equipped to help pupils learn and succeed. Staff enjoy working at the school. There is a real sense of community here with everyone working together to continue to improve the education provided.”

The safeguarding measures are effective and there is a strong culture of keeping children safe in and out of the school.

For more information about the Ofsted report, click here.

To find an Ofsted report for a school, click here.