A TOP York school has been praised by Ofsted in its first inspection since becoming an academy.

Manor C E Academy in Nether Poppleton became an academy in 2011 and is now part of the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust.

The school was previously given the top rating of ‘outstanding’ when it was Manor CE School back in 2007 and it has been now graded ‘good’ - the second highest rating - after it was inspected for the first time since leaving local authority control.

Principal Simon Barber said: “I am incredibly proud of the hard work of our whole school community in achieving this fantastic report. I am also delighted to see our staff’s dedication to supporting students recognised so clearly.

“Every member of our team continues to go the extra mile to support each of our students and ensure they have every opportunity to thrive.”

Helen Winn, CEO of the Hope Sentamu Learning Trust, said: “Congratulations to Simon and the whole team at Manor Church of England Academy for this report. The positive feedback outlined in the report is a true testament to the hard work of the school’s staff, the students and the wider community.

“Following this positive result, we are looking forward to building on the school’s great practice so that the school is graded as Outstanding in its next inspection.”

The report highlights how the school has created an “ambitious curriculum” and instilled a culture of “high expectations” that encourages students to unlock their full potential.

Ofsted also highlighted that “staff are keen to do their best for every student” and how this ethos and commitment has supported a rise in attainment as even more students are going on to study A-levels.

Throughout the report, inspectors praised a wide range of areas where the academy is working exceptionally hard to provide the best educational opportunities for its students.

Inspectors said Manor is a school where all staff have high expectations of their pupils. The religious ethos of the school runs through all of its work. School leaders have a clear vision for the school.

They also found that leaders have developed a challenging curriculum for all pupils. Subject leaders have identified the important knowledge that they want pupils to know and remember and that staff are keen to do their best for every pupil.

They said that students enjoy taking part in a range of enrichment activities and that there are opportunities for pupils to develop leadership skills. Some take part in the ‘young leaders’ award, while others coach younger pupils as part of their sports leaders’ role.

Inspectors also noted that many pupils with special educational needs and/or disabilities (SEND) receive effective support to help them to achieve well.