Manor Farm Community Infant School

Overview

Pupils are described as happy and safe, demonstrating a strong understanding of school values such as ‘be kind, have respect and achieve your best’. The school fosters a ‘warm and caring’ culture where staff support all learners, including those with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND), within an ambitious curriculum.

Strengths

• Early years provision is ‘Outstanding’, with children making an ‘excellent start’ through an ‘extremely engaging and purposeful environment’.
• Reading is a high priority; pupils are ‘excited about books’ and become ‘fluent and confident readers’ through carefully matched phonics instruction.
• Staff quickly identify and support SEND pupils, ensuring they are ‘well supported in class’ and can keep up with learning.
• Behaviour is ‘good’ and respectful, underpinned by effective staff training that has created a ‘warm and positive culture’.
• Leaders prioritise staff well-being and workload, providing ‘well considered professional development’ to support teaching quality.

Areas to improve

• Assessment in some foundation subjects is ‘not sufficiently well developed’, meaning teaching does not always deepen pupils’ knowledge securely.
• The school should ‘accurately check pupils’ understanding’ in these subjects and use this information to inform future teaching.

Safeguarding

The report states that ‘the arrangements for safeguarding are effective’.