Shirley Manor Primary School

Shirley Manor Primary is a school undergoing significant change. It joined the Family of Learning Trust in April 2024 and appointed a new head of school in September 2024, with a new governing body also in place. This was its first routine inspection since the COVID-19 pandemic, and under current arrangements the school did not receive an overall effectiveness grade. Inspectors found leadership and management, behaviour and attitudes, and personal development to be good, while the quality of education and early years provision require improvement. Safeguarding arrangements are effective. Pupils generally behave well, move around school calmly and are eager to learn. They benefit from a carefully considered wider offer, including opportunities to contribute to charities and the school community, and they develop a clear understanding of safety, well-being and respect for others. New leaders have made rapid improvements, governors and trustees have an accurate view of what still needs work, and parents speak positively about recent changes. The school has also improved how it identifies and supports pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities. However, some pupils do not achieve as well as they should. The newly introduced curriculum is not yet delivered consistently, and in some lessons staff do not choose activities that help pupils build knowledge over time. Phonics is not fully implemented: books do not always match taught sounds, catch-up support is not consistently in place, and the school does not yet have a clear view of phonics gaps for some key stage 2 pupils. Early years staff do not understand or deliver the curriculum well enough, so children are not as well prepared for Year 1 as they should be. Leaders recognise these issues and are taking action, but there is still much to do.

Strengths

• Leadership and management are good, with new leaders making rapid improvements.
• Behaviour and attitudes are good; pupils generally behave well and are eager to learn.
• Personal development is good, with a carefully considered wider offer beyond the classroom.
• Safeguarding arrangements are effective.
• Pupils develop a clear understanding of online safety and physical and mental well-being.
• Pupils have opportunities to contribute to the school community and local charities.
• Pupils show respect and consideration for others who are different from them.
• The school has introduced a clear curriculum that defines knowledge, vocabulary and skills.
• New SEND systems identify and support pupils more quickly.
• A clear, well-structured phonics curriculum has been introduced with staff training and trust support.
• The school promotes positive attendance and supports some pupils with SEND who need help with behaviour.
• Governors and trustees have an accurate view of areas needing continued development.
• Parents speak positively about recent work and the school engages with them regularly.
• The school considers staff workload and well-being.

Areas for Improvement

• The quality of education requires improvement, and some pupils do not achieve as well as they should.
• Early years provision requires improvement; staff do not understand or deliver the curriculum well enough.
• Some early years activities and interactions lack purpose, so children are not well prepared for Year 1.
• Staff do not consistently make appropriate activity choices to help pupils learn and build knowledge over time.
• The new phonics curriculum is not fully implemented.
• Books pupils read do not fully match the sounds they have been taught.
• Pupils who are behind in phonics do not consistently receive catch-up support.
• The school does not have a clear view of phonics knowledge gaps for some key stage 2 pupils.
• Some staff lack understanding of the curriculum or the most effective teaching methods in some subjects.
• Staff report an increase in workload recently.

Admissions: local authority offers data from the Department for Education. A school is oversubscribed when at least 5% of the families who put it first were not offered a place, and undersubscribed when everyone who put it first got in but 10% or more of its places were unfilled in the Department's school capacity survey (the latest survey is used for entry years it does not cover). Places: Department for Education, School capacity, from local authorities' annual survey as at 1 May. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024–25); the survey was not run in 2020. Places include sixth form places. Forecasts are the local authority's own for the school's planning area, an area it uses to plan places that is not the school's catchment area. The forecast starts from a head count in 2025; the dashed line is the Department's estimate of places in that area, including those the authority has firm plans for. Planned places are cumulative, and only those with firm plans are counted.

In 2024–25 pupils at Shirley Manor Primary School attended 92.7% of sessions (the national figure for primary schools was 94.8%). 28.8% of pupils were persistently absent, missing at least one session in ten (nationally 13.0%).

Sessions missed

Pupils persistently absent

Source: Department for Education, Pupil absence in schools in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Persistent absence means missing 10% or more of sessions; severe absence means 50% or more. No figures were published for 2019/20.

In 2024–25, 5.1% of pupils at Shirley Manor Primary School were suspended at least once (nationally 1.1%). No pupils were permanently excluded.

Pupils suspended at least once

Source: Department for Education, Suspensions and permanent exclusions in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). A pupil can be suspended more than once, so suspensions per 100 pupils can be higher than the share of pupils suspended. Very small numbers are hidden by the DfE. Exclusion figures dropped in 2020 and 2021 because of school closures.

In 2025–26 Shirley Manor Primary School had 20.4 pupils for each teacher (the national figure for primary schools was 20.7). Of its teachers in 2024–25, 34.1% were no longer at the school a year later (nationally 15.7%).

Pupils per teacher

Teachers who left the school within a year

Source: Department for Education, School workforce in England. Each year is the one the school year ends in (2025 is 2024/25). Pupils per teacher counts full-time-equivalent pupils and teachers. Turnover is the share of a year's teachers (full-time equivalent) who were not at the school the following year, whether they moved to another school or left state-funded teaching. Turnover and sickness figures run one year behind the ratios. Sick leave is the share of teachers who took at least one day in the year, so it swings widely at small schools, where a few teachers can make it 0% or 100%. The national figures are for all state schools of the same type.

In 2025–26, 29.2% of pupils at Shirley Manor Primary School were on SEN support (nationally 15.4%) and 3.0% had an education, health and care (EHC) plan (nationally 4.1%).

Pupils by main type of need

Source: Department for Education, Special educational needs in England (the 2025–26 school census). SEN support is extra help in school without an EHC plan. National figures are for all state-funded primary schools. Counts are as published, with small numbers not hidden.

In 2024–25 Shirley Manor Primary School received £8,651 and spent £9,014 for each of its 171 pupils. It ended the year with reserves of £53,000 (£311 per pupil).

Across all 5 schools of The Family of Learning Trust, income was £7,506 and spending £7,450 per pupil.

Income per pupil

Spending per pupil

Source: Department for Education, Financial Benchmarking and Insights Tool. Each year is the one the financial year ends in (2024 is 2023–24). Academy figures include a share of the trust's central services, shared out by pupil numbers, and are rounded to the nearest £1,000. Premises costs were defined differently from 2024, so compare them across that gap with care.

• Primary Schools
• Secondary Schools

All schools in Bradford · Bradford local authority: places and applications

Shirley Manor Primary School is part of The Family of Learning Trust, which runs 5 schools. The nearest others:

• Beech Hill School Halifax
• Dean Field Community Primary School Halifax
• Bradshaw Primary School Halifax
• Heptonstall Junior Infant and Nursery School Hebden Bridge

What is Shirley Manor Primary School's Ofsted rating?

The latest Ofsted rating for Shirley Manor Primary School is Requires Improvement, from an inspection in December 2024.

When was Shirley Manor Primary School last inspected by Ofsted?

Shirley Manor Primary School was last inspected in December 2024.

How many pupils does Shirley Manor Primary School have?

Shirley Manor Primary School has 168 pupils on roll.

What age range does Shirley Manor Primary School cover?

Shirley Manor Primary School for pupils aged 3 to 11.

What are Shirley Manor Primary School's SATs (KS2) results?

In 2025, 33% of Year 6 pupils met the expected standard in reading, writing and maths.

Where is Shirley Manor Primary School?

Shirley Manor Primary School is at Methuen Oval, Wyke, Bradford, West Yorkshire, BD12 8SA.