Primary school where 'pupils do not feel safe' and teachers are 'physically hurt' slammed by Ofsted

An academy has been slammed by the education watchdog after inspectors found staff and pupils were being ‘physically hurt’ and were ‘worried’ to come into school.

Manor Green Primary Academy in Denton has been rated ‘inadequate’ overall by Ofsted, with the report finding serious failings in regards to students’ behaviour and safeguarding. Following a visit in April, the three-strong inspection team state that leaders allow the ‘violent outbursts of a small but significant number of pupils’ to ‘repeatedly disrupt’ the learning and playtimes of other pupils.

And they state that bullying and name-calling is not dealt with effectively. “As a result, pupils do not feel safe nor are they safe in school,” Ofsted concludes.

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The watchdog has advised that the school does not appoint any early career teachers before the next inspection, and recommends the academy requires ‘special measures’.

In a statement to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, a spokesperson for Manor Green said that they did not feel that improvements that have already taken place at the school were ‘fairly reflected in the Ofsted report’.

The school says it has submitted a formal complaint to Ofsted about how the inspection was carried out. However it acknowledges that ‘significant improvements were needed’.

The academy, on Mancunian Road, has 402 pupils on its roll aged from three to 11 and was previously rated ‘good’ in 2017. Inspectors say the behaviour of children in the upper half of the primary, aged from five to 11 is ‘particularly poor’ and incidents of ‘prejudiced name-calling’ are a ‘common feature’ of the school experience.

While there are safeguarding